Carrying a box from the room, I acknowledged how glad I was that Zotera had come with me. Hopefully, she wouldn’t regret her choice once boredom set in.
With my mind on Zotera and the sound of the vacuum running, I almost didn’t hear the knock on the front door as I set the box of my uncle’s things in the kitchen. I hurried to answer it, eager for the phone replacement and the additional freedom it would allow.
I quickly leaned in to check the peephole, expecting Oanen or Megan.
Adira's icy blue eyes stared back at me. Her pale hair was perfectly brushed back from her face and twisted into a knot at the back of her head.
My mind went blank for a moment.
Adira. The driving force behind all the decisions made by the Council. The very woman potentially colluding with Thanatos.
My thoughts went from a crawl to a race. Why was Adira knocking? Somehow, she knew someone was in my house. She always knew things. Which probably meant she knewIwas home. And if I didn’t answer, she would likely just portal inside. If I did answer, then what? A direct attack? Grab me and portal me to Thanatos?
Both those options seemed unlikely. If she wanted to do either, she would have just appeared inside and done either or both without warning.
I wished Oanen had shown up first with my phone. Then I could have called Megan.
But Megan wasn’t there. I was. And I wanted answers.
The vacuum turned off in the bedroom, and I glanced over my shoulder at Zotera. She stood in the doorway to my uncle's room.
Lifting my finger to my lips to indicate that Zotera should be quiet, I motioned her to return to my uncle’s room. Once she was hidden, I took a calming breath and faced the door.
I pulled it open and looked at Adira.
“Hello, Ashlyn,” Adira said with a slight smile. “When your neighbors reported there was someone in this house again, I didn’t believe it. It’s a very pleasant surprise to see you’re back. Megan told me you were working on a way to appease Hades and put him back to sleep. Were you able to do so?”
The typical non-aggressive yet no-nonsense Adira speech didn’t put me at ease. It reminded me of the day she’d told me that my uncle had killed himself. She’d simply patted my hand and told me I had a choice to make. Stay in Uttira and continue to fulfill my responsibilities or go my own way…without my memories.
The conversation hadn’t been cruel, just very Adira. Cooly distant. As a child of the gods, she didn’t have much feeling toward humans in general. And because of that, I could see how she could be working with Thanatos. If she believed I was why Hades was awake and upset, she would do what was necessary to appease him and put him back to sleep.
“Does your silence mean you weren’t able to?” she asked.
“I was sent back before I could,” I said.
“How unfortunate,” Adira said. “I had hoped Megan could produce the result she promised. The Council will be disappointed. But I am glad you have returned. The Roost hasn’t been the same without you. Kelsey and Zoe have been unavailable for their assigned round for weeks.”
“Yeah, I heard Kelsey found herself a dragon,” I said, still trying to decide if Adira was someone I could trust or not.
“Precisely. It’s been a bit of a problem that we’re trying to straighten out. Until we do, I need you to resume your shifts. Eugene has earned some rest during your absence.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She wanted me to resume my shifts? Shifts I thought had been stopped due to Megan’s influence?
“I just got back last night,” I said carefully. “I don’t even have a phone to call for help if I get into trouble.”
“We both know a phone won’t save you if you forget yourself at the lake. Three o’clock.”
“The lake?” I echoed. “Megan said—”
“Megan does not make the rules here,” Adira said, as coolly distant as ever.
The air behind her started to distort and shimmer with one of Adira’s portals.
“Speaking of Megan…was she already here with Zayn?” she asked.
“Zayn?”
“The druid she’s been using to help her with spells. Your home’s ward feels different.”
