Page 124 of The Shadow Path
“I’m not asking you to do anything.” She let go of his wrist and rose to her feet. “I’m telling you who you are.”
Dru lifted his chin and looked down his nose. He’d never looked more wild. Or more regal. “And who do you think I am?”
“Oberon,” she whispered. “Wandering prince. Beloved of Aine. Blood of the sea god. You’re the one she wanted to rule, aren’t you?”
“My mother returned to the sea with Lir,” Dru said. “It doesn’t matter what she wanted.”
“Doesn’t it?” She looked at the fae mound. “I don’t think you would have done this, would you?”
“I’d never take a consort who would ask it of me.”
“Was this Cian or Orla?”
“Does it matter?”
Carys cocked her head. “I don’t know. Does it?”
“Elf!”
They turned as Godrik shouted across the green.
“I’m not an elf,” Dru muttered. “Barbarian.”
Godrik and Duncan walked toward them.
“We should talk,” the wolf said. “The human had a surprisingly good idea.”
Duncan frowned. “You don’t have to sound surprised.”
“Come to Dafydd’s house,” Godrik persisted. “And bring your small mate.”
Naida leanedagainst a bookcase in Dafydd’s study. “To be clear, I am not his mate.”
The ellyllon was wearing her usual uniform of a green tunic and leggings but with a human-style overcoat thrown over it and a hood to hide her ears.
Being a fae in Anglia these days was not popular.
“Aren’t you?” Godrik frowned. “I assumed?—”
“You shouldn’t.” Naida looked annoyed and nervous. “Why are we here? I should be traveling back to Cymru.”
“We appreciate your staying.” Dru sat near the fire, his long legs stretched out toward the flames. “I myself am waiting to hear the reason for it.”
He reached out his hand toward Naida, but she stared at it pointedly, shook her head, and kept her hands firmly in her pockets.
Carys sat across from Dru. Since Dafydd was gone, she was effectively the lady of the manor.
Which was… so weird.
Duncan was helping her out, considering he knew about the running of a great house and she absolutely did not. Shooting arrows from a coracle? She was getting pretty good at that. Telling the house manager how much meat the game warden needed to hunt for the week? Not so much.
“You’re here because I am taking you at your word, elf prince, that our children are safe,” Godrik said.
“You shouldn’t take me at my word,” Dru said. “You should never take a fae at their word.”
“I thought fae can’t lie.” Laura was sitting on the sofa next to Cadell.
“That’s a lie we tell humans, and for some reason they believe us.” Dru shrugged. “You’re very gullible.”
