Chapter 23
Selene rocked back on her heels so hard, she lost her balance and toppled. Fenris lunged forward and caught her before she crumpled to the floor.
She gazed up at him, stunned and horrified. “Natalie . . . She’s already dead?”
Fen’s brow creased. “No.”
“But you said—” She was still reeling at the thought that Natalie was gone.
“I meant I can’t change her punishment.” He helped Selene stand, but when he tried to draw her into his arms, she twisted out of his grasp.
She walked away, unaware of her destination until she sagged into a chair. Her limbs felt leaden. Her eyes burned. Her head was pounding.
Fen approached. “Selene—”
“I want to see her.” She didn’t look at him, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. “Will you at least let me speak to her before you take her away?”
“I’m not taking her away from you,” he replied sharply. “That’s unfair of you to say.”
She dropped her hands to her lap and glared at him. “Nothing about this is fair. If you’re going to be unreasonable, then so am I, Fenris. Deal with it.”
He blanched, sorrow skimming over his eyes. Her fury wavered. She hated the way they’d lashed out at each other, but she refused to show it.
“Are you going to take me to Natalie or send me home?”
Reading the determination in her expression, Fen offered his hand. “I’ll take you to her.”
Selene allowed him to help her up, but she let go of his hand the moment she was on her feet. He shot her a pained glance but didn’t offer comment, instead leading her from the room. They walked a short distance to a wide central staircase and climbed to the second floor.
Though she hadn’t expected Fen to imprison Natalie in a literal dungeon, when he stopped in front of an ordinary-looking door in an ordinary—well, ordinary for a manor decorated with priceless art—hallway, she didn’t know what to think.
She was equally startled when Fen didn’t retrieve a key and unlock the door but knocked.
“Yes?” Natalie’s voice was muffled.
“You have a visitor.” Fen spoke through the door. “May we enter?”
For a jailer, Fenris was awfully polite.
Natalie didn’t reply, but a moment later the door opened.
“Selene?” Natalie’s eyes widened, then she shook her head. “Oh, honey, you shouldn’t be here.”
“God, not you too.” Selene groaned but quickly hugged her friend. “Am I the only person who hasn’t lost their mind?”
Natalie stepped back to frown at her. “What do you mean?”
“Where do I start—”
Fenris cleared his throat. “Selene, a moment.”
She had a sharp retort ready, but when she saw the strain around his eyes, she bit her tongue.
“Take whatever time you need,” he said quietly. “But when you’re ready, I’d like to speak with you again.”
When Selene hesitated, he hastened to add, “If you’re amenable, please come to the room at the south end of the hall on the third floor.”
Still uncertain about whether she wanted to have another conversation with Fenris, Selene chose to nod rather than give a definite reply. Her heart was already in pieces. If it took any more damage, she worried she wouldn’t be able to put it back together.
Fenris shifted his attention to Natalie. “Are you well?”
“Well enough,” Natalie replied evenly.
“If you need anything—food, refreshment—it will be provided,” he said.
“I know, Fenris,” she answered. “Thank you.”
“Very well.” He inclined his head to her, then cast a brief glance at Selene before withdrawing and closing the door.
Natalie took Selene’s hand and led her into a large bedroom, beautifully appointed, with a separate sitting area that included a fireplace.
“Have a seat.” Natalie gestured to one of the chairs near the fire, which danced cheerily, giving Selene the feeling she’d been dumped in the middle of a very bad joke.
“Let me see if I’ve got this right.” Selene sat down. “You’re not locked in this room, which, rather than being a cell, is nicer than the Four Seasons and probably has better room service.”
Natalie settled in the other chair. “Yep, that’s pretty accurate.”
Selene took a moment to inspect her friend. Nat’s complexion was a little wan, her eyes tired, but she otherwise appeared in good health and spirits.
“I don’t understand,” Selene blurted. “They keep telling me you’ve committed a terrible crime, but they’re treating you like—”
She gestured to the room and gave Natalie a bewildered look.
“A guest? Not shackled in a dank cell?” Natalie replied with a dry laugh. “If I was a bounty hunter, I’d be in the dungeon. But Fen likes me, other than the whole law-breaker thing, of course.”
“So there is a dungeon?” Selene frowned.
“Oh, there’s definitely a dungeon.” Natalie shuddered. “Goddess forbid I ever end up there.”
“Nat, I’m so sorry.” Selene’s face crumpled. “This is all my fault.”
“Nope.” Natalie waved away Selene’s impending tears. “No crying. We’re not crying. And we are definitely not blaming ourselves.”
