Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
We finished a lunch of chicken salad on buttery croissants and peppery potato chips. The cook had made a wonderful lavender lemonade I begged Caelan to get me the recipe for and topped everything off with a light but airy lemon mousse.
Garrett spoke before I could broach the subject. “Have you sent scouts out lately?”
Caelan nodded. “I'm well aware that Joy Springs is a ghost town.”
“Do you know why?” I asked.
Caelan glanced at me. “Rumors are the gods have arrived, though my shifters have seen neither hide nor hair. I've only seen Danu once. She has not returned since her failure to render me to dust.”
“Neit is here.”
The Lord nodded. “Is he the one responsible?”
“No. He's been here gathering intel, though he's been mostly unsuccessful. Neit suspects Titania and Danu are both here.”
“What does Joy Springs have that they cannot find somewhere else?”
“Two things,” I said apologetically. “Me. And land held by a Lord.”
Caelan locked eyes with Garrett. “My paranoia was not so crazy now, was it?”
Garrett shrugged. “Never said you were crazy, only that Evie was the reason they were here. We were both partially right, so let's call it a draw.”
“They want to take Joy Springs and all my land.” His brow furrowed, and I saw the second realization dawned in his eyes. “Your land seizure is preventing them from taking what they want.”
He slowly shook his head and let out a belly laugh. “I'll be damned. The one thing you ever did to punish me is saving my life. Karma really is a bitch sometimes, isn't it?”
I stayed silent, but Moira grinned. “If Evie drops her hold, Danu and Titania would be on you in an instant.”
“They're lying in wait like spiders,” Caelan mused. “Can we turn this around on them somehow?”
Garrett's eyes warmed. “There you are,” he said with a decisive nod. “Glad to have you back. At least for a moment.”
Caelan's eyes glittered, but he didn't spar with Garrett. “Is there a way to get them out of the way permanently?”
“Gods are notoriously hard to kill,” I said.
“We thought Titania was dead, and here she is popping up again like a bad penny.
But I am still the gate. A bad gate, yes, but a gate nonetheless.
The more powerful gods can travel without the gates, but maybe there's a way we can rip that power from them.”
Caelan's face turned thoughtful. “You think it's possible?”
“No idea,” I said honestly. “I was able to trap Lugh, but it wasn't easy. He's still there as far as I know, unable to return home.”
“If we can take the power from them, we can put them somewhere they won't bother anyone else.”
“Danu will be more difficult than Titania. She's ancient, probably close to Mom in power level, if not Dad. I'm not sure if I can keep her trapped forever.”
“You're more powerful,” Moira said matter-of-factly.
I snorted. “Your faith in me is heartwarming, but I'm not sure that's true.”
Moira rolled her eyes. “The evening your father ripped that lock off you, Seattle registered a series of small earthquakes.”
I stared at her, my mind going blank for a moment.
“Seattle has mini earthquakes all the time. Something to do with a fault line or something.” Earthquakes and weather never interested me all that much.
I was careful to avoid tender spots under the earth's surface when communing with the land, but I rarely paid attention to such things unless they made the news and I happened to be sitting in front of the television.
Even then, I never thought too much about them.
Sometimes the earth shifted. Balance had to be restored.
Nature always took what it needed, so there was no reason for me to investigate natural phenomena unless it turned unnatural.
“Yes,” Moira said patiently, “but what are the odds of those earthquakes happening at the same exact time your father was reaching down into the earth to pull you back up? The second he ripped that lock from you, power erupted through the world.”
Garrett's brow furrowed. “When were you going to say something?”
Moria studied her nails. “I can't help none of you pay attention to anything but your muscles in your bathroom mirror.”
Garrett let out a surprised bark of laughter. “Well, vampire, we were all a little busy at that moment.”
Caelan leaned forward, his eyes intent on Moira. “You think Evie would win if she went head to head with Danu?”
Moira's eyes flashed crimson. “Evie always wins,” she said simply.
Tears burned the backs of my eyes. Moira's faith in me had always been unshakeable. “That's not quite true,” I said hoarsely.
