Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
Still no sign of Tess and no word from her, either. Ash had gone over to her apartment last night using the key she’d never taken back and searched for any sign she might have left willingly. Or unwillingly.
He came back empty-handed. No signs of struggle, but no packed suitcase either.
She’d left her clothes, her toiletries, and her favorite shoes and blanket behind.
We all knew Tess rarely went anywhere without that blanket.
She even brought it to the store sometimes and curled up on the couch with tea during slowdowns.
There might not be signs of her being taken against her will, but the things she’d left behind proved suspicious.
“Mom said she’d come with us,” I said to Moira the next morning as we both cringed at the state of the pink roses our temporary supplier had sent. Half the petals were drooping, and they hadn’t de-thorned most of the stems, causing us to do twice the amount of work we normally had to do.
Moira’s dark eyebrows lifted. “You’d trust her to have our backs?”
“I’m not sure who I trust anymore,” I said honestly.
“Dad was at the house last night helping me figure out the magic he’d passed to me, and things seemed normal.
Mom fed me soup the other day and didn’t poison me.
The world is topsy-turvy right now, Moira.
I’m not sure what to make of things. Honestly,” I grumbled, “things feel apocalyptic.”
Moira snorted. “Two trustworthy fae in the same family? The odds are against you.” But her lips twitched and she slung an arm over my shoulders. “They’re your parents, and you’re amazing. Obviously, they love you. Maybe let them show it when they can.”
I eyed her over a particularly droopy rose. “By letting my mother have our backs in a strange, dangerous land?”
“She can have your back,” Moira said. “I’ll watch both of ours just to make sure she doesn’t try anything funny.” She rubbed her hands over her arms and shivered. “Cliona is scary as hell. If she has our back, we’re golden, but if she doesn’t…”
If she doesn’t, we’re screwed. I tried for chirpy. “Mom has never let me die before, and that’s when I thought she hated me, so I’m choosing to think positive.”
Moira shook her head but smiled. “Let’s hope. Want to leave right after work?”
“Meet me at my house?”
“Six?”
“Done.” Moira picked up a dried petal and threw it at me. “Now, let’s get through these pink monstrosities so we can make something cooler.”
I was putting the final touches on the last table centerpiece when the bell over the door jingled. Hiding my smile at Moira’s almost inaudible groan, I looked up to see Thalia walking in.
Garrett was nowhere to be found, so he was either outside or things had changed in a big way. Caelan’s Enforcer and my sister were attached at the hip these days, and you rarely saw her without him anymore.
She stopped at the entrance, her gaze sweeping the store until it landed on me. We stared at each other for a long moment.
“Thalia!” Moira said, giving me an annoyed look.
She was on Team Thalia, only because she was my sister and I had so little reliable family around.
The seer had done nothing to violate my trust except keep her paternity secret, but I still felt that sense of betrayal lingering in my stomach every time I saw her or thought about her.
And yet, here she was in the flesh, the hesitant look on her face making me squirm with guilt.
Moira took her by the elbow and ushered her deeper into the store. “Tea? Coffee? Water?”
“Nothing for me, thanks.” She shrugged off her brown jacket and folded it over her arm.
Thalia was a small woman, fine-boned and petite.
Now that I knew who she was, I acknowledged we resembled each other, though no one who saw us together would guess we were sisters right away.
Where my eyes were bright blue, Thalia’s were hazel, amber flecked with green and she had high cheekbones and full lips.
She was pretty in a girl next doorway, but Thalia was a powerful seer, and her magic packed a punch.
Her dark hair, so similar to mine, was plaited in her trademark braid and slung over her shoulder.
She held a brightly colored patchworked bag which clashed with her outfit.
Thalia normally favored skirts, but the weather wasn’t conducive to her normal style.
Today she wore a pair of corduroy boot cut pants with shiny patent leather boots and a fuzzy white sweater.
Several strands of thin beaded gemstone necklaces graced her neck, and she wore a pair of elaborately twisted silver earrings.
“Hey, Evie,” she said in a hesitant voice.
“Thalia.” There was a seat right across from me at my worktable. Not offering it was rude, but Moira didn’t give me the chance to decide. She led the seer over and pulled the chair out, then brushed away leaf and petal litter from the table’s surface.
Thalia put her bag on the ground.
“Sure you don’t want something to drink?” Moira asked.
Thalia shook her head. “I’m here to see Evie. I won’t take up much of your time.”
“Where’s Garrett?” I asked.
“Outside. Waiting for me in the car.”
“He can come inside if he wants,” Moira said.
“I told him I’d be no longer than five minutes.” She chewed on the edge of her lips and twisted her fingers together. “I’m here with a warning.”
Brushing off a warning from a seer was foolhardy. I couldn’t afford to let my pride get in the way of our safety. Setting the tools down, I crossed my arms and stared.
“Alright then. What is it?”
Thalia swallowed.
“Evie,” Moira snapped. “May I speak with you for a moment?”
“No.”
