Page 16 of The Rebel Witch

“No, they weren’t,” Rhys agreed. “They were trying to kill Lee. Dean threw himself in front of him.”

Donovan simply nodded. “Then we’re looking for something that could hurt a vampire. I’ll let Lily know. Try to remember the words they used.”

Donovan took off for the short flight that would take him to the witchville section of Frelsi. Lily Tucker lived in a cottage that also served as the town’s small hospital.

Lee’s eyes watched as his father flew away. “Why the hell would he do that? What was he thinking?”

“That he was trying to save his friend.” I’d met Dean Malone on the outer planes. If I was right, Dean was one of the two creatures in all of the planes who could kill Myrddin Emrys. Lee was the other one. Taking out either of them would mean Myrddin—at least according to prophecy—was safe. But I got the feeling Myrddin would prefer killing Lee to taking out his long-lost son, Dean.

Lee shook his head. “It was stupid. I could have handled it.”

“You don’t know that,” Rhys replied.

“Son, let’s get to Lily’s and see what’s happening.” Quinn put a hand on Lee’s shoulder and then looked to Rhys. “You have no guilt in this. Myrddin would have found us eventually.”

“He didn’t find Frelsi,” Rhys argued. “He found the Hidden Ones. I transformed their homelands with my magic. It breathes with it. That’s how Myrddin found us. The three witches are all higher-ups in his group.”

“The new Profane, I bet,” Evan said as we started across the field that would lead to Lily’s.

The queen was at her son’s side, though it was Shy who took Rhys’s hand.

“He could just as easily have been tracking Lee,” Zoey said. “He knows we’re in Iceland. He knows we’re somewhere close to Reykjavík. He tracked us down before. We need to be more careful. We’re moving in a few weeks, and then maybe it’s time to look for other accommodations.”

“And leave my people?” Rhys looked offended.

“I wouldn’t say we were leaving them as much as protecting them,” the queen replied. “I’m only saying it might be best for the royals to be in a different place.”

“I won’t leave. You can go find a palace and let Papa pamper you there, but I’m never leaving my people,” Rhys said stubbornly. “I’m going back to my place. Lee, let me know if there’s any way I can help Dean.”

Rhys and Shy broke off.

The queen stopped, tears in her eyes as they walked away. “I can’t seem to stop screwing up.”

Lee put a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “It’s a hard transition, and Rhys really does feel guilty. He doesn’t know how to handle his power. He froze when the witches sent that bolt out. Normally Rhys is cool under pressure and we would have come back with at least one of the suckers wrapped up in ivy, but he hesitated and they portalled out. They didn’t come for a fight. They came for an assassination. Give him a couple of minutes and he’ll be more reasonable.”

“He won’t be able to handle his magic until he’s handled his…” Quinn began.

The queen rounded on him, a finger pointing his way. “Don’t.”

Fenrir leaned over, whispering in Evan’s ear. “I think he’s trying to say Rhys needs to get laid.”

His whispering wasn’t exactly quiet.

“Fenrir,” I admonished.

Fen shrugged. “Well, we all know it’s true. Look, I’m the same, but my sexual frustration doesn’t grow grass and trees and stuff. I chase down a deer and feel better.”

“You keep doing that,” Quinn said under breath.

Evan groaned. “I’m eighteen in a couple of weeks, and then I intend to save the deer population of Scandinavia with or without my papa’s permission because I have this weird thing called bodily autonomy. Mama, and you wonder why I’m not coming to Faery. It’s because Rhys will shock the court with his chastity, and Shy will be blamed for it. Conversely, the fact that I want to get it on with my long-time boyfriend will be seen as scandalous because he’s a werewolf and grandmother already has some nicesidheI should marry.”

“I would never allow your grandmother to force you into a marriage,” Quinn argued.

The queen put up a hand, stopping him. “Evan, I only wanted to spend time with you. I don’t care if you sleep with Fenrir. I would be a terrible hypocrite if I did. Your brothers were wrong to force Fen to promise to wait until some arbitrary date when you’re deemed smart enough to decide. I slept with your dad when we were way too young, but I wouldn’t have taken it back for the world. It’s your decision. Yours and Fen’s, and no one else’s.”

There was a reason I liked the queen.

Fen shook his head. “I needed boundaries. Rhys and Lee were only trying to look out for her. But the time is almost upon us, and I’m glad we waited and we can do this right. Your Grace, I am going to marry your daughter. You can accept me or not. It won’t matter.”

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