Chapter 23 #2
Soren held his hands up and laughed. “Peace, Evie. That is not an insult. The opposite, in fact. Caelan is a caged beast on his lands, though rumor is you’ve brought down his prison walls.” He cocked an eyebrow.
I nodded. “True.”
“Thorvin’s cage is his mind. Ben shuns all of us. Rowan would kill us all if he could manage it without you finding out.”
I went still at his words. Could they be true?
“And Ethan rarely ventures from his lands. The most we ever saw was when you kept kicking the hornet’s nest.”
He didn’t know Ethan was coming around Rowan’s Keep. Interesting. “And you?” I asked.
Soren spread his hands out. “I’m the Lord of a territory where people don’t give a shit about me. These people don’t need a Lord, Evie. If they spotted me wandering their lands, they’d shoot first and ask questions later.”
“Then you shouldn’t have chosen Louisiana,” I said with a laugh. “Though Texas might have you beat on that front.”
He shook his head. “Caelan’s people love him. I’m not quite sure how he managed it, since he treated you so poorly, but…” His voice trailed off. “Well, I suppose, loved is the right word, since most of his people abandoned him.”
Soren clicked his tongue. “Crossing you leads to dire consequences, sometimes.”
I shoved a piece of cheese in my mouth and glared at him.
“Regardless, I’m more curious than anything. Why have you dealt with us so fairly when you deserved to raze us to the ground?”
I studied him for a moment. “I’m not sure I understand the reason why you’re asking me. Is kindness so foreign to you that you can’t figure out the motivations behind it?”
“Something like that, I suppose.”
Soren was serious. My heart hurt for him in that moment. What must it be like to grow up without experiencing kindness in your life?
“I’m afraid you won’t like this answer. My kindness wasn’t for any of you.
I had no motivation to show you kindness, because doing so is my first instinct.
I could have tried to kill you all, but why?
None of you like me. All of you thought I was a threat.
I repeatedly tried to show you who I was, and yet, here I am, sitting with you, Soren, explaining my kindness wasn’t an act. It’s who I am.”
“I like you,” he said after a long silence.
If he’d said those words to me a few months ago, there would have been a flirty twist or maybe a lusty wink added at the end. But tonight, we were alone. I was mated, and Soren knew he had zero chance with me. The poor Lord, for all his beauty and success, looked tired.
“Are you shitting me?”
Soren let out a small laugh. “You are quite likable, Evie. Even when you’re dangling one of our kind by his ankle.”
We grinned at each other. Ethan had been a real shit that day, and I’d repaid his shitheadness by throwing him around with some vines. To be honest, it was kind of awesome.
“You didn’t ask me to sit to tell me I was likable. What’s really on your mind?”
Soren looked out over his land. “I’m wondering if I’ve made too many mistakes. How do I know when it’s time to cut my losses and do something else?”
I tossed my water off the porch and reached for the wine bottle. Soren’s soft laugh made me chuckle. “You’re wading in deep, philosophical waters now, and I’m not qualified to give you a good answer.”
“I’m not looking for a good answer. What would you do?”
“Starting over isn’t so bad,” I admitted. “Gotta say, it worked out pretty well for me.”
“Indeed,” Soren said. “You found yourself a mate and a new territory.”
“Can you quit being a Lord? Is that what you want? Do you have to give Ethan two weeks’ notice?”
At his smile, I threw my hands up. “No idea how any of this works. I can’t just stop being a Chimera. It’s in my blood.”
“The Lord power will never leave me,” he admitted.
“I don’t like where I am and would like to have the chance to rule over another territory.
Or at least experience once. Our kind are not so welcoming to each other sometimes.
” He snorted. “Rowan and Caelan being the exceptions, though Caelan preferred using his lands to ensure he stayed close to you.”
Of course he did.
“Where would you want to go?”
“Somewhere cooler,” Soren said dryly. “I’m not from these lands.”
“Oh? Inquiring minds want to know.”
Soren sipped his wine. “I’m from Alaska, actually.”
“Oh my gosh. Really?” I frowned. “Wait. Who’s the Lord over there?”
He glanced at me in surprise. “You always were bad at asking questions. Rowan rules over Alaska.”
I frowned. “Right. I’d forgotten.” Our territory stretched over Washington, Oregon, some parts of Idaho, and even into Canada, but Alaska was included in there. Donovan’s old territory was the Great Plains, so we ruled over that, too.
“You have so much land you’ve forgotten what you control?” Soren teased.
I waved a hand at him. “If you were to go somewhere else, who would take this portion?”
