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“No, it isn’t. Nor is it guardian magick.”

Murray made a face. “Good Goddess, Aran. Tell me it wasn’t an angel who froze him.”

I crossed my arms. “Do ya want me to lie to ya instead? I’d prefer not to do that.”

Murray shook his head and turned away to pace. He walked nearly back to the front door before turning on his heels and returning to where I stood. Both his hands fisted on his hips when he stopped and stared at Ezra again. “The bloody idiot stole something from an angel, didn’t he?”

I thought of Dylan’s artifact. “Yes. He stole a sacred stone and used the power it contained to turn a snake shifter into a full-blown naga the size of a twenty-story building. Didn’t Conn tell ya this?”

“Connlander talked to me but I was having a pint. Who wants to listen to dull work stories when they’re drinking? I figured one of ya would tell me again when I saw ya.”

Murray’s honesty made me laugh. I might not trust this fairy but I liked him. I liked him as much as I’d once liked Ezra.

“Goddess, Murray. Ezra planned to help Hisser kill me so he could carve the Dagda stone from my chest. And somehow he’s learned to draw energy swords from the air. He also tried to kill my daughter, which is why the angel did this to him.”

"I understand now, you're talking about Fiona receiving angel training to become the guardian of the ring.”

My mouth dropped open. “That’s our family secret. I’m not even sure Ma knows the truth about it.”

Murray grinned. “And I’m a well-connected fairy who loves chatting with people. Are ya judging me for my natural skills?”

My lips flattened as I glared. “Saying ya’re well-connected tells me nothing.”

Murray snorted. “A compulsion stronger than any ya can imagine prevents me from talking about how I know such things. Ya need to let this go, Aran. If I tried to explain it to ya, I’d end up writhing on yer floor like that giant snake ya talked about.”

“Fine,” I said as snidely as possible. I understood, but I wanted to make it clear that I didn’t like it.

Murray blew out a breath. “Angel magic drains my people of their power. Afterward, it dissipates into the air like summer rain on a hot day. The fairy elders won’t be letting Ezra cross the veil in this condition, no matter how much power he’s been storing away. The way they will see it is that he’s been poisoned.”

“He tried to take my life and someone stopped him.What do ya mean he’s been poisoned?”I yelled.

Murray pursed his lips and thought. “Would ya understand me better if I compared his condition to a deadly disease?” He pointed at Ezra. “As far as the fairy folk are concerned, he’s been exposed to something as evil as yer Black Plague. If they let him across the veil, he might thaw from his angelic prison but the remnants of it could affect his entire village. Why do ya think angels have been charged with ending the world?”

Now it was my turn to fist my hands on my hips and look indignant. “Ya can’t seriously believe that myth.”

Murray swiped an agitated hand through the air. “I met two of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, Aran. It’s not a myth. Their god worked for eons to give them the power to do that no matter what the guardians might try to do to stop them. Before humans and fairies ever came to be, the gods, the creators, and the watchers fought over controlling our planet. Yer boyfriend’s people won, in case ya didn’t know.”

“Goddess, that can’t be the truth, Murray.”

He shrugged. “It’s the truth as I know it.” He waved at Ezra again. “And it’s a truth yer fairy betrayer is learning the hard way. Ya never want to fight with an angel. It’s best to walk away no matter how powerful ya think ya are. It’s a real toss-up between them and the watchers—I mean, guardians.”

I had expected Murray to bring me a day and time to toss Ezra through a portal. I did not expect him to relate some story about Armageddon along with a warning about angel wrath.

I rubbed my face and groaned into my fingers. “I’m not keeping him in my foyer, Murray. I’ll be sending him to the Irish branch of the Shadow Breakers until someone among yer people comes up with a solution we can all live with. Ezra’s power is as large as Conn’s. I’d rather cut the statue into pieces and bury all of them on separate plots of consecrated ground. That’s how a witch thinks.”

Murray held up both hands. “I know ya mean that, Aran, but don’t do it. Please—as a favor to me—don’t kill the fairy out of anger or malice. I’m not excusing his crimes or yer right to hold him accountable. Our people sorely need his collected power. The fairy folk use it to create the sky over their heads as well as all the trees and food sources. It’s a known truth that our people need yer people.”

“Yet you betray our trust by stealing from us.”

“Our ancestors—theTuatha de Danann—left this world for the sake of keeping the peace. Before that, though, we were ofthis world and needed its energy just as much yer people do. I’ll keep looking into Ezra’s dilemma. Trust me. This falls to those like me to resolve.”

“Why should I trust ya, Murray? Yer people keep yer need for power a dirty secret even while ya’re using us as batteries.”

“Yer heartless comparisons wound me, Aran. Ido notthink of ya as a battery. Nor will I, not even when that relic inside ya wakes completely up. The Dagda’s creations are nothing to be trifled with,” he said with one hand covering his heart.

“Damn yer pretty speeches,” I said, glaring at Murray for even pretending to care because I wanted to believe him. I couldn’t let myself trust Murray was telling the truth, but it was nice that my swearing at him prompted a smile.

Murray turned to me. “Come and walk me out. I have to go report this to the powers that be.”