Page 33

I went still. “She’s still alive, isn’t she?”

“The witch’s body is still intact. Ethan remains under the same spell, so we can only assume your mother still lives.”

“If only I could be so lucky.”

Neither one of us mentioned Ethan’s absence during my rescue. I’d already come to terms with his decisions. Driven by magic as they were, it still hurt, but I understood. As much as I could.

What mattered was who was here with me.

“What comes next?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Rest, I guess. Recovery. I’ll have to go after her soon. Every moment she doesn’t have me is another moment she’s looking for someone else. If I can spare someone else that pain, I will.”

“Her actions are not your responsibility.”

I glanced up at him. “Would you go after her if you were in my position?”

His silence was answer enough.

“You can’t interfere,” I said quietly.

Cernunnos had rules. Evie and I didn’t know all of them, but we did know he was not directly allowed to interfere in events. He could manipulate from the sidelines and drive people to do his bidding through bargains and blackmail, but Cernunnos was not allowed to interfere in what could be deemed as fate.

He couldn’t kill my mother for me. Well. Technically, he could. He’d even offered before, and I’d said yes. The ensuing fight hadn’t gone well for either of them. I shudder to think what might have happened if he’d succeeded.

“Technically, I can,” Cernunnos said. “I have some wiggle room.”

“You can put a knife through her heart.”

He shrugged. “I say we try it and see what happens.”

I laughed. “How about no on that one. I’ll figure out how to handle my mother, so this won’t happen again. Since I have some time to convalesce, I’ll have time to think things through.” I blinked. “My tea shop. Shit. I forgot all about it! Is it still open?”

Cernunnos nodded. “Turns out Thalia is well versed in tea blends. She stepped in during your absence and took over the day-to-day management. Rowan checks the books, but Thalia has done an incredible job. I suggest you keep her on as a manager, but the decision is ultimately up to you. She’s beginning to assimilate well in Emberwood. Perhaps this is just what she needed to come out of her shell a little more.”

Thalia was Evie’s half-sister and a powerful Seer. She was also kind of a bitch, but when you knew where she came from and what she was dealing with, it was hard not to feel empathy for her. “Alright. When I’m ready to go back to the shop, I’ll see for myself.”

I was just glad I still had a shop to go to. Most vampires were masters of saving because of their immortality. If you ever met a broke vamp over a hundred, something had gone terribly wrong for them.

“Thank you.” We sat there together for a while in silence. My eyes grew heavy, and I wrapped an arm around his waist. His warmth soothed me, and I fell asleep wondering how in the world I’d gotten so lucky to have this group of friends and family to look out for me.

Chapter

Seventeen

Evie dropped off a tray of dinner after the world’s longest nap. Cernunnos had left, but Ember lay at the foot of my bed, keeping me warm. He hadn’t left my side in hours, and every time I moved, his head would pop up and he’d watch me closely.

I think the fox missed me.

“There’s someone here to see you,” she said, a note of disapproval in her voice. “I can send him away if you like.”

I snorted. “Him?”

Our eyes met. Evie’s burned with righteous anger.

“Ah. Ethan?” My heart lurched at the thought of seeing him.

“Yes,” she said through clenched teeth. “The pesky bond between you two seems to be stronger on his side. He felt the moment you made it home.”