Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
My mother and father stood toe to toe, both bristling with magic. “You take everything,” Mom said softly. “Give this to me.”
My father’s eyes narrowed. “You won’t win if we battle.”
Mom’s smile was slow and seductive. “Are you so sure about that, old man?”
Oh shit. I looked to the left, then the right for a place I could take cover if they decided to go at it. It had been five days since the disaster at the restaurant.
True to her word, Simone had kept Caelan from my property. Or he’d chosen to stay away because he meant every word he said to me that night.
I still couldn’t think about it without wanting to tear down the Keep brick by brick while sobbing.
Mom had stayed over the first two nights and proved a surprisingly good houseguest. On the third night, she told me to think, really think about what I wanted for myself.
Did I want to be Cernunnos’ heir? Or did I want to run a flower shop forever and be content with my Floromancy and the occasional use of my Chimera form?
Barrett had contacted me a couple of times asking when I wanted to begin training, but focusing on magic while your heart was shattering into a million pieces was surprisingly difficult, so I fobbed him off for a week or two.
The swans had been quiet, no doubt plotting their next move, and there was still no sign of the other missing Chimera.
So far, I’d proven a surprisingly terrible Chimera representative to our people.
But I couldn’t find the emotion to care because my heart was still tied up in Caelan.
To rub salt in my wounds, he hadn’t even bothered to text or call. Not that I would have answered, but all signs pointed to him being serious about the breakup and his new choice.
According to Simone, Rachel was out of the infirmary no worse for the wear.
But she’d told me the fae had marked her.
Every time she stepped outside the boundaries of the Keep, a strange mark appeared on her brow that looked like an S with two diagonal slashes.
It had faded after a moment, but when she stepped into town, several residents approached her, magic at the ready.
Someone finally took mercy on Rachel and told her what the mark meant.
Simone begrudgingly asked my parents if they could remove it only to help them prevent war when Rachel returned to Europe. She, at least, was still under the impression this was all some grave misunderstanding that would work itself out.
Mom and Dad had been at my house during the phone call and had laughed their heads off, telling Simone their quarrel was not with the Lords, or at least not the European Lords, only Rachel.
They would not remove the mark, thank you very much, and if Simone or Caelan insisted, they’d have no trouble extending the range of Caelan’s mark, which would effectively terminate his rule over the Joy Springs area, all of Texas, and wherever else the poor bastard ruled.
Needless to say, Simone was smart enough to realize she was beaten and dropped it, then quietly asked if she’d been marked.
Mom and Dad had shown too many teeth when they smiled and Dad said, “Not yet.”
Honestly, it was kind of awesome having feral parents.
“Old man?” Dad murmured. “Any time you want to tangle Cliona, you give me a call.” He straightened and crossed his powerful arms over his chest.
Dad was in full on athletic gear mode, wearing a pair of charcoal-colored joggers and a dark t-shirt even though it was cold as hell outside.
Mom was dressed down, too, which was a surprise. She wore a pair of old skinny jeans, slip on sneakers, and a striped cotton sweater. Her hair was in a thick braid and slung over one shoulder. The Banshee Queen looked like she was a college student home for winter break.
I’d walked out here with a cup of cocoa and spotted them. Sensing they were in a pissing contest, I curled into a rocker with a blanket to watch the fireworks.
Not knowing what the hell they were arguing about made things even more interesting.
“Dual,” Mom said.
Dad scoffed. “Too much. Just because yours is separate doesn’t mean she will have time for additional duties.”
Wait. She?
“There won’t be any additional duties because I have no plans to retire, but I do need a representative in her realm because I prefer being at home. In saying that, there may be a few meetings here and there, but nothing major.”
My eyes narrowed.
“She’ll be far too busy with her other duties to take on much more.”
“Who are you talking about?” I blurted.
Mom’s expression turned crafty. “Aren’t you the least bit curious about what’s going on in my realm since you’re blocked from entering? You could use her as a spy.”
I gaped. “You blocked Dad?”
“A story for another time,” Mom said. “Tess says hello and wants you to visit her soon. Any word on Lugh?”
I’d neglected that as well. And the shop.
And Ash. Moira had been by a couple of times but was giving me the space I’d needed.
I was going back to work tomorrow and giving Ash a paid week off whether he wanted it or not.
He’d stepped way up for all of us and kept things running while I was on the couch shoveling ice cream down my throat.
“No, but I was planning on sending him home tonight. If I can find him.”
“You will,” Mom said. “This stunt was never about Tess in the first place. It’s always been about you.
Keep in mind, he may know you’re the bridge and wants to exploit you.
If he does know, he will be on guard for you trying to touch him.
” Her eyes glittered as she smiled. “But he doesn’t know the trick you’ve been practicing. ”
And practiced, I had. Every single day, multiple times a day even when I wanted to dissolve in a puddle of tears. Mom had finally pronounced me ready just yesterday.
But something else nagged at me. “What if this is not about being the bridge? What if he knows about…the other thing?”
Dad looked away from Mom. “Then you must decide if you wish to fight him as a Floromancer, the heir to our people, or the beast that prowls under your skin.”
