Mom’s eyebrows lifted. “Are you sure she’d have left you a message of some kind?”
I groaned. “A few months ago, I would have been positive.”
“Maybe you can find her and make sure she’s not in distress. If she wants to stay, she can.”
“I don’t want her to feel like I’m checking up on her. She’s an adult.”
Mom rose and gestured for me to follow. As we walked back down the hall, the magic swept away from us, gently blowing my hair away from my neck. Soon enough, we were back in Mom’s kitchen.
“Even adults need friends,” Mom finally said. “I think for everyone’s peace of mind, you should at least try to reach out to her. Then you can see if she needs assistance.”
I still had a bad feeling about this, but I couldn’t link Lugh to her disappearance.
“What realm is Lugh from?”
Mom took the mug from my hand and set the dishes in the sink. “No one really knows, but he tends to move through the realms more than many of us. The man has always been restless.”
“Good to know.”
Mom leaned against the sink and crossed her arms. “You still aren’t convinced Tess left of her own free will, are you?”
“She’s never left before and never showed any inclination to go anywhere, especially not the fae lands. It’s out of character.”
“Your instincts have treated you well over the years, Evie. If you feel Lugh is involved, you should trust those instincts. Call upon me when you’re ready to go. I will accompany you and…smooth the way if we run into any trouble on our way to find her.”
Mom held my gaze as I struggled to find the words. Our relationship had changed so much over the last few months that I had no idea how to act. Treating her like a normal mom didn’t feel right but treating her like I used to felt worse.
But what I could do? I could let her have this. “Sure. I’ll give you a call. Let me dig around a little more at home first. How about I call you tomorrow?”
Mom’s posture loosened. Her eyes gleamed with a suspicious wetness. “That—” she swallowed and tried again. “I’ll look forward to your call then.”
I gave her a quick hug and left her standing in the kitchen.
Never thought I’d see the day when I trusted my mother to have my back in a dangerous situation.
The world felt topsy-turvy.
Chapter
Seventeen
Rachel was sitting in my driveway when I made it home that evening. My steps slowed and stilled until I stood at the edge staring at the woman testing my wards to see if she could get through.
I cleared my throat.
Rachel whirled around. “Oh!” She laid a hand over her throat. “You scared me!”
Her words were a little breathless, her expression was innocent, but there was a gleam in her eyes I didn’t like. “Can I help you?”
I made no move to come closer.
Rachel’s brow furrowed. “Can we talk inside?”
“Nope,” I said cheerily.
She huffed. “It’s freezing out tonight.”
“You’re a shifter. The cold should be nothing to you.”
