Someone cleared their throat and I turned to see Brayden’s little sister Nora standing to my left, her head bowed as she nervously fiddled with her hands.
Brayden reached out and grasped Nora’s shoulder. “Averly, Nora has been waiting a long time to tell you something.”
She looked up at me then, eyes swimming with unshed tears. I was taken aback at how much she looked like a miniature version of Maddy. I’d seen her from across the room many times but now, this close, I could see that her eyes were the exact shade of blue as Maddy’s.
“Thank you for—” Her voice broke. “Taking my place.”
My throat tightened and, in that moment, all of the abuse I’d sustained from Silas was worth it. Stepping forward I pulled her into my arms and wrapped her in a tight hug. “You’re very welcome,” I told her and she wept softly against me.
After a full minute of holding each other, we pulled away and both wiped at our eyes.
“I’m going to see if Morgana needs any help,” Nora said and ran off then. I wasn’t sure what she could help a witch with but she probably needed some space after crying openly in front of everyone.
I took that moment to look around at our ragtag group. Maddy and August were making out against the car, Nora was now standing behind Morgana in the distance inspecting a baby wheat stalk, and I stood with Brayden and Leah.
The Amarok was inside the main house, no doubt telling his farm manager that he was about to have company for the next few weeks.
Why did it feel like someone was missing?
Artemis.
He’d saved my ass twice now and I hadn’t been able to thank him. As if my mere thoughts summoned him, the space before me shimmered and then a portal egg dropped to the ground a few seconds before the Elder Fae followed. He had a bloody lip and the tips of his hair were singed, but otherwise he looked okay.
I didn’t know why I had such a strong emotional connection to him, but I did, and I burst forward and pulled him into a hug.
“Oh.” His shocked voice and limp arms told me he wasn’t a hugger, but I didn’t care.
When I finally let him go, I looked up at him with misty eyes. “Thank you.”
He paled, a nervous look running over his face. “We need to talk privately,” was all he said.
Oh crap. That wasn’t good.
I looked back at Brayden, who nodded, as if telling me it would be okay. Did he know what we were going to talk about?
Artemis simply headed for the barn without another word, and I was forced to follow him.
“Uhhh, what’s this talk about?” I asked, running to catch up.
He looked behind me at Morgana and everyone else. “Not here.”
Anxiety tightened my gut. I hadn’t seen the dude for a year, except briefly in the park and the ballroom, and he wanted to talk? Why? What was so urgent? I barely knew him.
We stepped into the barn and my eyes skimmed over the space more closely this time. It was a large loft type of setup with an open kitchen, living room, and then six different doors that I assumed led to private rooms.
“I’m freaking out, man. What?” I said, the second we shut the door behind us.
“Tea?” he asked, heading for the kitchen, and I groaned.
Was this guy for real?He barely says hi to me, rushes me in here to tell me something, and now wants to make tea.
“Screw the tea. Tell me what’s wrong!” I yelled.
He froze, hand on a drawer, and then dropped it, turning to face me with a shameful look that only confused me. “I lied to you before when I said that you were part weak healer fae,” he finally said. I physically inclined my ear towards him as if I didn’t hear him properly and he rested his hands at his sides. “I’m sorry, I was caught off guard and didn’t want to worry you and the king before I figured out what I was dealing with.”
I gave him awhat-the-hell-did-you-just-say?look, and frowned at the Elder Fae. “I can’t handle much more today, Artemis. What do you mean youlied?”
I hadn’t really thought about the whole part fae thing all year.
