“We’ve talked about this before,” I said. “I’ve never done anything that could remotely be considered fae magic.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s not possible,” Corbin said.
Someone touched my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Blake’s emerald gaze. “I think she’s right, Princess.”
I glared at Blake, but he kept on talking. “All of this, everything that’s been going on, has escalated since Daigh discovered you were alive. I thought it had just taken him this long to build up his power again, and that’s probably true. But what if he’s desperate?”
In the corner, Corbin was nodding. “All this time we’ve thought this was about the fae reclaiming their territory and Daigh having his revenge on our coven for stopping him last time. But maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s more personal than that.”
“And what if none of the other fae knew about the binding?” Aline said, her eyes shining.
“Liah knows,” Blake said. “That’s how she’s blackmailing him. She knows that Daigh was in love, and that his choicecompromised the fae. If they find out, they’ll overthrow him for sure.”
“Good,” I growled.
“We could expose him,” Arthur suggested, tightening his grip around my shoulders. “Blake could go to this Liah with what we know. We could lend her the power and muscle she needed to take the throne if she agreed to break the Slaugh.”
“Liah won’t touch us. Apparently you humans polluted the world or some shit.” Blake frowned. ‘Honestly, I think she’s more of a concern than Daigh. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make him think we’re going to help her overthrow him. If we?—”
“No,” I said.
“We have to try,” Aline’s eyes blazed.
“I don’t see what we going to achieve with this chat. Daigh isn’t the problem – the Slaugh are, and this won’t stop them. Aren’t we just giving away our one advantage by revealing that we have Aline?”
“We’re looking for weaknesses,” Aline said. “Daigh has all the power right now, and he knows it. All he has to do is wait. His weakness is his arrogance. He believes he will win.”
“Right now, he’s right.”
“If I go to him, begging him to reconsider and humbling myself before him, it will put him into that power position again. I’ll beg him to spare the human race. He’ll eat it up.”
“I don’t like this.” I folded my arms. “It’s not precise. There’s no reason he’ll tell us anything.”
“Remember, we’re witches. We might see something that he does not want us to see.”
I looked around at the faces of all my guys, waiting for an answer. I thought of Jane and Kelly and Connor, and everything that was at stake here. Finally, my eyes met my mother’s and I forced myself to push aside the swirling emotions inside me and consider her suggestion from a logical, scientific perspective.
“No,” I said. “We’re not doing it.”
“But—”
“I’m High Priestess here,” I said. “I’m not placing any of you in danger unless I can see a valid reason. I’m sure as hell not endangering anyone to invite Daigh to tea.”
“Then what are we going to do?”
“Corbin will look for more information about this magic of belief,” I said. “Flynn, you’re going to teach me how you imbue objects with your magic. The rest of us are going to find out everything we can about making protective charms against shades. We know the Slaugh are going to come out of the cracks, like the fae in the church. Maybe there’s a way we can use the belief magic to spread some kind of protection over a large area… prevent them from raising local spirits and building their ranks.”
“Like a fire – starve it of oxygen.” Arthur grinned.
“Exactly.” I glared at everyone in the room. “And I don’t want anyone trying anything on their own any more. No more sneaking off to the underworld by yourself.” I glowered at Blake and Flynn, “No more keeping secrets because you want to save people’s feelings.” That one was for Arthur and Corbin. “We’re in this together.”
We finished up the meeting and the others wandered off. Corbin gave me a look like he was hoping for his library back, but a quick flick of my head in my mother’s direction and he left with stack of books under his arms. I settled myself in the wingbackchair behind the desk, buoyed up by Corbin’s scent ingrained in the plush leather.
My mother ate her way through another plate of scones. Crumbs bounced across the blankets and cream smeared across her chin, but she didn’t seem to notice or care.
“You must have so many questions,” she said between bites.
“Actually, no.” I tapped Corbin’s montblanc pen against the corner of the grimoire. “You’re yet another thing on a very long list of shit I don’t have time to deal with until we’ve sorted out how to stop the Slaugh.”
