“Again, I don’t have an answer to that, but I’m wondering if something awoke when you two met. I mean, this all started then, right?” Ash looked between us.
It did all lead back to when Warwick and I met; things started to change after that. It was solidifying the bond that tied us together—whether or not we wanted it.
“Whatever the reason, it doesn’t change the fact they are drawn to you. You have to make sure they know you’re the boss.”
“How about I leave this place?” I motioned around with my free arm.
“You could, but I don’t think it will go away. If death is attracted to you, then you need to start learning to handle it. The Eastern Bloc is one big graveyard.” Ash cocked his brow to where Warwick touched me. “And I doubt you want to depend on him every time it does.”
Depend. Ash said the key word, hitting my mind with utter clarity and determination. Fuck no, I didn’t.
“What do I do?” I lifted my chin.
“You have to confront them. With his help at first.” He nodded to where Warwick touched me. “In intervals until they understand you are dominant. In control.”
“Him?” My eyes narrowed. “Why can’t you help me?”
“Because I can’t help you block them like he does. You two are connected.” He took one step back. “Plus, I need to go back to Budapest.”
“What?” Confusion creased my face. “Why?”
“What the fuck do you mean you’re going back to Budapest?” Warwick snarled, his fingers pinching my elbows.
“Well, the reason I brought you guys up here...” Ash paused. “Before we got distracted with the issue of the dead clamoring for her. I had an idea...” Ash rubbed his chest absently. “It might not even work. But you remember how your uncle said the nectar disappeared, and no one knows where it is or what happened to it?”
“Yes,” I said slowly, watching Ash closely, feeling prickles of nervousness.
“There is something that might...” His mossy green eyes met mine, a tiny grin hinting on his lip. “It might tell us.”
“You mean... ?” I didn’t know if terror or excitement was bubbling in my stomach.
“The fae book.” Ash dipped his head, his voice lowering as he looked around, trying to see if anyone had come in on us.
“You think it would know?” Warwick shifted on his feet, turning more toward Ash, his hand firmly on me. “It would show you?”
“It knows everything. The problem is... if it is willing to share this information. I thought it might showher.” Ash tipped his head at me. “It’s worth a shot, don’t you think?” Ash’s whispered voice rose slightly. “If people are out searching for it again, imagine if it fell into the wrong hands. If this nectar is everything they say it is, it would be as desired as the treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann. Especially for humans. People would kill for this. Startwarsfor it.”
Warwick jerked around, glowering at Ash, his head shaking.
I had heard about the four treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann—another name for the Otherworld—a sword, cauldron, spear, and stone. The treasures were treated like sacred items. Hardly ever talked about. Whispered in dark corners like scary ghost stories.
It was ancient fae folklore. Four treasures were made by high Druids for fae kings as gifts. Unfortunately, anything with so much power tended to turn people into monsters, breeding power, greed, and death. Druids separated the treasures and hid them from the fae. Queen Aneira later slaughtered almost all the Druids for their secret. Around the time of the fae war, it was rumored some pieces had been found and that Queen Aneira was actually killed by the current ruler, Queen Kennedy, a Druid, using the sword of Nuada, which still sparked hate. I guess many thought Aneira’s niece, “the rightful ruler,” should have been queen.
The treasures were said to have been destroyed while others thought they were hidden again, still out there to discover. Just like the nectar, the human’s equivalent to the fountain of youth. One that would destroy if fallen into the wrong hands.
“If I leave now, I could be back in a day.” Ash’s voice tugged me back to him.
“Wait... what?” I rubbed my brow. “You left it in your house?”
“It’s well protected. It’s not like I’d carry such a huge weight around where anyone could take it from me,” Ash responded.
“Exactly. With the fae doors, bad roads, and gangs hunting the motorway...” Warwick shook his head. “It’s too dangerous to do by yourself. You almost drove right into the fae door on the way here.”
Before the Otherworld and Earth came together, fae doors had still been here in specific places. They were more easily accessible on days like Samhain, when the layers between worlds were thinnest. But when the two worlds merged, it caused thousands of slits in the atmosphere, creating doors everywhere. I had yet to see one, but we lost people to them all the time. They were invisible to human eyes and easy to step in by accident, the person never to be seen again, lost in the endless maze. They were said to be like black holes, and even fae vanished into them.
“Don’t worry, Mom.” Ash nudged Warwick’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Be a fast trip. And you know it’s worth a shot.” Ash lifted his shoulder. “Actually, be better without you. You’re like a giant neon sign.” We all knew Ash was full of shit. Though Warwick was a beast,he was fast, deadly, and was intimidating enough for gangs to question attacking him. “It’s not like I haven’t saved your ass a time or two.”
Warwick tipped his head to the side.
