Rise of the Magi (10 page)

She brightened and took Arianne from me.

“Dang, you’re heavy, kid!”

“I would have given anything to see the look on their faces,” Brígh said. “They have a way of transporting. I’ve seen it. There won’t be too many places where they can’t get me if they decide to go against you. And, if I had to lay my bet, I’d say they will.”

“They have to get through me first, and I don’t acknowledge their delusion that the Goddess holds them above us all.” I shrugged and started toward home. Toward Liam. “And if you really want to see their faces when I threatened them, I’m sure our little sneak here could give you an instant replay if you make the deal sweet enough. Right Arianne? Maybe a bit of chocolate? Or a dolly?”

Arianne clapped and bounced in Brígh’s arms. Did we even have toys in Iress? I’d have to ask one of the shifters. They could create anything else, why not a dolly?

If only everyone was so easily pleased.

9

“What am I supposed to wear to this thing?” I asked Liam, staring with disdain at my dresser. All the drawers hung out, spewing clothes everywhere. “I’m going to look like I’m smuggling a beach ball no matter what I put on. Can’t I just wear sweats?”

“No, you can’t just wear sweats.” He barked a laugh and came out of the closet, wearing nothing but a pair of body-hugging boxers and holding a garment bag I’d never seen before. “I had a few things made up for you last week.”

His magnificence held me entranced. That sexy V of muscle on his lower abs. The ripped belly that lead up to a buff chest. Strong shoulders and muscular arms that could pick me up and press me against the wall or toss me on the bed with ease. It took a monumental effort to tear my gaze from his playground and put it back on his face. I blinked, still star struck. “I’m sorry, what?”

The dark glance he gave me suggested he liked the direction my thoughts had taken. “Too bad we don’t have more time.” He laid the bag across the bed, chuckling. “Earth to Lila. Put your sexy body in this while I get my suit on.”

“Mmm, yeah. Clothes. Meeting. Right.” I withdrew the dark teal dress, the shade leaning more toward blue than green, and with an empire waist. “So, are you ready to tell me what happened with Laerni, yet?”

Tightness raised his shoulders, but I didn’t invade his head to find the cause. If I didn’t want him in my mind every second of the day, I had to apply the same rule to myself. He rolled his head until bones cracked and a breath hissed out of him. “After we told her what happened at Freymoor, that she’s the only one left, she went”—his fingers curled in air quotes—“absent, as Gallagher calls it. Something about a place in her mind she could go when there’s too much trauma to the psyche. He couldn’t get a read on her before she slipped away.”

My heart hurt for her. “But she’ll come back, right? Alogason said she was supposed to help us.” I winced at how callous I sounded. “That sounded really bad. I know she needs time, but … I don’t know what to do.”

“Nobody’s going to judge you for looking for help wherever we can get it, so stop being so hard on yourself. And I hope she comes back soon, too, if she really can do something about this mess.”

Thoughts turning to the coalition, I asked, “Do you think they’ll all listen? Especially the humans. They have a hard enough time with us existing, and now we’re about to tell them their own trees plan to murder them. It sounds farfetched even to me, and I know it’s true.”

Liam tucked in his shirt—in the same teal color as my dress—and buckled his belt. “They have to. We need to make it clear that they do, or die, in this case.”

Easier said than done when talking about a race of people who could barely see beyond their own noses. I knew little about the witches, wood elves and trolls. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be an even bigger pain in the rear than the humans. “What did Gallagher say when Cas told him about what Arianne did this afternoon?”

Liam laughed again, the sound buzzing through my middle like sensual music. “If I didn’t know the old man so well, I’d say he’s downright petrified of that little girl. His ego is bruised at the very least, but I think he’s glad someone’s helping you even if it isn’t him.”

“I don’t think I tell him how much I appreciate him often enough.” Another of those things I thought but never said. I tried and failed to smile. “And you’re sure he got to Willa in time?”

“The selkies are already at the coalition H.Q., thanks to Parthalan and the Host, and once the meeting is finished, they’re all coming back here until this is over. Parthalan lost a half dozen of his people along with Raze’s team. Said they just plain vanished from his mind without warning. By the look on his face, I’d say the loss damn near killed him, too.”

I squinted at Liam, tucking away my twinge of pain for Parthalan, while I pondered that. “Don’t the selkies need saltwater?”

