Page 37 of The Rebel Seer

Shy allows him to take her hand but holds her position. “Something is wrong.”

My son pales.

“Cassandra Elaine Thomas,” Neil begins, and I have to admit he’s developed an excellent dad voice.

“Damn. I wanted to see what it tasted like,” Brendan says, and then he catches the look in his sister’s eyes and holds his hands up. Naturally both he and Neil are totally without clothes, but hey, that’s the way the supernatural world goes sometimes. We’re not precious about our bodies. “Cassie, you heard what Dad said. He told Rhys to protect you. What was I supposed to do? Tackle him?”

Sasha, Danny, and Dev stand by the pond, looking out over the water.

“Should one of us go in and make sure it’s dead?” Danny asks.

“It’s dead,” Cassie assures them. “I killed it, and I would have carved out its heart except everyone freaks out when I do that.”

“I can bring the creature up from the pond if need be,” Devinshea offers. “Though I’m not sure how it will help.”

“Well, I’d like to know why it attacked,” Danny replies.

“I assume it was hungry and we look like excellent snacks.” Sasha’s accent seems deeper when his adrenaline is up. He rubs a hand over his chest like something pains him there. Which it can’t because he’s a vamp.

“We don’t have chimeras in the sitheins.” Dev glances back my way. “Are you and Shy all right, my goddess?”

I look at Rhys, who seems to be studying Shy to ensure not a hair on her head has been shifted out of place by the fight we’ve just gone through. Well, the men and Cassie did. I make note. I’m going to start carrying a machete. I’m glad Danny and Dev are through their “treat me like I’m made of glass” phase. “I’m fine, though I didn’t appreciate the unwanted cage. I can take cover on my own.”

“So can I,” Shy says quietly.

“Rhys, you have to know your mother is very capable,” Daniel begins.

“Of causing chaos,” Rhys replies, ignoring what Shy said.

“Hey.” I should not have to take that from someone I breastfed for a year.

“Mother, the last time we were in a bad situation, you nearly brought a troll down on our heads. And you angered the entire village of Hidden Folk,” Rhys accuses even as he gets close to Shy.

“And then you ascended and we got them as allies.” My chaos can be helpful at times. It’s not all bad.

“You could have been killed.” Neil grabs his backpack and pulls out his emergency sweats.

“But I wasn’t,” Cassie replies, pointing her machete his way. “Dolores and I took care of it.”

Neil’s head shakes. “I should never have taken you to that musical about Kelsey. It put all kinds of thoughts in your head, and do you know how much it pains me to say anything bad about musical theater?”

“If he wasn’t from here, then where was he from?” Daniel asks Dev. “Could the Unseelies have sent him? It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Dev’s head shakes. “No. That’s what I’m saying. That wasn’t a Fae creature. That was an old-school Earth plane monster that died out…thousands of years ago. Not to say a few couldn’t have hung around, but how did it find its way here?”

“You’re not even going to admit I did a good job?” Cassie asks in a bratty teenage tone, but I don’t think she can help that. I’m pretty sure we all sound that way at her age.

“I think you were stellar, babe,” I shout across the distance and give her a thumbs-up.

Cassie nods and seems to get a bit teary. “Well, thank you, Aunt Z.”

Neil’s got his pants on, pulling a T over his head. “I do not need your parental input. You got to skip the teenage years. You have no idea what it’s like to deal with an overly hormonal werewolf.”

I know he doesn’t mean it that way, but the words make me ache. I didn’t get the chance.

Cassie gasps. “Are you telling everyone I’m on my period?”

She starts arguing with her dad, but I notice the hounds have turned their attention to the south.

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