“I believe you’re right.”
* * * *
“Shit, I hate that I worried her,” Toryn griped, running his fingers through his hair.
“Better she wasn’t there. There’s no telling what she would have done when she found some of that. Newly awakened fae in public can be bad when they get that kind of shock. With her history, she wouldn’t have done well.”
“Yeah, we’d be cleaning up a totally different mess. I can’t figure out if we tell her now, or wait. She’s going to have to know eventually.”
“Tell her here, where if she does lose it, Morrigan and you can contain it.”
“Thank you, Leon. For everything.”
“Don’t turn into a chick on me. I got your back, you got mine.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Leon parked the car. “I have stuff to take care of. I think she can skip a day of training with me. Isa is getting pretty good.”
“I may need you tonight.”
“Just call.”
Toryn climbed out of the car and started for the door.
* * * *
As soon as the door opened, Isa jumped from her seat and ran to Toryn. He set a bag and coffee tray on the table by the door and scooped her up.
“Don’t ever leave without warning me again,” she commanded.
“Never. I’m sorry,” he promised, and the tension flowed out of her body.
“I nearly ran out of here to go looking for you.”
“Barefoot, mind you,” Morrigan added.
Isa shrugged slightly, leaning back to smile at him. “See? A good reason for you to warn me before hand.”
“Done. From now on I will give you fair warning.”
“Good, now what did you find out?”
Toryn walked her to the couch and sat her down. “You sure you want to know?” he asked cautiously.
Her stomach bottomed out, but she nodded anyway. “Come on, I need to hear it.”
“Breakfast first, Princess.” He gave her a tight smile, and she knew the news was bad.
Chapter 37
Once they were done with bagels, Isa caught Toryn’s hand and looked him dead in the eye. “What the hell did you find that has you so worried?”
He nodded. “A lot. Let’s move outside though.”
“Worried I’ll turn into a ticking time bomb?” Isa half-laughed, but was starting to wonder. Without waiting for an answer, she got up and moved outside. She took several deep calming breaths, trying to let it all go, hoping she could prove her reaction wouldn’t be nuclear.
Once she was in the center of the yard, she turned toward him with a pleasant smile. “Go ahead, tell me.”
“You know the sick games your uncle likes to play, right?”
Deep breath in, slowly out. “Yes. He’s doing it here?”
Toryn nodded. “Zamal had video footage. He’s been using Tiffany.”
Isa nodded slowly and fought back the rising bile. “We need to go back,” she replied calmly by some stroke of luck. “Tonight.”
“I can have someone else intervene. It doesn’t need to be us.”
“Have whoever intervene, but we really should go back. If Tiffany is taken from him, he’s will retaliate by going after someone I really care about. I can’t stay in hiding forever.”
“Do you trust me? I have an idea of how we can get the proper proof to your mother, and her emissary. Aeremaius will need to be free, and it will involve meeting with Henroyld and your mother.”
“I trust you. You have to promise to fill me in on everything though. I need to know what to expect and what the plan is.”
Toryn nodded, though doubt flashed through his features. “Okay.”
“Toryn, I’ll let you do what you need to do, but I need to know.”
“We don’t know where Remus is at the moment. The only time anyone sees Tiffany is while she’s at work. To start, we need to intercept her there. Probably moments before her shift ends. We’ll need to go to Shenanigans and see if she does anything to prove she’s in contact with Remus. I’m confident she will.”
Isa nodded. “I can live with that. He has likely wiped her memory of him anyway. He’ll keep doing it until she breaks. Let’s hope she hasn’t broken.”
Toryn shook his head. “Doubtful. He has been known to play these games for decades with the same woman.”
Her stomach rolled, and she nearly shouted, “And nothing was done?”
Toryn looked away. “She was a prisoner, and guilty of war crimes. Justice doesn’t always work objectively in Faerie.”
“If you had known, you would have stopped it?” She knew the answer, but wanted confirmation.
“I did stop it. I smuggled her out of the dungeons and onto Earth.”
And suddenly she wanted to be sick. “Wait. Who?”
“Lisanna. She was caught seducing certain people so others could steal evidence or intelligence.”
“Shit. So messing with her memories really isn’t a good thing, is it?”
“Don’t worry about her, she doesn’t remember most of it, but she is deathly afraid of Aeremaius. Nothing will happen to her. And, to be clear, it’s because she’s a friend that I will protect her.”
“I’m not worried.” Her doubt in the beginning was more to do with the graphic memory than the actual deed.
Toryn swept her hair behind her ear. “You know that gift your mother gave you?”
Isa nodded, but a frown pulled at her lips.
“I need you to wear it.”
“I don’t know what it is, or even where it is.” Isa half-laughed. “I really don’t want it.”
Toryn took her hand and pulled the black satin bag from his pocket. He tipped it over her forearm. A delicate chain wrapped around her wrist, slithering over her forearm, up her hand, and encircling two fingers.
She stared at the moving, shifting, morphing jewelry with wide-eyes. Once the warm metal settled, it looked like fine chainmail covering from her elbow to her thumb and first and pinky fingers. It was white gold, with tiny emeralds embedded here and there.
