Chapter 19 #2
“Two months ago. He’s definitely still alive.
Van hired a private investigator, and that’s how we have this.
He confirmed early this morning that evidence was found of a James Copthorne visiting Iris regularly up until her death.
This is CCTV footage from the reception area of the rest home Iris was living in during her final few years, here in Auckland. He had to sign in for each visit.”
“To me, it shows that he’s likely been using a number of aliases for many years,” Evander adds.
“I mean, hello, he was only known as TJ to my mum,” Ellie cuts in. “And he didn’t leave his number with her either.”
I’m not sure what sort of modern day custom involves the giving of a number, but before I can ask a number of what?, Evander speaks.
“He didn’t want to be found, which leads me to my next point.
We can’t find his personal details. There’s no address, no phone number, no email, no business.
There’s nothing anywhere in public — and private —” Evander mutters, and I get the feeling that perhaps this is information he ought not to know “— records. It’s as if he doesn’t exist. I think he’s using some sort of glamour to hide from anyone that might want to find him. ”
“Can people do that?” Zak asks.
“You can do a lot with magic.”
We listen to Evander explain his theories around fae magic: that the same fae who took me are also responsible for erasing knowledge of their kind from people’s living memories, that changelings like Ellie and I continue to be taken, and that some fae have the power to take and utilise the magic of others.
“When I was first told about all of this,” Ellie says, “they used the term human batteries. Not that we’re fully human, but you get the idea. You’ve been fuelling their magic.”
I shudder. “I know.” It is the most horrific thought, and one that I’ve tried hard not to turn my mind to. That I have no memory of it does little to calm the crawling sensation within me over the fact that my body has been used in such a way. It is all so… violating.
Zak’s arm, wrapped around my waist, squeezes me tight, anchoring me to the present. “I think that’s enough about that topic. Every story Rose has ever told me about her father has painted him as a decent man. I don’t think he’s the bad guy here.”
“Neither do I,” Evander agrees. “I told you last night that for a lot of people it’s more complicated than good or bad, but I truly think your father has protected you, Rose, or at least protected the house so that something like this — your retrieval — could happen.”
I nod, sniffling again. “Papa is a good man,” I say quietly.
Ellie nods. “I believe you.”
“So what are our next steps?” Zak asks, and Evander lets out a deep sigh.
“We’ve already established that no one is going back to the First with the Maheras coven.
Last night you told them to monitor Rose from here.
They’ve taken that suggestion to heart, and they would like to place one of my uncles as Rose’s personal bodyguard.
I don’t know what he’s done to deserve the punishment — and I mean no offence when I say that, it’s just that babysitting a changeling isn’t what I’d expect from a high-ranking official from the House — but on the flip side, it shows that they’re taking this matter seriously. ”
Zak’s frown grows deeper with each word Evander speaks. “Can we say no?”
“Theoretically, yes. Though I would caution you not to, as irritating as it may feel to have someone you’re not exactly aligned with following you both around.
This afternoon Lylia will put a ward around Rose, using the same spell that was used on Ellie, and that should protect her.
But even with that ward, Ellie is most often with me, and when she’s not, there’s always someone from the pack near enough on the island.
As much as I’d like to offer you a bodyguard from my pack, we just don’t have enough enforcers to maintain a rotation.
That leaves my uncle as a valid option to protect Rose. ”
“I thought Lylia said that spell would be one hundred percent effective.”
“She says that,” Ellie agrees, her gaze bouncing between Zak and I as she readjusts herself in her seat, adding another cushion behind her back.
“And at first I felt completely safe and certain about it, but as time has gone on and the fae have clearly made moves that I can see but that the vast majority of the global population seem to be unaware of, I’ve become more and more uneasy in terms of what they’re capable of.
There’s just no knowing whether the personal ward is as watertight as Lylia claims it to be.
The only way to find out is to have fae come after me again, which I really hope I can avoid. ”
She looks at me directly, her brows furrowed.
“If I were you, I would absolutely pick the ‘yes, I get a werewolf warlock bodyguard’ option, just for peace of mind. He’s Bronte’s brother, and he’s a grump, right?
” she asks, looking at Evander. “But he’s also a decent guy, and very skilled with magic. ”
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Evander answers. He levels a stare at Zak. “I overheard that phone conversation with your boss last night. It sounds like there’s an opportunity for you to travel overseas for work?”
“Yep.”
“So he can go with you. The coven will finance everything themselves. You’re not going to be paying a cent to deal with him.”
“What’s in it for them, if they’re paying for the right to take care of Rose?”
“They’re hoping that with Rose as bait, it will draw Theodore out of hiding. They want his knowledge of the First Realm.”
I hate that I might yet put Papa in danger. “I hope Papa is not so foolish as to try and see me, as desperately sad as that makes me to say it.”
Evander gives me a long look with those gold eyes, and I wonder if I’ve said too much.
“Do you want to meet him, Ellie?” Zak asks.
Ellie tilts her head and looks to Evander, who is suddenly wearing quite the frown. “I don’t know… I feel like that’s got the potential to open quite a big can of worms, eh honey?”
“Mm,” is Evander’s only reply.
Ellie and Van — he insists we call him that now, so clearly we’ve passed some sort of test — leave us to talk through our options alone, with the promise to come back in an hour after their bush walk around the property.
“I’m sorry I don’t turn into anything cool,” Zak says once they’ve well and truly gone.
Zara and her husband are apparently somewhere in the forest below, patrolling in their shifted forms, while Lylia is elsewhere for the day and expected to return late afternoon.
“If I had some kind of beast-mode or was a fucking warlock, then we wouldn’t need to talk bodyguards.
I could just bite someone. Unfortunately my tusks are just decorative. ”
“Your tusks are perfect.” I lean into him, shaking my head.
“I’m sorry we’re in this mess in the first place.
” I laugh bitterly as a thought occurs to me.
“Though, if the fae had never taken me, I would be long dead, and I would have never met you.” I stare at the wood pigeon sitting in the nearby tree, its iridescent green feathers shining in the light.
“I’m going to reframe it like that in my mind. That it was my way of finding you.”
“It’s a pretty brutal way to time travel.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “Yes, it is.”
Zak pulls me onto his lap, squeezing me tight. “I think, if I say yes to this overseas production with the Auckland Men crew, that we’ll also need to say yes to the bodyguard situation.”
“I think we should say yes to the bodyguard situation regardless of your job. But why would you say no to such a wonderful work opportunity?”
“I’d say no if you weren’t comfortable with it. We’re a team. If you need time to settle and regroup…”
I’m already shaking my head. “No. No. I spent so long being trapped. I want to spread my wings. I want to fly like a bird. With you.”
“You know there’s an old banger with that lyric. Or similar, at least.”
I laugh as Zak breaks out into song, his voice ridiculously falsetto as he serenades me about flying away. When he’s done I run my fingers through his long hair, kissing his cheek.
“That song is wrong, though,” I tell him. “I know where my home is. It’s with you.”