What would Gordon do if he could use blood Shadows on the man in charge of the whole country? What would happen if he controlled someone who was in contact with all the other leaders around the world?
Kay cleared her throat and Zach knew he wasn’t going to like what she said next. “James thinks that Gordon will make his move on Alban Hefin.”
It made sense. The summer solstice was the longest day—a day of power for the Dru-vid—and also the day when the light gave way to the shadows. Gordon would love the powerandthe symbolism.
Zach looked down at the date on his watch. Hell. The solstice was less than two weeks away.
Maybe they were jumping to conclusions. They had no evidence that Gordon was setting his sights on the Prime Minister—no evidence other than Gordon’s obsession with power and James’s confused memories.
“What is Gordon’s plan?” Zach asked. “What does James say is actually going to happen on the solstice?”
“He doesn’t know,” Kay admitted. “He remembers bits and pieces but it’s spotty at best.”
Zach swallowed the urge to growl. James had been part of Gordon’s plans. Heneededto remember. If Gordon became Archdderwydd, if he took control of the Prime Minister and then extended his influence out to the rest of the world, his power would be unimaginable. They would all be in danger—far greater danger than they were already in. God. Emma would be in danger.
Kay sighed. “James is trying, Zach.”
Maybe he was. But it didn’t change all the damage he’d already done. It didn’t make Emma any safer.
“He told us about the meeting,” Kay added.
“A meeting he doesn’t know anything about. He’s not telling us what was supposed to happen there or what Gordon plans to do with whatever he’s achieved. He’s not telling us what Gordon’s going to do next or even where to find the man.”
“He’s sharing everything he knows.”
“Too fucking late.” The words were out before he could stop them. James should have trusted them. Should have told them the truth long before everything got so bad. If James had just told them what Gordon was doing with the blood Shadows, Zach could’ve helped him. James’s silence had nearly cost them Kay. Nearly cost them Elizabeth. Hell, it had nearly taken James’s life too.
Kay grunted, ignoring his outburst. “I’ve tried to explain this all to David, but he’s still convinced he has a chance to find something that will help. I don’t think he wants to accept that the Council he dedicated himself to has been working against him this whole time.”
That was a feeling Zach was entirely familiar with. He completely understood why David didn’t want to believe the Council was supporting Gordon. Especially after he’d joined it against Elizabeth’s clear wishes.
“Do you think Emma might be able to help with anything? Anything at all?” Kay asked.
Zach dug his foot into the sand, watching it crumble. “Honestly, no. She hasn’t even spoken to Gordon in years.”
Kay groaned. “Okay, then we’re back to Plan Z. The worst bloody plan in the world. Elizabeth is trying to force a vision. If we can find Gordon, then we can stop him. We can figure out how to deal with the Council once they no longer have Gordon and his blood Shadows corrupting everything.”
Damn. Forcing a vision was unlikely to help. Gordon was warding himself using blood Shadows and everything he did was set up to be random, unpredictable, and hidden. Worse, it was a painful, precarious, severely frowned-upon way to make predictions, and Elizabeth had been hurt enough already. “How is she?” Zach asked quietly.
“Still struggling. She’s having bad dreams, and they aren’t all visions. Some of them are just plain nightmares.” Kay lowered her voice to almost a whisper. “It doesn’t help that David flew in here all desperate to save her, and then clammed up and left four days later. He’s gone straight back to pretending Elizabeth is nothing more than an old friend, and she is thoroughly pissed off.”
Zach snorted. Yup. Elizabeth would be pissed, and David would be feeling it, however many miles away he was. David loved Elizabeth but he’d made mistake after mistake with her.
Zach looked up and saw Emma walking along the beach toward him, and all thoughts of David and Elizabeth fled.
Emma was wearing a short wetsuit, unzipped to reveal glimpses of a cobalt blue bikini, and she was carrying her paddleboard as she walked through the foam at the edge of the water. Sunshine on the water sparkled behind her like an aura for a goddess.
She took his breath away, distracting him from all the ugliness they’d been discussing. Making him forget his fears and his worries.
Emma turned away from the water, leaving her board on the shore, and walked up toward him. Her hair was tied back in two braids and all he wanted to do was tug out the ties and run his fingers through it until it was a wild, disheveled mass of red and bronze and gold. Then he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her until he forgot all his fears and doubts.
“Sorry, Kay, I’ve got to go,” Zach said, watching Emma. “We’ll think of something. Some way to find Gordon.”
“Thanks, Zach,” Kay said in his ear. “And Zach, Ethan says yes. He thinks they can help Emma.”
God. They could help. Ethan and Bryn could give Emma back her Shadows and solve her agonizing headaches. The sight of her curled into herself, shaking helplessly as she fought through the pain was seared into his brain. If he could take away even a small portion of that suffering, he would. “Thanks, Kay. I—”
Emma leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek and then settled down beside him on the sand, and he lost any idea of what he’d been planning to say.