It didn’t look the same, but she could remember seeing it on her father’s arm when he was gravely wounded. He was dragged through a rip in time and space and deposited in a room full of light.
Isa landed on her knees, the breath leaving her as she tried to tear it from her arm.
“No, no, no, don’t want it,” she panted, trying to tear the artifact off. “Don’t want it. Don’t need it. Not leaving you.”
He dropped down beside her and captured her face. “You do need it. I’ll lose you if you don’t wear it, Isa. I know I will. Please, don’t struggle. You’ll only hurt yourself. It won’t come off.”
His warning didn’t stop her from trying to tear the offensive jewelry from her arm. The metal bracelet… bracer… whatever… tightened and squeezed. It was starting to hurt.
“It won’t come off!” she screamed.
He shook his head. “There’s a reason she gave it to you. Reance told Aeryana something to make her believe you needed it before you see her again.”
Her eyes closed as her chest heaved. “It won’t come off?”
“No. Trust me, it will only take you to a safe place if there is no other choice. When it’s life or death, you’ll be taken to people who can save you. You have to trust me.”
“Okay,” she whispered, opening her eyes. She knew he was right, but she could feel the pain her father felt, and remember how he was torn from one place and thrown into another. The memory terrified her.
“Deep breath, Isa. Let it out,” Toryn soothed.
She nodded, but breathing wasn’t getting easier. The panic was fading though. “How do I take it off?” Her voice still trembled.
“You don’t. There are stories of those who tried to cut off their arm to make it go away, but nothing worked.”
She gasped. “So, it’s like Witchblade?”
His brow arched. “You mean the comic?”
“Y
eah. Is it going to armor me? Or just be some big-ass sparkly thing that won’t go away until I nearly die?”
He laughed. “No, it’s not like armor. It’s to save your life. Honestly though,” he ran his fingers over it, “it’s sexy. I could get used to it on you.”
A smile finally flitted over her lips. “You’re too easy.”
“Only for you.”
* * * *
Morrigan came outside and felt the dragon’s call. He wanted a word with Isadora, and for whatever reason, he hadn’t barged through her wards. It was a good thing.
Before Toryn or Isadora noticed, she took the trail down to the ocean. “What is it you want, Alen?”
“To know what my princess is about to do.”
“You could have come to see yourself.”
“Aye, I could have. One of you would have tried to kill me. Unless I’m not given a choice, I will play by the rules, in an effort to gain everyone’s trust.”
“Then you may as well talk to her yourself. I’ll invite you across.” She thrust out her hand, which he took. Touching the loathsome creature was the only guaranteed way he would pass through her spells without altering them.
“Have you found more proof?” she asked quietly.
He nodded. “I have, and she made it clear that if I don’t help her, she won’t help me.”
“And you believe her?”
He nodded. “Oh, I do. Unfortunately. She’s not going to back down, and she doesn’t intimidate. That’s either a good or very bad thing.”
“Good. She has confidence, but she’s willing to let Toryn take care of her when he’s better suited. She’s learning faster than I ever did.”
Alenathos nodded. “How much does she know so far?”
“Depends on how much she’s seen from her uncle’s head, though I doubt she knows the full details of what he’s been up to lately. The awakening rarely shows much besides your parents’ full history.”
* * * *
“How fast can Sammy have the plane ready?” Isa asked, still calm. She wasn’t freaking out about Aeremaius or what was happening in Seattle, and that was beginning to worry Toryn.
“I’ll call now. Shouldn’t be long. Leon can come back at any time.”
“Do it. Please.” There was pain and remorse in her eyes. He wished he knew how to take the guilt away. It wasn’t her fault that Aeremaius was a sick fuck who loved to prey on people.
Morrigan came through the woods with Alenathos. Toryn bit back his first reaction, which would have been to fly into attack mode.
“If you plan on telling her what I found this morning, you can save it. I already have.”
“No, that wasn’t why I came. I did some searching in Washington. I will uphold my end of the bargain. Aeremaius is plotting to take two of your friends, Michael Nights and Lana Solei, if you aren’t back by tomorrow morning.”
“More reason to go.” Isa answered and then looked Toryn in the eye. “We’ll go to Shenanigans, while Tiffany is there, to draw him out.”
Perfect plan, but Toryn hated it. “Yes, we will.” He grabbed his phone and called Sammy.
He answered on the first ring. “Toryn?”
“How soon can you fly us back to Seattle?”
“Tell me when I need to be ready,” he answered immediately.
“I’m having Leon pick us up as soon as we can be packed, which won’t be long.”
“I’ll get the plane ready now.”
“Thank you, Sammy.”
“Hey, I owe you more than one favor. Don’t forget that.”
“See you soon.”
He sent a text to Leon because he didn’t like the way Alenathos was looking at Isa. Going to the airport early. Need your help.
The dragon stepped closer to Isa whose brow arched. He said, “Isadora, whatever you do, make sure someone you trust is with you while you’re in Seattle.”
“Toryn will be with me at all times,” Isa answered with a glare.
Alenathos shivered, a smile tilting his lips as he took a step back. “Very well then. Call if you need me.”
