Helena replied, “Not yet, but I expect it’ll happen soon. After the French vampires kidnapped Dark Lord Leopold’s nephewand tortured him, they all but declared war since we’re allies with the vampires and shifters in the UK. Only because the Dark Lords are trying to handle the situation more subtly have they not formally done so. If things become dire, you’ll hear of it from your siblings or your brother-in-law.”
It suddenly made sense why her brother had been so protective of Nora, and how he or a few armed footmen or guards had always accompanied her when she went out.
Nora was probably a target. Hell, even Meadow and her siblings might be too, given their connection to the vampire Dark Lord.
Meadow’s heart rate kicked up, and she took deep breaths, wanting to avoid a panic attack. After breathing in for four, out for eight, and doing it a few times, the creeping sense of panic faded a little.
Helena said softly, “I can see we’ve upset you. We should send for your brother.”
“No, no, I’ll be fine. River’s busy, and anxiety and panic attacks are something I’ve dealt with before. Nora mentioned she might have some special herbal tea to help, and I’ll get it from her after you leave.”
After studying her for a second, Helena replied, “If you’re sure.” Meadow nodded, and the other female continued, “Nadia will be back tomorrow afternoon. That way you can enjoy your night with your handsome vampires and not worry about being sleep-deprived for your first lesson.” She paused, and then added, “And maybe if you end up marrying them, more fae witches can visit their pleasure house. I’ve always wondered about it myself. Maybe my fated lord is right there waiting for me.”
Meadow frowned. “But fae witches don’t have fated ones.”
“No, but I’ve always wondered about a vampire’s bite. Or a shifter’s stamina. And they both have fated ones.”
Nadia laughed. “Don’t mind Helena. The male she nearly married was a bastard. The day before her wedding, she learned he wanted her to be a second wife. Something he’d never mentioned before, either. Let’s just say Helena wasn’t happy about it.”
Helena smiled slowly, with a glint in her eye. “He tried to run and hide, but I found him. I can find any fae witch in this country.”
Meadow snorted. “That’s definitely a handy power to have, if someone screws you over. Er, I mean does something bad to you.”
“Screws you over,” Helena repeated. “I like that one. I’ll have to add it to my future vocabulary dictionary. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome?”
Helena bobbed her head. “Right, well, we should be off. I’ll be back in a week to check on you and see if you need any other assistance.”
Nadia waved a hand. “I’ll be back tomorrow at 3 p.m. And if they have any more of those little cakes, I’d love to have them again with tea.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Once they had said their goodbyes, Meadow shut the door and leaned against it.
While, yes, her head was filled with a lot of new information, mixed with a little anxiety, she was hopeful. She hadn’t had any friends since high school—except for her mentor, but even that hadn’t been super close, given the age difference—and while it was early days, she liked both Nadia and Helena.
It might’ve taken her traveling over a hundred years into the past to find a place where she might, just might, fit in.
Don’t get ahead of yourself, Meadow.
No, she needed to start learning more about this time and place, and quickly. So she headed upstairs and went throughthe small trunk. Hours flew by as she sorted through it and eventually wrote in her journal. By the time a package from Laurie and Joseph finally arrived, she was more than ready for a break.
After opening the box, she stared and then touched the material reverently. Tonight should be memorable, that was for sure.
And she couldn’t wait.
Chapter Eleven
As the heads of security for Nyx’s Kingdom, Frank Doyle and Susanna Rowe, finished giving their daily report, Laurie barely resisted looking at the clock for the tenth time.
Meadow should arrive at any minute, and he wondered if she’d ask for him and Joseph. He hoped so, but as impulsive as he usually was, Joseph had convinced him to hold back for the night. Otherwise, Meadow might run away and never return.
Frank cleared his throat. Laurie focused back on the vampire male and said, “I caught most of it, I promise. There was a scuffle between a shifter and a vampire, another between two humans, and a shifter tried to force her way inside. Nothing out of the ordinary for a busy night.”
Frank grunted. “Right, but you also asked me to keep an ear out about the fae witch territory, and word on the street says a few more fae witches went missing this week.”
Damn.It was a good thing Joseph was busy with the books and writing out order requests. The male was still upset over Meadow’s revelations the night before, and Laurie had only managed to calm him down earlier in the day. The last thing he needed was for Joseph to get worked up again.