“Any suggestions?” Because none of those sounded awesome. I lay firmly on team sci-fi transporter and hoped I could just beam him back to whatever hell he’d come from and never allow him passage back.
Moira hadn’t brought any other people through, though she’d pulled an odd plant that looked a little like Seymour but bit a hell of a lot harder and was now happily hanging out in my greenhouse eating my herbs when it thought I wasn’t looking.
Another worrying thing to think about later.
“You’re still terrified of others knowing you’re a Chimera,” my father said.
I stared at him for a beat. “Because I’ll be hunted to the ends of the earth by the Lords and others who hate my kind.”
“Yes,” my father said slowly, “but you are no longer merely a Floromancer, and your powers, though unique, are not illegal in our world.”
Mom jerked her attention to him. “Don’t you dare,” she seethed.
My father’s shit-eating grin made me nervous. “If you were to accept the crown officially, you would have the entire might of my kingdom behind you.”
My eyes narrowed. “Didn’t your kingdom already accept me when you claimed my property as fae owned and marked Caelan for death?”
“All by the book,” he said. “You’re still my daughter and entitled to my protection regardless of whether you wear the crown.”
“Buuuutttt…” I drawled. I knew there was a ‘but.’ There was always a ‘but’ with this freaking guy.
Dad chuckled. “But, if you were to take the crown, and if your Chimera heritage was revealed to people, we could put the might of my kingdom behind you. Such would act as a major deterrent to those who might seek to harm you.”
I chewed on my lip as I studied him. “How long have you been saving this up?”
Mom laughed. “She’s onto you.”
I glanced at her. “Don’t think I don’t realize you two meddlers are speaking about me, either. I don’t think it’s possible for me to be queen of two places.”
“It’s very possible,” Mom said hurriedly.
“But it hasn’t been done yet. And,” she said with a long-suffering look at my father, “if you choose to become a dual heir, you’d also have the formal might of my realm behind you too.
I can only interfere so much in the dealings of this realm before my hands are legally tied.
Lugh is a special case, though. He is not one of the lower realm people and will be difficult to defeat.
We will help wherever we can, but this cannot be our fight. ”
“Until I do exactly what you want.”
“Even if you claim the crown, we won’t interfere if it turns into a fight between you two, otherwise you will lose the respect of our people. You must vanquish your enemies with your might and wits.”
Dad didn’t seem worried at all. Cool cool. Okay then. One immortal Floromancer of dubious origins and cursed blood going up against a literal ancient god.
Awesome.
“I kinda liked it better when I thought you were both jerks,” I muttered under my breath.
Dad laughed. “We are still jerks, as you say, but we are also rulers in our own right, and sacrifices must be made.” He put his hand on my shoulder, and I could feel the ancient power vibrating with his body.
I wondered what I felt like to him when he touched me—if my magic burned or annoyed him.
If it did, he was good at hiding his emotions.
He continued. “When you are a queen, you must put your people first, but you must also be strong enough to hold your territory. Lugh is an ancient, yes, but he is also…” His voice trailed off. “What do you call it? A one-trick horse?”
“Pony,” I said, trying not to grin. “A one-trick pony.”
Dad snapped his fingers. “That’s it. He prefers trickery over straight combat and has become lazy over the years. Lugh will try to beat you with deceit and subterfuge. You must be on the lookout for him trying to stab you in the back.”
I wasn’t surprised. Most fae relied on some form of trickery when they were trying to win. “Neither of you are concerned that he’s made no noise or caused any real trouble?”
Mom and Dad exchanged a look. “He’s causing trouble,” she assured me. “We just haven’t seen the extent yet.”
“Goody.”
“On that note,” Dad said. “Have you thought about your heritage?”
I shot him an exasperated look. “Only every day since you keep cramming it down my throat. But I still don’t fully understand why Thalia can’t take the role.
” Before he could go on a tangent, I held up my hand.
“Yes, I understand there are limitations due to her powers, but what if we were to share the role?”
Dad shook his head. “I understand you…care for Thalia, but there are other factors at play. Factors Thalia is already aware of. But more importantly, she does not want the crown and never has. If it were up to her, she’d disappear into a small, artsy town and completely forsake her heritage.
She never wanted to be caught up in my world.
Though she puts on a brave face and has a volatile temper, Thalia very much wants the normalcy the human world can provide. ”
Empathy struck me. “If I don’t take the crown, why can’t you give it to her? Why haven’t you given her the choice?”
His eyes softened. “Because, like you, she is attached to me, and she will always be a target. There are ways to offer her the crown, but she will lose pieces of herself, and Thalia very much loves her individuality. The best I could do is allow her into my court, and she has vehemently refused.”
“She doesn’t want to be coddled.” I understood completely. Being handled with a velvet glove doesn’t mean the glove doesn’t itch.
He inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Very much so.”
Dad wanted me to do this. Mom did too. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched them both. “I’d like to bargain.”
Mom gasped in surprise. Dad’s eyes narrowed for a brief moment before a slow, satisfied grin slid over his face. “Very well, daughter, let us bargain for the crown.”