Page 99 of Power Shift
Rhona and Cliona stepped out of the woods, Finn was behind him. Someone else stood in the shadows to the right. He looked familiar, but he was too far away for me to identify.
Caelan swore viciously. “Donovan.”
The other Lord stepped forward. “I told you things weren’t right here.”
Vicious glee swam over his face. “Do you know what you have in your territory,Lord?” The last word was a sneer, an insult to Caelan’s position.
Donovan’s gaze flicked to me, satisfaction lighting his eyes. I reached over and touched Caelan’s arm.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I was going to tell you.”
Caelan’s attention snapped to me.
To my surprise, my mother didn’t say a word and allowed Donovan to take the lead. Caelan’s pendant heated, the temperature so high I winced.
I touched it, the obsidian pulsing under my fingers.
Rhona smiled. “It wants to grow and yet, you stifle it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Donovan,” Caelan snapped. “Get out of my territory. You’re here without permission.” His eyes narrowed. “How did you get onto my land?”
A wolf padded out from the woods. Caelan sucked in a breath.
“Pack defectors,” Donovan said, his voice dripping with derision. “Gods, rogue magic, betrayal by your Pack.” He made a tsking noise. “And even worse, you have?—”
A boom of sound, something slamming into the earth. A man—no, a god rose from his crouch, crimson runes sparking against his dark armor.
“You cannot interfere in the affairs of the paranormals,” Neit said, his gaze on my mother.
Cliona smirked. “Evangeline has something that belongs to me. She refuses to hand it over. Am I to allow theft now, Neit?”
Neit turned to me. Dark hair, dark eyes glowing with vivid violet magic, his face a mask of anger. “Is this true?”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t belong to her.”
“She admits she has it!” Cliona barked.
Neit’s jaw tightened. “Silence!”
He strode over, his armor silent as he moved. His eyes burned with anger, but I didn’t feel like it was directed at me. Caelan stiffened at Neit’s proximity, and a soft growl escaped him when Neit leaned so close he could kiss me.
“Do you have it?” he whispered so low only Caelan and I could hear him.
“What’s going to happen if I say yes?” I whispered back.
Neit closed his eyes for a brief moment. “Whatever you do, do not let your mother take it from you. Everything depends on this, Evie. Do you understand?”
I froze. “Yes,” I said after a long moment.
“Good.”
He turned to face my mother. “She says she doesn’t have it.”
I could almost hear my mother’s teeth crack when her jaw tightened. “The seed is in the pendant she wears.”
“Evie, do you have something that belongs to your mother inside the pendant you wear?”
