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With a shake of the head, I let out a short sigh. “No, there’s too much at stake for us to chance it right now.” Before anybody could say anything, I turned to Peyton. “We’d better make sure the parlor and waiting room are clean. Our ad hit the paper this morning and my guess is that we’re going to have a busy day.”
At least, I prayed it would be a busy day—that way I wouldn’t have time to think. I wolfed down my breakfast, waffles and eggs and bacon, without looking up at the others, even though I was all too aware of their attention focused on me.
“But I thought you needed to get the antidote as soon as possible?” Rhia asked slowly.>I stared bitterly into the darkness. “Money will not buy freedom for Grieve, nor jewels. And power . . . power corrupts. I hate the fight I’m immersed in, but I will persevere. Because there’s no other option. I am not the daughter of a king, with all respect, Your Majesty. I prefer to think of myself as the daughter of a witch and an owl-shifter. That suits my nature far more than the robes of a princess.”
He reached out then and took my hand. His fingers were long and thin, with sharp nails, and he squeezed gently. “Your answer pleases me more than you can possibly imagine. And just so you know: Lainule does not resent you. I speak the truth when I say your birth was her idea. We are not so beholden to having only one mate in the realm of Rivers and Rushes. You and Grieve are somewhat of an anomaly.”
Just then, Lainule returned, a serving girl behind her who carried a steaming mug that smelled like raspberries and lemon. She handed it to me and when I inhaled, the scent washed through me.
“Drink deep. I give you my word of honor, it will only help you, not hurt you. Leave Anadey to me. Do not pursue the matter.”
“She mentioned this had something to do with her exhusband, Rex, and the fact that he’s got ‘powerful allies’ and is back in town. I think she’s afraid he’ll lure Peyton away from her after all these years.” I hesitantly brought the drink to my lips and sipped. The flavor ran through me like sweet wine, and I upturned the mug and emptied it down.
As the liquid spread through me, it felt like it was undoing knots and gnarls in my aura, and I relaxed a little. I found myself smiling, feeling free, and my wolf began to warm again. I placed my hand on the tattoo and felt a low rumble.
“Grieve . . . he’s back . . .”
Lainule reached out and shook my shoulder. “I have reversed her spell, but you must listen to me. You must not follow through on your plan to rescue Grieve. I offer you this bargain: We will rescue him, but in our time, in our own way. Until then, pretend that Anadey’s spell succeeded. We want to ferret out who she’s working with, and if they see that it didn’t take, they might fade away to avoid being noticed.”
That made sense, although something felt off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“All right, I promise.” Again, the feeling that I’d been locked in, thoroughly and tight, rang through me. Promises to the Fae, even by a half-Fae, were binding.
I thought about what it entailed—lying to Rhiannon and the others—but I couldn’t take the chance that one of them might be working against me. Leo, for example. I wouldn’t put it past him to have been behind this mess. Now that I knew Anadey was all too willing to betray me, I couldn’t be sure of anybody. Suddenly feeling much more alone in the world, I hung my head.
“I can’t trust anyone now, can I?”
“You can trust yourself, child.” Wrath patted my shoulder. “I’m proud of you. You’ve struggled against so many hardships over the years, and look at the strength that you’ve evolved. You make me proud to be your father.”
Gazing up at him, I saw the kindly fire in his eyes. He’d never be one to hug me tight, or take in a ball game with me, but he meant what he said and that was more important to me than all the father-daughter outings in the world.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “But what will I say to them? I ran out on Anadey.”
“Keep away from her. She was trying to remove your connection to Grieve. Do your best to pretend that the venom enchantment has been severed. Let them see it’s led you to reconsider rescuing him. Continue with your business. If Grieve tries to contact you, don’t tell anyone and instruct him to do the same.”
I told them what happened when Myst beat Grieve. “I took on his injuries.”
Lainule pressed her lips together, then let out a long sigh. “Obviously, we cannot just leave him with her. Not if it’s going to hurt you. I feared this might come to pass. We have to move quickly. Go home, do as we bid, and we’ll be in touch with you soon. And meanwhile, keep your heritage secret. If Myst finds out you are Wrath’s daughter, she will throw all her efforts into capturing you. She would ignore the vampires and come after you directly.”
“This is why you didn’t tell me about my father isn’t it? You were afraid I couldn’t keep my mouth shut?”
“No, Cicely,” Lainule said softly. “I feared she’d torture it out of you and then all would be lost.”
Wrath walked me back to the edge of the portal. “You will have to tread carefully with what has happened. One misstep and we all lose. I wanted to tell you earlier, you know—about the fact that I’m your father—but we couldn’t take the chance letting you know. Now you do.”
“Now I know,” I repeated softly. Then, without thinking, I threw my arms around him and gave him a long hug. “Thank you. Thank you for being my father.”
“Don’t thank me yet, Cicely. It’s too soon to tell what the fallout of everything is going to be. But know I am watching over you—that’s why I spend so much time in owl form.”
He opened the portal. A dark green sedan was waiting for me. I frowned, staring at it, then looked back at him.
Wrath nodded. “The car will see you safely home. Don’t ask questions, don’t tip the driver. Just get in, be silent, and leave silent.”
I slipped into the backseat and as the driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of his face. Whatever he was, in the mirror it didn’t translate as human. But I said nothing, just nodded, and as the car pulled out from the parking lot, I settled back for the short but silent ride home.
After I climbed out of the car, I stood watching it speed off into the night. Then, turning back, I stared up at the Veil House. Had Leo been in on Anadey’s little plan? Who was backing her? All answers I needed to know. Steeling myself, I entered the house.
Peyton was there, along with Rhiannon and Kaylin, both of whom looked terribly worried. They rushed over as soon as they saw me.
