I finally shoved my way to Evie and Ward pushing my hand into their faces to part them, but just ended up with a handful of slobber for my trouble. Wiping my fingers on my apron, I took stock, fear crowding behind my teeth. I didn't dare step into Noth’s shadows. I wanted my brain to remain unassaulted. Searching for my magic, I grabbed metaphysical handfuls of it, reeling it back inside myself. It had never gotten away from me to this degree. I knew how to stop it. Right?
Evie and Ward sat closest and were free of the feastweaving’s grip first. Ward groaned as Evie kept kissing any part of him she could find.
“Viper,” Ward cupped the back of his mate’s head.
Evie dove her hand under the table. Ward stiffened. Evie jumped like Ward shouted at her in her mind.
“But I’m hungry,” she whined.
I tried to help contain Evie, but Ward pushed me back as if I weighed nothing. He didn't snap me in half, which I appreciated. He spilled out a containment spell that trapped my magic tight against my skin. No wonder they all went mad. Waves of euphoria sloshed against me. The bear King was usually an easygoing guy, but rage lit his eyes in a glow that would have had me stepping back if I could have moved.
“How dare you endanger my mate.” His low growl filled the room, which slowly quieted as my magiclifted from the assembly. Ward's hand instinctively covered Evie’s belly and I swallowed hard. Oh, cheese on crackers.
“Your magic could have hurt the cub!”
My jaw hit the floor. She was pregnant? Maggie squealed as she stumbled out of the shadows, towing Noth behind her. She threw herself into her sister’s arms. Frozen on the spot, dark, panicked thoughts coated the back of my tongue. This would just be one more person… bear… dragon… dragon/bear between my bestie and me. No, wait. I was happy for my best friend! I would be a Goddsmother! It might have been a childish promise made over pastries when we were ten, but I was holding her to it.
Noth’s face rearranging back into his Elven form still creeped me the fuck out.
“Congratulations.” He turned to me. “You pack quite a punch, little feastweaver. I’m booking you for my next state dinner.”
That sounded like a terrible idea. I still didn't know enough about my magic to be sure what had just happened and what the effects were. Declan stumbled up to the head of the table, weaving, half-drunk on my magic.Everyone else looked like they were returning to normal, if frazzled, like Ward's panther shifter accountant. The woman rearranged her clothing to some semblance of sanity, combing back her short hair with her fingers while shelooked around.
“Clarus? Clarus, where are you?”
The bowl of tomato soup next to her rocked back and forth, making noises that approximated speech, spoon clattering with a wet slap.
Just as the room came back to themselves, the panther screamed loud enough to turn every eye in her direction. “Clarus!”
Oh fuck.
My magic had never done that before. Fear skittered up my spine. Pandemonium broke out as everyone checked themselves and loved ones.
“I’ll fix it. I’ll fix it,” I yelled into the cacophony.
“I’ll fix it,” Ward roared, clutching Evie closer to his side as if he would personally battle everyone in the room.
“I can help,” Noth said.
We all turned to him and said, “NO!” at the same time. Maggie patted his shoulder in consolation.
The panther shifter came toward us with a full head of steam. “You need to do something about this. Right this second.”
Evie stood between me and the outraged woman. I couldn’t have been prouder of her when I knew she hated confrontation.
“We’re working on it, Margory.”
Claws came out. Very sharp ones at that. I swallowed hard.
“Not good enough. How can you even let her stay in this Keep?”
Evie calmly folded her arms across her ample chest. “I’m not.”
“That’s outrageous. I can’t believe…” The shifter ran out of words.
We all ran out of words as we turned to the Queen of Harrowood. Ward was so surprised that he released his containment spell. My magic dissipated beneath my skin. Without the high, the pain crept back through my bones and I fought to stay upright. This definitely wasn’t the time to lose it in front of everyone.
With a theatrical sigh, Evie spread her arms. “What am I to do with my best friend?”