A boyish grin claimed his lips. “Would you believe Iress has already delivered a saltwater lake on the south end?” With my raised eyebrow, he added, “I know, shocked me, too. Cas said he noticed it when he came looking for us earlier, so I went to check it out before coming back here.”

Thoroughly impressed, I smiled as a space in my chest I hadn’t noticed had emptied filled back up. “She hasn’t left us. I’ve been struggling with what I believe about all of this, just like you, but now I know. The Goddess might not be able to stop her brats from doing what they’re doing, but she’s still here doing what she can for us.”

His focus dropped toward his tie as he knotted it at his neck. “If you say so.” Although the words were soft, they held the weight of a lifetime of broken hopes.

After slipping the gown over my head and arranging the bodice around my mammoth twin peaks, I went to him and put my hand on his chest. “You know what a stretch the concept of faith is for me. I need you to believe we can make it through this.”

Liam stared a moment before claiming my mouth with his hot one. Desperate, almost pleading, for what, I didn’t know. “I’m sorry. I guess this whole mess is just shaking me a bit. My faith has taken a few hits over the last few decades, but it’s not completely dead. I might talk shit when I’m pissed, but I don’t think I really believe she’s abandoned us.” That he admitted being shaken warmed me even more than his kiss.

Arms clamped around his neck, I held him tight and let him hold me back, enjoying what would most likely be our last peaceful moment of the day. Maybe ever.

“Thank you. For telling me … stuff. And for the clothes.” I gave him one last peck before turning so he could zip me up. “This is actually pretty okay for a dress. I feel like I can move without anything falling out.”

Once he had me fastened in, he came around and faced me, gasping in mock shock. “You? Lila Gray? Like a dress?” He slipped his arms around my waist, palms pressing against my butt. “Who are you, sexy momma? And what have you done with my wife?”

“Oh, shut it.” I wiggled out of his grasp, my smile fading at the blow we were about to deal the races of the world. “Are you ready for this?”
Because I’m not.

He must have been listening to my internal afterthought because he intertwined his fingers with mine, and said, “Yes, you are. They’ll listen. We’ll make them listen.”

• • •

Several bodies milled around Seven Gates when Liam and I stepped through. Gallagher wore a dark gray suit with a white shirt, staring into the rock face as if looking for the secrets of the universe there. Neve and Brígh wore matching light pink dresses in the same style as mine, with empire waists and halter-style bodices that tied behind their necks. Didn’t we look like the perky bunch of bridesmaids? I almost snorted. Cas and Andrew had donned black suits, in full guard mode. It had been a while since I’d seen Cas’ faithful sword, but there it was, strapped across his back, the golden handle poking through his plum hair.

“Whoa. Lookin’ good there, Lila,” Cas said, a grin breaking across his lips. “Almost as good as my little woman.” He winked and glanced toward Brígh.

“Pfft.” She waved him off, but the pink of her cheeks let me know just how much she enjoyed his comment.

“You’re not looking bad yourself.” I sidled up to him and bumped him with my hip. “You all set for this?”

“Of course he is!” Andrew snapped, his body rigid enough, it appeared as if his bones had fused. He swept the forest with a steely gaze. Dark bruises pooled beneath bloodshot eyes, and an angry red scar began at his ear and disappeared under his shirt. “We’ve got this.”

I moved around Neve to stand before Andrew, hoping I could figure out what had him so on edge. When I reached for him, he flinched.

Did it have something to do with his wounds? Did they still hurt? “I bet I can heal your scars. Maybe not the old ones, but the new—”

“No! Just … don’t.”

“Is this about—”

“It’s about nothing. You’re blocking my view of the woods. And stay out of my head. What’s mine is mine.”

There went my next idea. If I could have taken away some of his whatever-it-was, he might have been more reasonable. At a loss for what had him so riled, I said, “I’m sure you’re tired. Maybe you should—”

“I’m not staying behind!” Arms shaking, Andrew glared at me with heat that could have given me sunburn. “If you want to relieve me of duty, fine. But I will not … I couldn’t … dismiss me, or let me do my job.”

Liam came in and put his hand on Andrew’s arm, leaning down to his ear. I was tempted to listen in through the bond, but didn’t since they seemed to be having a guy moment.

