Cernunnos stood. “I can see how angry you are.”
Past the point of anger, actually. I was a screaming teakettle of rage. “Call off your dogs, Father.”
“Ooh, we’re at Father now. Not Dad?”
“A father donates genetic material. A dad anticipates each of his children’s needs and acts accordingly. They nurture and nudge. A father sends an old lover to tempt his daughter’s fiancé. A dad might think of a decision as a mistake, but he’d deal with it.”
“You are poised to take over a kingdom of bloodthirsty monsters, Evangeline. You don’t need a dad right now. You need a father.”
Thunder rumbled in the room, and he was gone.
I sagged against the back of the couch. Children had never been at the forefront of my mind. I never thought I’d find anyone I could trust enough with my secrets. But things were different now, weren’t they?
Yes, but could I in good conscience give birth to a monster, one who’d never stand a chance in the world of the living? Could I chance it, even knowing it might never happen?
I picked up a pillow and threw it at the door. Life was a lot simpler when my day consisted of making fun of people who went too carnation-heavy in their bouquets. Now I had enemies on all sides and was worried about world-ending spawn birthed from my loins.
I needed a drink.
Chapter
Six
The first indication something wasn’t quite right with Moira came when a puff of smoke appeared from the tips of her fingers. It was almost faster than the eye could catch, but I happened to be standing over her shoulder, watching as she attempted to match a moody dahlia color palette to the woman’s wallpaper.
We had the occasional wealthy client who had to have everything just so, and we did our best to accommodate them, but the wallpaper was a new one. Moira attempted to hide her fingers but gave up when she caught my raised brow.
“Is that a new thing?”
She sighed. “Over the last few months.”
I counted back in my head. “How many are a few?”
She’d been resistant and avoiding a conversation about her burgeoning powers and refused to acknowledge anything had changed. I didn’t press too much, knowing if I did, she’d clam up for even longer.
The smoke was an interesting development, though.
“Can you control it?”
She shrugged a slim shoulder. “It only happens in moments of high stress or emotion.”
“You’re stressed about something?”
Moira slumped. “It’s nothing.”
I gestured at her fingers. “The smoke says otherwise.”
“It has nothing to do with you or anyone else. This is my burden to bear.”
My eyes narrowed. “All three of you have been with me on this crazy ride for months now, and none of you had to be. You, most of all, have shared all this bullshit.”
Moira’s eyes softened. “So now it’s your turn to share my bullshit?”
“Exactly.” I flicked my fingers at her. “Now spill it before we get busy.”
Moira let out a little laugh, rose, and locked the shop door.
My eyebrows went up.
