My stomach dipped.“That’s what he is?”
His gaze lifted to mine.“Yes, and I know what it means.”
“What does it mean?”Owen asked, voice flat.
Voss looked between us.“It means the crossing it’s just open.It’s loud.The portal at the tree is still open,” he said.“That makes it accessible.Everything coming through is using your gate.”
“I know.”
“You need to close it.”
“I plan to.”
He stood abruptly.“Then my work here is done.”
“Oh no,” I said, springing to my feet.“Sit back down.”
Owen stood too.“That wasn’t a request.”
Voss studied us for a long second.Then he sat.Willow immediately hopped back into his lap, turned once, and settled with a satisfied purr.
I blinked.
That… wasn’t normal.Willow barely tolerated Owen.
Voss glanced down at the cat like he didn’t know what to do with her, then sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.“The Council oversees all active crossings.All realms.”
“How many realms?”I asked.
“Infinite.”
I stared.“That’s not helpful.”
“It’s accurate.”
Pink glitter exploded at the doorway.The fairy queen was normal size, standing in the center of the room.
“Tani,” I groaned.“We talked about poofing.”
“Old habits,” Tani said with a dismissive wave.
“Titania,” Voss acknowledged with a dip of his head.His expression was grim.
“Insufferable man.”
“You two know each other,” Owen said.
“We have history,” Tani snapped.
“A long one,” Voss agreed, eyes narrowing.“Why aren’t you in Faery?”
Tani’s eyes flashed.“Because I can’t get back without Oberon.”
That gave him pause.“Where is he?”
“Trapped in another realm.I brought the Fae treasures to get him out.Alice was supposed to help me—but she died before she could.”
Voss’s mouth thinned.“Alice was a hedge witch.She wasn’t powerful enough to pull that off.”
