“Fun?” I shrugged.
“Fun with people associated with you.” Arach gave me a heavy look. “There are still many gods upset with you for nearly taking over the world.”
I waved that aside. “That's nothing compared to what Az did. He took all the heat . . . off . . . me,” I trailed off into a whisper. Then I growled, “This is about Azrael!”
Now that makes sense.
“They hit Azrael's pantheon.” Arach nodded. “His brother and his father.”
“And then Viper, who's another type of brother to him,” I said.
“And a day before all of that happens, Azrael is coming here,” Arach said. “That is an interesting coincidence.”
Especially if a faerie is behind this,Faerie agreed.But the target makes me less convinced that it is a faerie.
“Azrael has caused some serious changes for the Fey,” I said. “He outed us to the humans.”
“But that's all turned out well for us.” Arach leaned back into the corner of the couch to ponder. He flung back a length of crimson hair and stretched an arm along the couch back behind me. “Faeries get to travel freely to the Human Realm now. They're not myths anymore. That gives us power. Many humans adore faeries. Either that or they fear us. Which isn't a bad thing either. Faeries are moving to Earth in droves.”
“Maybe that's upset someone,” I said.
It would have to be someone important, Faerie noted.A common faerie wouldn't care. But if this person was in aposition of power, they might see this as a lessening of their power.
“So, royalty?” I asked in horror. “No. None of the royals would do this. Guirmean is a good friend of ours. He would risk his own life for us. The High King would have simply refused to allow faeries to leave the realm if he was that upset. The Dark Royals are like family. They wouldn't come against fellow dragons. Nor would they care about faeries leaving their kingdom. And I saved the life of the Princess of Air. There's no way her parents would hurt my husband.”
“That leaves Earth,” Arach said grimly.
“Not again,” I whined. “But the Earth Royals like us. Don't they?”
“I thought so.” Arach shrugged. “Perhaps they are wiser than their predecessors and have simply hidden their dislike.”
There are other positions of power,Faerie said.It doesn't have to be a royal. Perhaps a general or even someone as low as a village leader.
“No,” I said. “They've broken into Heaven, stolen a great artifact from a room that only a few could enter, and set the thing in the middle of the desert without being noticed. This person is not a village leader.”
Arach nodded. “They have significant power. Power they don't want lessened.”
Then it must be the Earth Royals.
“Damn it, Arach!” I huffed. “You stopped me from going back and saving Rory and Rivella. If I had, Ruari and Bronagh wouldn't be ruling.”
“And you could have altered many more lives for the worse,” Arach reminded me. “Things are as they should be.”
I grimaced. “I have all this power that I don't use.”
That is why you were given it, Vervain. Power like yours should not be used carelessly.
“Yeah, all right,” I muttered. “But Viper is in danger. I should be able to use it to save him.” Then I sat up straight. “I haven't tried the star.”
And you won't now,Faerie said.Because Viper is safe at the moment.
“Oh, right.” I blinked. “Then I should go back and try it in the future.”
Arach drawled, “Or you could stay because you need to be here tomorrow and we need to figure out who is behind this before you fix it, or they may just find another way to hurt Azrael.”
I sat back. “Azrael. The chains make more sense now.”
“Are you sure there weren't any other clues?” Arach asked.
