“His? You believe Lugh is responsible?”
Mom nodded. “I don’t know why he took her. I can’t make any sense of this situation, but I’ve felt that particular spell before in his vicinity. It’s one of his favorites.”
“Would he need a banshee for something?” Moira asked.
Mom’s brow crinkled. “I can’t think of a single reason. Banshees aren’t equipped with any offensive magic other than their screams. While effective, it doesn’t win wars.”
A server came by and set another basket of warm, fluffy bread on the table along with a butter tinged with the most unique honey I’d ever tasted before.
“Maybe it’s you,” Moira said to me as she reached for a hunk of bread.
I blinked. “Why in the world would he want me?”
Mom and Moira both gave me withering looks.
Oh. Damn my father and this queen nonsense.
Mom’s eyes twinkled. “I can see the disgust on your face. Is it so bad to be in line for a throne?”
“You tell me.” My voice was sullen and snappy, and Moira started to laugh.
“Keep it up,” I told the vampire. “I’ll make you the captain of my…something. I’ll figure it out and make you fetch me tea at all hours of the night.”
“I would be your ever so humble immortal servant,” Moira mumbled through a mouthful. “As long as you keep me supplied in pretty dresses and tiaras.”
“Captains don’t wear tiaras.”
Moira stuck her tongue out at me. “This captain does. And I want it to be shiny and pink.”
“Children,” Mom said. “Let’s stay on track.”
“Light pink,” Moira whispered dramatically. “Like wedding day blush roses.”
Mom’s glare made Moira snap her mouth shut. “I’m not sure his arrival was accidental.”
“But Moira twisted her wrist and he fell right through the roof. How could anyone have timed that so perfectly?”
Mom pushed her plate away. “My dear, you have not been around the fae much. We love our little games, and we know how to play them well. Our people have been interested in you ever since Cernunnos revealed you as his child. What better way for one of us to indulge our curiosity than to ‘accidentally’ land in his target’s shop?”
My fingers clenched around my fork. “That ass!”
Moira gave Mom a thoughtful look. “I felt something pulling on my power. How could he have done that?”
“Ask the banshee. She believes she’s lived here for years. Everything in her head feels real. Because it is. To his targets. He’s a master of illusion. Lugh could have made you feel anything.”
“I couldn’t have sent him back if I wanted, could I?” The fae were exhausting. Every single action felt carefully crafted to guide you down a path you had no idea you were being led to.
Mom tilted her head. “Maybe. Thanks to your stunt with the tree, you’ve absorbed the magic that allows us to cross over to the other realms. You are the bridge. Theoretically, you should be able to toss all of us back.”
“Can she keep them from coming back? Being the bridge is a cool trick, but what’s to keep the fae from coming right back over?”
“No lower fae can travel right now. Only those like me. The tree served an important purpose and soon enough, the lack of one will become a bigger issue than it is now.”
Great. One more thing to put on my to-do list.
Mom patted my hand. “Something to worry about for another day.”
“Oh, she’ll worry alright,” Moira said under her breath.
