I frowned up at him. “You can’t touch them?”
He snorted. “Ari made sure people like me can’t handle her weapons.”
I let out a wolf whistle.
“Not those weapons,” Cernunnos said dryly.
“He’s right,” Ari said. “Certain beings cannot handle the weapons my father and I create. Cernunnos is one of them.”
Evie gasped. “Oh, my gods. Am I included in that?”
Ari flicked a hand, opening that strange blue portal once more. She withdrew the Star and handed it to Evie.
My friend stared at the weapon for a moment. “Is this going to burn me?”
“Every fae has a different reaction,” Ari said.
“But I’m not going to die or anything,” Evie confirmed.
Ari laughed. “No. Your father literally can’t handle them. If he tries to pick one up, they either move or disappear.” She grinned. “Honestly, it’s pretty comical.”
“Ari,” Cernunnos said, a warning note in his tone.
“Don’t be jealous,” Ari teased.
Evie reached out and plucked the weapon from Ari’s outstretched hand.
Absolutely nothing happened.
She held the star in her palm and bounced it up and down. “Huh. It’s heavier than I expected.”
Cernunnos squawked in outrage. “She’s my daughter. Why is she allowed to hold that?”
“I know the answer,” Evie said quietly.
Ari nodded to the fae queen.
“I don’t seek power.” She looked up at her father, a disappointed look in her bright eyes. “The weapons are sentient.” Evie stroked a finger over one of the star’s sharp tips. “Are all your weapons like this, Ari?”
The fae nodded. “Yes.” She sighed, and magic shimmered around her. Ari’s hair darkened back to her normal, or maybe not so normal, black, and her skin lost its iridescence. “My magic cannot lie dormant. It calls to be used, but weapons are for war. Jewelry was the second-best choice. Earrings, necklaces, and other pieces serve a purpose, so it works for my magic.”
“Yeah, but can you use one of those earrings to stab someone?”
Ari gave me an exasperated look. “I mean, I guess you can, but most people aren’t thinking about their jewelry when they’re being attacked.”
“Unless they’re being robbed,” Evie said.
Cliona came up. “I feel like you are heading off on a tangent when we should be discussing what to do with the body rotting a few feet away.”
“Technically, she’s not rotting,” Ari interjected.
“The smell tells a different story,” Rowan said, walking up behind Cliona.
“Your mother’s spell took a while to take effect, and she didn’t think to use a fridge to preserve the body.” Ari waved her hand. “Once the spell activated, the body’s normal decomposition process stopped.”
She grimaced. “Of course, it was too late to reverse the process. Though if it’s any consolation, the longer the spell stays in effect, the less the body will start to smell.”
I glanced at Cernunnos. “Can’t do a thing,” he said, reading my mind. “I can sense how volatile that spell is all the way from here. My advice is to stay far away from the body and only break the spell when you’re ready to respond.”