My BFF scoffed. “Please. Even with your power dampened, you managed to rip your way out of a magical tree that shot you straight into the space/time continuum and then murder said tree horribly, consuming its power.
You took down your abuser and his boss, which were freaking Chimeras and almost impossible to kill.
You went head to head with almost all of the Shifter Lords and walked out unscathed, and now we're sitting in one of those Lords' dining rooms having delicious lemon mousse.
All the while, you have his property held in an iron grip and Caelan trapped like Rapunzel locked in a tower.
Except there's no prince to save him. He was supposed to be the prince.
But you found your own, didn't you? And now you're the fae queen.”
Moira shrugged as if all that was in a day's work. “You'll figure it out and kick Danu's ass. As far as Titania, I'm sure Neit would help. Not to mention your Mom and Dad, and whoever else you can bring onto your shiny ship of sidekicks.”
I held my breath and waited for Caelan's eruption. But when he didn't get angry at Moira's unflattering description, I started to wonder. Had the Lord truly turned over a new leaf?
That took us to new business. I put down my spoon and shifted. “Releasing my hold on your land will both help and harm you.”
Caelan's attention turned to me, those stormy gray eyes lingering on my face. “How so?”
“Danu will have access to Keep property.”
His lips thinned with displeasure. “And she'll show up here to kill me.”
I made a back and forth gesture with my hand. “She may not have to. My grip on the land has prevented Danu's spell from multiplying. Once I release the Keep, her spell will pick up right where it left off.”
Caelan let out a heavy breath and looked up at the ceiling. “And I was infected.”
I gave him a sad smile. “There's a solution.”
The Lord's jaw tightened. “And here I sat thinking we'd made so much progress today.”
“It doesn't have to end,” I said softly. “But it does require trust.”
“You want to claim my land until the threat is over, just like you've done with the other Lords.”
“Until Danu is neutralized, no one's land is safe.” I smiled apologetically. “As soon as we figure out a solution, I plan to happily give everything back.”
And that was a true statement. Everyone's land held a different signature. Ethan's was surprisingly calm and wild. Rowan's felt like home. Caelan's felt familiar but also sad, like the land mourned what had become of its steward.
I leaned forward. “You don't have to answer now. But I want you to think about all our dealings, all the times you had to trust me and ask yourself two questions. Have I ever betrayed you? And have I ever retaliated when I was not under direct threat?”
Caelan's eyes darkened. “And if my answer to your solution is no?”
I held my hands out. “Then I would say our business is concluded. I will release your land from the hold and let you deal with the fallout.”
He leaned forward, too, and slid his palms forward, so close our hands were almost touching. Heat beat from his body. “You won't help me?”
His voice had turned seductive, cajoling. Before Rowan, a tone like that from him would have melted all my misgivings.
Moira let out a light snort. “She's only horny for Rowan, Lord.”
Garrett choked. Caelan's eyes flared bright gold. His fists clenched, and he opened his mouth to speak.
Moira didn't pause and continued twisting the knife, as one's BFF did. “You lost your opportunity the moment Rowan carried her away from here, holding her in his arms like the princess she's always been.”
My lips twitched. I was far from a princess, but the picture Moira painted must have been quite the sight.
“I've already apologized,” Caelan snarled.
Moira grinned. “I know.” She lifted a shoulder in a small shrug. “Just thought you should know, in case you had any doubt.”
“Moira,” I murmured.
Her eyes widened in fake innocence. My lips twitched, and I shook my head. She'd always been an instigator.
I stood. “Think about it. I'll stay close, but out of the city.”
Moira and Garrett rose as well. “Let me know what you decide.”
Caelan nodded.
I hesitated. “Can you walk me back to the border? I brought something for you.”
Caelan's brow furrowed, and he didn't answer right away. He looked over at Garrett, who nodded.
“Fine.” Caelan rose in a graceful motion and gestured for us to go first.
As tough as this was, it had gone better than expected. And I planned to keep my word. If Caelan refused my offer, I would drop my hold on his land and let him go it alone.
Even if it ended with his death.