“Would you keep your voice down?” Clarence hissed.
“Why? Are you embarrassed?” I asked, raising my voice even louder as Bree caught up.
“No, but this is a residential area! You have to respect these peoples’ right to a quiet life. This is a farm!” Clarence said.
“Clarence, don’t play with me!” I growled, leaning in close enough so that my nose was pressed against his. “You were so worried that someone would take your little army and your little guards who help you collect shiny shit that you left my mate in danger? How dare you? How dare you after everything I’ve done for you!”
“He wasn’t supposed to come back,” he said.
“Hi,” Medwin waved to Bree. “I don’t want to fight right now.”
“I may vomit on you if we fight,” Bree nodded.
“Don’t do that,” Medwin shook his head.
“Are you going to tell us what’s going on so that we can finally lay Pras to rest and get rid of Ferrick then?” I growled.
“In time,” he nodded.
“In time?” I growled. “The time is now, Uncle!”
“It’s complicated,” Clarence said and I growled again feeling my fire playing at my tonsils. “Ferrick had his followers. Not naming other descendants gave them a chance to live in peace.”
“In peace? Was it in peace when that ghost bitch tried to slice Bree in half?” I roared in his face.
To his credit, Clarence barely flinched.
“I’m sorry that I cannot control the emotions of unstable ghosts,” Clarence said. “I cannot control their actions anymore than I could’ve stopped Ferrick from being what he was. I’m not even sure I’d win. Maybe you would kick my ass but it wouldn’t solve anything. Eh, maybe you’d feel better for a minute, but we’d have the same problems afterward.”
“Who are you and what have you done with Clarence?” I growled.
“I usually have the higher ground. Usually, I’m pretty sure I’m right. Only this time everything being said about me is true. I tossed the book. I didn’t tell anyone about Pras or any of the others. I even made the rule about the firstborn leading and making any child parented by an egg smasher ineligible to be the heir. That’s the part of the law no one talks about anymore because Medwin isn’t an egg smasher. I don’t think Eston would be either or any of the triplets’ mates.”
“Are you okay?” I asked, lowering my voice. Either something was way more wrong than I thought or Clarence was playing mind games with me. Only he smelled like he spoke the truth.
“I’m in the same spot as you. He’s carrying an egg and none of us are sure we can stop Ferrick. Only, I knew him. He was my carrier. I know full well what he’s capable of,” he said.
“What are you going to do about it?” I asked.
“I’m writing a book,” he said.
“We’re writing a book,” Medwin said. “Telling everything that happened.”
“And what then?” I asked, confused.
“Well, we’re counting on some witches to be around to help us make sure Ferrick goes to the afterlife when Pras does,” Clarence said. “Then perhaps if everyone is so riled up to take up their birthright by relation to Roster Moonscale, we’ll found a council and you can deal with it when Teal or his little minions seed bomb the golf courses.”
I leaned in and sniffed his neck. He rolled his eyes. If we were a little less familiar with each other my sniffing may have started a fight.
“You mean what you say,” I said, stepping back from him.
“Perhaps I’ve grown tired of trying to take care of everyone,” Clarence shrugged. “Maybe more scales will mean lighter work, but I’m not putting the cart before the horse.”
“Why a book?” I asked.
“Because books are magical,” Medwin said, taking the opportunity to slide in between us. “And so that generations from now people can learn from it. There is no safe way to gather up everyone it would affect. Not with Ferrick running amok. We’ve forbidden any of the kids or grandkids from coming to seeus here. Canton was so kind as to offer us a place in his Burrow until we sort things out. This place… The magic is too good here and would give us a fighting chance against Ferrick. He has Cade and the triplets and the rest of our kids and grandkids. He doesn’t need Clarence around anymore.”
“You think he wants to kill Clarence?” I arched a brow.
