“And no running off to South America with Gabe or Pete or any other long-haired loser with a djembe and a backpack. You need to stay here and see your therapist and get your petition filed.” Kelly rolled her eyes, but I kept going. “And if youeverneed to talk, day or night, you just pick up the phone. I’ll always be there for you. I mean it this time.”
“I know.” Kelly hugged me again. “I know.”
CHAPTER THREE
BLAKE
Corbin hung up the phone and turned to the rest of us. “They’re going to the airport now to get on the first flight they can. Even then, they’re going to cut it close. The baptism istomorrow.”
Jane sat on the end of the library couch, hugging Connor to her chest. Beside her, Obelix – the fat castle cat – perched on the arm and watched our conversation with a nervous twitch of her whiskers. I got it – the fire in Jane’s eyes made me uncomfortable, too.
“He’s not touching my baby. I’ll rip his throat out.”
The way she said those words with such righteous venom, her hands clasped around her son, I actually believed she could do it. My chest tightened. What would it be like to have a mother like Jane? To have someone who would throw herself at the king of the fairies to save you?
I’d never know.
“Mother May,” Flynn breathed. “What do we do until then?”
“We try and head them off or reduce their power in any way we can. It would help if we knew what the hell we’re dealing with.” Corbin whirled around to face me. “You’d better start talking. I did what you asked. I called Maeve. She and Arthur are on their way. Now we need the whole story. How do you know this attack is coming?”
“I’d like to know that, too,” Rowan said from the doorway. He held up an empty jar – a jar that had once held a powerful dream-inducing draught that I’d emptied pulling Liah into our world.
Rats – they got me there.
Rowan’s gaze darted to the bookshelf – his lips moving silently as he counted the spines, in the same way he did every time he entered the room. He’d already counted them twice since Corbin had dragged us all into the library, but I guess he was extra anxious today. Justified, given the circumstances.
Corbin, Jane, and Rowan’s eyes burned into my skin. I’d seen a program on the telly about hostage negotiators that had less dramatic tension than this room. Even Flynn stood rigid, his arms folded. His jovial, almost fae-like features were sullen and expectant.
I opened my mouth to tell them the elaborate lie I’d concocted – that Liah had come to me in a dream and given me the information because she was so keen to help our cause.
But then I saw the flash of Liah’s cold smile as the dark tendrils surrounded her, and the words died on my tongue.
I thought Liah was my friend, that even though she was fae she had some sense of loyalty or filial duty to me. I assumed that because she played with me as a child, she would regard me with affection. But all the time she’d been playing me so she could take advantage of my stupid human emotions to get information for Daigh.
Because of her, we’d lost all Maeve’s scientific equipment, and she’d be carrying all sorts of information back to the fae king…information I’d unwittingly given her because I was a fool.
It was as though I learnednothingin my twenty-one years as Daigh’s loyal servant.The fae lie.It was the one universal truth about them.
And I’d been about to lie for them.Again.
Nope. Not this time.
I made my choice when I helped Maeve rescue those babies the first time, then again when I leapt through the void after her. I’d already thrown my lot in with the witches, and that meant I had to trust them and give them all the information.
I sighed. “I haven’t been completely honest about a few things.”
“There’s a surprise,” Corbin muttered. The cock and balls I’d drawn on his cheek in the early hours of the morning stood out under the bright light of the chandelier. I didn’t think now was the ideal time to make him aware of my little prank.
“I know it looks bad, but the only reason I kept all this quiet was because I wanted to stay here.” I lifted up my hands in supplication. “Full disclosure – and don’t get all stabby on me – Imaaaayhave stolen the last of that sleeping draught. I used it to talk to Liah again.”
Corbin sighed. “So you explicitly did something we all agreednotto do, and stole from our coven to do it.”
“I did. I thought if I could find out something useful, maybe bring someone powerful like her over to our side, it would give us the upper hand and finally prove to you all that you could trust me.”
“You lied to us so we’d trust you?” Flynn’s lip curled into a smirk that was devoid of friendliness.
“When you put it like that…” I shrugged. “My excuse is that I was raised by the fae. That kind of logic made sense in my world. And there’s something else. I was worried about Liah. She was trying to lead a rebellion against Daigh. I thought she was in danger.”
