Page 70 of Power Shift
“No pressure,” Moira muttered.
I kept my pulse as steady as I could with that earth-shattering comment. “You said something earlier about being a vessel. What do you mean?”
Golden magic shimmered around the fae king. “When the time is right, you will know what to do. In the meantime, keep our power safe.”
Caelan shook his head. “Aren’t you the best steward? You’re the fae king.”
Cernunnos’s form began to shimmer. “It hasn’t chosen me, Lord. Even if I took the seed from Evie, it would come back to her sooner rather than later.” His ancient gaze fell on me once more. “Trust only those in this room, Evangeline.”
He winked. “Even your Shifter Lord.”
A second later, he was gone.
No one said a word for a long moment.
Caelan shifted. “So…I guess I’m a member of the club now?”
Chapter
Twenty-One
“Just because Cernunnos told me to trust you doesn’t mean I’m going to.” I stared at the troublemaking seed in my palm and wondered why in the world it had chosen me. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of people more capable than I.
All I needed was a break, not world-shattering trouble, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get any kind of break for a long, long time.
“Should Ash store it again?” Moira asked.
I thought it over before shaking my head. “No. It’s too dangerous. Ash’s tree is too important for us to risk letting him store something this important.”
“What about the Keep?” Caelan asked.
“As fortified as your Keep is, my mother can sense the presence of this seed. My wards are the only thing keeping her out. It’s safest here.”
Caelan frowned. “Unless you provide the same wards for the Keep. We have a lot more places to hide something of this power. My Pack will guard it with their lives.”
“You already have Fee.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “And she’s having the time of her life in the skies with Poe. But those two things are not alike.”
“Right. This one might blow up the world.” I closed my fingers around the seed. “It’s not a good idea. If she discovers Fee, she’ll discover the seed. Vice versa. I can’t put you in that kind of danger. Asking you to keep Fee was bad enough.”
Caelan took Cernunnos’ place, an odd look on his face. “You aren’t the only powerful thing in this room.”
“That isn’t the point. Cernunnos said the seed would return to me. Even if I gave it to you, it wouldn’t stay.”
Ash had been suspiciously silent until now. “She’s right. The seed will return to her. Evie is the only one who can keep it safe.”
Caelan’s jaw tightened. “Then what do we do?”
Moira’s brow furrowed. “Can you disguise it somehow? Hide it in an arrangement and ward the shit out of it? Or maybe put it in a piece of jewelry so your magic will disguise its power?”
“Mom knew where it was not long after I brought it into the shop, even with the warding up.”
Excitement lit her eyes. “Because you brought the thing in unprotected. But if we ward the seed, wrap it in so much magic its signature is disguised by your magic and by ours, I think we might be able to pull it off.”
Ash was nodding to himself. “It could work. We’d need to find a piece of jewelry?—”
“I’ll take care of it,” Caelan said.
