Page 100 of Shifting Winds
“No need,” Titania said. “We aren’t here to kill you, Evie.”
“Evie,” Tess said quietly.
What did Titania mean by that? I did a quick scan of my land. Nothing seemed amiss except for the wards, and the reason for that was standing in front of me looking like a fae cosplayer. Did fae really wear glitter or was Titania just a poser?
“Then why are you here?”
“Evie,” Tess said, a note of urgency in her voice.
I turned.
“We’re here to crown you,” Titania said.
Mom sucked in a shocked gasp.
Caelan froze. “What?”
“Don’t look so surprised,” Titania said. “Cernunnos made quite the statement with his little introduction party. You’re his heir. All the fae know it. I’ve been sent here to speed up the process.”
“Mom?” I whispered.
One sharp shake of her head, and I believed her. Mom knew nothing about this. “Evie was just at the Hall of Fae. No one said anything about it.”
My father had said nothing either. He’d agreed to me waiting to give him a firm answer, and he had never backed out of a deal with me before. What, if anything, had changed?
Titania rolled her eyes. “Because we needed the land open to recognize the crowning, and we all know how…reluctant Evie is to trust anyone on the property.”
This smelled rotten. My land should have nothing to do with wearing the fae crown. “If what you say is true, there’s no need to do this right now. I still haven’t said I’d take the crown.”
Mom stepped closer. She had never given me comfort during our relationship. Everything regarding her felt like a test, but in this moment, we felt united.
Titania’s eyes gleamed. “Normally you’d be right.” She studied her nails, a satisfied smile curving her lips. “But with the odd appearance of the World Tree and your continuing connection to it, your safety is at risk if we don’t move the schedule up.”
“Cernunnos has said nothing about this,” Mom snapped. “Perhaps we should bring him here to settle things.”
“You can if you’d like, but he will be overruled.”
“Cernunnos is the Fae King,” Mom said. “He is the final authority.”
Titania snapped her fingers. Caelan’s hand was ripped from my waist. He, Ben, and Rowan were tossed away like bowling pins, Caelan’s snarl ripping through the air.
“Evie!” Tess grabbed my arm. “Don’t?—”
Titania knocked Tess away, the banshee hurtling through the air, her scream short and shocked.
Standing my ground, I reached for my power. Boosted by being on my property, my magic rose, tingling against my palms. “I refuse.”
“Titania, there’s nothing more for you here,” Mom insisted. “Do not make me come for you. There’s no need for this to be a fight.”
Titania smirked as the other Lords closed in on me. Soren was the first to reach me, his calloused hands closing around my arms. He leaned close and whispered something for my ears only.
“It’s a trap.”
Titania’s eyes flashed. Soren’s hands were ripped from me, his snarl as he struggled to maintain his footing helpless under Titania’s power. I sent magic tearing from the ground, vines dripping with thorns and poison wrapping around the fae’s legs.
Titania laughed and shook them off.
Mom held her hand up. “Titania! Enough!”
