Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
My mother was considered one of the most beautiful fae alive today. As her daughter, I guess I wasn’t too hard on the eyes either, but standing in this room full of insanely beautiful fae made me feel like one of Cinderella’s stepsisters.
Gems and gold glittered everywhere, but even if every fae was dressed in rags, I couldn’t ignore their splendor—my father included.
We stood at the entrance to a grand ballroom filled with fae and creatures of all kinds.
Women and men with bodies of goats. Shadows in dark robes that whispered across the room.
Creatures with skin of bark and glittering blue eyes.
Something too fast for the eye to catch swirled around the ceiling, trailing green and blue sparkles in its wake.
My heart pounded against my ribs.
“Easy,” my father murmured. “Everyone can hear your panic. Slow your heart rate before they notice.”
My fists clenched at my sides. I took a deep breath in and slowly blew it out, sending a small trickle of magic through my veins, the cooling sense of flora surrounding me.
“Good,” Cernunnos said. “Are you ready?”
“No.” I glanced up at him. My father’s face was carefully blank, his gaze sweeping across the room. “Are you?”
His lips twitched. “I’d rather absorb myself into the ground and disappear in a gust of wind.”
I blinked. “That’s oddly specific.”
“You’ll see in a minute.”
“I thought you said these people were your friends.”
A faint smile. “They are.”
Cernunnos nudged me into the room.
As soon as we stepped over the threshold, every eye in the room swung to us.
“By my side, Evangeline,” he murmured.
I took a larger step, my fingers curling over his muscled forearm.
“Heart rate,” he whispered.
“Shit,” I muttered.
He placed a warm hand over mine. “Steady.”
A woman glided over to us. Tall, regal, cold as ice.
She wore a pale blue gown encrusted with diamonds across the bodice, sleeveless and mermaid cut.
I’d fall flat on my face the moment I took a step in a dress like that.
Her face was lineless and smooth, pale blue eyes resting for a brief second on my father before she bowed to him.
When she straightened, her eyes landed on me.
The woman had the eyes of a predator, sharp and calculating. A shrewd intelligence glittered in her gaze. “You must be Evangeline.” A slight dip of her head. “Charmed.”
“This is Brigid,” Cernunnos said.
My mother had mentioned her a couple of times in passing. For whatever reason, Cliona couldn’t stand her. Unsurprising. Mom hated just about everyone. Sometimes she reminded me of the evil stepmother in the fairytale, asking the mirror who’s the hottest.
Brigid was pretty enough to get under her skin.
“Hello,” I said lamely. Brigid didn’t look much like the goddess of the hearth and home.
She reminded me of old money, one of those rich white women who has the help put out specific china for important guests.
When I thought of home, I thought of someone like Hazel.
Warm, kind, maybe a little frazzled. Someone to offer you tea or coffee when you came over and maybe had warm cookies straight from the oven.
This woman was pure ice, a predator in a ballgown. She’d brag about the type of champagne she had and offer you caviar from some weird fish you’ve never heard of. If she was one of my father’s friends, I’d hate to meet his enemies.
“Where has the king been hiding you for all these years?” She clicked her tongue. “Such pretty dark hair. You must take after your mother.”
Cernunnos’s muscle tightened under my hand, a minuscule motion I would have missed if I didn’t know him. This woman didn’t realize Cliona was my mother. Interesting.
Brigid was fishing. “I wouldn’t know,” I said sweetly. “I’m an orphan.”
The goddess blinked, her eyes widening as she realized her apparent faux pas. “My apologies,” she murmured. “I had no idea.”
“Her mother is of no importance this night.” He inclined his head the tiniest bit. “It was nice to see you again, Brigid.”
“I’ll save you a seat, sire.”
“Mmm,” Cernunnos said, edging his way past the goddess.
“Clever,” he murmured.
“She doesn’t know.”
“Your mother is a viper. Our liaison was brief yet fruitful.”
My nose wrinkled. “Eww.”
Cernunnos chuckled. “Come. Let us make the rounds.”
“Do we have to sit by Brigid?” I whispered.
He steered me toward the back window, where a long table was set up. “She is deeper than her surface beauty. Do not let her appearance lull you into false security.”
“No worries there. You know who my mother is.”
“Ah. Yes. I should have known you would not be fooled by someone’s appearance.”
No. I was more likely to distrust someone because they were pretty, thanks to dear ol’ mom. Someone else approached, a tall, handsome man with dark skin and eyes the color of citrine.
He stopped before us and inclined his head. “Cernunnos. Who is this lovely creature you’ve brought this evening?”
My father relaxed. Whoever this man was, my father liked him.
“Conor,” he said warmly. “This is my daughter, Evangeline.”
“Charmed,” I said.
“Same,” Conor said. “You look a little bewildered. Is this your first foray into our society?”
The look he gave my father held a slight edge of disapproval. Cernunnos noticed.
“I had my reasons,” he said before I could respond. Interesting, my father actually answered this man.
My mother never spoke of anyone named Conor, nor had anyone else I knew.
A sharp smile edged Conor’s mouth. “Trust no one. Not even me.”
Cernunnos sighed. “Good advice, but is it necessary?”
“You know our kind, Cer. I’m surprised you haven’t already given her the same advice.”
