Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
CAELAN
She smelled of another world. Evie turned the corner and startled when she saw me.
“You need to check your land before you walk it, flower girl.”
Her eyes flashed with annoyance. “I never had any visitors until I started tangling with wolves.”
I rose and waited for her to come up the steps. “Where’ve you been?”
She looked down. “Just a walk. My land needed tending.”
“Is that why you smell like flowers and sky I’ve never scented anywhere on Earth?”
Evie sighed and came up the steps. “I don’t have time for this right now.”
Hurt stabbed me in the gut.
She stopped before me and reached out, pressing her palm against my chest. “I—I’m sorry. I’ve had a weird night. No reason to take it out on you.”
I put my hand over hers, soaking up her warmth and vitality. Last night I’d dreamed of her wearing the crown, her presence in my life fading ever so slowly until she disappeared into the fae lands.
I refused to let that happen. She was mine, and I would fight for her.
I pulled Evie in closer, inhaling her scent, fresh and clean. My fist tangled in her hair, gently cupping her head. “I know you didn’t go for a walk.”
Evie tensed.
“But I won’t ask you where you were. I suspect I already know.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“You don’t trust me.”
Her fingers tightened, wrinkling my shirt. “It’s not—” She sighed. “You and I are from different worlds. I don’t want any of this. Not the fae or my mother or being a Lady or being involved with a Lord.”
“And what do you want?” I asked, oh so quietly. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Evie didn’t want what I was offering her. She might want me, but she didn’t want the trappings of being my Lady. If I were younger and we had met sooner, I’d agree with Evie.
But I couldn’t walk away from my people.
And I couldn’t walk away from her.
Something had to give before it tore us apart.
My visit tonight wouldn’t help things.
“Peace,” Evie said. “Some down time would be nice.” She smiled against my chest.
I wouldn’t be bringing her peace tonight. “Come on. Let’s go inside for a minute. I have something I need to give you.”
She stiffened. “I hope that’s a euphemism.”
I waited while Evie turned and unlocked the door. “We’ll see where the evening takes us.”
Evie shrugged off her sweater and hooked it on the rack. “Coffee?”
“No thanks.” I pulled the envelope out of my pocket.
Evie stared at it as if I were holding a snake. “Do I have to open that?”
“If you don’t, the Council will show up on your doorstep.”
Evie sighed and snatched the envelope from my hand, plopping down onto the couch. I sat opposite her. My “invitation” had come at the same time. Why they’d sent me hers, I couldn’t fathom, but knowing the Council, it was meant to twist the knife into our relationship one more time.
When she opened it, her gaze skimmed over the contents, eyes narrowing the farther she read. A moment later, the parchment crumpled in her hand. “I take it you received one of these?”
I nodded.
“When are you scheduled to go?”
“Tomorrow. You?’
“Tomorrow. Two p.m.”
“I’m at four.”
“Do they think we’re going to stab each other in the back?” Evie asked.
“They’re only hoping.”
Evie leaned forward, her shoes long since kicked off. “What’s the story? Am I telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or are we being morally flexible?”
I grinned, loving how she didn’t jump right to indignation and insistence on the truth. My Evie knew sometimes the truth only made things worse. Good in this case, but bad for our current relationship situation. “I plan to tell the truth. Ish.”
Evie’s eyes sparkled. “Ish? I’m pretty good at ish.”
Oh, I know. “We stick as closely to the truth as possible. Donovan was working with other Chimeras to destabilize my region so he could make a power play.”
“And my mother?”
“Up to you. We can leave her out if you wish and speak of only the Chimeras.” I let the predator shine from my eyes. “The only Chimera witnesses are dead. Donovan is dead. I’m sure your mother would appreciate being left out of Council business.”
Evie nodded. “Then we pretend we never saw her. But how do we explain how the Chimeras died?”
I thought about it. “Do we need to?”
Evie’s mouth curved. “We can say they escaped. Give the Council something else to focus on.”
“I like the way you think.”
We talked for a little while longer to ensure our stories were straight. She yawned and stretched, her eyes growing heavy. I walked over and tipped her chin up, brushing a light kiss over her lips. “Get some rest. I’ll send a car for you tomorrow.”
