Letting out a roar, I shoved at his chest. The ridges of his abs beneath my fingers were unsurprisingly firm. He stayed rooted to the spot, that wicked smile still playing across hislips.
“Explain yourself,” I demanded. “How did you know? Why the hell did you let meinside?”
“For one, I recognised you from that night at the Pack headquarters. I didn’t know you were one of Clark’s, but Saoirse did. She had a vision that saw you coming.” He leaned forward, tucked his finger beneath my chin, and tipped back my head. I swallowed hard, my anger battling a strange churning in my core. “And I let you in because I have no fight against the Morrigan. If she wants to spy on me, then so be it....” His grin widened. “Plus, I thought it would befun.”
“Argh!” I slapped his hand away from my chin and whirled toward the door. That was it. I’d heard enough. He had purposefully tricked me into thinking I was some sort of hostage in this place. For what? Somefun?!
When I reached the door, I stopped to give him one last glare. “What about the bloodcontract?”
“I have it somewhere safe.” He shrugged. “I can rip it in half at any time, and the spell isbroken.”
“So, you did all this to mess with me,” Ideadpanned.
“And you came here to spy on me. I’d say we’reeven.”
“Oh no.” I narrowed my eyes. “Just youwait.”
And with that, I stormed out of the room and slammed thedoor.
* * *
Despite my fury,I didn’t leave the castle. I returned to my freezing cold room and huddled beneath a blanket by the window. At some point, an apologetic Saoirse stopped by with my sword and cell phone and said I was free to return to London whenever I wanted. The blood contract had beendestroyed.
A part of me wanted to get the hell out, but my feet didn’t want to cooperate. They refused to carry me down the steps and toward the train station. Instead, I made a call toClark.
She answered half a ring into the call. “Moira?”
“It’s me,” I said with a sigh, gripping the phone tight in my hands. It was good to hear her familiarvoice.
“Oh, thank god,” she said in a rush of words. “I’ve been going out of my mind with worry. I got your note. The raven said you were fine, but...I was two seconds away from shifting into a bird and flying up there to rescue you myself. What the hell is going on? What do those numbersmean?”
I took a deep breath, half-afraid to spill the words and half-relieved I finally had the chance to confide in her. At least she hadn’t translated the code and sent a band of warriors up here to storm the castle. Lugh had given me my truth and my freedom. He trusted that I wouldn’t send an army straight to his frontgates.
“Everything is okay. Kind of. It’s a long story.” I nibbled on my bottom lip. “I’m going to tell you something, and you’re not going to like it. But I need you to make me apromise.”
“Okay, now you’re scaring me again,” she said with a tense laugh. “What’s thepromise?”
“I need you to promise that you’ll talk to Lugh before you make any decision about hisclaim.”
“Claim?” she asked suspiciously. “Whatclaim?”
And with that, I told her everything. Lugh, the Court of Wraiths, the traitors amongst them, and the quest for the cauldron that could bring backNemain.
“He was never the one who wanted to go up against you,” I finished. “He’s been trying to stopthem.”
“I see.” Her voice was hard. And tired. Very, very tired. I knew how she felt. The threat of Nemain was back on the menu again only two short years after we’d ended it. Not to mention that Clark was expecting her first child now. She had far more to lose than she hadbefore.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked her as I eyed my sword. The freedom was mine to take, if I wantedit.
“Do you trust him?” sheasked.
I thought hard. Did I trust him? Yes and no. He’d made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with Clark’s throne, but that didn’t change the fact he’d made his own court out of fae who didn’t want to be a part of hers. Some of whom were criminals. He could be cruel at times, but he could also be kind. And he was still hiding secrets. He may have opened up, but it hadn’t beencompletely.
That said, I could hardly blame him for that. I’d been lying to him all this timemyself.
I blew out a breath. “I believe he’s sincere when he says he wants to stop the cauldron from getting into the wronghands.”
“Then, I’d like you to stay there and help him, if you’re up to it. I know how you must feel about the threat of Nemain...if it’s too much for you, I can send someoneelse.”
