An amused smirk tipped his lips. “You.”
Moira snorted from the worktable area.
I shot her a glare and chewed on the inside of my cheek as I tried to come up with a response to that one.
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” I said after a long moment. “We’ve never met, and I do my best to keep my head down.”
Moira snorted again.
“I get it, Moira!” I snapped.
The witch laughed out loud.
Barrett’s lips twitched.
“I said I do my best,” I grumbled.
He leaned forward, the coffee mug balanced on his palms. “Our people are broken and scattered across the world.”
“For a long time, I thought I was the only one.”
His eyes flickered. “Our numbers are low,” he admitted. “We are scattered far and wide.”
I noticed he didn’t say what those numbers were. “You know what the Chimeras have done to me. Why should I take you at face value?”
“You shouldn’t,” he said simply.
A faint smile curved his lips. “I’ve done my homework, Miss Quinn. You have yet to pick a fight, but you’ve proven victorious over everyone who’s tried to engage you in conflict.”
“Fuck yeah,” Moira said quietly as she fist pumped under the table.
“Not without consequences,” I said quietly, the memory of floating through a never-ending nothing sending a chill through my bones.
His expression sobered. “Few walk away without wounds of some kind.” Barrett sipped his coffee. “I’m here only to help. You are a Chimera, Evie. Our powers are varied. While I don’t know all that you are, my reports tell me you are tangled up with the fae. If you do possess fae blood and you carry the Chimera line…”
His voice trailed off. “Then your power may be endless. I’m here to show you what we can do.”
“And if I don’t want your help?” I knew there was still much to learn about my power, both Chimera and fae. But this man was a complete stranger, and there were few strangers bearing gifts who came without ulterior motives.
He shrugged. “Then I’ll have a short sightseeing trip in Texas and return home in a week or two. No harm no foul.”
My eyes narrowed, making Barrett laugh.
“I promise. You will have no quarrel with me.”
“What do you want in return?”
When his eyes lit up, I felt vindicated. “I’m not marrying you,” I blurted. “Or doing anything weird.”
Barrett’s mouth snapped shut for a long moment. A bewildered look overtook his expression. “Uh. I’m not in the market for a bride, willing or unwilling,” he said slowly.
“Good. Because I have no desire to be a pawn in a game I don’t understand.”
He crossed his arms and eyed me, a thoughtful look on his face. “I have a feeling Joy Springs might be an interesting place to be. For at least a little while.”
Normally, this placewasa fun, small town, but over the last six months, it had turned into a hotbed of fae and Shifter Lord drama. Only a few people knew my secret, but the more attention I brought to myself and this shop, the more likely that secret would be spilled.
If I thought I’d been in a world of trouble when I was stuck in the tree, I had a feeling it’d be nothing compared to an entire town chasing after me with fiery pitchforks. But all the activity on my land and at Caelan’s Keep had begun to draw the curious.
