War of Hearts(79)

Thea’s heart pounded at the thought. Not true immortals. Meaning they could die. She could die.

“A fae of Samhradh House fell in love with her werewolf consort. The tale goes she couldn’t bear the idea of immortality without him and asked him to bite her.”

Thea’s ears perked. “You mean … change her into a werewolf?”

“Yes. Exactly. And it worked. She was no longer a true immortal. When a very weary prince of Earrach House discovered this, he asked to be bitten too. He didn’t want to be immortal anymore, and the cauldron couldn’t truly end his suffering. So the wolf did it but the fae died.”

“From a wolf bite?” Thea’s eyes flew to Conall, his jaw locked with tension.

Vik nodded. “The Fae Queen was so furious she killed the wolf and his mate, and the pack they belonged to, and forbade anyone to speak of it. But Jerrik was in love with a fae of the Day Lands and she confessed this story to him. This was a few weeks before the gate closed.”

“You’re saying a werewolf can kill the fae? That’s why she really closed the gate.” Conall flicked a concerned look at Thea. She knew he didn’t know whether to believe Vik, but if it was true, just one slip-up and a bite of his teeth through her skin might have killed her. “I could kill Thea with one bite?”

“Or turn her into a werewolf.” Vik shrugged. “Fifty-fifty chance.”

“There’s a fifty-fifty chance I’m going to throw up,” Thea muttered, turning away from them.

Fae.

This guy believed she was an immortal fae.

She gave a snort of hysterical laughter.

But beneath the rising panic was a flare of hope.

If Vik was right, if this was true … then she wouldn’t have to live forever. There were ways to die when she was ready. Not that there was a chance she might get to choose when that time would be with a two-thousand-year-old vampire on her tail.

“Uh, closer to two thousand five hundred years old. Give or take a few decades,” Vik said, and Thea realized she’d said the last sentence out loud. “And you’re right. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no one can escape Eirik. Not even you, Thea. Maybe if you were working at your full capacity as a fae but from what you’ve told me, you’ve only tapped into a small part of what you’re capable of. And Eirik … if he knows you exist, he will never give up until you’re dead, and he will kill everyone who stands in his way.”





Vik promised to show them the firsthand account from Jerrik about the fae, but he needed to sleep first. Thea and Conall agreed to return to the apartment after nightfall and left Vik to his rest. The vampire recommended a restaurant that served “pulled pork sandwiches that will change your life” in the center of Oslo.

They located the restaurant near the Royal Palace on Slottsplassen, a square in the heart of the tourist area, a rustic, casual place with an energy that was too overwhelming for a stunned Thea.

Her mind was reeling. The food came and Conall sat silently across from her, eating the pulled pork sandwich as if they hadn’t just been given the most incredible information. The wolf could eat through a natural disaster.

She stared at her plate, her stomach roiling.

After every impossible thing that had happened to her, that she might be a faerie just seemed a step too far.

“Thea, you need to eat.” Conall nudged her plate impatiently toward her. “You need your strength.”

At his implacable stare, she’d picked up the sandwich and forced it down. It was delicious but it also sat heavy in her nervous stomach. The noise of the lunch crowd was making her jittery. She needed to think. To work out what the hell it all meant.

Conall seemed to sense this and paid for their meal, ushering her quickly outside. Thea drew in cold lungfuls of air and tried to ignore how comforting Conall’s hand was on her lower back.

“Talk to me, Thea.”

She looked up into his face, wondering when it became so familiar to her. Thea realized she trusted him. Despite the whole Sienna prevarication. “Let’s walk.”

He fell into step beside her as they meandered up toward the Royal Palace. People didn’t look at Conall so much here and she wondered if it was because they were in the home of the Vikings. Big tall guys were a thing here, right?

“Thea?”

She withdrew from her silly musings and sighed. “Do you believe him?”

“I think the better question is, do you?”

Thea exhaled slowly. “Conall … I know what he said sounds insane, but …”

“But?”

“It feels true. I don’t know how to explain that … it just feels true.” She gazed up at him. “My body is certain, while my mind is screaming that it’s ludicrous. And … there’s something else.”

He nodded at her to continue.

“There was a young woman in Prague, around my age. The night those vamps attacked me, she pulled me out of the crowd in the club and she was strong, Conall. Very strong.” Thea pictured the woman’s lovely elfin face. “I sensed something from her. I think she was fae.”

Conall’s brows drew together. “How did she feel?”

“Feel?”

“Yes. Her energy should feel stronger than other supernaturals. It would draw you to her in a crowd. To me you feel like the moon just before the change. An ancient, compelling energy, integral to everything.”