His eyes softened. “Because, like you, she is attached to me, and she will always be a target. There are ways to offer her the crown, but she will lose pieces of herself, and Thalia very much loves her individuality. The best I could do is allow her into my court, and she has vehemently refused.”
“She doesn’t want to be coddled.” I understood completely. Being handled with a velvet glove doesn’t mean the glove doesn’t itch.
He inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Very much so.”
Dad wanted me to do this. Mom did too. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched them both. “I’d like to bargain.”
Mom gasped in surprise. Dad’s eyes narrowed for a brief moment before a slow, satisfied grin slid over his face. “Very well, daughter, let us bargain for the crown.”
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
Money was falling from the sky.
I was back to work, elbows deep in a pile of ranunculus when the first shouts began. Moira stood at the window, a grim slant to her mouth.
“Lugh is starting his shit,” she announced.
“We all knew something would happen,” Ash called from his worktable. “It was only a matter of time.”
I brushed petals from my hands and rose. The town square was crowded with people staring up at the sky with awe. The calm wouldn’t last. Not with the number of humans interspersed with the paranormals. People like me would wonder what the catch was, or what kind of magic had gone awry.
Humans wouldn’t care about the consequences. They would dive in, take what they could, then try to take others’ share from them as well. Security cameras or a police force wouldn’t matter. Many humans thought they were bulletproof.
The camera wouldn’t catch them.
The police would be too busy to worry about them.
The money was falling from the sky. Why shouldn’t they take it? Theydeservedit. It was meant for them. They’d worked hard. They needed it more than other people did.
Funny the kinds of actions one person could justify when something they wanted more than anything dropped in front of them. No matter if it was too good to be true.
“There they go,” Moira murmured.
The first shout rang out. Maybe forty percent of the people in the square started grabbing every dollar they could. Others looked around, a perplexed expression on their faces.
I sighed and grabbed my jacket. Moira followed close behind.
Ash, conflict averse, stayed inside and locked the door once we were outside. If things got too out of hand, Ash would protect the shop if the wards went down.
“He’s here somewhere,” I murmured.
“I’m getting real tired of fae bullshit,” Moira whispered back.
Sirena lifted a hand in greeting as she watched impassively from her gelato truck. I didn’t wave back. I could use her help, but the siren was kind of an asshole sometimes. She was all about herself and seemed not to care about the world burning around her.
But there was one more person I needed to worry about showing up. This was still his town, no matter that he had set my life on fire a few days ago. I had maybe minutes until Caelan was here trying to keep order.
“I don’t see him,” Moira said.
“His magic is difficult to read. I don’t know that I’ve ever sensed it.”
“Illusion,” Moira said. “He’s a powerful glamour worker.” She sucked her teeth and scanned the rooftops. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this cash turned into acorns within the hour.”
“Better than him stealing it from a bank and dropping it here.” I wouldn’t put something like that past him.
“True. Everyone would leave here with a criminal record.”
