A Luckman at the balcony’s edge looked struck, staring. Not at me, but at Lochlainn. Eyes wide.
The prophecy.
They knew? They knew thiswhole time?
Every head turned to Lochlainn. He stood taller now, more composed—knuckles having returned to pink.
Our eyes locked. An intense current passed between us, fierce and unspoken.
His face shifted, and for a moment, I saw David—the same rush of relief he used to wear after I’d done somethingreallystupid but surpassed the expected failure. Lochlainn’s expression smoothed into something not anticipated.Pride.
Finley stood off to the side, the color having returned to his face. His eyes trailed over my body, scanning the injuries. But his gaze suddenly launched toward Lochlainn, not awestruck like the others, but livid.
Golden eyes sparked. A slow, marveling grin lit up Lochlainn’s face. He chuckled, then shook his head at me. Deliberate and slow, he began to clap.
47
CARWYNN
I neededto clear my fucking head.
Slap!Every freaking time!
My forearm stung along a splattering of freckles where I nearly nailed the little flesh-feasting bastard.
In the Human World, nightly strolls meant mosquito bites. But here, you’d be victim to itty bitty, demonic fairy pests that prowled the forest looking for warm bodies to chew on. Enchanted rodents. Must’ve been cousins of the Brownies . . .
A row of tiny bite marks sat below my elbow, another battle wound to add to my collection. Huck and his magical fingers healed the claw marks on my shoulders from the Snake Pit. Unfortunately, the Dullahan’s were too severe, so angry jagged lines remained.
The last few days felt like the aftermath of a car accident. Whiplash. Tremors. An insane amount of emotions frying my nervous system.
Not only were Lochlainn’s drugs poisoned, but someone had infiltrated his underground club. Turned out, the simulation was hexed right before I went in. It wasn’t capable ofconjuring monsters, no, that was something only a powerful individual—possibly someone of the Craft—could do. And I, an Ancient’s misfortunate chew toy.
It’d be a while until I pet a dog again.
Lochlainn was spitting flames—sending men out in packs, tearing the quadrants apart until they could find the culprit. Last I heard, no such luck.
Finley refused to leave my side. It was only after he brought me home, and I summoned Huck to heal me that he finally relented. I warned Finley that if a Cherub showed up, usually David followed right after—and would probably be out for blood, not caring who paid it. Luckily, Wyatt arrived with him to help diffuse his atomic reaction.
I visualized mentally expelling all my stress as I blew out a long breath.
Myadvisorsdirected me to lay low at home, but I abandoned those suggestions tonight. My mind felt sore, the weight of everything pressing in and bruising. I was in desperate need of some air.
Orb lights lined the dirt path ahead. They looked like glowing yellow fireflies strung up for a party, splaying beams across the ground, dancing through the trees.
It was such a pretty night. The feeling of stepping into a childhood storybook never seemed to fade around here, but that was the effect The Mounds had on you. You almost imagined magic twirling in the breeze and kissing your cheeks good evening. Simply mystical.
My long, soft, form-fitting black dress was paired with a sweater. Perfect for the cool Luckland air. Shoes scuffed against the path as if my own feet knew I should’ve turned back a while ago, but those goddamn sparkly lights kept pulling me forward, entranced, happy to feel the calmness.
A sudden rustle from behind had be spinning around.
Shit. My heart thundered in my chest as two reflective eyes watched me from the shadows.
I froze.
Slowly, a massive wolf prowled out from the trees.
Onchu dog, the name whispered in my mind, trudging up images that made my palms sweat.
