The Morrigan's Curse by Dianne K. Salerni Page B

in her town, but she’d also recognize Addie.
Can she feel me wishing her to be calm . . . to trust me?
    Kel opened the outer door and lowered the stairs thatunfolded from the body of the plane. “Make Adelina go first,” Madoc called from the cockpit. “Her presence might prevent Transitioners from attacking us, and we’ll need her to find the house.”
    Dale Carroway’s talent was obscuring his location from others. But he couldn’t hide himself or his house from Addie. She’d known him too long and lived in his house half her life.
    As she walked down the aisle, Addie picked up Griffyn’s newspaper from the floor and tossed it into an empty seat. The front page headline caught her eye. “Death Toll from Freak Hurricane Tops 500 in 3 States. Beach Towns Devastated. Staten Island under Water.” Belatedly the words sank in, and she stopped in her tracks. Death toll? Freak hurricane? Did they mean the storm the Llyrs had created?
    Bran pushed her forward, and Kel took her arm to help her onto the stairs to disembark from the plane. Addie steadied herself, feeling off balance. She hadn’t realized the storm would do that kind of damage. Somehow, Addie had imagined it singling out the Dulac building—hovering over it and striking it with lightning, like in the cartoons the orphans watched on the Carroways’ VHS cassette player.
    â€œYou’ll let me talk to them, right?” she asked, turning around. Bran frowned, not understanding her, and she tried again. Her mouth had gone dry. “At the Carroway house. You’ll let me talk to my foster parents and convince them not to interfere. You promised.”
    â€œI will not bargain with Transitioners. We’ve come to getour oracle. If
you
convince the Transitioners to stand aside, so much the better.” Bran pushed Addie forward again.
    She led the way down a street she knew like the back of her hand. Griffyn peered through store windows, and Ysabel disappeared down an alley, heading off on her own. The Mathonwys brought up the rear, Madoc smoking a cigarette—which reminded Addie of the flame she’d summoned with her silly finger snap.
    Did I really think I’d impress Bran Llyr with that trick? A man who raised a hurricane the first time he was free to use his talent to its full extent?
    I’ve made a mistake.
    When they reached her home street, she spoke over her shoulder nervously. “I’m leading you to house number seventeen. You won’t be able to see it. But trust me; it’s there.”
    â€œWhat’s she talking about?” grumbled Griffyn. “I see it just fine.”
    Addie snapped her head around. “You do?”
    â€œI see it,” Kel confirmed. “They must not be here.”
    He was right. If Dale was at home, the white Victorian house would be invisible. Had they abandoned it? Moved somewhere else with all the homeless refugees in tow? Had something
happened
to them?
    Then the front door opened, and Dale and Emma Carroway stepped onto the wraparound porch. Emma met Addie’s eyes immediately and mouthed her name—
Addie
!
—looking stricken and worried and happy to see her all at once.
    Dale marched down the porch steps. “Stop! None of you but Addie is welcome here.”
    Bran and Griffyn didn’t break stride, and Addie ran ahead, trying to stay in front of the group. “We aren’t here to hurt anyone!” she shouted. “We just want to talk to Aine Corra!”
    Dale shook his head. “They said you might bring these people here, Addie—but I thought we raised you smarter than this.”
    Who
said she’d be coming? Who could possibly know she was with the Llyrs—except the Dulacs? Addie looked around, wondering if there was an army of Dulacs and their vassals hidden in the neighboring houses.
    â€œCorra!” Bran shouted at the house. “Come out of there! We have business with