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“My judgment is just fine,” I say, though I can feel my temper starting to rise.

“Is it?” She steps closer, her dark eyes boring into mine. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’ve got wool pulled over your eyes. You’re attracted to the witch. This is more than just a friendship, and it’s clouding your judgment.”

The accusation hits me hard. “That’s ridiculous. You don’t even know me. We only just met.”

She snort-laughs. “I don’t need to know you to know it’s true. I have eyes.”

“Thesha’s right,” Xander says in a soft voice that’s filled with pity.

“It’s clear as day every time you look at her, the way your voice changes when you talk about her.

You’re protective of her in a way that goes beyond simple gratitude or friendship.

She is a beautiful woman, Kian. You would be blind not to notice. ”

“She saved my life,” I say through gritted teeth.

“And conveniently gained access to three lost fae kings in the process,” Thesha fires back. “Do you have any idea what kind of information she could pass back to her kind? What kind of damage she could do?”

“She’s not working for Snow,” I insist. “She didn’t even know who I was when we agreed to help each other. You didn’t see what they were doing to her, how they were using her—”

“I’ve seen plenty of people being tortured and used as bait,” Thesha says coldly. “It’s an old trick, Kian. Break someone down, make them desperate, then position them perfectly to gain their trust in order to use them.”

“Thesha has a point, Kian,” Xander says.

“Perhaps you are right, and she is exactly who you say she is…or maybe she’s not.

We can’t afford to take chances. Not when we’re so close to having enough strength to challenge Snow.

I don’t think we can afford to let a stranger in close, let alone a witch. ”

“McColl isn’t a stranger,” I snap. “Not to me. You think I haven’t considered every possibility?

McColl has had dozens of opportunities to betray me, to signal the guards, to use her magic against me instead of protecting me.

She could have left me to die when that conjurer attacked us, but instead, she fought beside me.

” I think of how she didn’t want anything to do with me as soon as she saw I was a fae.

That isn’t someone with an ulterior motive.

No way.

No how.

“Or she could be playing a very long game,” Thesha says. “Witches are cunning, Kian. They’re natural enemies of the fae for a reason.”

“This witch is different. I’m beginning to think that as a community, they’re misunderstood.”

“You think she’s different? If I had a gold coin for every man who said that about a woman, I would be rich,” Thesha says with bitter amusement. “You’ll think that right up until she drives a blade between your ribs while riding your cock. Witches are not to be trusted…every last one of them.”

“There is a reason that they are known as the sirens of the land,” Xander says.

“Sirens of the land? Are you serious right now?” I ask him with more than a hint of frustration in my tone.

“Yes. They use their beauty…their sexual prowess to snare you…to destroy you. I’ve only just found you. I don’t want to see that happen to you, Kian. We need you.”

The words sting more than they should, probably because there’s something there I don’t want to acknowledge.

Am I attracted to McColl? Absolutely. Just the thought of her smile, the fierce determination in her eyes when she’s casting spells.

I think of how her lips felt against mine, the taste of her, the swell of her breasts against me.

Her eyes, those eyes alone, are enough to floor a man.

I’m attracted to her and then some.

“Even if I am attracted to McColl,” I say finally, “it doesn’t change the facts.

She’s proven herself trustworthy to me, and I need her help.

I’m still learning to control my magic, and she’s the only one around here qualified to teach me.

Orion said something about it being safe for us to wield magic in the valley? ”

Xander nods. “Yes, it is.”

“Well, I need to learn, and it needs to be McColl who teaches me. Your magic works differently,” I tell Xander.

“So do Damon and Orion’s abilities. I need her, at least for a few days, and then I will make sure she returns to Regana, to Witch Mountain.

I will not act on my attraction, I swear.

I will keep a level head. I think she would cut out my heart if I tried anything, anyway. ”

Thesha snort-laughs.

“Famous last words,” Xander mutters.

“I’m not so sure you know what you are talking about,” Thesha adds. “She might use your attraction to her advantage. That’s what they do.”

“I doubt that she—”

“Once again, my wife is right,” Xander says. “You need to tread carefully, my friend. Use the witch, but don’t get too close. Don’t let your guard down. If not for yourself, then for the good of the realm.”

“I will tread carefully. I am.” I run a hand through my hair, feeling frustrated.

“If she stays,” Thesha says, folding her arms, “you need to keep her under guard at all times. Limit what information she has access to. Watch her closely for any signs of deception.”

“Like a prisoner.”

“Like a potential threat. I’m sorry I’m coming down so hard on you, especially since we only just met, but there are vulnerable individuals in that cabin. Think of Maya and her unborn child…even Kyrie. If anything happened…”

The words hang in the air between us. In the distance, I can hear the soft snorts of one of the horses and the hoot of an owl. Normal, peaceful sounds that seem to belong to a different world than the one we are discussing.

“I get where you’re coming from. I rate your loyalty highly…I do, but I refuse to treat McColl like a prisoner,” I say finally. “Not after all we have been through.” I shake my head.

“Then you're a fool,” Thesha snaps. “And your foolishness could get us all killed.”

Xander puts a restraining hand on his wife’s arm. “That’s enough, love. We’ve made our concerns known. The decision is ultimately Kian’s to make.”

“Is it?” Thesha asks. “Because last I checked, we were all in this together. We all have a say in who we trust with our lives. I’m sorry to say, Kian, but I am sticking with my original assessment; your judgment is compromised. I don’t and will never trust a witch.”

Unfortunately, that I don’t have much knowledge of the covens.

We never had dealings with them. They kept to themselves.

Thesha might be right. It sounds like she knows what she is talking about.

But she’s wrong about McColl, although, at the same time, I understand her concern.

How can I not? Yet, the thought of McColl being treated with suspicion and hostility, of seeing that guarded look in her eyes, makes something twist painfully in my chest.

Maybe they are right about my feelings. Maybe I am compromised.

But that doesn’t change what I know to be true about McColl. It just doesn’t!

“She stays,” I say firmly. “And she’s treated as a guest, not a prisoner.

I will not act on my attraction to her. I will keep a close eye on her at all times.

If you don’t like it, we will leave…together.

I will take her back to Witch Mountain myself before returning here.

I won’t stay if she is going to be mistreated.

She doesn’t deserve that because of what she is. ”

I don’t want to leave this place right away.

We need to rest and recuperate. Besides, I don’t want to lose the companionship of my oldest friends.

But I won’t abandon McColl, and I won’t see her mistreated.

I made some promises I intend to keep. I also believe that the witches could be powerful allies, which means I need McColl to achieve that.

Xander and Thesha exchange a long look, having one of those silent conversations that only married couples have mastered.

I saw my parents give each other such a look and on more than one occasion.

I feel a pang at the thought of them, already long in their graves.

Thank Kakara they don’t have to live through this.

“Fine,” Thesha says finally. “She can stay. But I’ll be watching her, Kian. And if she gives me even the slightest reason to doubt her intentions, I won’t hesitate to act. You need to understand that.” She touches the hilt of her sword to make herself clear.

“Fine,” I say, though I doubt McColl will appreciate being under constant scrutiny.

“Be careful, brother,” Xander adds, his voice softer now. “We can’t afford to lose you again…not when we’ve just found you. Or to have valuable information leaked to Snow.”

I nod, understanding the fear beneath his words. We’ve all lost too much already. I wonder if we will ever be able to right the wrongs.

We have to try.

For now, I have to respect my friends and keep a clear head where McColl is concerned. I am certain they are wrong. Hopefully, they will see that in time.

McColl is my friend…not my enemy.

I only wish I wasn’t so damned attracted to her. It would certainly make things easier.