Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
brEN
Ifollowed Cormac to the door but stopped in the frame, my hand on the cold iron latch, fully aware of Selene’s presence behind me in the hall.
Pretending was no longer possible.
“For God’s sake,” I muttered, and stepped outside.
The air hit my lungs, cold and sharp, with more bite than the season warranted.
The pressure that had thickened inside the great hall from the moment I’d arrived was gone.
Wind rolled steadily off the lake, carrying the smell of wet stone and cut grass, and for a moment the world felt wider and properly intact.
But I knew what waited for me inside.
Cormac stood leaning against the low stone boundary at the edge of the path, arms folded across his chest. He watched me approach without moving, the amber in his eyes catching what little light filtered through the gray clouds.
I stopped near him and dragged one hand over my face as I sorted my thoughts. He knew Selene and I had met at the pub, but I hadn’t given him details about our encounter in my grove. He thought we’d only passed on the trail near the waterfall.
Cormac cleared his throat. “You invited me out, so I assume you intend to speak.”
I huffed. “Yes. Give me a damn moment.”
He glanced toward the heavy door. “You left her inside.”
I crossed my arms and narrowed my gaze as irritation colored my voice. “I’m aware.”
Cormac cocked his head, looking at me as if I was daft. “Alone.”
I drew my brows together, not following his train of thought. “She is not in danger. Speak your truth, man. What are you getting at?”
My friend held my gaze. “That depends on what you consider danger. I sensed a recent tear somewhere nearby. And you know the Veil is vulnerable in the castle.”
The gravel shifted under my boots as I turned to face him fully. “The breach happened yesterday, and the disturbance was minor.”
Cormac raised his brows in surprise. “It happened inside the castle then?” He released a low whistle. “They’re getting bold, aren’t they?”
I let silence spread between us as I pondered before answering. Perhaps it was best to start with the small things. “I believe it was a natural tear.”
But had it been? My thoughts had been more on what she’d done than the cause of the tear. “Or maybe not. The castle stirred the moment she stepped near the portal.”
My friend seemed as shocked as I’d been when I’d realized the same. He turned his gaze briefly toward the tall windows of the great hall, the stone darker now against the gray sky. “That’s… That’s interesting. It hasn’t reacted like that in decades.”
Dark ripples of water rolled toward the shore, steady and certain, always the same when the wind blew. “There’s more.”
Cormac turned and landed a solid punch on my arm. “For fuck’s sake. Why are you dragging it out?”
I studied the pebbles at my feet. Most had been there through the ages. They’d seen much and never changed. I’d thought my existence would be the same.
I turned to face my friend, pinning him with a hard gaze as I delivered the news. “Selene stabilized the tear.”
Emotions shifted on his face as he processed the information. “She did? But…how?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure about the entirety of it. I’m not even sure she realized what she did. In fact, if I was a betting man, I’d say she’s unaware.”
He nodded, urging me to continue. “But how? She has no sword of moonlight.” He widened his eyes as he stared in disbelief. “Does she?”
“No blade.” I blinked, still trying to understand myself.
“I believe she sensed the misalignment it caused, not the actual rip between worlds. The tear anchored itself to the inlay and disturbed a stone. Selene never looked directly up at it. She hadn’t a drop of fear either.
She lifted a stone in the circle, repositioned it, and the breach closed. ”
I swallowed, still unable to believe it had been true. “But not before the silver filament curled toward her. As if it recognized her.”
“Jaysus.” Cormac expelled a breath from deep in his lungs. “That’s never happened before, has it? A mortal closing a rupture in the Veil?”
I shot him a sharp look. “I think we can both agree she’s far more than a mere mortal.” That much was no longer in question. “You called her a witch that first night.”
“That I did. I’ve been thinking about it and wonder if she’s a ward witch.” He cast me a look full of concern as he pushed away from the wall and walked a short distance down the path before glancing back. “They control spaces, you know?”
