Page 33 of Shifting Winds
“And what do you want?” I asked, oh so quietly. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Evie didn’t want what I was offering her. She might want me, but she didn’t want the trappings of being my Lady. If I were younger and we had met sooner, I’d agree with Evie.
But I couldn’t walk away from my people.
And I couldn’t walk away from her.
Something had to give before it tore us apart.
My visit tonight wouldn’t help things.
“Peace,” Evie said. “Some down time would be nice.” She smiled against my chest.
I wouldn’t be bringing her peace tonight. “Come on. Let’s go inside for a minute. I have something I need to give you.”
She stiffened. “I hope that’s a euphemism.”
I waited while Evie turned and unlocked the door. “We’ll see where the evening takes us.”
Evie shrugged off her sweater and hooked it on the rack. “Coffee?”
“No thanks.” I pulled the envelope out of my pocket.
Evie stared at it as if I were holding a snake. “Do I have to open that?”
“If you don’t, the Council will show up on your doorstep.”
Evie sighed and snatched the envelope from my hand, plopping down onto the couch. I sat opposite her. My “invitation” had come at the same time. Why they’d sent me hers, I couldn’t fathom, but knowing the Council, it was meant to twist the knife into our relationship one more time.
When she opened it, her gaze skimmed over the contents, eyes narrowing the farther she read. A moment later, the parchment crumpled in her hand. “I take it you received one of these?”
I nodded.
“When are you scheduled to go?”
“Tomorrow. You?’
“Tomorrow. Two p.m.”
“I’m at four.”
“Do they think we’re going to stab each other in the back?” Evie asked.
“They’re only hoping.”
Evie leaned forward, her shoes long since kicked off. “What’s the story? Am I telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or are we being morally flexible?”
I grinned, loving how she didn’t jump right to indignation and insistence on the truth. My Evie knew sometimes the truth only made things worse. Good in this case, but bad for our current relationship situation. “I plan to tell the truth. Ish.”
Evie’s eyes sparkled. “Ish? I’m pretty good at ish.”
Oh, I know.“We stick as closely to the truth as possible. Donovan was working with other Chimeras to destabilize my region so he could make a power play.”
“And my mother?”
“Up to you. We can leave her out if you wish and speak of only the Chimeras.” I let the predator shine from my eyes. “The only Chimera witnesses are dead. Donovan is dead. I’m sure your mother would appreciate being left out of Council business.”
Evie nodded. “Then we pretend we never saw her. But how do we explain how the Chimeras died?”
I thought about it. “Do we need to?”