Selene sniffled and pulled herself together. “Ugh. Okay. I’m okay.”
“I am happy to see you, Selene.” Natalie smiled at her. “I was worried I wouldn’t before . . . There’s something important I need to tell you.”
Selene leaned toward her, expecting a conspiracy or escape plan. Thank god, finally.
Natalie stood and went to a nearby writing table. When she returned, she handed Selene a piece of paper.
“I came up with a list of names,” Natalie said. “People who can help you do a proper genealogical history, not an internet ancestry thing for humans, but a deep dive into the magical roots of your family.”
“My what?” Selene sat up. This was not the jailbreak she was hoping for.
“I always had a feeling about you, Sel, from the moment we met,” Natalie continued.
“But you weren’t part of our world, so I thought it best to leave it alone.
I was planning to talk to you about it when you had time to adjust to life in Avondale, but things were happening so fast. Allie.
Fen. Then Daniel. When you were chosen at the Beltane rite, I knew without question I had to tell you. ”
“Tell me what?” Selene asked. The room felt charged with electricity.
“You’re one of us,” Natalie answered.
“One of what?” Selene replied in a stilted voice. She knew what Natalie meant, but she couldn’t possibly . . .
Natalie reached out and took Selene’s hand. “You have power. You are part of the paranormal world.”
“I can’t be,” Selene said plaintively. She was tired of repeating herself.
And now was not the time to argue about who was or was not magically inclined.
She couldn’t care less about her connection to the paranormal world when Natalie’s life was on the line.
And she had no interest in delving into anything magical.
She was done with that. It brought her nothing but grief.
“Why not?” Natalie frowned.
“Because . . . I’m me?” Selene answered, trying to keep her volatile emotions out of it. “I’m not magical, Nat. How would I, you know, miss that?”
Natalie drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. “Your name. How was it given to you?”
“I was told I came with it.” Selene’s brow furrowed at the memory. “I was found on the steps of a church in Mount Shasta. Someone left me there in a basket, wrapped in blankets, with a note that said ‘This is Selene Rhiannon Jones. Please care for her.’”
“Your name is a clue,” Natalie told her. “It invokes not one, but two goddesses. And Jones is a Welsh name. That’s something we should consider. Wales is steeped in magic.”
“I don’t think it means anything other than that whoever named me was a Fleetwood Mac fan,” Selene replied.
“The state tried to find any living relatives and failed. The name was obviously invented so they couldn’t make those connections.
You can’t claim that Jones isn’t a common last name, even if it is Welsh. ”
Natalie shook her head. “I doubt that very much. You need to take this seriously, Selene. It could be a matter of life and death when your past comes looking for you.”
Selene rolled her shoulders back, deeply unsettled. “It already has. Did anyone tell you what happened with Daniel?”
“Fen did, and I’m sorry, Selene,” Natalie said. “What Daniel tried to do is unforgivable, and I’m glad Fen killed him, but I wish you hadn’t gone through that. Is Allie okay?”
“She will be,” Selene replied. “She’s worried about you.”
“Sweet girl.” Natalie smiled wistfully. “Tell her I’m fine and I love her.”
Her expression grew solemn again. “But Selene, what I’m talking about is different than Daniel.
He was from your human life. The fact that he ended up a paranormal was a fluke.
Even if he hadn’t shown up, Allie and Josh’s relationship connected you to the magical world, and the Beltane ritual even more so.
I’m afraid that means you’re in danger if you were purposely hidden from something as a child that might now be able to find you. ”
“Like what?” Despite her resistance to the idea, Selene couldn’t help but be curious about her past. Where she’d come from, who her ancestors were, had always been a mystery, and she thought she’d made peace with that.
But Natalie offered a tantalizing possibility that Selene’s family history wasn’t lost to her forever.
“I wish I knew.” Natalie sighed. “Even more, I wish I could be there to help you. It’s good you have Fen. He’ll protect you.”
“How can you say that?” Selene gasped. The spark of interest in her past was instantly extinguished as the present came hurtling back into focus. “He’s going to kill you.”
“He has to,” Natalie replied. “It’s not personal, and I don’t want you to hold it against him. He’s a good leader, and he loves you.”
Goddammit. Way to go for the jugular, Natalie. You’re supposed to be on my side. On your own side.
“Natalie—”
“I’m okay, Selene,” Natalie insisted. “I promise. I knew it was simply a matter of time.”
Natalie may have spoken the words, but there was a flatness to her gaze. She was resigned to her fate, but she didn’t want to die.
I have to stop this. I will find a way.