Leah shook her head, her serious brown eyes haunted in her fear. “You don’t understand. You have no idea what they’re like. They’re Faeries, for God’s sake. I’ll never be safe from them.”
“No all Fae are evil, Leah.” Mairi, Connor’s sister, spoke from her spot on the sofa next to her husband, Ramos Navarro. “And we do know what you fear. We’ve dealt with these renegades ourselves.”
Leah rejected their comments with a shake of her head but didn’t answer, tears dripping down her cheeks.
Destiny dropped Jesse’s hand and crossed to kneel at her sister’s side. “We’ll think of something. I promise. That’s why we’re all here.”
“There’s nowhere I’ll be safe,” Leah whispered, clutching at Destiny’s hand. “I can’t go back to them, Desi. I can’t.”
“You’ll stay here.” Connor spoke again, taking charge as he was wont to do. As if by the power of his sheer will he could eliminate the young woman’s fear.
“That won’t be enough to keep her safe.” Ramos turned to look up at his brother-in-law. “She’s right. Adira won’t give up. They’ll find her and then every female in this family will be at risk. We have to find a more secure spot.”
Robert silently agreed. If anyone in this room should know what the Nuadians were capable of it would be Ramos. After all, he’d been raised by the devil’s spawn.
“I believe I may have a solution.” Pol, High Prince of the Realm of Faerie, long-distant ancestor of many in this room, rose to his feet. He turned his gaze toward Leah, his eyes sad. “If our young guest is agreeable to my suggestion, that is.”
Leah straightened in her seat, her face a mask of false bravado. “I’ll do anything that keeps me away from that woman. What’s your plan?”
“If the Nuadians’ new strength prevents Leah from living out her life without fear, perhaps we err in looking for awhereto take her. Perhaps we should consider awhen.”
Of course!Leave it to the Prince to point out the obvious. The solution that none of them would ever consider on their own.
“I suppose it could be done,” Cate said thoughtfully. “We’d need to choose the spot carefully. Send her to someone we could trust.”
“But we couldn’t send her alone.” Mairi added her voice, betraying her growing excitement to anyone who knew her as well as Robert did.
“Send her where?” Destiny’s face had taken on an ashen look of panicked suspicion that spilled over into her voice. “What’s going on here that I’m not getting?”
“Not where,” Jesse explained. “When. They’re talking about sending Leah back in time.”
“That’s crazy.”
Robert fought the urge to shake his head. After all the woman had been through, how could she still doubt?
How could she not, he reminded himself. The knowledge that Faeries and magic existed was difficult to work your mind around in the beginning. He’d had his own time to get used to the idea. Destiny would need hers as well.
“You could really do that?” Leah sat up straight, interest lighting her eyes.
“Yes,” Jesse answered. “They can. But you’d need to understand, once you’re there, there’s no guarantee they could ever get you back.”
“Like you think I’d ever want to come back?” Leah scooted forward in her chair. “I’d spend my life in the Stone Age if it meant I could be safe from... from them.”
“I promise it’s not the Stone Age we’re considering.” Cate smiled at the young woman. “But it would be a very, very different life for you.”
“Anywhere.” Determination radiated around Leah. “How soon can I go?”
“As quickly as we can make a few preparations,” Cate answered.
“And decide who’s to accompany you,” Mairi added.
“I’ll go.” Jesse rose from his chair and crossed to where Destiny knelt next to Leah’s chair.
Robert’s spine stiffened. Jesse felt as much brother as friend to Robert after all these years. There was no way he could allow Jesse to take this kind of risk. Not now that he’d discovered the one woman fate had intended for him.
Before he could voice his opinion, Leah rejected the offer herself.
“Not you.” She shook her head, her hand fisted on the arm of the chair. “I didn’t go through all that agony to save your life just so you could abandon my sister. You need to take care of her.”