“I won’t,” she spat. “Remember, I’m not playing by your rules, but by mine.”
“I remember.” With that he dispersed into mist and took off into the sky. His voice wafted around them. “If you change your mind, you simply need to call my name. I will hear you.”
“Fucker,” Isa muttered.
Toryn couldn’t help his pleased smile. “Come on. We need to pack.”
Morrigan grabbed his arm. “Wait. I’m coming with you.”
“No. You don’t want to do that. You’ve been in hiding for years. Isn’t it better to stay hidden?”
“It’s my choice, Toryn. I may have made selfish decisions in the past, but I want to help you, both of you.”
Isa took his hand and looked up at him with a smile. “Maybe she can occupy Alenathos. We need him, but he needs to stop looking at me like I’m a cupcake because he’ll never have a bite.”
Morrigan rolled her eyes. “I’m afraid the dragon trusts me about as much as he trusts Toryn. I won’t be much help when it comes to him."
"I have a feeling any help will be good." She looked up to the house. "I know you've been using another phone, but do you think it's safe if I call Lana?"
"Should be. Your phone can’t be tracked from here. And if we’re going back, even if they did find us, they wouldn’t make it here before we are on a plane.”
“Good.” Isa took off for the house at a run.
Alenathos appeared before him with a smirk. “Does she know Lana isn’t human?”
“And how would you know?” Toryn demanded.
“I’ve been watching her for years. I know all about Lana, you, Isadora, and her friend Mike. Plus plenty of other things. Does she know about Lana?”
“Not yet. I haven’t had a chance to tell her.”
“She needs to know. I’ll see you in Seattle. I won’t be far from the princess.” The dragon disappeared in a misty veil and floated away.
“I’m already packed. I planned to come with you from the moment you called seeking help for the Storm Mistress. I don’t want anything happening to either of you, son.”
He nodded. “I want you safe, too.”
“I’ll be fine. Go, talk to her.”
* * * *
Isa tore through her backpack, found her phone, and turned it on. She took a slow breath and waited a moment. As soon as everything was loaded, she hit speed dial for Lana.
One ring and she answered. “Oh, thank fuck, Isadora. Why haven’t you called?”
She laughed, but it was tight and nervous. “Sorry, lost my phone in the hotel room. What did I miss?” She had a feeling quite a bit. Poor Tiffany, though she likely won’t remember. At least there’s that.
“It’s not what you missed, it’s what I want to know!” She could imagine Lana bouncing in her seat with the excitement brimming in her voice.
“Our friend pulled through. I’ll be home tonight, but I can’t come back to work yet…”
Before she could finish making up an excuse, Lana cut in. “We’ll survive a few more days. Now, about you and Toryn. What happened? Did you two get it on?”
“Yeah, and we’re together now. Officially.” No matter what anyone said or tried, she wasn’t letting her mate go.
“Good. Then will you hate me if I tell you I’m not all human? That I’m half fae?”
Isa froze, her brow arching. “Hate you?” she whispered.
“Do you?” Lana hesitated.
“Did you know about me before or after you befriended me?”
“After. Found out more recently, after the whole issue with Evan, and Lonny deemed it safe to finally tell me what was going on. I knew you were fae, but not who your mother was.”
“Okay. I don’t hate you. Give me a few minutes to get over the shock, but honestly it makes more sense than not.”
“Good. You two belong together. There’s just one thing I want to know.”
>
“What’s that?” Isa asked quietly.
“Is it real? Or a sock?”
“Oh, it’s real all right. Now, I need to go catch a plane.”
“Damn. I’d be jealous if you two weren’t so perfect for each other. I suppose I’ll see you when you get here.”
She clicked the phone off with a smirk.
“What’s real?” Toryn asked from the door.
Isa turned and gave his crotch a pointed smile. “Wanted to know if you were packing something, or was it all real.”
“It is, and it’s all yours.”
Isa sat down on the bed. “Did you know she’s part fae?”
He nodded. “James isn’t human either. He’s a warlock. Brent down at the café is a sorcerer. A siren hybrid works there as well, but she’s not awakened. And you love to eye-fuck a werewolf.”
“Not Mike,” Isa insisted.
“Oh no. Joey Mullins. In fact his entire band, and their mates. Yes, including Roxy, but she’s something more, and you’d have to get that story from them.”
“Mike doesn’t know, does he?”
He shook his head. “Don’t believe so. Though I imagine he’ll find out sooner or later.”
“How soon are we leaving?”
“Leon will be here in ten minutes. You ready?”
“Will be. Thank you for not arguing about going back. I need to be there for my friends.”
“I know, Princess. I don’t want anything to happen to them either.”
Chapter 38
Sammy’s plane landed without incident. The return flight wasn’t as steamy as the first. Isa wouldn’t let Toryn distract her the same way with his mother and Leon in the plane.
The plane touched down and Isa gave Toryn a tentative smile. “See? I made it without you having to molest me.”
“I’d rather have been touching the whole time.” His smile was wicked, but she saw the worry in his eyes.
“I’m adventurous, but I’m not that much of an exhibitionist,” Isadora warned, though she had a feeling if he had insisted, she would have gone along for the ride.
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