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Part of her regretted leaving, but she’d needed some space, and she was sure Zane had needed the same.
His words had simply given her an excuse to take off.
When she had her mug in hand, she began to walk her now quiet property, the full moon an excellent source of light. She could see the improvements and changes her laborers had accomplished over the past three days; fields had been plowed, organic mulch worked into the soil, and extensive beds laid out in preparation of sowing some winter crops.
She also had several greenhouses she used during the cold months, in which she grew the vegetables the Helms Watch restaurants would require. Once the land warmed up, she’d switch to growing most everything outdoors.
The gro-lights were on inside. Electricity was a good thing, and the space was kept warm enough to encourage the plants to thrive, but cool enough to keep her energy bills down. The air was fragrant with herbs and sweet with oxygen the plants emitted.
She sipped her coffee, her heart thudding dully in her chest. Oh, shit. She’d been building a new supply for her man and now she was here. She should have fed Zane before she brought up the painful news about Emily.
But as she looked around at the plants, she suddenly felt terribly alone. It wasn’t so long ago that she’d been used to this kind of isolation; she’d lived her entire life before moving to Swanicott without close friends or even community involvement. Yet, oh, how much had changed over the
past few nights.
She realized what bothered her the most about having left Zane was that she no longer wanted to live her life as an outcast, not on any level. She was part of more than one community now – as Zane’s blood rose and as a shifter who could create a Zephyr wind during battle. She needed and wanted to pull her weight, not hold back or keep her distance.
Mostly, however, she belonged to Zane. He was her man. He needed her, and the shifter in her knew she needed to stick close to him right now, despite his anger or her reserve.
Finishing her coffee, she ran back to the house. But even as she reached the kitchen, she could feel something was wrong. After unplugging the coffee maker, she headed back outside, preparing to bound high into the air.
Just as she was about to shift, however, Regan’s voice entered her mind. Olivia, we’re under attack. We need your help. Now.
Before she could respond, however, the communication went dead. Olivia tried to reach Regan several times after that, but couldn’t raise the smallest response.
Her shifter bones told her something terrible had happened at the Fae Guild.
Olivia had never moved so fast in her life, becoming wolf before she’d even thought-the-thought.
She bounded into the air, higher than ever before.
She had to get back to the Fae Guild and to Zane.
~
Zane was pissed at himself for getting caught off guard like this. The entire Fae Guild was under heavy attack by Margetta and a fresh army of Invictus wraith-pairs. He heard screams all over the retreat grounds. Invictus swarmed around his cottage, so that he couldn’t leave and begin battling the bastards. The moment he opened a door, a dozen Invictus pairs would be on him and he’d be dead and no use to anyone.
Had Margetta known he and Olivia had spent the day here?
He prepared his battle vibration, ready to strike down any who entered.
He’d already contacted Chase, Sawyer and Luther. Each had troops on the way. He also pathed Ian, but asked him to stay in the north to field any Invictus attacks in that area of the realm. Ian responded in the affirmative, saying he’d contact Marian to let her know she could reach him at any time.
But what he needed right now was Olivia’s protective cloak if he had any chance of saving the resident fae.
He thought of Regan and felt sick at heart. His instincts told him Margetta had come back for retribution and nothing less.
Regan would have been her target.
And Zane couldn’t get to her.
Olivia, he shouted into the telepathic void.
He didn’t expect to get anything in response, not after what he’d said to her. Sweet Goddess, he was still kicking himself for being such an asshole.
But her voice pierced his head anyway. I’m thirty-seconds out and I’m ghosting you. I can see that you’re still in the cottage, I can hear the screams coming from the Guild property, and you’ve got the enemy at your door. Now tell me what happened.
He gave her a quick rundown that without warning Margetta had brought at least fifty wraith-pairs into the retreat. She somehow broke Regan’s spell, but I can’t locate the Ruby Fae telepathically. She’s not responding.
