I put a hand on Moira’s arm. Saying something like that to certain fae would be a mortal slap to their honor. Thankfully Lou only stared at Moira, an amused tilt to his lips.
“You’ll just have to trust me then, won’t you?”
I did not like this. Not even a little bit. But what could I do? And who was I to begrudge a fae who’d never been here the opportunity to sightsee?
“Fine. Three days.”
“Seven,” Lou fired back.
I barked a laugh. “Not a chance.”
“Six then.”
“Three. Any more and you’ll need to report to the Shifter Lord. I’ll notify him of your presence. Do not be surprised if he goes looking for you.”
Lou’s eyes narrowed. “Five.”
“You want to report to him yourself?” I shrugged. “Fine. I’m still telling him you’re here, though.”
“Done. Five days hence I will return to your shop for transport home.” He rose. “I will return your clothes at that time, Ash. Thank you for your unusual hospitality.”
“That’s it?” Moira blurted. “You’re not angry or upset that I brought you here?”
“At first, sure,” Lou said. “Until I began to see this as an opportunity.”
“But I can send you home right now,” Moira argued.
The tremor in her voice told me she wasn’t so sure she could.
“I’m sure you can,” Lou said, his eyes sparkling. “Since I’m here, I’d like to see what this big wide world is all about.”
“Alright then. Five days. No more.”
Lou grinned. “I’ll find your Shifter Lord faster than he’ll find me.”
And with those ominous words, Lou snapped his fingers and disappeared.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Ash said, echoing my own thoughts.
“How much harm can he do?” Moira said.
Ash and I both sent her matching incredulous looks.
Moira groaned and put her hands over her face. “I know. I’ll call Hazel tonight and see if she can help.”
Ash nudged her over and sat beside her. “Fae magic hit you a few months ago. During Evie’s transformation at Caelan’s.”
The words were not a question. Ash must have seen what happened.
There was no way to forget that night. I’d transformed into the true Chimera form, the mythical beast with dragon wings, and killed Finn and Rhona. Magic had been flying all over the place that night.
Moira nodded miserably. “I thought it was fine. And it was for a while. But odd things started happening a couple of weeks later.”
“And they’re getting worse,” I added.
“Yes,” she said with a sigh. “This power isn’t going away, and I have no idea what to do.” She waved a hand in the direction where Lou had disappeared. “And I certainly can’t keep doing that! Who knows what I’ll bring through next time.”
“All that means is we need someone who can help you learn to control the magic. I was in the same boat not too long ago.” Things weren’t perfect with my magic, but they were way better. For the most part, I had a handle on things, but I still needed guidance.
