Page 79 of Shifting Winds
“I don’t like this,” he said, the words brimming with anger.
“She’s not lying. Mom had multiple opportunities to take me out.”
“And she tried last time.”
“Did I, Lord? Or did you see what you wanted?”
“I can’t believe she might be my mother-in-law,” he muttered, making me laugh.
“And I can’t believe my daughter would settle for someone who’d leave fur all over the furniture,” Mom retorted.
“Please stop,” I said to them both. Reaching up, I kissed him on the jaw and headed toward Cliona, lifting my hand in a wave right before I passed through the wards.
Mom stared at Caelan for a long moment before she turned and took me by the elbow.
One second of dizzying disorientation, and I was back at my property, just on the edge, inches from the wards.
“One day,” Mom said, “you will realize I’ve always had your best interests at heart.”
“Mmm. I’m not dropping the wards for you.”
Mom snorted. “Honestly, Evangeline. This is ridiculous.”
I never met someone who could play the victim as well as my mother could. “You keep ignoring whenever someone brings up the fact that you betrayed me just a few months ago.”
“Because it wasn’t like that.”
“Even if it wasn’t, you haven’t explained anything.”
Mom’s eyes tightened. “You wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
I studied her, the pale, proud, staggering beauty who shared genetic material with me. “You’re probably right.” Shaking my head, I brushed my annoyance away. “Tell me why you think I can act as a gate.”
“You won’t even offer me a cup of tea?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared, suspicion bubbling in my gut. Mom was trying too hard to get past my wards. She might be able to rip Caelan’s apart, but she couldn’t tear mine down. “You can have one when you get to where you’re going.”
Mom clicked her tongue. “Fine. Magic doesn’t leave our bodies when we’re exposed to something as powerful as the World Tree Seed. Not exactly. What you fail to understand is most fae magic holds at least a small amount of sentience. All our magic is based on the world’s power in some way, shape, or form.” Something like sympathy flashed over her face. “The seed left you with a…gift, if you choose to look at it that way.”
Horror roiled in my gut. Beware the fae who leaves a gift behind. “What kind of gift?”
Mom tilted her head and watched me. “I recognize enough to know you can act as a gate.”
“Will everyone else?”
She shook her head. “I’m your mother. We’re bonded in a different way than every other. Other fae will sense something not quite right, but they shouldn’t piece it together unless you tell them.”
“Or you do.”
“When have I ever spilled your secrets?” she asked, a flicker of hurt in her eyes, there and gone.
“There’s a first time for everything.” When Mom stayed silent, I waved my hand. “Anything else I should be aware of?”
“You’re the only one who knows your magic inside and out. You’ll know when you sense something different.”
“And there’s no way to get rid of it?”
Mom’s amused chuckle sent a chill down my spine. “Have you ever heard of a fae gift that disappeared voluntarily?”
