Page 81 of Shifting Winds
Cernunnos rose in a liquid movement and stood next to me in a heartbeat. He gathered me in his arms, holding me close. I dragged in a ragged breath, my face pressed to his chest.
It was the first time he’d openly embraced me. My hands gripped his shirt tightly.
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
I shook my head. “That’s not it.”
“You are touch starved, Evangeline. Such is anathema to one born of the soil of the world.”
I thought about Caelan and almost laughed.
“Not in that way,” he said dryly, rightly sensing where my thoughts had gone. “People like us need the constant contact of our family, friends, and lovers. Casual brushes, touches, hugs, those are almost required for us to retain our sanity.”
I was able to drag in a normal breath and tilted my head up to study him. “What about you?”
“I am…different.”
“But not much different.”
“I am able to survive without such touches, though I do crave them.”
I hugged him tighter, and we stood like that for quite a while, our arms wrapped around each other. My father always smelled like ancient forests and magic, and this time, even aware of what he could do, I was no longer afraid.
When we let go, the coffee pot beeped. My father went to the cabinet and pulled two mugs down. “I will bring you another coffee contraption,” he said as he poured us both a cup.
“This one works fine.” Did he know something I didn’t?
“Your machine is plastic on the outside, but the inside has plastic components. The water temperature causes the plastic to weaken every time, sending thousands of tiny microplastics into your bloodstream.”
I gaped at my father. “How—” I started. “How do you know about microplastics? Is that a topic of conversation among the fae?”
“Anything that pollutes this world is a topic among us.”
“Interesting. You don’t need to bring me one. I can find one without plastics, though I didn’t think the fae needed to worry about those.”
“We should all worry because those tiny plastics are destroying the world. You will find it difficult to source such a machine without resorting to manual means.” He smiled when he saw my wince. “Allow me to provide this for you.”
“Soon?” I asked hopefully.
“Soon,” he agreed. “Now. Come sit with me and tell me how you’ve been since we extracted the seed.”
My father left a few hours later, and I felt more centered than I had in years, his words about being touch-starved resonating deep inside me. I wasn’t as touchy with my friends as they were with me. I wondered if they knew something I didn’t and were trying to help in their own quiet ways.
Sighing, I shook my head and went back inside, planning to ask them first thing in the morning.
Yet another lesson, I, Evie Quinn, had managed to learn the hard way. At least this one hadn’t tried to kill me.
Small favors.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
An angry pounding on the door came before dawn the next morning. I’d been up for half an hour and was on my second cup of coffee, but no one wants to be disturbed at such an ungodly hour. I sent a trickle of magic out only to freeze.
Shit. I’d forgotten about Marek.
I scrambled off my chair and hurried to the door, tugging my robe around me. When I opened it, Rowan’s furious face greeted me. Sheepishly, I held the door open and allowed him to stalk in. Power ebbed and flowed around him, his face set in an angry mask.
