“You’re glowing,” I observed helpfully. “Is this a new thing?”
She cracked an eye open. “New enough.”
Neit’s sharp gaze lingered on her. “When were you touched by the gods, vampire?”
Moira’s lips thinned. “A couple of times.”
I hid my wince. Moira and Ash were both present on Caelan’s Keep land when fae and Chimera magic were flying all over the place. While Ash seemed to have escaped unscathed, Moira had suffered some unfortunate side effects.
Several months ago, she was manipulated into pulling a god through worlds—an event that had caused no lack of headaches for us.
Moira refused to talk about what was going on with her and assured me she had it all under control. Dad remained tight-lipped as well. Mom stayed out of everyone’s business, for the most part.
I had moderate success, but this was business I wanted to be in because it involved Moira. “Does the glow have a purpose?”
She lifted a thin shoulder. “I sense things.”
Moira rose and dusted her hands off. “We’re quite alone in these woods. No trace of shifters or gods.” She eyed Neit. “Unusual since we’re close to Caelan’s lands.”
“I cannot give you any information on Keep movements. I’ve tried my best to give the Lord space.” His eyes landed on my face and slid away. “He is not in the right frame of mind to be of assistance right now and could do more harm than good.”
“Where are the gods then? This is why you dragged us here, isn’t it?”
Neit nodded. “You sealed off Keep property, which might have saved Caelan’s life.”
I stilled.
“The rest of Joy Springs has fallen to fickle gods.”
“Who?” Rowan asked.
“Danu, for one.”
At my grimace, Neit nodded. “Yes. After your refusal to take her place, she came here almost immediately and broke Caelan’s wards.”
A faint smile tipped his lips. “But the old bitch couldn’t set foot on his lands because of how you marked them.” He chuckled. “No idea how you managed it, but Danu tore up a good portion of the forest close to his property during her tantrum.”
I closed my eyes and let out a breath of relief. If Danu had killed him over my refusal to be her retirement plan, I would never forgive myself.
“Who else?” I croaked.
His lips thinned. “I haven’t seen anyone else, but I know there’s at least one more here. I think it’s Titania.”
I blinked as dread filled my stomach. Titania had worked with the Lords to stab me in the back when I was away from my lands for a forced meeting with the fae. That bitch was the main reason I’d been trapped in the world tree for months. “She’s dead.” I’d killed her myself. She’d exploded into ash while I watched.
Neit nodded. “Supposed to be, but gods have a pesky way of surviving the unsurvivable sometimes.”
“If she’s alive, we’ll delight in ensuring she stays dead this time,” Garrett growled.
Moira stood by my side. She entwined our fingers together and said nothing, a stalwart and steady presence.
“What do they want with this place?” I couldn’t figure it out. Joy Springs wasn’t much. The town wasn’t close to any major hubs or industry. Wine country was here, but what did the fae care about wine?
Neit shook his head. “It’s not Joy Springs. They want it because it belongs to a Lord. Some fae never supported withdrawing from this realm. They believe we have the only rights to the earth and all the other dimensions, and everyone else is an interloper.”
“Taking it from a Lord proves the fae are more powerful and sends a message to those who may want to fight back,” Garrett said. He swore under his breath. “Caelan long suspected the fae were plotting against him.”
“Not just him,” Neit said. “Every Lord should be on their guard. The blight on their lands was only Danu’s first move. She is ancient and knows how to play the long game.
