Page 89 of Power Shift
“Caelan!”
I yipped and nudged her until she finally headed toward her bedroom. She kicked off her shoes and slid her duster off.
It was hard not to notice how soft Evie was in all the right places, but this was not the right time. Careful not to use my teeth, I nudged her blankets aside and waited for her to crawl underneath them. When she was settled in, the blankets pulled over her shoulder, I hopped onto her bed. She watched me with wary eyes, but when I settled at the foot of her bed, my head resting on her calves, Evie let out a shaky sigh.
She reached over and flicked her lamp off, plunging the room into moonlight-tinged darkness.
“Don’t make me regret this.”
I huffed an indignant breath. I’d do nothing of the sort. Her showing this much trust meant we’d crossed a bridge. I had no intention of damaging this tentative truce, even as it came about because of her broken heart.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Iawoke to the smell of waffles and bacon. My eyes adjusted to the light, squinting against the sunlight through the partially opened blinds. Last night’s events came back in a flurry of memories, and a furious blush hit my cheeks.
But there was no warmth on my calves and no Lord in my bed. Letting out a sigh of relief, I got out of bed and pulled my duster cardigan on.
The kitchen and living room proved empty, but there was a sticky note on the oven that said,Look Insidein Caelan’s heavy scrawl.
I grabbed a pair of potholders and pulled the tray out. A stack of still steaming waffles, fresh bacon, and warm maple syrup looked up at me.
My heart went mushy.
I set the tray on the countertop and found another note.
Breakfast is in the oven, and the coffee is fresh.
Thank you for trusting me.
I swallowed to get rid of the lump in my throat. My friends knew what had happened to me, all the things I could bear to say aloud, but Caelan was the first person I’d told outside of them. I felt raw this morning, a little unsteady on my feet.
A sense of freedom settled inside me, slipping past the battered permanent bruise currently acting as my heart. If I could get through everything that had happened to me and still thrive…maybe it was time to trust someone else with the biggest secret I had.
With that thought in mind, I ate every single thing Caelan had made me, failing to notice all the extra bacon he’d included as I inhaled the food.
A few hours later,I was putting the final touches on a bridal bouquet, discussing Rhona’s visit with everyone.
“She looked at the necklace. It should be impossible, but I had a feeling she suspects what’s inside.” I trimmed a woody stem from a white rose and carefully inserted it into the foam.
Ash’s lips tightened. “I’m not familiar with a Chimera’s magic. Cliona would have already been here if the seed was still traceable. But it’s possible Rhona might be able to sense its power even with the safeguards we put into place.”
“Any tips on dealing with her if she shows up again?” Moira asked, handing me a pristine piece of baby’s breath.
“I don’t even know what a Chimera can do,” I said dryly. “Finn was a master at glamour, as most Chimeras are. I know I can shift into anything, but I haven’t tried plant life yet.”
I tried to remember everything I’d seen him do. “They can break and pass through wards. Rhona was in my greenhouse. Cliona hasn’t tried to break the wards, though I suspect she could if she tried hard enough. She’s played nice lately.”
“Maybe that’s it. The pendant isn’t glamoured. Not exactly. It’s disguised by our magic and an old spell. Rhona might be able to see through it.” Ash reached over and pulled the pendant away from my neck to study it. “I’m not sure what else we can do to prevent her from sensing it.”
“Should we move the seed to a safer location?” Moira asked.
She slapped my hand away when I was about to slide a piece of greenery next to the white roses and handed me a burgundy piece of foliage. I put it up to the bouquet and nodded.
“Good call.” I wiggled my fingers for a few more pieces.
We brainstormed for a while before I realized Tess was missing. She must have floated away sometime during our conversation. “Where’d Tess go?”