“Not necessary.”
No matter what I tried to do, she refused to let me take care of her. “The Council understands a show of strength. You and I are in this together. It’s a small concession. A car. Nothing more.”
She held my gaze for a moment before nodding. “I’ll be ready at one.”
“Good night, Evangeline.” One more kiss, and I left her on the couch watching me leave.
I wanted to stay, but I was beginning to understand her, far more than she probably wanted me to. If giving her space, even though it went against every ingrained instinct, brought her to me in the end, I was willing to play the game.
In the meantime, I had a visitor at the Keep.
One I didn’t want to keep waiting.
Seymour sat in the Fae King’s lap, soaking up his attention.
His pot tipped sideways as he reached up to rub his traps against Cernunnos’s chest. Simone stood at the far back wall, her eyes wide as she stared at the king, then at me.
The usually unflappable Omega could not have turned him away without offering a grievous insult, but the Keep had never hosted a fae visitor of his ilk before.
My Omega was out of her element and not pleased about it.
“Traitor,” I muttered to the flytrap.
Seymour ignored me.
“My daughter’s creation?” Cernunnos asked.
“Do you even need to ask?” I went straight to the bar and poured myself and the king a double of whiskey.
“No.” His voice was amused. “Though I’m surprised by how sentient this creature is.”
“Let me just say Evie was extremely pissed at me when she made him.”
A delighted laugh. “Oh? Does he have any special abilities?”
“His bite is poisonous, and he stays angry at just about everyone.”
Cernunnos brought the flytrap up to eye level. “You share similar traits with my daughter.”
I hid my smile and added a large ice cube to each glass before carrying both over. I took the high-backed reclining chair opposite the king, who sprawled on the generous loveseat Simone added against my wishes.
Now I wouldn’t part with the thing, much to Simone’s amusement.
It gave the sometimes-austere study a homey air.
And now with Evie’s botanical influence, I had Seymour and Hannah who were thick as thieves, and the loving turtle vine.
She’d also given me a pothos vine with thorns, adding a cryptic warning not to forget to feed it, and that it would protect me if need be.
So far, the vine hadn’t done anything except grow.
The king sipped the whiskey, nodding his approval. “You have good taste, wolf.”
I barely restrained myself from baring my teeth. Demanding he call me Lord would begin a pissing contest I knew I wouldn’t win.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” I asked.
Simone had called me in a panic while I was waiting for Evie to arrive home, but I’d refused to return until I delivered the Council’s missive.
“Trouble comes to your doorstep,” Cernunnos said.
“Trouble never leaves my doorstep.”
“Oh?” An amused smile. “Seems like much of your trouble started when you met my daughter.”
“Some trouble is worth it.”
“Let’s hope it is.”
“You’re here to call in the debt.” There was no need for it to come out as a question. Cernunnos didn’t make house calls. He wasn’t here because I was in love with his daughter.
He wanted something from me.
“You didn’t think I’d give you a freebie, I hope.” The king’s smile was full of teeth.
“A freebie from a fae? Perish the thought,” I said mildly.
“The favor is small and easily doable. Evie should not be aware or ever know.”
I stilled. “Keeping secrets from her isn’t part of the agreement.”
Cernunnos’s eyes swirled. “Consider the agreement changed. Evie cannot know.”
I tipped the rest of my whiskey back. “Why?”
“It matters not. There is no harm to Evie now or in the future.”
This creature might one day become my father-in-law, and I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. “What’s the favor?”
“I need shelter for someone in my kingdom. She will need a home or apartment or somewhere to stay and work that pays her enough to survive. Thalia is gifted and might be able to have a shop or contracted work she uses to make a living.”
“What is her gift?”
The first flash of discomfort appeared in his eyes. “She’s a seer. A powerful one. Thalia cannot drive or transport herself. Visions come upon her at any time, and they can become volatile.”
Upon the surface, the favor didn’t seem terrible, but fae were tricky. Cernunnos wasn’t telling me everything. “Is she dangerous?”
