Moira came in from the back and halted, eyes narrowing as she spotted Barrett. Without a word, she came up to stand beside me.
Barrett’s eyes briefly flicked to her, dismissing her as a threat. I almost smiled. Moira might not get involved in a lot of scuffles, but I had no doubt she could hold her own if she were ever pushed.
“Exploits?” I echoed, even as anger filled me at his words. “I wouldn’t give a shit if you faulted me or not.”
His smile widened. “Forgive me. Poor choice of words. My understanding is one of our kind, Rhona to be specific, intruded on your territory and tried to stake an…ill-advised claim on you.”
“True,” I acknowledged though I didn’t expand on what I’d done to her afterward.
Barrett’s blue eyes sparkled. “Death was a light sentence for Rhona. And I already know what Finn did to you.” His expression sobered. “If I had known years ago, I would have ensured he never caught up to you.”
He gave me a slight bow. “The making of—” He paused, his eyes lighting on Tess, then Moira.
“They know,” I said shortly.
He dipped his head in a slight nod. “The making of a new Chimera is a sacred thing and not something our kind takes lightly.”
Moira stiffened. “It wasn’t her fault,” she snapped, her voice heated.
Barrett focused his full attention on her. “If I thought it was, we’d be having a much different conversation right now.”
Moira snorted. “You have no idea what kind of storm you’d get caught up in if you came for her.”
A thin smile. “I’m afraid I do.” He gestured toward the seating area. “Please. I’m here only to talk. May I sit for a while?”
I thought about rebuffing him, but he’d made no aggressive moves and appeared to be here for a discussion and nothing more. “Please,” I said after a moment of tense silence. “Would you like some coffee or tea?”
“Coffee, please.”
I turned to make a cup for both of us, but Moira laid a hand on my arm. “I’ll get it. Go have a seat.”
“Cream and sugar?” Moira asked, her voice a little too sweet.
“Neither,” Barrett said, eyes narrowing a hair, as if he heard it too and realized he should be suspicious.
She flashed a friendly smile and walked away.
Barrett leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Do I need to worry about poison?”
“Umm.”
“No!” Moira shouted back but added an ominous disclaimer. “Not this time.”
His lips twitched. “I like her.”
“Me too.” I crossed an ankle over my knee and waited.
Barrett’s power beat against my skin, and I took a moment to ponder if he knew what he was doing or if his magic was so immense he couldn’t keep it completely contained. The thought made my heart skip a beat, and I studied him a little closer.
Moira interrupted with two steaming cups of coffee. “Poison free,” she said in a too chipper voice.
He raised his mug in a salute. “Thank you.”
Barrett didn’t speak for a few moments. When he did, what he said took me by surprise. Hard to do these days.
“I’ve rented a house in Joy Springs for the next few months.”
I tried and failed to keep the surprise off my face. “Oh? Any particular reason why?”
