Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
Ethan was walking way slower than he should be. I slowed my steps to walk beside him.
“Everything okay?”
He let out a short laugh.
“Right. Dumb question. We should hurry up and get this done so we can call everyone if we need to. They’ll get nervous if we take too long.”
I sped to a normal pace.
“Moira.”
I thought about speeding up more, but that would make me look petty. I was only petty to people who deserved it. No matter what Ethan had done, I still cared about him.
“This is probably not the time to discuss personal business.” But I slowed my steps and waited for him to catch up.
What he said next surprised me.
“Are you happy?”
I glanced over. He looked straight ahead. His hands were in his pockets and his posture straight. If I didn’t know him better, I would think he was merely checking on a friend, but there was a nuance to his question.
“Cernunnos treats me well.” There was more to it, though. “At this point in my life, he gives me what I need. Whether that lasts forever, I can’t answer.”
He nodded. “You look good. Healthier. I—I’m happy for you.”
I grinned and let out a chuckle. “Liar.”
Ethan huffed a laugh. “Yeah.” He hesitated. “Listen. I don’t want it to be this way between us. You were well within your rights to do what you did. I haven’t been the most demonstrative man, and I’ve gone about things all wrong.”
“I don’t want things to be weird between us either. But I can’t go back to how we were. It isn’t fair to any of us.”
“Us including Cernunnos now?”
“Don’t poke the bear.”
His chuckle this time was less forced. Ethan reached out and took my elbow, stopping me. I could have pulled away if I wanted to, but I waited.
He looked down at the ground for a moment before lifting his eyes to meet mine. I always thought his eyes were so stunning. So dark they seemed black in certain lights, when they were really one of the deepest blues I’d ever seen. “I’d like us to start over.”
He seemed sincere. And steady. Ethan wasn’t barking orders or demanding I do something. In fact, he was downright reasonable.
And that made me awfully suspicious.
“Are you alright?”
Ethan snorted. “Someone wiser than me rightly schooled me on my most recent behavior concerning you. I took some time to look inside, and I realized the bastard was right.”
“So no popping up inside my house at all hours of the night?”
“Not even a little.”
“None of you getting jealous when someone makes eyes at me?”
His jaw clenched. “If I do, I will do my best to ensure you do not know about it.”
I almost laughed, but he was being so sincere, I swallowed my amusement down. “And you will treat Cernunnos with respect?”
“I always have.” His eyes were glittering with gold flecks now, telling me I’d pushed as far as was wise.
“Fine.” I stuck out my hand. “My name is Moira. You know my best friend, Evie.”
Ethan stared at my hand for a long moment before he took it in his larger one.
His skin was far warmer than mine would ever be, callouses dotting his palms. He worked outside so much, even the immortal blood inside him had given up on healing them.
“Ethan Flint. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. ”
In the past, he would have held on too long, made some double-edged quip meant to knock me off kilter. He did none of that today. While he held on a beat too long, Ethan let go far sooner than normal and took a step back. “I hope we see each other again, Moira.”
I grinned. “Me too, Lord.”
His eyes glowed. “Please. Call me Ethan.”
“Such familiarity for a first meeting,” I teased.
The tension broken, Ethan jerked his head. “Come on. Let’s go convince some witches we don’t want to kill them.”
“But we kinda do.”
“Yes. Well. They don’t need to know that.”
We smiled at each other and kept walking.
The witches’ new digs looked much the same as the other.
Several multi-person tents, a main fire pit and smaller fires dotted the area.
The witches milled around, some carrying buckets, others holding greens or herbs in their hands.
All of them were stunning in their own way.
Soren might be a horny old bastard, but he had good taste.
“If I didn’t know them, I’d say they look downright peaceful today,” Ethan murmured.
“Be on your guard for my mother,” I warned.
The witches couldn’t see us yet, and the wards would prevent them from scenting us unless one of us used magic.
Ethan let out a deep exhale. “I know we haven’t talked, and I’m sorry for that. Your mother should not have been able to escape. None of us can figure out how she managed it.”
“She’s always been tricky,” I allowed. “Someone didn’t frisk her properly. It’s the only explanation.”
