I held up a hand. “No. It’s okay. Really. The fae are tricky, and the more knowledge you have, the better, especially since they’re finding our plane of existence far more interesting than before.”
Christian’s eyes narrowed. “You’re seeing more fae in Joy Springs?”
Caelan nodded. “Far too many for my liking.”
“We are, though I’m afraid part of it is my fault. I am of mixed heritage, which adds some unique flavor to my magic.My Floromancy is…strange among my own kind. And, to answer your question, yes, I was trapped in a tree for…a month, I think.” I shook my head. “Time was fuzzy inside. I was incorporeal in a way, and my thoughts weren’t always coherent.”
Pax studied me. “How did you get out?”
I shifted in my seat and tugged my jacket closer. This question required treading carefully. I’d escaped that tree because of my Chimera magic. If I’d gone in as a simple Floromancer, I don’t think I would have survived. “A witch cast a spell focused on my…” I frowned. “My soul, I guess? I’m not sure, but it was a beacon back to her and the people who loved me. Once I had a direction, it was a matter of channeling every bit of power I had left to find my way home. My mixed magic came in handy.”
Pax’s eyes lit up with gold around his irises. Caelan stilled beside me. He’d noticed it, too. One day this young wolf might be a Lord. The promise of power glimmered in his eyes. “You believe other species can find peace and sometimes love with each other?”
I blinked in surprise. That was not where I expected this conversation to go. “Absolutely. I never expected to be involved with a Lord, yet here I am, tracking another one down.”
Pax’s eyes flicked to Caelan and back to me. “Has it been complicated?”
At that, Caelan let out a belly laugh, surprising all of us.
I laughed too. “Extremely,” I admitted. “Forces worked together to keep us apart, but I’m still here. With Caelan. And with all of you. I think paranormals should be able to love and mate with whomever they want to. Though I understand purity in bloodlines and know it’s necessary in some cases where mating outside of the line might be harmful, intermingling bloodlines allows for new veins of magic, and interesting opportunities to solve problems.”
“Problems?” Pax’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
I thought about how much information to divulge. “Well, some bloodlines are volatile and breed magic that is harmful both to the user and to those around them. Intermingling might help tame those abilities to something more manageable. Take seers for example. Many of them can’t drive or hold normal jobs. What if having children with a shifter could tamper their line just enough to allow them to live normally?”
I shrugged. “I’m no geneticist, but if you continue to breed within your kind, you can’t breed out any problems.”
“We don’t have illnesses,” Christian said.
“Sure, but I’m sure there have been cases where certain genetic factors might pop up in families. Let’s take cystic fibrosis as an example. One parent has the gene, and one does not. That child will not be born with cystic fibrosis because only one gene passes down; however, there’s a fifty percent chance of them being a carrier of the gene, so the cycle continues. If both parents have the gene, there’s a 25% percent chance of their child having cystic fibrosis, and a 25% chance of not being a carrier of the gene. Right?”
Everyone nodded, though Caelan was giving me an odd look. “Same thing with shifters or witches or Floromancers, any paranormal really. There’s always a chance of something odd in the gene pool. So why wouldn’t you want outside blood and genetic material to see if you can eventually breed those out?”
Caelan’s lips twitched. “That is both a coldly analytical and surprisingly scientific take.”
I shrugged. “The fae cling to their bloodlines like a tick on a thigh.”
Pax’s look lingered before he turned his attention to Caelan. “Your Floromancer is both intelligent and beautiful. I look forward to seeing the future of your Keep and your shifters if you two marry.”
For the first time since I’d known him, Caelan looked nonplussed. “Err. Thank you?”
I hid my smile. “Why are you so interested in interspecies relations?”
Pax’s eyes flickered. “My parents dealt with their own genetic issues.”
I waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn’t, I nodded. Maybe this was an extremely personal matter, and Pax only wanted the opinion of an outsider. “I hope one day they will find a resolution.”
The shifter inclined his head before snapping the mirror shut and raising his visor.
“We’re almost to town,” Christian said. “Pax, roll down the window and see if you can catch his scent.”
“I have the vehicle’s scent,” Caelan said. “It had an oil leak and at least two people inside, minus Ben.”
Christian nodded. “We’ll stop at his apartment first.”
“How many places does Ben have?” I murmured.
“He stays in the apartment when he has business in town and then with us a few days of the week. Most of the time he resides at the home you just left.”
