I snorted. “I can’t see the council going for that explanation. Can you?”
David raised an eyebrow. “You had sex with a fae from another realm. His magic unlocked a spell that was cast by level one witches. It should’ve been unbreakable. Is it so hard to imagine that maybe a higher force intervened?”
Yes, actually. “Is there another explanation?”
“Well, we don’t know all that much about fae magic. Maybe it’s just that strong that it broke through the council’s spell?”
“That seems more likely, if I’m honest, but why did it do that? Why did Dathal’s magic seek out mine?”
David smirked. “Maybe that’s something you should be asking Dathal.”
“Maybe.”
Dathal aside, I still didn’t know where I stood as far as the council were concerned. “What happens now? Do I tell the council?”
David eyed me curiously. “Are you planning on having sex with Dathal again?”
It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. “It’s a strong possibility. Why?”
“Because if it happened once, stands to reason it could happen again and potentially wipe out your mark altogether.”
Oh. Good point. “And then what would happen?”
“I’m assuming your magic would be released and your sentence would be finished.”
“But I still have another three years, technically.” Not that I wanted them to add that year back on, but I didn’t want this to come back and bite me later on either. I didn’t want to end up with more than my three years.
“You brought it to my attention as soon as it happened. There’s nothing more you can do. Leave it with me. I’ll have a think how to approach the council with this.” He put his hands on my shoulders, grip firm. “There’ll be no punishment for this, I promise. This is out of your control, and the council will know that. I don’t want you to worry about it.”
Thank fuck for that.
I finally relaxed, letting out a shaky breath. “Thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Nick. We’re family. I’m on your side. Always.” He pulled me into a hug, and I went willingly, not realising how worried I’d been until David had taken it away.
He pulled back, sitting on the edge of the table again. “If you do keep seeing your fae and anything else happens with regard to your mark or your magic, please keep me updated.”
“I will.” I almost added that Dathal wasn’tmyfae, but I secretly liked how that sounded.
I left David talking to Solomon at the bar and headed to Midnight. We might be closed for the next two nights, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have things to take care of.
Inevitably my thoughts drifted to Zane, and then Dathal and the others. Had they got any new information from Blake? I didn’t see how if he’d been exposed to the same mind-altering magic I had. Even after watching video evidence of me and Gabriel talking to Callum at Midnight, I still had absolutely no recollection of it happening.
Maybe the fae were different? Maybe they had something to help him remember? Would any of that help Zane, or incriminate him further? I had no idea.
Deep down I wanted there to be some explanation that excused his actions, even though I knew that was never going to happen.
* * *
Dathal
Gabriel stood next to Axel, eyes wide as he turned in a circle. “I don’t remember it being quite like this.”
“No?” I tried to imagine how it looked to someone who hadn’t been back here in what had to be over ten years. To me it looked the same as it always had—welcoming, vibrant, and stunningly beautiful.
“Everything’s so…” He waved a hand at the trees and the grass surrounding us. “Green. And there’s so many flowers. The scents… it’s just a lot.”
Don’t get me wrong, the Dark Forest Pack territory had its own brand of beauty with its lake and surrounding forests, but it wasn’t the same.
