“Ain’t that the truth.” I sighed. There was something that needed to be said, but it wasn’t going to be easy. “You were right about them,” I mumbled, unwilling to give my mistakes a louder voice.
“What was that?” she asked, her voice more than a little mocking. “I was what?”
“You heard me.”
She shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure I did. You really need to repeat it. I was . . .” She waited for me to answer.
“You were right.”
“Now, I’m a tad confused about something.” She tapped her chin in a mock thoughtful pose. “If I was right, what would that make you?” She was enjoying teasing me far too much.
“Can you just drop it?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I need to hear you say the words.”
I rolled my eyes. “You were right and I was wrong. The fae . . . well, they aren’t as evil as I’d thought. At least, the Seelie courts aren’t.”
“What about your sister though?” I’d shared the story of Louise’s childhood torture with Toni so that she would understand my hatred for the fae. Like I had been about so much else back then, I’d been wrong. So desperately wrong. Louise had been tortured, but it was at the hand of people I’d trusted for so many years, including my own father.
“That was us,” I said, certain she’d understand I meant the Rain.
“Oh. Sorry.” Toni didn’t really sound very surprised. She’d seen as much of the Rain’s hypocrisy as I had. It was a big part of the reason why she’d helped me out as much as she had, and why she’d saved my ass on a number of occasions.
“Yeah.” I had to work to unclench my jaw as I thought about my father, about what he’d done to Lou and what he’d tried to do to Evie, and how close I had come to losing everything.
“So, is your presence here today something to do with what happened in Bayview?”
I nodded at her intuition. “You could say that. What do you know?”
“Officially, not a lot. Everyone’s been fairly tight-lipped about exactly what happened, but of course that’s meant that the gossip is ripe. They’re saying New York has fallen.”
I laughed. “I guess some people would see it that way.”
“Well, what’s really happening then? I’m guessing that’s why you’re here.”
“Things are changing. In fact, the new leader of Bayview is openly in a relationship with a future fae queen.” I told her the story of the trip our little group had made into Bayview to rescue Mackenzie. Toni sat wide-eyed and rapt as I filled her in on how it had ended with Eth and Ben taking control of the operations in New York. Then I explained the newly formed alliance between Mom’s court and the Rain.
Toni stared at me, unblinking. Then she shifted in her seat, sliding her back down the pew. From the front of the church, she probably would have been entirely impossible to see. “Wow.”
“If things are going to change, we need to take action now. We need to keep the ball rolling. It’s going to take some work, but we need to unite those of us in the Rain who can see the flaws in the old system. If enough of us can take a stand now . . . well, I think things might actually change.”
“It won’t be that easy.”
“I never said it would be, just that it’s possible. And now’s the time. If the old guard has too much time to regroup, the changes that have started happening at Bayview will be stamped out. They’ll be reversed. I can’t have that, Toni. I can’t risk my family’s safety.”
“But your family are Rain elite. They’ll be fine eventually.”
“No, my new family. Evie, and”—I couldn’t help the grin that burst across my features—“our daughter.”
Toni punched my arm. “You could have started with that little piece of information.”
She launched into a thousand and one questions about Evie and the fact that she was pregnant, the how of it considering Evie’s nature. I answered each one as best as I could, knowing without a doubt that Toni and I were all right.
“We’re getting married soon,” I finished. “I don’t suppose you want to come?”
She laughed. “That’s how you invite me to your wedding? It’s not very formal.”
“Well, it’s not going to be a very formal ceremony.” At least I hoped it wouldn’t be. I was more interested in being able to have a link to Evie for the rest of our lives than any ridiculously lavish celebration. I was leaving it up to everyone else to organize though, so it would be whatever Evie wanted it to be.
“I would love to, but I agree with what you said about capitalizing on the fall of Bayview. I think I need to call on a few favors, but that will take some time. Besides, I don’t think it’s right to go to the wedding of a stranger.”
“Don’t worry about Evie, she’ll love you.”
“I don’t doubt that,” Toni said with a chuckle. “Everyone loves me. I just think it might be better to arrange a dinner or something once the craziness that is about to start has settled a little.”
“You’re probably right.”
“At least we have a means of travel now that you’re not afraid to use it.”
I laughed. “It would have been a much easier means of escape before, that’s for sure.”
Toni joined my laughter before turning somber. “Thank you for coming today. I’m glad you’re not a heartless murderer.”
I grinned. “Same.”
I nodded to the fae to let them know that I was ready to return. They’d been listening to the conversation, they hadn’t even tried to hide that fact, but I didn’t care. They’d stayed quiet and let me say the things I’d needed to. I figured that Aiden would probably have some questions, but he could ask them when we were home. The thought reminded me just how many thousands of miles separated me from Evie, and I was desperate to be back at the court.
There was just one thing I needed to arrange first.
