How do you cope with learning that your mother was murdered before you were born, your father is a fairy hitman, and you wield the power to raise an army of devoted love slaves... except you haven't the least idea how to control it?
Tom Corwen's di...
Shock and dread reverberated through the pale woman's chest, disrupting her connection with the kappa, and he seized the moment to call upon the Veil, lashing out one final time. A swarm like black gnats gushed from his throat, obscuring her vision and biting at her skin. She dismissed it with barely a thought, burning the cloud to white hot ash, but the distraction had served its purpose. The geas faltered and what remained of the kappa's mind quickly faded. With no other recourse, the woman drew out the paltry tatters of his dying will and wove them into the tapestry of her own.
While most of the Aes Sidhe could shape the will of others, the woman, once a goddess of love death, was among the most proficient, the most feared. But she had chosen a different life, reaping only when enemies drew too near, and many decades of abstinence had taken their toll. Though still strong, she could no longer wade into battle, assured of her victory. In those cold moments of doubt, she questioned the decisions that led her to this place, but in the end her answers were always the same.
Surveying the strewn corpses, she became acutely aware of her body's need for sustenance, and measured the final surrender of their mortal flesh in blood.
Twenty minutes later, Miss Gold stretched her muscles as the weight of her wings left her shoulders, and adjusted without thought to the perceptions and proportions of a much smaller frame. She was grateful for her glamor, but wished it wasn't necessary. Her power didn't vanish, but the body of a human limited her, made her more vulnerable than she liked, and though she could recall her natural form in the space of a heartbeat, those lost moments were precious in battle. Her broken arm testified to that.
She regarded her shredded dress with a sigh of inconvenience and stooped to retrieve her red handbag from the scattered leaves. Withdrawing her phone, she tapped the first name on her contact list.
"I thought you were going fishing," a high, jocular voice answered on the second ring.
"The fish are biting back."
"How many?"
"Five, including a troll. They must be cleansed. I will send coordinates."
The voice on the other line paused as she received the transmission. "Mendocino? Shit, they're getting cocky."
"Mab is insane," Miss Gold agreed. "I believe she will attack in plain sight if she learns where Thomas is."
"Mab won't leave her Tir," the voice answered, "and she has a near enough idea where Tom is already. If Cleigh hadn't followed them back to the campus..."
"We were fortunate he discovered the goblins."
"Fortune had nothing to do with it," the other said dryly, "but my point stands. She wasn't looking for him in California."
"It was a feint. She has adjusted her tactics and turned her attention to his protection."
A harsh laugh barked through the phone's speakers, "What does she think she'll find?"
"This is serious, Finola. The attack on me was meant as bait to draw out another."
"Who? She doesn't give a shit about me, and Oberon's got his head up his ass. She can't think Caratacos stands with him."
"Those who do not hate me are afraid, and of those that remain, few could hope to stand against the forces arrayed against us. What other ally might willingly answer my summons if not the Green Lady?"
The line went silent for several seconds.
"Bullshit," Finn said finally. "She's been out of the picture for centuries."
"The kappa was under my power and spoke her name clearly before he died. Mab believes I am no longer Thomas' only guardian."
"No kidding," Finn mumbled, "but any one of a dozen others could be interested in him. Gwern, Hafgan—hell, even Damara. Why Eiru?"
"For the same reasons we would not consider asking them for aid, and Mab needs no further incentive to suspect her ancient foe. Her enmity with Eiru is—"
"I know," Finn cut her off sharply. "But that means those goblins weren't sent to hunt, but to confirm that we haven't moved him, and Cleigh gave her exactly what she wanted. With you distracted, she'll be canvasing the whole damn city to narrow her search. They won't keep falling for our little road trips to throw them off his scent. Shit, I need to think."
"Think quickly," Miss Gold commanded, "and tell Juhan I require assistance. I will be there within the hour."
She canceled the call and tucked the phone back into her handbag. With a casual flick of her mind, she leaped into the air and caught the ethereal wind beneath her great wings once more, her glamor falling away even as her feet left the ground far behind.
If Mab truly believed Eiru had returned it would take little for her to risk open conflict. Miss Gold could not approach the Summer Court, but Oberon must be made aware if only to buy precious time for her charge. Caratacos remained at large, and a Fae war would serve no purpose but his.
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