Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
Things had been suspiciously quiet for the entire week. Caelan hadn't seen or heard from Danu since I released his land, and I'd heard nothing either. A year ago, this was my dream. Peace and silence.
Now all it did was make me suspicious.
Mom took pity on me and sent over a gown for tonight's visit to the fae court.
The dress was stunning, the azure fabric perfectly matching my eyes.
But the best thing about it? I could walk in the damn thing.
The bodice was a sweetheart style but had enough support to hold the girls up without any extra tape or finagling, and the waist nipped snug around my ribs.
I swayed back and forth in the mirror, the skirts swishing around my feet as I moved.
Rowan's eyes lit up when he stepped into the room. He let out a low whistle and motioned his index finger in a turnaround motion. When I finished, he strode over, gripped me by the waist and planted a searing kiss on my lips.
When I came up for air, we were both ready to skip the court and go straight to bed. But alas, duty called. “You clean up nice,” I murmured.
Rowan always looked well put together. Though he dressed more casually than the other Lords, he knew when to dress for maximum impact.
Tonight he wore a tuxedo, a human style, yes, but one that told the other fae he was one of us because of me, but he was also the Lord of his own territory and not someone to be trifled with.
Not that the fae bothered with warnings like that.
Most were curious and fickle beings, and if they thought Rowan might be fun to play with, they wouldn't care about his position.
They might hesitate when they realized his connection to me, but even my Dad had to deal with periodic fae bullshit, and he was their king.
Or was. That title belonged to Rowan now.
We were the least royalty-like people I'd ever met, so the thought of us one day officially taking our crowns made me break into a cold sweat.
Rowan did a little twirl for me. “Think I'll fit in?”
I ran my hands up his chest and rested them on his shoulders. “You'd fit in anywhere.”
He cupped my face in his palms. “My first introduction to your world. Let's see what happens.”
“Your mom is fae. Surely you've been to something like this before?”
Rowan shook his head. “Mom did her best to shelter me from our people.” His face sobered. “Your parents did the same, but in a much worse way.”
True. I spent my formative years without a mother or a father, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. “They're making up for it now.”
Rowan's eyes softened. “Doesn't make it right.” He ran his thumb over my lip. “Your parents will be here in a few minutes. Ready?”
I sighed. “Let me do something about this hair. I'll be right out.”
Mom was sitting on the couch when I walked out. Her eyes lit up when she saw me come out of the bathroom.
“You look beautiful.” She stood and walked over, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face. Just like Rowan, Mom cupped my face in her hands. She stared into my eyes for a long moment until she let out a soft sigh. “Evangeline, you are everything and more I hoped you would be.”
I blinked in surprise. “Mom? Is everything okay?”
Her eyes glimmered with silver, a hint to her rule over the banshees. Mom never said so, but I suspected she could sense someone's death just like her banshees could, among other things. “So many things are about to happen, my darling.”
I swallowed hard. “Mom? You're scaring me.”
Mom's lips trembled. She closed her eyes. “Be brave and strong, my darling. You will need both in the days to come.”
My mother popped out of existence in a shimmer of light. Rowan had come to his feet and was at my side in an instance. He gripped my elbow and was about to usher me out of the room when Dad appeared in the spot Mom had just disappeared from.
His face was a blank mask.
“Is Mom okay?”
My father opened his mouth to speak, but the ground rumbled underneath us.
A banshee's scream shattered the night.
“Court's canceled,” Dad barked when the scream died off. “Rowan, gather your people. Evie—” Dad squeezed his eyes shut for a brief second. He took my hands and held them. When he opened his eyes, they swirled with ancient magic. “Do whatever you need to do.”
The ground rumbled again. “What's happening out there?” I demanded.
Dad dropped my hands. “The gods have shown up.”
Rowan turned and streaked outside.
“What the hell is going on?”
Dad shook his head. “The fae are tired of waiting, Evie. I'll do what I can to turn them away. We can't kill our own people. Not this way.”