CHAPTER FIVE
THE STREETS WERE almost completely empty as I drove toward the Cats Whiskers Market. The lush forests that surrounded the roads and the huge tracks of land that made up the protected area were definite pluses for me. I could imagine bringing Evie there; could easily picture our lives on one of the farmsteads. It would almost be like we were back in Sweden—the place where we’d truly been able to discover one another. Where we’d genuinely been able to live and love and had shared our lives.
It didn’t take long to find the small store, and when I did there were two people standing out in front, one dressed head to toe in black, with golden eyes that appeared to glow. A bright, golden aura emanated from him. Tucked against his side was an ordinary woman, pretty enough but obviously completely human. I figured it had to be Kieran, the púca, and his human wife, Laura.
When he spotted me, Kieran lifted his arm and waved with an enthusiasm that didn’t seem entirely warranted. I could feel both their gazes on me while I found a parking spot. They met me at my car.
“You come to us with a very high recommendation,” Laura said after she’d introduced herself and her husband. “Fiona from East Meadow Court definitely had some positive things to say about you and your bride-to-be.”
I chuckled. “Well, she would, wouldn’t she?”
“Aye, but she’s no fool,” Kieran said. I was surprised by his thick Irish brogue. “If she trusts ya, we can trust ya.”
For the next twenty minutes, I learned about their little corner of the world. It was something of a haven for others, but they didn’t advertise it. Nor did they specifically exclude humans. Those two facts meant their community had been able to stay largely under the Rain radar.
It spurred my desire to move from the court to somewhere like Greig. Although I was hopeful that the changes filtering through the Rain would eventually mean that Evie and our daughter would be safe in the world, I wasn’t willing to blindly trust they would. If that meant moving into what constituted a commune for magical beings, so be it.
The fact was, I would do everything in my power to ensu
re that they were safe at all times. By the time I’d said goodbye to Kieran and Laura, I had their agreement to allow my little family into their world and their guarantee of silence as far as Evie’s knowledge of the real purpose of the town. She couldn’t know what I’d done or she would worry that things at the Rain were more tenuous than I was telling her. Worse, knowing her, she’d refuse to move into the town. No doubt, she’d demand that we move directly across the road from Bayview or something equally as ridiculous.
When I arrived back at the court, Evie was waiting for me in our room. She raced straight over to me, threw her arms around my neck, and kissed me hard.
“Where have you been?” she demanded between kisses as she traced her lips down over my jaw.
My hands found their way around her body, and my fingers brushed against the base of her spine.
“I just had some errands to run,” I said while I closed my eyes and enjoyed her touch. “I think I’ve found us a house.”
I regretted saying anything a moment later when her lips left my skin and she tugged herself from my hold.
“Really?” Her smile almost made the absence of her mouth on mine worth it.
Only almost though. Desperate for her body, I dragged her closer to me again and peppered light kisses over her throat and collarbone.
“Clay, you were telling me about a house,” Evie murmured, but she didn’t try to push me away or stop the progression of my lips against her skin, not even when one hand moved to caress her breasts through her outfit while I kissed her over and over. “Clay?”
I hummed against her skin in question, not willing to lift my mouth away from her, not even for a second. Although her heat had disappeared while she was healing from her chest wound, she was still able to ignite fires in my body. There had been a time, long ago, when we were apart that I’d tried to emulate her warmth with artificial sources while I’d been with other women, but I knew now that I could have stood in the center of a fire and no other woman could make me feel as alive as Evie did.
She lifted one leg around me, her embrace pressing her hips against mine. I used the hold to guide her backward—half carried, half pushed—to our bed. I lowered her down and used our position to rock my hips against her pelvis. A low, needful moan issued from her, and I knew we wouldn’t be talking about houses, or anything outside of the two of us, for a while.
EVIE AND I surfaced from our room just in time for dinner. Eth and Aiden were already waiting at our usual table in the dining hall. Eth had been stopping in more days than not. Sometimes he brought Ben with him, but usually on those days Lou and Ben would disappear after making little more than a cursory appearance. Although I could easily guess the reasons behind their disappearances—especially when Evie and I were late for the same purpose—I chose not to think about exactly what they were doing.
“Hey, bro,” Eth said as he clapped his hand on my shoulder. “Evie.” He winked at her. Aiden nodded at us both, but went back to his conversation with his latest dinner guest.
As it always did, the conversation between us all flowed back and forth easily as we ate. The fae enchantments that were present in every bite inflated the mood exponentially so everyone was laughing and just generally having a good time. It was a typical night really. Eventually though, Eth pushed to get my undivided attention.
“So, when are you coming back to work?”
I risked a glance at Evie and was thankful her attention was drawn elsewhere as she laughed at something Aiden said. If she’d overheard Eth’s question, she’d have been pushing for me to do it. Each time Eth had wanted me with him on a mission, he’d garnered her support and I’d been unable to refuse. She seemed to have some ridiculous idea in her head that I wanted to be back hunting the fouler creatures out in the world.
I had to concede she was partly right. There were some aspects of it that I did miss, like the good I could do when I wasn’t being forced to use my training for purposes I couldn’t agree with. I missed helping people. Part of me wanted to jump at the chance to return to the new, ideal version of the Rain. How could I though, when that organization had cost Evie so much? I would never do anything that could hurt her. I shook my head. “I’m not sure I can.”
