“Your quarry is here somewhere, sowing chaos behind the scenes. Something is off in the air this evening. Be careful. Not everything is as it seems.”
Nothing I hadn’t already known or expected. “Thank you.”
Sirena nodded. “Please lure her away from my shop before you confront her. I can’t afford one more insurance claim.” She grimaced. “Living in a magical town is hard on my rates.”
I blinked at her. “That’s your boon?”
Sirena shrugged. “Making gelato isn’t keeping me in jewels, but it’s an honest day’s work.”
“I would have done that regardless.”
“Good.” She inclined her head in a small bow and started to turn when she halted and looked over her shoulder at me. “I can feel your broken heart.”
I stilled.
“Sometimes the wrong people interrupt our path with necessary lessons before the road curves and leads you to the one who was there all along.”
My throat clicked, and I couldn’t find any words.
Sirena grinned then. “But even if this doesn’t happen for you, the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”
Moira barked a laugh.
“Goddammit, Sirena,” I growled.
She wiggled her fingers at me and disappeared in a shower of blue sparkles.
Rachel looked up from her gelato at that moment and froze.
I walked up to her and smiled.
“Hello, bitch.”
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
Rachel went pale. “It wasn’t my fault! He—he made me! I didn’t want to do it.”
“Lie, lie, lie,” Mom sang.
The shifter shot her a hateful look. “I couldn’t say no. He would have killed me.”
“Lie,” Mom sang again.
When Rachel fell silent, my brows lifted. “No more excuses?”
“You’re a half breed fae bitch and don’t deserve to be Lady,” she snapped.
If she knew I was a Chimera, she would have used it against me by now. Even after everything, Caelan had not betrayed my origins. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
“I’m a half breed fae bitch queen,” I corrected. “An important distinction there.” I smiled down at her. “And you’re a shifter with no morals or loyalty to anyone.”
Simone stepped forward. “I spoke to your father earlier today.”
I glanced back at her, my eyebrows lifted.
“Sorry. We were a little busy,” she said apologetically before refocusing her attention on Rachel. “He said you did not have hispermission to leave his territory, and he had no idea where you were.”
