Seeing Danger (Sinclair and Raven #2)(58)

“Eat now, Dev,” Eden said, handing him a plate, “and then tell us what's happening.”

“You probably heard most of it anyway,” he said around a mouthful of buttered toast.

“Most, but not all,” she said with a cheeky smile.

James frowned at her. “I thought you put your earplugs in when you returned?”

“James, James, James,” Cam said, shaking his head. “When will you learn not to believe her when she says that?

“You lied to me!” James roared, glaring at his wife, who looked totally unrepentant.

“Not lied, darling, exactly,” she said, kissing his cheek. “I had them in and then I took them out. Anyway,” she quickly added as James opened his mouth to continue the discussion, “we have much more pressing matters to discuss regarding Toby and your cousin.”

Dev realized this was his cue, so he took a large swallow of his brandy before beginning. “None of you have probably noticed, but Lilly always wears her gloves. I discussed it with her one night and she told me she had always worn them, since childhood.”

“That's true,” James added. “I used to question her on it when we were playing but she usually just fobbed me off.”

“Christ, she's one of us!”

Dev had known it would be Cam who worked it out first, and he wasn't disappointed. Essie followed seconds later. Eden of course, already knew.

“Good God!”

“Christ!”

“As you know, I don't like to hear those words coming from my sisters, but if ever there was a time they were acceptable, now is it,” Dev added.

“What the bloody hell is going on?”

Looking at James's bewildered expression, Dev laughed. For once the mighty Raven brain was not working.

“Lilly has sensitive hands, Raven.”

“So do a lot of people. One of my drivers is allergic to.... Mother of God!”

“Yes darling, your cousin has the heightened sense of touch, just as I have hearing, Cam smell, Essie taste, and Dev sight. She is the fifth and final sense, it seems. How strange that it was you who uncovered this, brother,” Eden said, giving Dev a pointed look that he ignored.

“She healed Toby tonight. It exhausted her and now she sleeps, but she did it.”

“How did you know, Dev?” Cam queried.

“I took off her glove one night. She rebelled, but I grabbed her hand, and she told me she had never touched anyone before without it causing her pain.”

“Like I cannot hear, James,” Eden said with a sly smile. “Love dulls the senses.”

Dev ignored her.

“Another one.” James groaned, falling back into his chair. “But how is it possible? Surely her blood tie to the Sinclairs is weak?”

“Apparently it's not,” Cam said, still looking stunned.

“She is also a very special lady with special colors meant for the strongest of us all,” Essie said, grinning at Dev, who in turn glared at her.

“For what it's worth, brother, I like her,” Cam said, taking the last piece of apple pie off the plate.

“Of course you like her, she's my bloody cousin!”

“As do we all,” Eden said, taking her husband's hand and giving it a hard squeeze as he opened his mouth again. It closed quickly.

“I will go and see her and have the maid take her to a room, Raven.” Dev got to his feet.

“I will do it!”

“No, you won't, James. Dev is more than capable.”

Leaving the room before another word was said, Dev made his way to Lilly's side. He was eager to see her, eager to know she was well. He loved her. The thought nearly dropped him to his knees. Another to love, another to care for. But this one would be different, he knew. This one was a part of him.





CHAPTER NINETEEN


Lilly woke aware that she was in her cousin's house. She was relieved to find the room was lit by the glow from the fire. It was bad enough waking in her own room in the dark, but to do so in a strange house was terrifying.

She thought briefly about looking for Toby to check on his injuries, and then discarded the idea. James's house was huge with many rooms, and Lilly had visions of walking in on James and his family while they slept. She lifted her hands and studied them. Had they really healed Toby? How had Devon known she could do that?

He had told her, when she lay beside the boy, that he was sleeping peacefully. Could it be true? Her head hurt just thinking about it. How was it even possible for one person to heal another?

Pushing herself upright, she saw the bath not far from the bed, and the tray of food on the small table beside it. Throwing the covers aside, she tried to decide which she wanted more: food or cleanliness.

Both.

Standing, she felt her legs wobble. She felt weak after healing Toby, as if the action had taken all her strength.

“Did I really do that?” Lilly said to no one. Yet she knew it was not a dream.

She dragged the small table closer to the bath, then stripped off her dirty clothes, and removing what pins were left in her hair, she sank into the still blissfully warm water. After scrubbing her skin pink with the soap that smelled of lavender, she then washed her hair. Finally clean, Lilly lay back, exhausted, and reached for a piece of cheese. Popping it into her mouth, she let her thoughts return to the night's events.