“Sit, sit. What would you like to drink?”
She gestured to her kitchen table, which she’d already set with three place settings. Kyla raised one eyebrow.
“You knew we were coming.”
“I had an inkling.”
Selina filled our plates with spaghetti Bolognese, then cut into what smelled like freshly-baked bread.
“This is incredible,” Kyla said.
She beamed. “Well, thank you. I enjoy hosting, and it’s nice to have friends visit.” Her face sobered as she sat, and we all dug in. “I heard what happened to Samael. I’m sorry, Danica. Let me know if I can help in any way.”
“Well, there is one thing now that you mention it.” She laughed at my wry tone, and then her mouth dropped open as I pulled out the sword from the duffel at my feet.
It wasn’t often that I saw Selina as anything other than perfectly composed. I grinned at her.
Her eyes grew even wider. “That’s the golden sword.”
“It sure is.”
We ate while I told her everything that had happened since the Spell of Three took effect—Kyla jumping in to provide commentary when necessary.
“A griffin?” Selina asked.
“Yep,” Kyla took a bite. “Huge. He’s a sweetheart.”
“I’d love to meet him.” Excitement flickered in Selina’s eyes. The griffin had another fan.
By the time we were finished getting her caught up, she was piling more food into Kyla’s bowl with a wink.
“So, you made a deal with Finvarra,” she mused.
“Yes. But there’s something else. Ilis said she doesn’t believe the sword will be used to kill her king. She said there are other myths surrounding it.”
Selina raised her eyebrow. Then she rubbed her hands together. “Gimme.”
I handed it over. She stiffened, and Kyla paused with her fork halfway to her mouth, staring at the witch.
“The sword may be used to kill the unseelie king,” Selina whispered. “But if wielded by the seelie king’s hand, he will die too.”
“Sounds like a two-for-one deal to me,” Kyla mused.
I nodded. “If they want to destroy each other—and themselves in the process—who are we to get in the way of that?”
“Shame about that pesky bargain,” she scowled.
I sighed. “Yep.”
Selina’s hands were still clamped around the hilt of the sword, and she ignored us, watching whatever it was she saw.
“The sword is a lynchpin in the future. Of such vital importance that those who have their fates tied to it are considered marked.”
For the first time, a hint of nervousness flickered across Kyla’s face, but was quickly gone, replaced by sheer arrogance.
“Marked as a badass, amirite?”
Selina’s lips curved as she slowly opened her eyes and placed the sword on the table.
