Chapter 30
Chapter
Thirty
Moira swore viciously. “Is that why you wanted her?” She looked like she was about to come out of her chair and claw his face off.
He shook his head, watching her warily. “Not at all. But Evie must know how important she is to our kind and the good she could do if she wanted to. Her bloodline is unique and must be protected at all costs. If anything, consider me a form of protection.”
A thin smile before adding, “Though I do not believe she needs any protection. She’s more than proven her capability of protecting herself.”
“True that,” Moira said proudly.
“In saying this, I have to add a caveat.”
“You better not say a word about my ovaries,” I growled, fed up with every single man on the planet at that moment.
“You need a teacher,” he said bluntly. “Chimeras are masters of magic, and you have relied on blunt force instead of stealth. This is the second reason I came here. Allow me to show you who you can become. Then decide on your path forward. With or without us.”
I didn’t sense any subterfuge, which made me nervous. Nothing he proposed was simple. Not being taught how to master my magic or stepping up to act as the Chimera representative, an act that would paint a big fat target on my back.
I looked at Moira who simply shrugged. “This one’s on you. I think you should go for it, though.”
“Doing so will change everything. You, me, Ash and Tess, the shop. Where I fit in with Caelan.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “You need to ask yourself if you want to keep living in fear or if you want to be able to finally exist as you are.”
Barret wisely stayed quiet, allowing us to debate.
Finally, I squared my shoulders. “I want to meet the other Chimeras.”
He didn’t say no right away. “Why?”
“I want to see who I’d represent if I chose to step up.”
“We can’t gather everyone in one spot. Are you amenable to video meetings?”
“With some, yes.”
Barrett nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Fine.” I crossed my arms and stared him down. “In the meantime, what are we going to do about the swans?”
A vicious smile touched Barrett’s mouth, and a sheen of crimson rolled across his iris. “Give them exactly what they deserve, of course.”
“I’m proud of you,” Moira said on the drive back.
I glanced at her. “I didn’t say yes.”
“True. But you didn’t say no, either. A year ago, you would have laughed Barrett out of town.”
“I would have,” I said with a sigh. “Many things have changed, haven’t they?”
“Especially you.” She reached over and squeezed my knee. “All good. Moments of temporary insanity and general brattiness—”
“Hey!”
“But you always seem to level out, which is a good thing. We can chalk those moments up to temporary insanity or wild hormone fluctuations based on the gravitation pull of the moon.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t you talk about my golden goose ovaries like that.”
Moira reached over and touched my lower belly. “The preciousssss must be protected at all costs. You are the Chimera’s only hope, Evie wan Quinnobi.”
My lips twitched. “You are such an ass.”
“Running through all those male Chimeras might be fun. If only pregnancy didn’t last nine months and ruin everything good.”
I cackled. “You don’t want kids?”
She shuddered. “Gods no. A lifetime of handing out money like candy and praying they’re smart enough not to ruin their lives? And the social media. So much social media. Eww.”
“Good thing I have no plans to engage in a Chimera harem then.”
“Honestly, you can still have the harem without the babies. I’m sure none of them would mind.”
“They could all be hideous. And, just, no. You saw how long it took me with Caelan.”
She speared me with a droll look. “None of them will be hideous. That goes against the gods’ ancient laws of making powerful, pretty things they can torture with their wicked whims.”
“Doesn’t matter. We see pretty people every day. I do not have a weakness for a pretty face.”
“Yes,” Moira said deadpan. “They have to be pretty and have a death wish.”
Thinking about Caelan hurt. Whatever secret he was keeping from me had to be big, otherwise, why would he damage everything we’d built together? I’d spent a lot of time racking my brain, trying to figure out what kind of leverage someone might have on him to force him to keep something from me and…
I straightened, my hands clenching on the steering wheel. “It’s Cernunnos. That’s why Caelan is keeping the secret.”
Moira’s expression turned contemplative. “Then two people in your life are keeping a secret. But why? What’s so important about Thalia they’d both risk screwing things up with you?”
We pulled into the driveway to see a stunning woman with dark hair and familiar eyes waiting for me.
“Uh oh,” Moira whispered. “I’ll call you later.”
I hadn’t seen my mother in a long time. My fists clenched. Anger wasn’t the right emotion I was feeling. There was some fury there, but how I felt was a lot more complicated than simple anger.
“Thanks for toting me around today,” I said, surprised at how normal my voice sounded.
Moira nodded and put the car in park. Once I was out, she waved and pulled away.
I turned to Cliona, ancient fae goddess and my mother. “Long time no see.”
Mom was dressed far differently than usual.
She wore a pair of what looked like wool slacks with smart boots on her feet, a crisp white, satin shirt tucked in, and a leather belt with a gold buckle.
Her hair fell in loose curls almost to her waist, and she wore makeup today—a shiny berry gloss, blush, and mascara.
She looked like an executive for a Fortune 500 company.
“Has the economy taken a downturn in Faerie?”
Mom rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Evie.”
“You look like you’re going in for a job interview.”
“Do you think I spend my days floating around my mounds with a magical wand spreading glitter everywhere?”
I shrugged, a grin tugging on my lips. “Glitter? You? Never. Mayhem and terror? Absolutely.”
Mom huffed. “Contrary to popular belief, I do regular business in the human world. Now, I would like a cup of tea. Have you gotten past your fear that I will wreck your life so you will lower your wards for me and invite me in, or do we need to have this conversation outside?”
Old habits died hard. I wanted to lower the wards. She deserved for me to lower them. But all those years of living in fear of her had changed something inside me, and I couldn’t seem to let go of that deep seated terror that if I let her in, she’d use my secrets against me.
To her credit, she waited, her face a blank mask, and allowed me to decide.
The silence went on, the wind swirling her dark hair around her face.
I was slowly finding out I couldn’t trust people as much as I once had. But Caelan, as important as he was to me, wasn’t family. Cliona was.
I swallowed hard and nodded once. “Earl Grey?”
We both pretended not to notice how hoarse my voice was.
“Please,” Mom said a little breathlessly.
I lowered the wards and allowed an ancient goddess to come onto my land.