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Bayn’s words moved over her, but Ella’s head felt like it was underwater. Desolation filled her heart. Her whole world was gone in a single night.
Mananan’s arm went around Ella’s shoulder. “Let’s go back to the castle, Ella. There’s nothing we can do about this now.”
“At least no one got hurt,” Ella said numbly. She swayed on her feet, the shock moving through her body. Mananan lifted her back up into his arms, and she put her head onto his shoulder and began to sob.
She knew all she’d lost were things that could be replaced, but her entire life had not only been overturned, but wiped out entirely.
What the hell was she meant to do now?
22
Mananan sat in Bayn’s study with a glass of whiskey and tried to shove down the rage coursing through him. Ella had lain down on his bed and had asked to be left alone. He respected that, but it still hurt. He knew she was upset, and he couldn’t do a goddamn thing to fix it.
“How is she?” Freya asked, coming in with Bayn.
“Devastated. She’s in bed,” Mananan replied, the feeling of helplessness choking him.
Freya caught Mananan up into a hug. “I’m glad you are both okay.”
Mananan didn’t dare think about what could have happened if he’d gone to Faerie and left her at the lighthouse. The glass cracked in his hand, and he swore.
“I need to show you something, but you can’t tell Taran or anyone else,” Mananan said. He needed advice, and Freya and Bayn had been through so much together. She was human before they were mates, and they had made it work. He put his glass down, and after checking they were still alone, he pulled up his shirt and eased his pants down his hip.
“Wow, that’s not something you see every day,” Freya said, a smirk creeping along her lips.
“He means the mating rune mark, Freya,” Bayn growled and pointed at the glyph.
“Oh! Well. It’s different to yours. How was I supposed to know?”
“Wow, free show!” Imogen shouted, making all of them jump.
Mananan quickly dropped his shirt. “Where the fuck did you come from?”
“Arawan taught me how to make my own portals. Don’t be shy now I’m here. It’s okay, Uncle M. I’m a doctor,” Imogen replied and waggled her eyebrows.
Freya giggled. “Don’t listen to her lies, Mananan.”
“You don’t ruin my fun, party pooper.” Imogen was dressed in her hunting gear, ripped jeans, boots, and leather jacket. Her double-bladed axe was hanging from her back, and her lavender hair was in battle braids. “I’ve come to help you kill krakens. I’ve been hunting them up the coast in Wales, and Arawan thought you might need my expertise. Looks like I turned up at the right time. Does this mean the lighthouse keeper is your mate? Oh gods, have you told her?”
“Take a breath, Gen. Can’t you see he’s freaking out?” Freya scolded her.
Mananan gave up on the glass and swigged whiskey straight from the decanter. “Ella doesn’t know, and I can’t tell her until the Fomorian demon is dead. You will all keep your fucking mouths shut about it. I need help, not gossip. If I wanted someone to make a big deal out of it, I’d tell Taran and Oberon.”
“But, uncle, itisa big deal. She’s your mate. Fuck, the last few weeks are making a lot more sense,” Bayn said and gave Mananan’s shoulder a squeeze. “We will all protect her until you claim her. We promise.”
Imogen looked about. “Where is she? I want to meet her.”
“She’s asleep hopefully. Her lighthouse was demolished, and she needs to process it,” Mananan replied. He sat down and had another mouthful of whiskey. “We need to sort out the other two altars. Bayn, do you have their locations?”
“We got them down from when Ella scryed for us. One is here in Scotland. The other is in Wales,” Bayn said.
Freya crossed her arms. “It’s like it was with Oberon and the forests. It’s like the mage wants access to all three countries.”
“Except this time, the mage has tied the altars to portals, making them twice as powerful,” Mananan grumbled.
“And your job is easier because you can destroy the altar and restore the portal at the same time,” Freya pointed out.
Bayn put his arm around his mate in a sweet gesture that made Mananan ache for Ella. “Taranis is working on some bombs with Charlotte. He’s going to bring some prototypes tomorrow, and we can go with him to the altar here in Scotland to test it,” Bayn said.