Moira snorted and reached for my elbow, yanking me unceremoniously from the chair.
“Excuse me,” she said to Thalia, her voice so sweet it could be bottled and sold as a Canadian export.
My sister watched with wide eyes as Moira dragged me to the walk-in fridge and shoved me inside.
“What is wrong with you?” she hissed as soon as the door shut behind us.
I knew I was being a huge brat, but I didn’t particularly care.
Moira’s eyes widened. “Oh my gods. Evie! You know you’re being an asshole and you’re doubling down on it!” She laughed out loud. “Never thought I’d see the day when you acted like a petulant teenager.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at her.
Amusement sparkled in Moira’s eyes. “As much as I want to gloat about this, Thalia is your sister. She had as much control over her birth as you did over what happened in Scotland.”
I stiffened, anger blooming in my chest. “It’s not the same,” I snapped.
“No,” Moira agreed, “but Thalia had nothing to do with her conception, just like you had nothing to do with Finn’s actions. Those things happened to you, not because of you.”
“Conception is a far different scenario than Scotland.”
“Sure,” Moira agreed. “But again, Thalia couldn’t help being born, just like you couldn’t help becoming a Chimera.
She could have stayed away, but she didn’t.
You don’t have to decide immediately if you want to braid each other’s hair and have sleepovers together, but taking it out on her is a dick move, and you know it. ”
I huffed a breath. “I know,” I admitted.
“Good. I’m glad you know you’re being a huge brat. Acceptance is the first step in the brat recovery process.”
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”
“Are you ready to suck your hurt feelings up and go speak to your sister like the adult you are? You’re a big sister. You should act like one.”
“I liked it much better when I was the one lecturing all of you.”
“Yes,” Moira said, shuffling me out of the fridge. “We’re all well aware, but we’ve been especially well-behaved lately.”
When I returned to my seat, Thalia was still twisting her fingers together.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted. “I shouldn’t have come.” Thalia rose from her seat.
“No.” I shook my head. “I’m being rude. Please,” I said, gesturing for her to sit back down. “I’m sorry. Things are just…weird for me right now.”
“I know,” Thalia said. “Having a sister is already weird. Having a secret sister is way worse.” She dropped her eyes. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“You seemed a little gleeful about it, to be honest.”
Thalia snorted. “Not about you. Knowing our father was about to get an earful was the highlight of my year, though.”
A smile tugged at my lips. Soon, Thalia and I were grinning at each other.
We chatted for a little while before she got to the reason she’d stopped by. Thalia reached for her handbag and pulled out a small notebook decorated with ink doodles. “I had Garrett write down what I said this time.”
She flipped through a few pages and skimmed down the page. “Some of this sounds insane, so I’ll go over the highlights.”
Thalia pointed to a scribbled passage in her notebook. “Beware the promised land,” she read. “Not all is as it appears.”
I went still.
“Beware the mouth with teeth but know the bark is worse than the bite. Remember who you are, but it’s more important to remember who you can be.
Do not be afraid. Great change is coming.
” Thalia frowned. “The last one seems odd but…” she trailed off and shook her head.
“The rowan tree is dying. You must go and tend to the land where it grows.”
Some of that made sense. Some of it sounded like nonsense. “I’m due to travel to a place called the promised land soon. I’ll keep your warnings in mind.”
Thalia’s smile was sheepish. “I can’t often decipher the things I say, and I usually don’t remember them anyway.” She slung her bag over her shoulder and stood. “Some seer I am,” she said dryly. “But at least I have Garrett around to help. At least for a little while.”
“A little while?” I questioned. “Are you going somewhere?”
“Dad hasn’t said much, but he was not pleased about you finding out how we were related. He tends to move me when too many people know who I am.”
“That doesn’t make sense. I’m his daughter, too, and he’s never tried to make me go anywhere.”
Thalia’s fingers tightened on the strap of her bag.
“That’s because you’re you, and I’m me. I have zero offensive or defensive magic.
Being a seer leaves me completely vulnerable.
” She shook her head and headed toward the door.
“I’m sure your Lord wants his Enforcer back, too.
Garrett doesn’t enjoy babysitting me, and I know he’s ready to get back to his regular duties. ”
I’m not sure why I did it, but I reached for her hand and squeezed gently.
“I think you’re mistaken about Garrett, and I’ve heard nothing about moving you anywhere.
” I paused. “Which leads to another question. Do you like it here? If you don’t want to stay, I won’t interfere, but if you like Joy Springs, I can speak to our father. ”
Hope flared over her face like the sun, there and gone in a heartbeat. “He never listens to anyone,” she grumbled. “Though I appreciate you asking.”
“I have my ways,” I assured her.
She pulled away and stopped at the door. “Thanks, Evie. I—I appreciate your kindness today.”
There was nothing I could say because I felt like shit. I’d been an ass to her and couldn’t make up for that. All I could do was try harder in the future. Moira was right. The circumstances of her birth were not her fault and holding it against her said more about me than her.
Guilt racked me the rest of the day.