“Cer?”
My father rolled his eyes. “A childhood nickname. Right, Con?”
Conor laughed and slapped my father on the back. “May I take your daughter around and introduce her to a few of our kinder, gentler people while you charm your hangers on?”
A few dozen people had gathered around us, their eyes darting to us every few seconds, waiting for a lull in the conversation so they could jump in and gain Cernunnos’s attention.
“You’ve been gone for weeks now, and they need the attention of their king.” Another note of disapproval.
My father’s jaw tightened. “Do not let her out of sight.”
Conor gave a delicate snort. “In this hyena den?” he murmured. “Never.”
He held his arm out and led me away. Conor smelled of wood smoke and the outdoors. Another nature god? Asking was a faux pas, so I stifled my curiosity and let him lead me across the room.
The back of my neck prickled. “Everyone is staring at me,” I whispered.
“Yes,” Conor agreed. “You are a new and shiny thing, and we both know how much the fae love new toys.”
I stiffened. “Is that how they see me?”
Conor glanced down at me, a slight frown marring his perfect complexion. “You truly do not know anything about us,” he murmured. “How fascinating.” He paused for a moment. “Who was your mother?”
“No idea,” I said, a smidge too quickly.
“A secret,” Conor mused. “I so adore secrets.”
A curious fae. Just what I needed. Conor patted me on the hand and smiled.
“No need to be frightened, dear. I have no intention of dragging your secrets from you.”
I peered up at him. “Yet?”
He laughed out loud. “My hope is one day you will trust me enough to tell me.”
My eyes narrowed. “Even though you just told me not to trust you?”
Conor’s teeth flashed in a smile. “Beautiful and a good listener, too. Perhaps you will survive in this place after all.”
“I don’t plan to survive here at all,” I muttered.
His brows flicked up. “Oh? You aren’t here in the capacity of an heir?”
I stiffened in surprise.
“Your father and I are close friends, Evie. He trusts me with almost everything.”
“Almost,” I said. “Why not everything?”
“Because we are fae,” he said, as if that explained everything.
A massive creature stepped before us, a thing of bark and limbs.
Conor stopped. “Hello, Birch.”
The creature shrank down and down until a man about my height stood before us. He had nut brown hair, pale skin, and swirling green eyes. “Conor. Who is this delightful creature? She smells of flowers and mystery.”
“Birch, please meet Evie, Cernunnos’s daughter.”
The tree man blinked. “Daughter, you say?” His eyes narrowed. “Are you sure? She looks nothing like the crabby king.”
A bubble of laughter escaped me.
Conor sighed. “You’d best hold your tongue, Birch. Our liege is on edge tonight.”
I glanced at him. “He is?”
“Few people bring their children around people like us, my dear,” Birch said before Conor could speak. “Though you are no longer a child. Why has he kept you from us for so long?”
I didn’t see the harm in telling the truth. “Humans raised me.”
Birch frowned. “You’re no changeling. Your blood leaks magic. Strange, interesting magic.”
“You can smell blood?” I blurted. Did he sense my Chimera magic? Cernunnos hadn’t said anything about the potential for someone sniffing out the secrets my blood held, and I hadn’t thought to ask.
“One of his many, annoying talents.” Conor’s voice dripped with exasperation.
Birch’s smile held an edge. “And a quite useful one.”
He gave us a small bow. “I must be off, but I will see you soon, Evie. There is much we should discuss.”
Birch disappeared, there one moment and gone the next. “He left the dinner entirely?”
Conor rolled his eyes. “Who knows. Birch is an enigma wrapped in tree bark.”
“You don’t like him?”
“I love the tree. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t aggravate the shit out of me.”
And so it went, on and on. Dozens of introductions, numerous cryptic comments, and edged words. My head was spinning by the time Conor steered me toward the table and my father.
When Conor left me with a wink and a smile, Cernunnos leaned over. “How’d it go?”
“Everyone here is a silver-tongued liar,” I whispered.
My father blinked before laughing out loud. “Yes,” he said when he finally composed himself. “You’ve discovered a fae’s universal talent.”
“And you?” I asked, reaching for the napkin to spread it over my lap. “If everyone here has a silver tongue, is yours golden?”
Sadness touched his face. “When I have to be. But never to you.”
My heart flipped over. “Is that why you don’t answer my questions?”
He inclined his head. “Some questions I cannot answer for many reasons. But I would never lie to you.”
“Good to know.” Someone appeared at my shoulder and poured a golden, fizzy liquid into my wine glass. Just as I reached for it, Cernunnos snapped his fingers and the glass disappeared.
“No fairy wine,” he cautioned.
“But I’m full fae,” I argued.
“We introduce the beverage when our children are young, so it doesn’t affect them like it does humans or changelings. You’ve never tried the beverage, and the side effects might be…unusual.”
“What, you don’t want me to get trashed and dance on the table?” My words were glib, but I was secretly glad he’d prevented me from getting myself into trouble.
“You’ve obviously never been to a true fae party. Table dancing sometimes begins before the wine starts flowing.”
The sound of music started. My father stiffened and set his glass down. “Excuse me. I will be but a moment.”
When he rose, my father was gone, and the Fae King stood in his place.