Page 60 of Shifting Winds
Cernunnos chuckled under his breath. “Come over here and try, Lord.”
I figured it wouldn’t be easy. The good thing was I’d taken Evie to the very edge of the Keep’s property, just in case whatever this was turned volatile. Giving access to even an inch of my property galled me, but Evie couldn’t help what happened.
I was the one who’d brought her here.
“Fine. We’ll figure it out.” Evie was more important than the damned tree.
“She’s stable, but the seed is…restless.” He lifted his fathomless gaze. “I suggest you and your wolves move farther back in case any magic escapes.”
He didn’t mention Ben.
“Thunderbird, you’re with me.”
Ben snarled, his eyes flashing ice blue. I put a hand on his arm and gave a sharp shake of his head.
“Did your wolves hear?” he asked quietly.
“Your secret is safe,” Cernunnos said. “Come kneel beside me. I need you to keep Evie still while I extract the seed.”
“You’re the Fae King,” Ben said in a grouchy tone. “You can’t do that yourself?”
Cernunnos went as still as the grave. When he spoke, the trees shook. “Tread carefully, Healer. The seed is like handling one of the human nuclear weapons. I need to focus everything I have on it rather than Evangeline.”
Ben’s brow furrowed at Cernunnos’s familiar tone about Evie, and I knew he’d eventually put the pieces together. Shaking it off, Ben bent. “Tell me what to do.”
I turned and jogged toward Garrett, planning to send them away but not going any farther than I had to.
Within seconds, my men were far away from any potential fallout, though Garrett appeared beside me.
“No need for you to be here,” I said to the stalwart, sometimes homicidal shifter beside me.
Garrett grunted. “Simone will happily step up if your girlfriend turns us into crispy critters.”
I slid him a look. Knowing how much it would piss him off, I asked, “How are things going with Thalia?”
Garrett swore under his breath. “She’s a harridan. I thought Evie was bad, but Thalia makes me want to strangle the life out of her.”
I grinned. “Do you like her?”
The look he shot me was pure menace. “I’d wash my hands of her in a split second.”
We’d see about that. “Unfortunately, Thalia will be with us for a while, and you’re the best I have. This isn’t a normal deal. We can’t afford to screw the Fae King over.”
Especially knowing he was Evie’s father and I one day hoped to be the bastard’s son-in-law.
He and Ben were bent over Evie’s shelter, their magic mingling. We were far enough away to get away in the event of a blast, maybe, but Ben wouldn’t escape unless Cernunnos intervened.
I wasn’t sure he would.
“Why is he so invested in her?” my Second asked.
I’d kept Evie’s secrets, so far, but after tonight, we’d have a big issue with the gods, so I owed it to him and Simone to be truthful.
“He’s her father.”
Garrett sucked in a breath just as the world exploded.
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