“I would not unleash someone dangerous upon your town or my daughter.”
“That isn’t an answer. Yes or no.”
His jaw tightened. “She can be dangerous to herself when she’s in the midst of a vision, only because her magic paralyzes her.
Thalia’s visions are realistic to the point where she can no longer recognize herself when she’s having one.
If the wrong people were to get a hold of her, she could not protect herself. ”
“Then she needs a companion or guard.”
He inclined his head. “If you provide her one, I will look upon such an action favorably.”
Not admitting to a debt between us, but something I might be able to exploit later. “What else?”
Cernunnos hesitated, an odd reaction I’d never seen from him. “Thalia is simple,” he said after a moment. “Sweet and easygoing. She’s an innocent in an age that doesn’t always appreciate such traits. Whoever you assign to her may need to treat her with kid gloves until she gets her bearings.”
“If I do this, my debt is cleared.”
The king’s eyes narrowed. “You are a black and white kind of man.”
I shook my head. “No. I do not like fae deals and want this one concluded. No strings, no gotchas. If I take Thalia on and keep her safe for a period of…” I thought about it, “six months, after one hundred and eighty days, our slate is clean. I will pay the rent for an extra six months to allow her time to save some money. After that, the girl is on her own.”
“Twenty-four months,” Cernunnos countered, just as I expected.
“Twelve.” The Fae King could damn well afford to clothe and house the girl himself. But for some reason he either wouldn’t or didn’t want to. Interesting.
“Eighteen is my final offer. If you don’t agree, I will walk away and finalize our debt in a much different way.”
Fae speak for either take it or I’ll fuck you over in a glorious way later.
“Fine. I’ll set the girl up for eighteen months and give her the best chance to succeed. After that, our debt is cleared.”
“Money. Food. Shelter. A job. And a protector or companion.”
I waved a hand. “I’ll do all of those. Though Thalia doesn’t get to pick and choose who I pick to oversee her.”
“Someone safe,” Cernunnos growled.
I studied him. “You care about this girl. Why are you foisting her on me?”
“It doesn’t matter,” the king snapped.
His reaction told me it very much mattered.
“We have a deal.” I stuck my hand out. “Deliver her to me in three days. I need some time to get everything set up.”
I glanced at Simone who was furiously taking notes on her ever-handy iPad. She glanced up and nodded, her eyes a little feverish at the thought of such an interesting task. I’d talk to her away from Cernunnos’ influence. After we checked the room for magical listening devices.
The king and I shook, and Cernunnos rose, his antlers almost brushing the ceiling fan. I’d seen him appear without those, so I knew he was here in an official capacity and wanted to try to intimidate me.
Granted, the thought of being mixed up with the Fae King made me a little ill, but he’d done me a big favor, and this Thalia thing was far less than what I expected him to ask.
Or it was on the surface at least.
“Three days,” Cernunnos said.
“How will I get a message to you?” I asked.
“Leave it on the table in your secret library.” With a wink at Simone, Cernunnos disappeared in a wisp of gold and green magic.
Simone slumped against the wall. “Do I even want to know why you made a deal with the Fae King?”
“Plausible deniability.” I slumped against the back of the chair. “Do you know anyone named Thalia?”
“No one by that name. She’s bound to be fae, and I only have a few such contacts, but I’ll ask around.” She tapped one more thing on the screen and tucked the stylus back into its slot. “Are you worried about not telling Evie about this?”
“Of course I am.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “Feels like no matter which direction I turn, I can’t win with her.”
“The fae always complicate everything they’re involved in.” She tucked her tablet into her tote bag and picked it up. As she passed, she laid a hand on my shoulder. “Be careful. The king is leaving a lot of information out.”
“I’m thinking of assigning Garrett to the woman.”
Simone nodded. “Good idea. He won’t tolerate any shenanigans.” She laughed. “We just gotta keep him from killing her.”
I groaned. “Don’t even say that. If something happens to Thalia on our watch…” My voice trailed off.
“I hope this was worth it,” Simone said quietly before she left the room.
If it got me Evie, anything would be worth it.