Page 57 of The Rebel Seer

“What is that?” Lee asks and then shakes his head and steps back. “This is some kind of trick. We have one shot at this. Our witches have taken out the guards. Uncle, we should kill them.”

Other Neil is busy staring at himself. He waves Lee off. “You’re not going to kill your mother. Even if she’s not technically your mother. She’s obviously some version of Z. You know I told you about other planes. And we’re not killing this magnificent creature. What am I?”

My Neil puts his hands on his hips. “Werewolf. You know I always thought I would make a gorgeous Fae. You are keeping it tight, mister. Proud of you.”

Other Neil nods. It’s good to know neither of them suffers from self-consciousness. “You, too. Damn. What are you doing to get those abs?”

“Oh, it’s werewolf DNA. And this is my body after two kids. I keep telling Z it’s not that hard,” Neil says with a grin. “Seriously, we’re not from this plane or this timeline. We got sent here by a death god who now that I think about it never actually asked us himself. Sent a crone and some dumb hellhounds. That’s lazy, right?”

“Or it’s a trap,” Other Neil acknowledged. “You think they were setting you up to be killed by us?”

“Or you up to be killed by us,” my Neil agreed. “And therefore be vulnerable. Isn’t it odd it all occurs while King Evil happens to be off plane, and then we find out he’s working with our own personal nemesis, Myrddin the Dick Face Wizard?”

“We can’t be sure it’s our Myrddin.” Dev grimaces but he’s more relaxed.

“What do you mean?” Lee asks. “Yours? I’m afraid I’m extremely confused.”

“That does not surprise me.” Rhys helps his father move toward the table. “You were always terrible at school. You would never pay attention.”

“What is school?” Lee asks.

Rhys gestures his way. “My point is made. Lee is always Lee. He runs on charm and recklessness and pure emotion. Did you even think about the fact that you are seemingly an army of ten against all of the palace?”

“I feel the weirdest urge to punch you right in the face,” Lee says with a sigh and looks at me. “You had two of us?”

“And two girls and one on the way,” I admit. “And you were not bad at school. You were a bit distracted. You are very, very smart, son. In our time, you often solve mysteries.”

“And catch venereal diseases,” Rhys mutters.

“Rhys,” Shy groans.

“Well, he is already checking you out, my goddess,” Rhys accuses. “I know exactly how he works. He might have a few different scars, but he is Lee. I shared a womb with him. I know what he is thinking. She is mine, Lee. Mine. I do not share.”

Lee’s lips curl in the most lascivious grin as he takes in Shy. “He’s not wrong. I wasn’t going to kill you, gorgeous. I was going to offer to take care of you, of course.”

Shy’s eyes roll. “Yep, there he is.”

It seems the real danger passed. For now. “How did you incapacitate the guards? Permanently? Or should we get out of here?”

Maybe we would be safer in a rebel camp. It’s not like Rhys and Shy and Neil and his kids don’t know how to get along in one.

“We have two witches who are covering this part of the palace and the guard house. It should come as no surprise that the king doesn’t inspire loyalty,” Lee says. “They won’t risk themselves if they think for a bare second that they can get away with it.”

“Are they the reason I couldn’t bring the vines and trees to my aid?” Rhys asks, looking down at his father’s injury. The arrow is sticking out of his upper bicep. “I could pull them from the ground, but they would not come in through the windows.”

“You must be strong,” Lee says as the Neils start to chat and the others take up positions around the dining hall. “The witches are warding to keep all magic from being performed in the palace. I think you got through those. The windows are warded by the palace witches to keep me out. Fucker didn’t think I could find a way around it, but I did. You are truly another Devinshea?”

Dev winces and gives Rhys a nod. He grits his teeth and Rhys pulls the arrow through, blood soaking Dev’s shirt. Dev manages to keep his pain to a low groan. His eyes are weary as he looks at the young man who could have been our son. “I am. I am a Devinshea who left the sithein for the human plane. My father was human, and I went to live with him as a young man. I took care of him until he died, and then I built his businesses up and one day I met a gorgeous redhead and her vampire boyfriend.”

How quickly he forgets. “Not at the time he wasn’t.”

“A vampire?” Lee asks and his jaw drops. “You are in a ménage relationship with my mother and a vampire?”

“Yes,” Devinshea says and flexes his arm. “As you can see, I regularly take his blood so this wound is already healed. Thank you, son.”

Rhys pats his father’s shoulder and moves back to Shy. “You should expect my dad to rush in the minute he gets close enough to smell Papa. He is protective of his precious blood. You should be happy you have a face he will recognize.”

Lee stares at Rhys, an intense look in his eyes. “Were they good to you? Not Mother. She was wonderful. When I close my eyes I hear her singing to me, feel her hand in my hair. See what they did to her.”

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