Severn sighed and moved to the next one, but May leaped into it. “I want the other window seat!” She gave me a mischievous grin. “I guess you two will just have to sit next to each other. Those are the only seats left.”
Severn and I stared at each other tensely, but he sighed and sat down next to me. I’d forgotten how massive his presence was. And that cologne he wore, so herbal and earthy. It stirred a ripple of desire, but I tamped it down, putting on my shades and folding my arms.
Once the flight got going and we’d been served whatever snack we desired, the kids pressed their faces to the windows to watch the clouds, and Severn started going over some papers. I tapped my foot anxiously, petting Puck. I was still concerned about this Gifted Ones event. The requirement to have family members there sounded an awful lot like a hostage situation.
It made me feel a little better to know Zara would be there. She’d been to this kind of thing frequently and would have warned me if there was any danger. I had to wonder again why she was invited. The Olegevs were wealthy and quite possibly involved in organized crime, but they were alsohuman. There was a chance they were attending as employees, like me, but they would still know about the hidden realm even in that case.
Had Zara been keeping secrets from me? Then again, I had to admit that I’d been keeping plenty from her.
ChapterSixteen
It was a short flight of barely an hour before we touched down. As soon as we exited the plane, a sea breeze ruffled my hair. The private island was just big enough for the runway and a resort complex built in a Cape Cod style. There were a few larger lodges and lots of private cottages and beachfront cabanas.
I let Puck off the leash, and he and the children ran around to explore. A helicopter flew overhead, and I realized that Severn might not be the most important person here. That made me smile. He could use a little humility.
A host greeted us with a welcome packet. “What a pleasure to have you join us, Mr. Wilde.” He nodded to me. “Mrs. Wilde.”
I sucked in a breath.
“Miss O’Dell,” Severn snapped. “She’s a nanny, not my wife. That story in the news is incorrect.”
The host’s face went slack. “Oh, yes. My apologizes! The management company did pass along that information, but it slipped my mind. It’s just beenallover the news. Right. Well, you’ll be staying in the North Star cottage. I’d be happy to get you settled.” He motioned to a golf cart, into which more hosts were loading our bags.
Severn shoved the welcome pack at me along with the cottage’s key. “You take Henry and May to get settled in,” he ordered. “I have a meeting.”
I didn’t argue, though Henry and May looked disappointed when they saw Severn wasn’t going to ride in the golf cart with us. However, their smiles returned as soon as the host cranked the engine, and we wheeled off with Puck in my lap to an adorable cottage. It had a gabled roof and a wide deck facing the ocean, and inside was all calming sea-inspired neutral colors that looked straight out of a magazine.
There were four bedrooms, so I let the kids choose their own, and while they were checking them all out, I texted Zara.
Just made it to the island. It’s beautiful! Are you here?
As soon as I set down my phone, someone knocked on the door. I opened it hesitantly, fully aware the island was currently populated with vicious fae, shifters, and who knew what else.
“Willow!” Zara jumped up and down, clapping her hands.
“That was fast!” I laughed, giving her a hug.
“I got here early this morning and found out what cottage you’d be staying in. I’ve been stalking you.” She winked and then entered the cottage, nodding in approval of the decor. “Not bad, not bad. My family is staying in one of the lodges. It’s nice, but it doesn’t have a view likethis.”
She flung open the sliding glass doors facing the ocean. Then she startled rifling through the welcome basket on the dining room table and pulled out a bottle of expensive whiskey. “Fancy a cocktail hour?”
I listened for Henry and May to make sure they were okay inside and then sat down in one of the rockers on the porch. Puck wagged his tail as he sniffed all the new beach smells. Zara came back out with two delicious cocktails, and we clinked glasses.
“And who isthis?” She petted Puck, who took to her instantly as I told her about Severn getting us the dog. She told me about life in California and how the director was a visionary, which she admired, but that the work hours were tough, and he could be difficult to work with.
Difficultsounded easy after what I’d recently been through with Severn.
I glanced over my shoulder, making sure the children weren’t within earshot, and took a deep breath. “Severn told me that this retreat isn’t exactly as advertised.”
She took a slow sip of her cocktail. “What do you mean?”
I considered how I could phrase my question to get around the confidentiality spell—and also not have Zara think I was completely crazy. “Well, my NDA prevents me from coming outright and saying it, but I understand this is a gathering ofspecialbusiness interests. Not exactly investors. More likeleaders. Of aspecial realm.”
I was very pleased that the spell let me get away with calling it a “realm.” I half expected Zara to take away my cocktail and accuse me of already being tipsy, but instead, she had a strange look on her face. “Just how much do you know about your employer, Willow?” she asked slowly.
“How much doyouknow about him?”
“I asked you first.”