“You think she swallowed something or…” His voice trailed off.
“Did a good impression of a drug mule?”
Ethan’s expression made me chuckle. “Or that,” he said.
“I wouldn’t put anything past her. You got an x-ray machine at the Keep?”
He slid a glance my way to see if I was kidding but scratched his head when he realized I was completely serious. “Err. Guess we could buy one, but I don’t think she’s going to come willingly this time.”
“She didn’t come willingly last time, either. But you’re right. She’ll be twice as hard to take down the second time.”
“You up for this if it comes to a fight?” He eyed me in the way one warrior does to another. “As much as I hate to admit this, you look better. Stronger.” His eyes narrowed. “Your magic feels different to me.”
I wasn’t sure how much to tell him. Anything I said would hurt him. “I’ve been experimenting with my magic and my food intake.”
Ethan turned his head to study me. “Food.” His gaze slid down my body and back up to my face. “You’ve gained weight and muscle.” Realization settled over his handsome features. “Blood, Moira? Have you not been consuming enough to fuel your body?”
“Ahh…” I scratched my face. “It’s a long story.”
He exhaled softly. “I wondered, you know. Everyone said you were a vampire, and I could feel that part of you, but there was always something else lingering there. Your blood intake was never as much as it should have been, even with someone of mixed blood.”
His jaw tightened. “Cernunnos figured it out.”
“He did.”
“Well.” He fell silent for a moment. “I should be grateful to him then for helping you see what you’re capable of.”
I slapped the back of my hand against his forehead to check for a fever.
“Ass,” Ethan chuckled. He squeezed my hand. “I’m serious. Whatever he’s helping you with, it’s working. You’ve always been beautiful.”
My heart began to thud.
“Now you glow from the inside out.”
Ethan released my hand. “Ready to get this over with?”
I cleared my throat. “Yes. Let’s go.”
Ethan walked ahead, and I stared at his back. I felt like I was in a new emotional minefield and had no idea where to step.
Shaking the feeling off, I hurried after him.
The witches spotted us when we were about twenty feet from the wards. No sign of my mother. She’d make her entrance at the worst possible time, I was sure.
The witch Soren spoke with last time greeted us. “We did what your god asked and left his land.”
“It’s Evie’s land. Not his.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. We left. Why are you here?”
“You sent a death spell after Soren while you were on Lord Ethan’s land.”
Ethan had turned on his full Lord visage. Eyes glowing a strange molten gold flecked with midnight blue, he stepped up. “We have no wish to fight, but your reckless disregard for life has put us at odds.”
“Your Lord,” the witch hissed, “doesn’t deserve to be in power if he treats women like he treated us!”
To my surprise, Ethan inclined his head. “Perhaps. We assure you we will investigate his actions later.”
Oh shit.
“For now, I am here to tell you to move on.”
Magic pricked at the back of my neck. Dread pooled in my stomach. Something was out there watching us, and I didn’t think who or whatever it was lurked behind the wards.
I turned and scanned the horizon. Ethan’s territory was mountainous, and he lived in a heavily forested area. The witches weren’t far from his Keep. Lots of hiding spots around us.
Maybe we should have brought Evie. I couldn’t sense whose magic it was. They were too far away. A quick count revealed all the witches left from the coven.
I tapped Ethan’s forearm. He didn’t visibly react, the twitch in his forearm muscles the only tell he understood my message.
The witch’s face turned sour. “We just got here.”
“Then you shouldn’t have tried to kill one of my own, witch.”
The same dark-haired witch from before made her way through. She stopped a foot away from the wards and inclined her head. “Lord. Thank you for allowing us the use of your territory.”
“I’m afraid I’m here about that,” Ethan said, not sounding apologetic at all.
“Ah.” The witch’s smile was thin. “You wish us to vacate once more.”
“As you’ve tried repeatedly to kill one of the Lords, I’m afraid my safety is now in question.”
The witch smiled. “I can assure you we never target anyone who hasn’t targeted us. You are perfectly safe around us.”
She sounded so sugary sweet I almost believed her.
The wards fell and a dozen spells flew from all the witch’s fingers.