I moved back toward the coalition portal to give them some privacy, watching not so subtly from behind hair I’d left unbraided for a change.

After a minute or two, Andrew calmed, though a hard determination remained in his eyes.

“He’s so mad that he let himself be taken in Freymoor,” Neve said as she eyed Andrew with concern. “He needs to prove himself to you again.”

My heart fell. “It wasn’t his fault. I would never judge him.”

“You and I know that, but he’s a guy’s guy. He had a job to do, to protect his queen, and in his eyes, he failed.”

“I trust him with my life. How can he not know that?” Was he another I’d been neglecting? He always seemed so strong; it hadn’t occurred to me he might need my ear once in a while, too.

“This isn’t the time, but there’s more to this. Ask me when he isn’t around, okay? He’d probably take my head off if he knew I was talking to you about him at all.” Neve made a sudden turn as footsteps approached.

“Let’s get this done.” Andrew strode by me with purpose, and all I wanted to do was hug him. That was new. Smack him, yes. Hold him, definitely not.

Brígh sighed as she followed after him, linking hands with Gallagher since Cas had turned guard and needed his. “I’d rather be doing just about anything else than this,” she said.

I rolled my shoulders, afraid my arms would break off with the tension settling in. “Wouldn’t we all, but this is important, and we all know how good I am with politics. They actually need to listen to us, or they’re all toast.”

Liam returned and lavished me with a kiss, his eyes unreadable. Gallagher appeared stricken, dropping his gaze to his shiny loafers.

Neve cleared her throat, reaching for me. “You’re getting good at these speeches. I know they’ll listen to you.”

I squeezed her hand and hoped to high hell she was right.

Neve and Cas led the way to the last portal. Both were alert, entering first so they could do their final security sweep.

Brígh and Gallagher went after, followed by Liam and me.

Andrew brought up the rear while cursing quietly to himself.

A new thread of worry for the badass guard had begun irritating the back of my mind. I asked Liam, silently, to fill me in later on the Andrew situation.

We waited in a hallway paneled with frosted glass, raised voices tumbling into the space from the far end.

“Looks like they started without us.” Liam slipped his arm around my shoulders and tugged me close to his side, while Andrew continued to appear like a rocket about to launch beside me.

Gallagher twisted a few strands of his dreads together over his shoulder. “Throw too many different species into one room, and the differing cultures, races and religions are sure to make for an explosive concoction. This will not be an easy task.” The sad shine on his eyes made my pulse jack up. “You will not save them all, Lila, and there is nothing you can do to change it. Resolve to save who you can and accept the losses of those you can’t.”

I tried really hard to kill him with my glower. “You know I can’t do that. I won’t.”

His slow nod allowed me time to survey the puffiness under his eyes and the hard lines of his mouth—the face of a weary man. “Yes, I know. It kills me that I cannot do something to prevent this.” With that, he strode off down the hall as if trying to flee his own fears. Halfway, his glamour rose, suppressing his Light completely. It was a subtle difference, more a change I could sense rather than see on him. If I walked past him on the street, I would have taken him for a human by feel alone.

With Liam’s hand firmly tucked against mine, I started after my aide. “Tone down the faeness, boys and girls, so we don’t freak anyone out.” A thought had my golden skin pinking up to a pale peach, and my hair dimmed from golden blonde to a darker version. My Light retreated into my center, almost what I’d call dormant, sleeping, waiting to be recalled.

Brigh’s pink hair ended up a strawberry blonde, and her near-to-white skin took on a little color as if she’d been out in the sun for an hour. Andrew, like Gallagher, had a more subtle change. A laying down of arms that took him off my radar as fae. Again, I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what had changed about him physically. Same with Liam, though he could still make me swoon when he wasn’t all aglow with his fae yumminess.

I couldn’t help thinking that the last time we’d been at H.Q. it had been Nix waiting at the door for me, instead of Neve smiling encouragement at me. A twinge of hurt kicked me in the chest before I remembered what a close-minded dick he’d been. Still, I couldn’t help wondering what had happened to him after our blow-up over my confession that Donovan was my father. Had Nix gone back to Dun Bray? Last I’d heard, nobody had seen him since that night. Although my heart had cut him loose, mostly, it didn’t mean I wanted him hurt or dying.