Page 33 of Broken Veil
So whatever he was, he felt comfortable enough in both worlds.
Naida kept her eyes closed but let out a sigh and said, “He’s more trustworthy than a unicorn, Cadell. You don’t need to worry about Wade.”
Wade muttered something under his breath.
“Be polite, ferryman,” Naida said softly. “The humans have granted you a favor, and now you owe them one.”
“Don’t owe nothin’ to nobody,” Wade muttered.
“That’s not what we agreed.” Naida still had her eyes closed. “Be nice.”
Whatever bargain Naida had struck with Wade, she hadn’t shared it with the rest of them.
They’d returned to the Brightlands in the middle of the night, and Duncan had to break a chain on the gate of the Bernwood Forest parking lot to get the van out before dawn.
Carys was not going to pretend that the blacksmith twisting open that chain with his bare hands was not hot as hell. It helped a little to assuage her irritation with Duncan and Lachlan’s pissing contest in Temris.
So now they were eight instead of six, packed into the van in the middle of the night while Duncan drove, his expression locked down tight.
He gripped the wheel with both hands, very pointedly not looking at his Shadowkin, who was sitting silently in the back. The night flew by, and the clock on the dashboard read 1:00 a.m.
Cadell was still staring at Wade with piercing gold eyes. “Lady Carys is my business, and you are in the same vehicle as she is. Therefore, you are my business.”
The dragon was not good at letting go of arguments.
So Wade decided to ignore him. He leaned toward Duncan in the driver’s seat. “Yer Angus’s smith, aren’t you?”
Duncan glanced in the rearview mirror. “You know Angus?”
“What kind of question is that?” Wade grunted, then sat back and stared out the dark window. “Course I know Angus.”
“Naturally,” Duncan muttered. “Why wouldn’t you know a magical creature from Scotland who works at my forge? What a completely obvious answer.”
Carys reached over and took Duncan’s hand. “Are you tired?”
He glanced at her, and his expression softened. “Honestly, I don’t know what day it is or what time my body thinks it is. And I’m hungry. But I’m fine for now.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Areyoutired?”
“I’m okay.” She was also exhausted and hungry, but she wanted to get rid of the giant who’d hitched a ride.
“Tell me when you’re tired, and I’ll find us a hotel,” Duncan said. “Wade and his eels can fuck off.”
“I heard that,” the old man said.
Carys looked over her shoulder for a moment, then looked away.
Lachlan was silent and brooding in the middle row behind Cadell and Wade. Every now and then, Carys caught him staring at her.
She tried to keep from looking, but it was as if she could feel his eyes on her even when she fixed her gaze ahead.
None of this was ideal.
Not the Morrígan in the Brightlands.
Not Dru’s cryptic advice.
Not a strange giant in rubber boots hitching a ride in the van.
And definitely not Lachlan being back.