My dad looked stricken, almost surprised this was happening. I wasn't surprised by anything these days, and I'd been expecting this for months now. Maybe not this specifically, but I knew the fae would make their move. I just expected the first move to be against Caelan.
Was this a distraction for something bigger?
“I'll try,” I said to Dad as I spun toward the door. “No promises.”
“Evie!”
I paused at the door. “If you want me to be queen,” I said quietly, “I must do it my way. If our people are willing to move against me and my husband, then they will know why I am your heir and why I was chosen to wear the crown.”
Dad and I locked eyes. Pride shimmered in their ancient depths, but I almost thought he might argue with me. Instead, he nodded slowly. “Fair enough, daughter.” Dad smiled. “I'll be out in a moment.”
I walked out the door and hurried after Rowan.
My husband stood between Declan and Hope, facing the still-standing wards. Several fae stood on the other side. Danu stood in the center and slightly ahead of the others.
She wore her ancient guise today, though we both knew the immortality running through her veins ensured she would be forever young—if she wanted to appear that way. Her hair was long and gray, snarled and tangled with roots and fungi. It fell past her waist and swayed in a phantom wind.
Seeing her outside of the ground was jarring.
Danu seemed like the kind of person who belonged inside the heart of the earth and not someone who should be walking on the same earth I was.
Her eyes changed color every few seconds, and she stood stooped over, her right hand resting on a polished wooden cane we both knew she didn't need.
Her lips curled in a smile when she saw me. “Ah, Queen Evie.” She made the word sound distasteful. “So glad you're here this evening.”
Danu flicked a dismissive hand toward the wards. “We will both pretend I can't tear through these wards like they're the thinnest tissue paper. In return, you will parley with me and discuss terms.”
“Terms for what?” Rowan growled.
A faint smile tipped Danu's lips. “Surrender.”
When Rowan froze, Danu chuckled, the sound an ancient breeze in the cool evening air. “The fae have come to reclaim their lands, Lord. We will try to do so peacefully, but if you insist on fighting us, we will respond in kind.”
I felt my father's presence behind me. Danu's eyes narrowed when she spotted him. “Ah, Cernunnos. Welcome to the party.”
“Leave, Danu. You are not welcome here.”
Danu's soft snort angered my father. He went still beside me. As much as I adored my dad, he wasn't used to anyone mocking him. Even my teasing bothered him sometimes, so I was careful to dole out only small doses.
I put my hand on his arm.
“Hiding behind your father, Evie?” She clicked her tongue mockingly. “I'm surprised. With that lock ripped from your magic, I expected you to obliterate me as soon as you saw me. And yet here we stand, all in one piece.”
I examined every single person standing beside Danu, taking the time to memorize all of their faces, knowing I'd remember them when I saw them in my court.
I stepped forward. “A queen does not harm her misguided subjects. She shows them a better way.”
The bond in my chest warmed with Rowan's pride.
“Every fae standing here with Danu, I give you the opportunity to walk away. If you make the right decision, you will face no consequences from us. If you stand with Danu, I make no promises to your future safety.”
Danu laughed in delight. “Your queen's first address is to threaten you! How grand.” She clapped her hands together and turned to the others. “You heard her. Leave if you like. Stay if you want to reclaim what was stolen from you.”
Nothing happened for a long moment. We waited in silence, and Danu turned toward me. “I think you have your answer.”
Forty percent of the fae with her popped out of existence in colorful shimmers of light. One—a smaller woman with multi-colored hair—bowed her head to me before disappearing.
One ally. Maybe.
Only thousands more to go.
Fury flashed in the goddess's eyes. She didn't have to turn around to know what happened.
“Well,” I said brightly. “Looks like some of you got a get out of jail free card. Anyone else want to take me up on the offer?”
Several more people disappeared. The odds were looking better and better.
