Revealed in Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights #9)(40)

The fae pushed on, speeding up now that they were within sight of home, a natural preserve that reminded me of a greener version of Seattle, but without the clouds and rain. And cold.

The shifters followed, a couple of them in human form to carry packs, and the rest in animal form. We’d run into a few more kidnapping parties, a couple of them more robust than the first. Romulus had tried to talk the first two around, but by the time the third showed up, he just offered them a warning, very polite and lovely, and then gave the directive to kill them all.

That guy did not fuck around. I was on the right team. There was no question.

“How are these multiple worlds working?” I rubbed my head as I looked beneath the layer of magic around us, seeing down to the bones. I’d gotten good at doing that without affecting the magic too much. If I accidentally delved a little too deep, then the image would sag, sure, but that hardly ever happened anymore, and it wasn’t noticeable unless you were looking. Kinda. “These are all earth-type settings. This one is lush and fertile. There was the desert, those huge tracks of dirt that were probably fields at one time, and the hills with the scraggly bushes made into weird shapes. Like…is this an alternate universe? Or a parallel universe and the gateways are where the two universes kiss, or what? It’s bending my brain.”

“You read too much fiction,” Penny said.

“And you think rocks have personalities. You’re the last person I’ll be listening to. Because there is no way this world could fit into nooks and crannies in the Brink.”

“Not even with magic?” Emery asked.

“I mean…” I threw up my hands and stood. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“What I’d like to know is why they cover every inch with magic,” Penny said, then gasped in delight and bent behind a bush. She came back with a beaming smile and an ugly gray rock.

“They don’t. A lot of these trees and plants are actually real. But the ground is covered in magic. I think that is necessary to keep the integrity of the whole thing intact. Like…if you build a house without a foundation, it’s weak. But anchor it to a solid foundation, and the whole thing will be stronger.”

“It’s something you can take away from here,” Darius murmured, studying a pine tree.

“I’ll be taking a lot away from here.” I started after the others. “Including any gold nuggets I find lying around.”

“Why would this place have gold nuggets just lying around on the ground?” Penny asked as she followed.

“Who knows? Stranger things have happened.”

We made our way through a flowered wooden archway, to a flowered square packed with people welcoming the returning fae. The shifters stood removed in a cluster, most having changed to human and a couple, like Cole and Sour Face, staying in their animal forms. Which seemed a bit rude.

“Right.” I stopped before the crowd, the others stopping with me. We didn’t have anyone to greet, and I wasn’t in the mood to start a fight with the shifters, which might happen if I ventured too close. They were a very touchy bunch. “Now what? I assume we just wait around for Romulus and Charity to sort out their family drama with the First?”

“That would be the gist of it.” Emery nodded and glanced right. In the distance, behind a wall of trees, I could just make out some construction going on.

A woman stepped through the crowd, wearing a weird, long robe-like thing decorated with sequins and beads and stitching. Her wheat-colored hair was pulled up into a bun, and she didn’t smile as she approached. Given her smooth face and her stiff walk, she was more of an errand girl than anyone with experience or clout. Her arrogance wasn’t on par with someone like Romulus, and she wasn’t old enough for something like a council position, if these people had them.

“Welcome,” she said.

“Don’t bullshit a bullshitter,” I replied, because she wasn’t even trying to make that greeting hospitable.

Her deadpan stare said that she wanted a punch in the mouth. I refrained, of course. We were outnumbered.

“Follow me.” She led the way, heading in the direction Emery had glanced. Quaint bungalows overlooked a fragrant garden boasting benches and a fountain. It felt a little like overkill. Half of the area was still under construction, as I’d noticed, but the other half seemed fine and dandy for a little R&R.

“Oh good, a bench. Finally.” Callie hurried to sit down. Dizzy followed, tromping through the flowers. I smirked.

“These are nicer than the last ones,” Penny said as the woman stopped in front of the finished section.

“Yes,” the woman replied, turning away from them. And us. “It was thought…by some that the guest quarters should be a little roomier.”

“Why have guest quarters if you don’t actually want guests?” I asked, honestly confused. I mean, I had a spare room back home—three now—but they’d come with the house (or the unasked-for remodel).

“If you should need to order food, the order form is in there.” She lazily gestured to the side instead of turning. “If you need anything else, I believe the Third is your point of contact.”

“Dang it,” I murmured as she left. “If Charity held a grudge for that one time I killed her mark and then beat her up, this would be the perfect time for her to get even.”