Page 70 of Wake the Dream

Chapter 17

Illaria

These days, it seemed, Illaria lived in a perpetual state of anger. Her rage at dealing with Caryss moved to a simmering boil as she pulled Kieran’s cruiser up her driveway and stopped in front of the porch. At least the drive gave her a little time to think. A little time to ponder why Caryss had been hell-bent on not helping to find Yelena...until now.

Illaria sat in the car for a moment, knowing she had to get going but finding her legs turned into iron rods and her body uncooperative. It figured.

She didn’t trust the old witch. Not even a little bit, despite the fact that Caryss had saved her life. Call it instinct but there was something strange going on.

Even worse, she hated knowing Kieran now owed the Fae witch a favor. No, not one favor. Two. Two because of Illaria herself. Did he not understand the depth of the hole he’d dug?

Probably not. He was a man.

She should have taken the time to warn him about Caryss, beyond her surface level suspicions.

Fae were notoriously shifty.

They had nothing but their own interests at heart and were immaculate chess players. They saw the end game fifty moves ahead and could change course whenever they damn well desired.

Whatever Caryss wanted from Kieran, as evidenced by her willingness to trade favors, it meant she had a goal in mind.

Make no mistake, Illaria was grateful for her life. Whatever salve the witch had used on her had worked magic. A different kind of magic than Illaria herself possessed.

She just wondered at everything. That’s all.

Her sister’s disappearance. Kieran being put on the case. Caryss saving her life...

What did it add up to?

Nothing she could substantiate, not without more answers.

What she wouldn’t give for her magic right now. That fickle beast that had deserted her when she needed it most.

Finding her legs cooperative again, Illaria raced into the house, up the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her and around the corner into Yelena’s room. Her breath caught in her lungs. Everything was still in place. Still the way she’d left it just days ago. Had it only been days?

How had her world changed so drastically in less than a week?

---