Danu's fists clenched at her sides. “I could take it now if I wanted to.”
Rowan's soft snort emboldened me. I came closer to the edge of the wards. “Then take it,” I said softly.
“Evie,” Dad said in a warning tone.
I held up a hand. “Let her. If Danu wants this land, she will have to go through me.” I smiled. “And she isn't ready yet. Now that she's lost almost half her makeshift army, she's not sure she'll be able to overwhelm us. Are you, Danu?”
The goddess' sagging jaw clenched. “I didn't come here to fight.”
“Yes, you did,” I said softly. “If you saw the opportunity, you would have taken it. But now you aren't sure. You're hesitating.”
Danu came within an inch of the wards. “One day,” she said softly, so low only I could hear, “Very soon in the future, you will bow to my will. You will take my place, and if you do not, I will take everything you love.”
Foreboding walked cold fingers down my spine, but showing fear wasn't an option. “You have no idea what I'm capable of,” I said in the same low voice. “I could have killed you that night when we were in the ground, but I stayed my hand. I won't make the same mistake twice.”
Danu's eyes flared, the first real flash of fear I'd seen from her. She covered her reaction quickly, and I might have missed it if I hadn't been watching her so closely. “I look forward to the next time we meet, Queen.”
The air shimmered around her and she was gone. Seconds later, the rest of the fae followed suit.
I let out a slow, heavy exhale. “Fuck, that was close,” I breathed. Everyone else seemed confident I could kill Danu. I wasn't so sure. My magic was new and untried. Danu had millennia to perfect and hone her powers.
I was a magical toddler compared to her, but I also had a different type of power than Danu did. On one hand, our earth powers were similar, though mine seemed less destructive. Mine veered more toward nurturing the world; Danu's toward destruction.
“You did well.” Dad stepped up beside me, his swirling gaze lingering on the spot where Danu just stood.
“All bluster,” I said dryly.
Rowan came up on my other side. “Bluster is only when you can't back your words up. You don't have that problem.”
I entwined our fingers. “She'll definitely be back.” But something about this visit was bothering me. “Can you do me a favor and contact the other Lords? Something about her popping up here and doing nothing makes me think she was trying to hide something else.”
Rowan's fingers tightened in mine. He nodded. “I'll call them the second we get back inside.”
“Why was Mom being so weird earlier?” I asked my father.
His lips compressed into a white line, and for a moment, I thought he might lie to me. Instead, Dad turned to me. “Being a ruler does not mean you are the strongest or the smartest.” A slight smile curved his lips. “Though it helps.”
He jerked his head toward the main house.
As we set off, with Hope and Declan following close behind, Dad continued speaking.
“Your mom isn't a soothsayer or a fortune teller, but just like her banshees, she has flashes of the future.
Usually those visions require interpretation.
They come to her in confusing flashes or images she can't make sense of.”
Rowan held the door open for us.
“Sometimes, her visions are clear enough for her to see exactly what's coming.”
Dread tightened my stomach. “She had a vision of what's coming.”
“For you, specifically.”
I went straight to the fancy espresso machine Rowan bought for me and started making us each a cup. “Is she okay?”
Dad sank onto the recliner and let out a heavy sigh. “Your mother has worried about you the second you became a seed in her womb.”
Erm. Okay. Gross, but I understood the sentiment. Amusement trickled through my bond with Rowan.
“There will always be challenges to your rule, but this is a challenge to all of us. If we are to keep peace with the other supernaturals, we can't go around trying to re-take all the land we've agreed to share before.”
“We all knew the fae would try something sooner or later.
They've been sniffing around for far too long.
Caelan's grip on his territory has been weakening for a while now, even before he pursued Evie. His was the obvious place to start.” Rowan accepted the espresso I handed him.
He brushed a kiss over my cheek. “I'm going to call the others.”
But as he walked away, his phone rang. When he brought it up to his ear, and his face went blank, I knew our evening was just beginning.