That meant the cause of – and solution to – her entire life’s problems lay with her father’s forbidden knowledge.
And he couldn’t speak a word of it.
‘What’s to say you don’t want this blood for them?’ Callum demanded.
The goddessblood.
Nicole looked to her mother’s portrait.
‘Considering I left them, they stripped me of my power, and theykilled my wife,there are a few good reasons. My priority is my kids. If I can break this oath, just like your oaths, I can tell you everything. The Druid might be the key to that. She might be the key to everything, and she’s disappeared. Again.’
He raked his hand through his silvering hair and in the action, Nicole got a glimpse of his lifetime of living on the edge: of the threat of other gods hunting you down and finishing you off. Of his wife, the only unoathed Empyreal, also being the only one who could kill the Wake. Both of them in eternal danger if they didn’t hide.
That was why he’d told them stories, quizzed them on their mother’s bestiaries. Always kept her books on hand so they could learn more, and his weapons on hand because the Fomóiri had stripped himof his.
He hadtried. For so long.
And now they were so close, even if this information made it feel like they were on the edge of a cliff, and not the edge of success.
Which meant they needed to confirm that the torcwasthe second goddess-blessed item. If it was, they had two, and Alexander could be the third.
They had one string of the harp and the bridge, but the rest of it – the other two strings and the harp itself – might be hidden somewhere in Skye.
‘The God of Oaths,’ Nicole said, thinking of the last of her mother’s clues from theDantepainting. ‘Is there any way to contact him?’
Her father’s eyes flickered, his jaw seemed soldered shut.
Callum didn’t notice as he distractedly said, ‘Not until the harmonies are restored.’
‘Even then, there’s only one being who can communicate with gods,’ Bells added.
Dylan looked to Kyan. ‘The Druid.’
‘We need to find out if the torc has blood in it,’ Nicole said, to grapple with something she could control.
‘He’s not allowed to watch,’ Callum said, still glaring at her father.
He gave Callum a hard look. ‘Fine. If you need me, I’ll be downstairs.’ He looked between them, his eyes meeting Nicole’s for a heartbreaking moment. ‘You can ask me whatever you want, I justmight not be able to answer. I’ve never purposefully hidden anything from any of you. I hope you can understand.’
He left, the door snicking shut behind him.
‘Can you both give us a minute?’ Nicole asked Callum and Kyan.
Callum smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. ‘Of course. I’ll be making sure he doesn’t leave the building. Excuse me.’
He stalked out after their father.
‘Do you want me to tell Remi the news?’ Kyan asked softly.
Nicole nodded. ‘Thanks.’
As Kyan left, she sank onto the couch opposite her siblings, her dress tangled around her legs.
‘Are you all right?’ she asked them.
Dylan still stood, eyes on the door. He swallowed. Said nothing.
‘I believe him,’ Bells said.
