Page 29 of Evil Eyed
“We should talk about this visit,” Aidan said. “We have to assume that Evil Eye’s minions will be nearby. You’ll be at great risk.”
Vivi sat down in the chair beside me, her brow creased with worry. “You mean changelings, like Jonathan? How will we know?”
“You won’t,” Aidan replied grimly, shaking his head. “Some fae won’t be out and about in broad daylight, but the sun won’t affect stronger fae, even if they be dark. High Court fae won’t be affected by anything but salt and iron. Even then, they’ll just return to Tír na nÓg and regroup. Water will usually break a glamor and reveal the true creature beneath the human-looking disguise, but you can’t go about throwing water on everyone.”
“Especially in a police station.” Vivi heaved out a sigh. “Can we tell Boss Man about—”
Five vehement “noes,” echoed around the room.
“We don’t tell humans anything,” Doran added. “I’m not in favor of the men Aidan already brought into the group. The only reason you’re involved at all is because you’re Riann’s friend.”
“You were gone,” Aidan replied, his voice flat and hard. “We had to survive. The three of us couldn’t hold off shit without some backup.”
“I know, but I’m still not a fan of involving humans in our warfare. They’re mere appetizers for the likes of foe we face.”
“Don’t forget what Étain said,” Ivarr added.
“He’s someone I know.” I took another sip of the tea, hoping it would calm my churning stomach. “He’s close.”
“Exactly,” Aidan bit off. “So you expose yourself needlessly by agreeing to speak to the police. They will likely try to separate you from us for questioning.”
“Do any of you have ids?” Vivi asked. “Like if the cops ran your fingerprints, what would they find?”
“The fuck if I know,” Aidan replied. “We try not to leave any evidence behind when we clean out a nest, but I’m sure we’ve left fingerprints. Think about that fucking cave. We got out fast but there was at least one human witness.”
“So it’s best if I go in without you.” Five furious, pissed off sets of eyes glared at me. “The cops don’t have your names. They didn’t ask about you. They’re asking about me. I don’t want to give them any reason to come snooping around here again, or trying to figure out who you are. Why there’s no birth certificate or driver’s license in your names.”
“Exactly,” Aidan retorted, pacing back and forth. “A human cop would have asked all of us for identification, or at least our names. Those two bozos acted like we didn’t even exist, which smells like a trap. What the fuck kind of idiots ignore a man the size of Doran without even checking if we had any weapons? They want you, Riann. If you go in by yourself…” Whirling toward me, he leaned down over the side of the chair. His voice crackled with ice. “We may never see you again.”
* * *
AIDAN
I’d been royallypissed off plenty of times, but never like this. Breathing hard, I fought to contain my rage. To keep from seizing her shoulders and shaking some sense into her. Or better yet, sweeping her up against my chest and running for safety as fast as I could go.
Safety. Straightening to get out of her space, I barked out a harsh laugh and ran a hand over my head. There was no safety. Not for her. Not for us.
I flinched at her touch. She’d stood up and came closer, wrapping her arms around me from behind. Tension sang through my body, vibrating my muscles, urging me to fight. Pick up a sword. A gun. Anything.
Demand that she stay hidden and safe and alive.
“I can’t fucking lose you,” I ground out.
She lay her cheek against my quivering back. “I know. I can’t lose you either.”
Doran lay a hand on my shoulder, a heavy, steady squeeze that kept me from exploding into a thousand pieces. “None of us can bear it, love. So we must think this through carefully.”
“Let’s assume it is a trap,” she said, not lifting her head. “For what purpose?”
“To get you away from us.” Usually the softest and gentlest of the bunch, Ivarr’s voice rang with the same rage as me. “Anytime we’re separated, we’re vulnerable.”
“What if Warwick goes in with me?”
To the casual onlooker, the leprechaun lounged gracefully on a chaise in the corner. I knew him well enough now to read the fine crinkles in the outer corners of his eyes. Fae didn’t age. They certainly didn’t wrinkle. Plus his eyes flashed like electric emeralds. “That would be the equivalent of showing your ace in the hole before you can get your opponents to fold. If it is a trap, we don’t want them to know that you have a High Court fae directly helping you.”
“Wouldn’t Jonathan—as Eochu Bres—have told someone about you? Maybe as a warning?”
Warwick shrugged. “Possibly, but I doubt it. Bres assumed that he had neutralized me with the oath. If anything, he may have bragged about it to others, but I don’t think Evil Eye would know. I can mask what I be, but if they know you’re the treasurekeeper, they’ll expect me to be one of them. And if I’m not…” He shrugged again, though his eyes flashed. “They’ll know you’ve got an ally before we know what we’re up against.”
