It was far more likely that Rhiannon was siphoning off his powers without his knowledge or permission and using them to get whatever she wanted.
Like a grimoire locked in a secret room in my house.
If she’d taken some of Macgrath’s ability, then she would be fully capable of echoing my magic and using it for herself.
So much for the magical equivalent of a DNA lock.
I wasn’t even sure I felt anger toward Macgrath for keeping his abilities a secret. I knew quite well what witches were capable of when they felt threatened by someone who was different or more powerful than they were.
Though Echoes were no longer hunted as they once had been, magic wielders of all leanings gave them a wide berth.
I had experienced the same avoidance tactics time and time again. My power might be renowned by witches, yes, but it was also envied.
I’d been thrice blessed by the Goddess, my magic stronger, adaptable, and more stable than any witch before or after me. While the power was a blessing, it was also a curse.
I was able to protect myself and the people I loved, but it made it difficult to create and maintain lasting relationships. Friendships and romantic attachments were few and far between in my life. It hurt to watch the humans I cared for age and eventually die when my own immortality kept me young and healthy century after century.
I’d grown accustomed to it, even told myself I preferred it that way, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t face loneliness from time to time.
“Ava?” he asked.
When my name fell from his lips, I loathed it for a moment. It sounded wrong and… unnatural. But it was the name I’d chosen for myself for the foreseeable future, so I needed to suck it up. I would choose something less similar to the name Kerry shared with me. Maybe Jennifer or Rebecca.
“Yes?” I answered him, no longer sure what I wanted to say.
When he appeared in front of me, I blinked as I tilted my head back to look into his face. My mind was stuck between my conversation with Macgrath and the concept that I was dreaming of Alaunus, and who Alaunus might be.
The floor seemed to shift beneath my feet. I couldn’t gather my whirling thoughts.
“What’s happening?” he asked, his voice low and concerned.
Suddenly, his features were in sharp focus. “Do you remember everything you said and did?” I asked. I wasn’t sure why, but the answer to that question felt important.
“Yes,” Macgrath answered. “I remember everything.”
Before he could apologize again, I kept speaking. “Do you know who Alaunus is?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. I remember saying and doing those things, but I wasn’t in control.” He paused, his eyes searching my face. “My thoughts were not my own.”
“I have an idea about what happened,” I stated. Before I could finish my thought, I yawned, my eyes watering as I covered my mouth with a hand.
Macgrath smiled when I dropped my hand. “Whatever it is, it can wait until the morning.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted. “And it’s after midnight so it’s technically morning.”
He shook his head, took my hand in his, and guided me toward the bed. “We both need sleep. Whatever you’re thinking can wait until morning.” He didn’t give me a chance to argue. He stared down at me with shadowed eyes. “Lie down with me?”
I hesitated. It was a request rather than a demand and I couldn’t resist the combination of his deep voice and the sadness in his green and gold eyes.
“All right,” I agreed. “But we need to talk about this first thing in the morning,” I stated.
“We will,” he agreed.
I glanced down at my clothes. “I don’t suppose I have anything else to wear.”
“Kerry packed a few of Savannah’s things for you,” he replied, gesturing to the bag in the corner.
Though Savannah was taller and curvier than I was, I would take clean clothes over nothing at all.