Eth rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m on board with your whole ‘let’s not kill everything’ method, but Ben and I can’t do this alone. You need to do your share of the heavy lifting too. If you won’t do it because you want to, even though we all know you’d give your left nut for some proper action again, then at least do it for my niece. What sort of world will she grow up in if people who can do the right thing don’t?”
“That’s a fucking low blow, man,” I complained. The thing that pissed me off most though was that he was right. For the sake of Evie and our daughter, I needed to prove that the question-first-shoot-only-after-it-tries-to-eat-you approach could work, that it could be just as effective at saving lives and without adding extra costs to the organization. I sighed. “Okay fine, but only after the wedding. Once Evie and I are settled in our new house, then I’m in.”
He looked like he was going to celebrate, but I refused to let him win quite so easily.
“And only on the proviso that there is a trusted team watching Evie while I’m away,” I demanded in a whisper.
“Dude, if I had that sort of trusted manpower, I wouldn’t need you.”
“Well, then I’ll have to take my chances with how the world will be and fight for my family away from the Rain.”
“What if Mom gets some of the fae guards to help?”
“If you can get her to agree to that, then I’ll come back as much as you need. I just have to know that she’s protected.”
“That who’s protected?” Evie asked. Her question, and the sharp tone in which she said it, caused the table to fall conspicuously quiet. Her pregnancy hormones were clearly out in force, and she wouldn’t take too kindly to the fact that I was arranging for her to be watched—or in her view, babysat.
I barely hesitated before reaching my hand forward and rubbing her barely there bump. “Our little peanut.”
Evie’s nose scrunched up in disgust. “You can’t call our daughter Peanut.”
“Well, we’ll have to think of another name for her.”
Evie fell into concentration, as if it was vitally important that we settle on a name right then.
I chuckled. “We can do that later. For now, let’s celebrate. Eth wants me back at work, and I’ve agreed that I will after we’re settled into our new home.”
I probably should have discussed it with her first, but considering she’d been pushing me to do it so often, I didn’t think she’d mind.
Her knowing smile confirmed my assessment. “I’m glad. It’ll keep you out of trouble.”
I shifted in my chair so that I could get closer to her before nuzzling into her hair. “I thought you liked it when I got into trouble?”
My lips pressed against her throat, and instantly, her breathing sped. It was one advantage of those pesky pregnancy hormones—she was almost always ready to go. Her hand lifted and her fingers caressed my jaw, prompting me to continue my soft kisses on her throat. Even though I couldn’t see her face, I guessed her eyes would be closed as she tipped her head back and slightly to the side to grant my mouth better access to her skin.
The sound of at least two, possibly more, throats being cleared around us reminded me that Evie and I weren’t alone. We were in fact in the middle of a crowded dining hall.
“The two of you can go make all the trouble you like later,” Eth said. “But for now, we’re trying to eat.”
I lifted my hands in mock surrender. “I’m just trying to enjoy my meal too.” I leaned back over toward Evie, intending to kiss her cheek, but she shoved me away playfully.
“You watch yourself, buddy,” she said with a laugh.
“You love me.” I winked at her.
“She must because, unfortunately, no one else will,” Aiden remarked, his grin wide across
his features.
“Well, if it’s a choice between sitting with you assholes mocking me or taking the prettiest girl on Earth back to my room, I think it’s a pretty easy one to make.” I stood and reached for Evie’s hand. She offered it to me without thought, and I helped her to her feet.
“Good riddance,” Eth said with a grin. “Now Aiden and I can go check out the talent around the hall tonight. Isn’t that right, A?”
Despite having a date at his side, Aiden grinned.
I glanced around at the full room. I’d never really asked or counted how many fae there were, but the number had to stretch into the high hundreds. “As if there’s any talent you haven’t already checked out.”
Eth chuckled. “I’m just exploring my fae heritage the best way I know how.”
Sometimes it was easy for me to forget that, while I had less fae magic running through my blood than Lou, Eth had the least of us all. He was barely more than human; even his aura was little more than a thin coating of blue light around his body. It didn’t twist, dance, and swirl in ever-shifting patterns of different shades like a fae’s aura usually did—like both mine and Lou’s did.
“Well, you two have fun,” Evie said to Aiden and Eth, before tugging at my hand to indicate she was ready to go. “You don’t want the almost-married couple cramping your style.”
“Oh, speaking of bachelor parties, I’ve got you, bro.”
“No one was talking about that,” I said.
Eth shrugged. “It’s the logical progression when you mention weddings. You have to have one.” He looked over to Evie and gave her his best impression of puppy-dog eyes, the ones that worked on all the girls, including her.
Evie touched my shoulder. “I don’t mind if you want to do something.”
“I’m not sure,” I said. “Knowing Eth, I’ll end up in Arkansas the day before the wedding with no eyebrows.”
Living with Embers: (Son of Rain #4) Page 4