Heguessedhe could understand why his father might have felt himself compelled.
“But you never said anything,” he said softly. “Mom didn’t even know you were fae. Even if you’d still had to leave – if she’d justknown–”
“I know that, son.” His father spoke softly, his eyes downcast. “If I could go back, I would do everything differently. But at the time, I didn’t want tobefae anymore. I wanted to leave everything that I had been behind me – oh, I thought of telling her a hundred times, more so after you were born. But I never had the courage. I thought she would reject me – you know how fae are thought of, and with good reason. Or she might assume I would run off one day, as fae are also well known to do.” He grimaced. “I suppose, in the end, I confirmed everything she might have thought of me, had I told her. I did everything I swore I never would. Now that I’m older, I realize how mistaken I was. You can never leave who, or what, you are behind you. I should have told her, and shown her I was different through my actions.”
“Even if youdidhave to leave, at least she would have known why you left,” Max told him, his voice stiff. “She wouldn’t have spent her whole life wondering if you ever even loved her in the first place.”
“I know. But you know your mother. She would have threatened to tear out the throat of every last fae who tried to keep us apart with her bare hands. Or her extremely large fangs, which you also know she has,” his father said. “She would never have accepted it, but physical strength and courage is no match for the magical powers of a fae. You saw for yourself whathecould do.” He nodded in the direction of the unconscious fae in the corner. “She would only have gotten herself killed.”
Max had to admit, he had a point. His mother had once threatened to shift and show his English teacher who he was messing with once when he’d been wrongly accused of cheating on a test. She woulddefinitelythink nothing of going toe-to-toe with some kind of telekinesis-having guy. He doubted she knew or cared what telekinesis even was.
“So… is that why you left us the money, then?” he asked.
His father nodded. “I know it doesn’t make up for anything. But I thought that, at least, was something I could do. I couldn’t be there for you, but at least I could try to ensure you had a comfortable life. That you wouldn’t want for much… well, I hoped not, anyway. It was such a paltry amount. I’m afraid your mother and I were a little extravagant while we were courting, so I didn’t have much left over. And as you can imagine, my parents were not willing to provide any more.”
Max blinked. He wouldnothave called the amount of money his father had left them paltry. It had certainly been enough to support them his entire childhood and beyond, without either of them ever going wanting, and enough for his mother to start her beauty spa. But perhaps things were different when you were fae nobility.
“All right,” Max said slowly. “I… I’ve heard your explanation for leaving.”And as little as I want to admit it right now, it all makes sense.“But this…this.That guy over there. Kidnapping me, and trying to harm my mate. What was allthatabout? And why did you come back now?”
“Ah.” His father nodded again. “That… is a more difficult situation to explain. It has to do with fae politics.”
Max’s head felt like it was spinning. “Fae politics? But what does that have to do withme?”
“Nothing, really,” his father said. “Except for the powers you have – the ones you inherited from me.”
“But I don’thaveany –” Max started, then realized how stupid that would sound, given everything that had happened. “Okay. So Idohave powers. But I never knew that until today – I could never… walk on ceilings or float people out of windows or attack them with flying axes.”
“Well, I should very much hope not.” His father sounded very stuffy and ruffled all of a sudden, like a very proper gentleman in a period drama. “Those are not our powers. Telekinesis is theprovince of an entirely different fae clan – nothing to do with us. I would never have a bar of any of those things. No.Ourclan has the power of mind control.”
Max sucked in a sudden, shocked breath.Mind control?
That sounded scary. And suddenly, he recalled how it had felt when he’d been pinning the other fae to the floor with what he now knew had been his massive lion’s paw, all the while feeling such power, such energy flowing through him – as if he couldseeinto the man’s mind, know his every thought. He could have used that power to scramble his mind, if he’d chosen to.
Feeling uneasy, Max sent a glance at the body still lying on the floor. The fae wasn’t dead, but had Max… damaged his mind somehow? He hadn’t meant to, but the thought chilled him all the same. He might have threatened to cut off Max’s limbs and send them to Poppy, and have tried to dosomethingto Poppy herself, but he didn’t know how he felt about having scrambled some guy’s brains, even if the guy in questionwasan asshole.
“He… he mentioned something about stealing my powers – well, Poppy’s powers, since he thoughtshewas the half fae,” Max said slowly. “Is that what this has to do with?”
His father looked grave. “Yes. It has everything to do with that. You see, son, each fae clan has its own particular powers. A magic that, during ancient times, they bound to their own clans and houses. They were closely guarded secrets – no fae house could learn another’s particular magic. But of course this led to conflict – some houses coveted other houses’ magic and powers, and of course, the more powerful the magic, the more powerful the clan. So we all began competing with each other for more and more power, which led to more and more secrecy. Until one day, a new spell was invented – one that obviated the need tolearnanother clan’s magic, in the event they could even break through the wards that protected our artifacts and spellbooks. It allowed a fae to simplystealit.”
“You mean… steal it right out of their heads?” Poppy asked, leaning forward, her eyes wide.
Max glanced at her. She’d been quiet, but she seemed to be listening intently, taking everything in stride – or as much in stride as she could. Maybe it would all sink in later – Max had a feeling that was how it would be for him. But for now, he had to keep himself together in order to listen.
“You are completely correct,” his father said. “With just a touch, the spell allows a fae to simply suck all the knowledge out of someone else’s head. Of course, it was made illegal immediately – one of the few crimes fae can still be sentenced to death for. But of course, some are still willing to risk it.”
“But… does the knowledge they stole… does it… will I…” Poppy’s voice was trembling, and Max suddenly realized why. New fury burst through him. If that fae had stolen some of Poppy’s knowledge – her memories, her training,anythingthat was hers, he was going to turn back into a manticore and tear him to pieces with his teeth and claws.
“No – nothing like that,” his father said quickly. “He might have taken something of your knowledge for himself, but it was not erased from your own mind. The spell isn’t that powerful. It can only copy – it cannot erase.”
As Max watched, Poppy closed her eyes, sagging a little in relief. “That’s good. Because I’m going to need to remember how to use QuickBooks if I ever want to get another job.”
“Well, quite,” his father said after a slight pause. “I’m sure that’s very important. Whatever it is.”
Max would have rolled his eyes, but he was a little distracted at that exact moment – he was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling ofrelief.
Of course, hewouldbe feeling relieved at a moment like this – but, strangely enough, he felt as if the relief were coming from somewhere outside of himself, as if – as if –
That’s the mate bond,his manticore, which had been quiet until now, as if it too were listening intently to what his father had to say, interjected suddenly, and Max could virtually hear the unspokenyou dullardtacked on to the end of it.