The wind tugged at the hem of my coat as I followed. “I came to the same conclusion. Whether it’s the right one, I don’t know. But I can tell you she doesn’t just see space. She corrects it. Without knowing what it is.”
He shook his head multiple times before responding. “She must be a powerful one. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Are you sure she’s not a threat?”
I shrugged, wishing I could be certain. “She’s shown no signs of aggression. No signs of anything dark, in fact.”
He studied me for several seconds without speaking. “And you’re comfortable having her work a few yards from one of the oldest Veil anchors in the region, are you?”
“She is qualified, and strengthening the castle will also protect the Veil.” I shifted my stance, projecting more confidence than I felt.
“What would you have me do? Send her away? It’s taken me years to force the council to agree to these repairs.
You know as well as I do that there are forces that would love to see the entire castle and all it protects crumble. ”
He arched his brow. “Your father?”
His comment stung. I barely recalled the god, but I hated to think he was involved. “I don’t think so. From what my mother said, Mystwood held a special place in his heart.”
Cormac snorted. “Only because he could easily visit her and the women who came before her.”
His flippant reply triggered my moonlight, and it gathered at my fingertips. “Do not speak of my mother with such trivial tones. She held tight to her beliefs, and it cost her.”
My friend lifted his palms toward me in surrender. “My apologies. I meant no disrespect toward her.”
We fell into silence, my irritation dissolving into a need to fortify my situation and prepare for potential threats, which led to my next concern. I hated to impart that my charm was ineffectual with Selene. It seemed like a personal failure, but I needed his counsel. “I have one last thing.”
Cormac turned to me with a look of utter disbelief. “I can hear no more, you feckin’ eejit.”
I ignored his insult. “I’ve been keeping my charm tightly restrained because I need Selene to focus on the castle restoration. But after she corrected the tear, I reconsidered.” That wasn’t exactly as it had happened, but close enough.
Cormac shook his head and interrupted before I could finish. “Don’t tell me. It didn’t work.”
His words hit hard. “Not in the slightest.”
The wind carried away his amused chuckle. “Never thought I’d see the day you couldn’t get a woman.” He laughed again, louder this time.
I pinned him with a dark frown, warning him he was close to pushing too far.
He sobered and lifted a hand in defense. “Maybe you need to try again in your grove, where your power is strongest. The moon will soon be full again.”
As if I needed someone to remind me of something as essential to me as air. Still, I appreciated his advice. “That might work.”
He looked back toward the tall stone walls and lowered his voice. “If you don’t intend to send her away, you need to give it your best shot. If she’s hiding her true intentions, if she’s concealing her true power, allowing her to remain is like keeping a fox in the henhouse.”
I didn’t need to be reminded of that either. “She stays for now.”
Cormac studied me in a way that left me uneasy, as did the slow smile that crossed his face.
“Why do I get the sense her presence isn’t just about restoring the castle?
She’s the only woman in centuries who can look you in the eye without falling under your enchantment.
Could that be the reason you should but aren’t sending her away? ”
I folded my arms and shot him a threatening glare.
He chuckled and shrugged. “A bit of advice, from one friend to another. If you intend to pursue her, you might want to lighten up. No one wants to date a haunted statue.”
I growled in warning. “You’ve gone too far.”
He lifted a finger before I could say anything further. “And if you intend to bed her, try not to do it directly above the portal.”
I darkened my gaze. “That will not happen.”
“Uh-huh. See you later, buddy.” Cormac turned and strode toward his truck without waiting for a response.
The wind shifted again across the lake, and I remained where I stood. He was not wrong about her being a potential threat, nor about my urge to be closer to her.
Still, if keeping her near was dangerous, sending her away might be worse. It remained to be seen if I could gain control over her, but even if I couldn’t, at least I could monitor her actions.
I turned my gaze to the castle towering over me. Selene was still inside the great hall. Alone. Standing within reach of the oldest Veil point in my jurisdiction.
I cursed beneath my breath and strode back toward the door.