Theo froze. He opened his mouth to beg Nessie to stay and explain what she meant by that, but she melted into the water and was gone without a trace.
Emmett and Pippa gasped at the sprite’s sudden disappearance, turning to look at Theo.
“Did she say anything to you?” Emmett asked gently. “Sometimes the primordial sprites can see things like the fates. Whatever it was, I’m sure Nessie didn’t mean it to harm you.”
Theo appreciated Emmett’s rush to console him. He realized his face must be giving away his supreme horror at the other piece of the puzzle that Nessie dropped in his lap.
“Come on then.” Pippa clapped her hands and turned on her heel, headed for the Jeep. “Let’s go find a place to get some lunch. I’m feckin’ starving, and we’ve got a long journey ahead of us.”
Emmett followed Pippa, but Theo took a moment to stare out at the horizon, wondering what was waiting for him in the water.
“A long journey, indeed.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Theo tried to calm his racing thoughts as he followed behind Emmett and Pippa. Emmett assured him that someone would come to pick up his Jeep and that it was time for them to continue on foot. Theo didn’t know if the information they received from Nessie made him feel better or worse.
He’d barely started processing being reunited with his brother, let alone the fact that he now found himself a part of the world’s weirdest adventuring party.
“It’s going to be okay.” Pippa smiled quietly as she slid up alongside him.
Theo turned to look at her and tried to mimic her optimistic expression. “I know,” he said, although he didn’t feel it.
Pippa saw right through his bullshit. “It can be intense falling headfirst into Calum’s inner circle. I know I felt like an outsider.”
Pippa sounded vulnerable for the first time since Theo had met her. Some of the stress and panic lifted from his shoulders.
“Really?” He couldn’t hide the hopefulness in his voice.
Pippa’s smile widened, and she nodded. “Oh, yeah. I know we’re all loved up now,” Pippa pretended to make anexaggerated retching sound, “but Emmett and I were not fast friends. I had to handcuff him once.”
“Oh, gods, no.” Theo blanched. “I don’t need any more details.”
“Not like that!” Pippa protested and then blushed. “Okay, well, there was this one time…”
“Pippa!” Emmett’s voice boomed from where he was walking a few paces ahead of them. Theo should’ve remembered that the wulver was only pretending to give them a private moment. Nothing got past his supernatural hearing.
“Anyway,” Pippa rolled her eyes dramatically, “it can be intense. I can only imagine how it makes you feel, but I promise this group has a great record of curse-breaking. We’re like… five and oh, at this point.”
“That’s a pretty good record.” He smirked. “Were any of them against a goddess?”
Emmett scoffed playfully. “We managed to break all of Scotland away from her curse. I’m sure we can manage one goddess.”
“Honestly,” Pippa tagged on, “you’re just insulting our intelligence at this point, Theo.”
The rest of the afternoon passed with Pippa recounting stories about everyone in Calum’s inner circle. She only recounted the most lewd and embarrassing stories, much to Emmett’s disdain and Theo’s enjoyment.
By the time they had circled Loch Ness, they approached the head of the Moristown River. Emmett held up his hand, halting Pippa and Theo before they stepped any further.
“Now,” he whispered seriously, “as soon as we step onto the riverbank and leave Loch Ness, we’ll officially be out of Nessie’s domain. She’ll do what she can from afar, but put your guards up. If you see something, say something. We have to assume that any water-dweller might be working for Cliodhna.”
Pippa flashed her mate a thumbs-up. “Treat everyone as a threat and apologize later. You got it, boss man.”
There was a teasing tone to her voice that Pippa used whenever she referred to Emmett as the boss or leader of their little expedition, and it never failed to make Theo chuckle under his breath. The pair could be nauseating to be around, but he wondered if he’d ever have a shot at finding a love like theirs.
Maybe focus on your survival and your family first.Theo stopped his own line of thinking before he got too ahead of himself.
“Got it, Theo?” Emmett looked directly at him. Part of Theo wanted to be offended that Emmett was asking him specifically, as if he couldn’t comprehend those instructions, but he knew it was Emmett being protective. He hadn’t known the wulver for very long, but from what he did know, Emmett was fiercely protective of his friends and loved ones.
