Chapter 32
Chapter
Thirty-Two
Cernunnos sat on my back porch, rocking in one of the old wooden chairs. I walked outside when I sensed his presence, carrying two blankets, one of which I handed to him.
He situated it over his lap, even though we both knew he didn’t need it.
Silence stretched between us until he finally broke the stalemate. “You have questions.”
“Who is Thalia?” I blurted.
“I’m not ready to answer the question.”
I let out an impatient huff. “Why is Caelan taking care of her?”
“Your Lord and I came to an agreement.”
Which wasn’t really an answer, but I was glad I was right. “For how long?”
“Eighteen months.”
I choked. “He’s responsible for her care for a year and a half? Is she a princess or something?”
Cernunnos’s eyes flashed. “Again, I am not ready to answer your question.”
“She’s important.”
“Would it matter?”
“The answer would explain some things.” Cernunnos was maddening when he got cryptic—an annoying trait all fae had because information was king in their realm.
Arguably, the same could be said for our realm, so getting mad felt pointless.
“She’s important to me.”
“And to everyone else?”
“Evie,” Cernunnos warned.
“Why did you involve Caelan?”
His eyes narrowed. “Do you truly love the Shifter Lord?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course I do.”
“And if he kept a secret from you? A big one?”
My eyes narrowed. Was my father trying to stir the pot? Or was he trying to help me? “I suppose it depends on what the secret was and why he kept the information from me.”
“And if it affected your future? Your family? Your potential rule?”
“Why would Caelan do something like that?”
Cernunnos’s eyes whirled with power. “Why indeed?”
Something about this wasn’t sitting right with me. “Unless he was forced to by an extremely powerful king who had leverage on him.”
My father’s teeth flashed. “Would you keep a secret like that from him?”
“I did. For months.”
“But you weren’t in love with him while you kept that secret. Would you do it now?”
I thought about it. My Chimera blood was the reason I was so hesitant to get involved with Caelan in the first place.
I knew it wasn’t something I could hide from him if we became seriously involved.
I wouldn’t even sleep with him before he knew.
The truth made me uncomfortable, and I struggled with the word.
“No,” I admitted. “I wouldn’t. Though I’m no saint. I’ve kept small things from him.” Though they never stayed hidden for long.
“You told him a secret that could ruin your life and potentially get you killed because you love him. Ask yourself if he’s willing to do the same.”
I stared at my father for a long moment. “I thought you liked Caelan.”
“Daughter, I am the Fae King. I do not merely like anyone. There are too many factions out there trying to destabilize my rule. Trusting anyone is a delicate dance, one I am still trying to perfect all these years later.”
“So you don’t like him?”
Cernunnos smiled. “I wish for you to be with someone who bares his soul to you. Who does not keep things from you. Who supports you in your endeavors and doesn’t hesitate to lift you up when you are down. You are destined to be queen, Evangeline. I wish for you to be with a king.”
I swallowed hard. “And you don’t think Caelan is king material.”
His smile was sad. “My dear, you are also my daughter. No one who keeps secrets from his lover, especially my daughter, is king material.”
With those telling words, he disappeared.
I stared at the place he’d been sitting and let out a frustrated sigh.
I couldn’t tell if he was trying to get me to break up with Caelan, get me to force him to tell me the truth, or get me to whip Caelan into shape to one day become a king.
And that last one…I was trying not to think about that, especially now that my father had announced my heritage to all the Lords.
If my father wanted me to be queen, the man I eventually chose would be king. That opened up an entirely new can of worms I would never be prepared for. If I chose a Lord, the new title would make him a fae king and a king over his own territory. Their power would be unparalleled.
The first sense of unease rolled over my shoulders. Caelan had no idea who or what I was when we met, right? I believed that was true.
But did he know later? Was that why he pursued me so relentlessly?
Surely not. Caelan had never done anything to violate the boundaries of the other Lords’ territories. He’d never reached out and grasped for my power or tried to influence me in any way.
Except…he hadn’t batted an eye when I turned into my Chimera form and killed some people. Was that he wanted?
I let out a groan. Fucking Cernunnos. His cryptic words were sending me into a self-induced tailspin I couldn’t find my way out of.
Moira showed up later than evening with another round of takeout and two guests—Ash and Tess.
They barreled in with grins and hugs, all three kicking off their shoes and plopping onto the couch, sprawling together in a friend pile. Warmth filled my heart.
Maybe I’d be a spinster forever. Friends were better than boys anyway.
I shut the door and went over to the couch, climbing onto Moira’s lap.
She chuckled, her breath ruffling my hair, and put her arms around me. “Love you, weirdo.”
“Love you, too.”
Ash and Tess got into the hug. “We love you, too!”
After a couple of quick squeezes, Moira let me go, so I could dive into the takeout bags.
Mexican food? Nice.
“I brought more daiquiris,” Moira said, reaching down into another bag to pull out two large trays.
“More than two this time, I see.”
She cackled. “Thought we could use them.”
This right here…this was what kept me sane. Unconditional love, tacos, daiquiris, and laughter.