It was small but warm, every detail thoughtful. Two rocking chairs faced the fire. I stared at them, aching at the thought that she might have sat there waiting for me.
“El?” Farris called out.
Her tone made me turn. She looked pale. Ezra’s body tensed beside me, his eyes scanning the space.
“What’s wrong?” Ezra asked Farris. “I can hear it in your voice.”
Guilt washed over her face before she exhaled shakily.
“She’s not here.”
My stomach dropped. “Okay, so she went to town to get something.” I said too quickly, trying to convince myself.
Farris shook her head. “No, she wouldn’t have left. I went to town because we needed things, and I knew Philip was looking for her. I didn’t want him to find her. But…” She looked around the space and grabbed something. A note. “We’ve been getting odd notes, and she said someone was trying to hex her. She had a ward around the house.”
I snatched the note from her hand, scanning the words. My pulse roared in my ears.
“Who is leaving the notes?” I asked.
“Loma.” Farris looked at me. “Your mate.”
“I know who the hell Loma is. How do you know it’s her?”
Farris stepped closer, pointing at the slant in the handwriting.
“Loma writes like this. Trust me, I’ve seen enough of her writing to know. She had a hand injury a few years ago, and it made her letter slant.”
I stared at the note, bile rising in my throat.
“Why is Loma going after Elowyn? She knows Elowyn left me.”
“She knows you love Elowyn, for one. She also doesn’t really want a mate, and she doesn’t want Philip to have one either. She thinks it will hinder their plan, especially since Philip is infatuated with Elowyn. I think Loma can see that he is falling for El, and in some way, she’s jealous that he might fuck up their plans for her.”
My heart twisted painfully. I shouldn’t ask, but the question burned through me anyway.
“And is Elowyn falling for Philip?” I looked up at Farris, barely breathing.
Farris’ gaze moved over me before a small smile tugged at her lips.
“She can’t. Her curse only lets her fall in love once, and she already fell for you. Besides, she only went out with him because she thought maybe it would help her forget about you, but it hasn’t. And her little wraith friend, Nyxthra, absolutely hates Philip. Elowyn said she trusts her judgement and has been staying away.”
Relief filled me at this news, warm and dizzying. My lungs finally remembered how to work. The idea of Elowyn trying to forget me burned, but the fact that she couldn’t made my chest ache with a bittersweet pulse of hope.
“So Loma took her then?” Ezra asked.
Farris shook her head. “No, Loma is not attached to anyone. She was going to take you or Abram to use as a host, but Abram is avoiding her, and she can’t get to you.” Farris looked at Ezra.
“Can’t get to me?” he asked.
She swallowed hard. Her hands fidgeted at her sides, like she was trying to hide the truth in her palms.
“My magic has a ward around you. Philip and Loma can’t get close to you without it hurting.”
Ezra’s eyes widened in shock, a flicker of disbelief breaking through his anger, but Farris looked back at me. She wasprotecting Ezra and had been for some time. The thought of her silently guarding him twisted something deep in my chest. Ezra was staring at her, utterly confused.
“Philip must have gotten to her.”
“But there’s a ward,” I said.