Soren’s derisive snort made me wince. “Anyone besides Ben and Rowan, I think. They’d all jump at the chance to take another’s territory.”
“What about Garrett?”
Soren slowly turned and eyed me. “You notice it too?”
I nodded. Soren scratched his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. “You’ve given me a lot to think about tonight.”
“How do you feel about the Great Plains?” I blurted, surprising both of us.
“Around Montana?” A pale band of gold glowed around his iris.
“Ethan’s territory bumps up against Donovan’s old lands, but yes. Part of Montana, North and South Dakota, a little bit of Wyoming, and Colorado.”
“Wild lands.” Soren’s voice went a couple octaves higher.
“Definitely.”
He grunted. “Your kindness is showing again, Evie Quinn.”
“I haven’t made any promises. I’m not even sure it’s doable.” I slid a look his way. “But if it is, would you be interested?”
A slow smile broke over Soren’s handsome face.
“This is unheard of, but if it’s possible, and there is someone willing to take my place, I would welcome a change into the wild lands.
They may not be where I was born, but those places have mountains and trees and cool streams.” He closed his eyes for a moment.
“I do not know how you work such magic on us Lords, Evie, but I welcome the change you bring into our immortal lives.”
I reached over and patted his arms. “No promises,” I said again, “but I will see what can be done. We’re immortal, Soren, but we are also living, breathing people who need beauty, hope, and challenge in our lives. How long have you been unhappy?”
He put his hand over mine and held it there for a moment. His palms were rough and calloused, and his hands were several degrees warmer than normal. Typical shifter heat. “I didn’t realize I was so unhappy until you barreled into Caelan’s life with the force of a 747.”
I winced.
“Do not feel shame. You and Moira were the best things that could have happened to us. Some might disagree, but you mated with one of us and changed all of us.” He smiled. “And I expect Moira will continue to do so in your stead when you fully settle into your role as Lady.”
Soren winked. “And queen.”
I grimaced at the reminder. “Speaking of, Dad will be here soon. I’ll refresh the magic and get out of your hair.”
“Call me if the fae become too much, and I will fight at your side.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest. “You have your own troubles.” I hadn’t seen any sign of the fae here, but Rowan said they were close, and I believed him.
“They’re outside of the main Keep house. I plan to head there as soon as you finish.”
At my flash of alarm, he chuckled. “I keep more mages than the others. We will be fine.”
Soren removed his hand and stood. “Polish off the rest of that board. I will leave you to your communing or whatever it is you do.” He bowed at the waist and touched his hand to his heart.
“Thank you, Evie. Your assistance will be remembered.”
I raised my wine glass to the Lord. “Thanks for the food.”
“You are welcome.” With a wink more reminiscent of the old Soren, he stepped inside his house and shut the door.
“Huh,” I whispered. Tonight was shaping up to be one weird night.
After I refreshed the spell, Dad showed up, but instead of going home, I asked him to take me to where the fae were. A terrible suspicion was beginning to build inside me.
Mom and Dad believed the fae wanted their lands back. Maybe that was true. It probably was. The dispute between the Lords and the fae had been building for years now, but it had only escalated recently.
And I suspected I might be the reason why.
Dad got that crinkle in his brow—the one that said he’d do as I asked but wasn’t happy about it. “What are you up to?”
“Got a hunch.”
From the odd look he gave me, Dad had no idea what a hunch was. I gave him what I hoped was an innocent smile. “I promise I’ll only be a minute.”
“Don’t step across the boundary, Evangeline.”
He knew I was up to something. I made the sign of the scout. “I promise.”
Dad sighed and shook his head. “Come on, then.”
I put my hand in his and we were gone.
Just like at our Keep, the fae had gathered in large numbers at Soren’s main house. I hadn’t told the Lord I was coming here, so hopefully we could get in and out before his people sounded the alarm.
A tall woman with multicolored hair stood at the front. She jerked when she saw me come into existence. Her eyes lingered on Dad first before sliding to me.
“Queen,” the woman said in a deep voice. She dipped her head, which seemed a little insulting, my father confirming it with his rigid posture.
Too bad for them I’d never cared about all that nonsense. I’d rather hold the respect of my people than enforce all the bowing and scraping that sometimes came with a position. “Who are you?” I asked.
“My name is Nyria.”
She looked like a Nyria, if that made sense. The woman was tall and slender as a reed. Her skin was the pale porcelain of someone who saw little to no sun. Her eyes were a crystalline violet, and if you passed her on the street, you’d know right away she wasn’t human.