Page 43 of Shift of Morals (Shifter Lords #2)
R owan had left after a cup of hot chocolate and a tour of my greenhouse.
With Hazel gone and everyone else off for the day, I basked in the silence and feeling of freedom.
But when oak leaves began falling from the sky, I knew my peace wouldn’t last. I poured two cups of hot cocoa, topped them both with whipped cream, and turned to see Cernunnos in my living room, his bare feet propped on the old coffee table. He was staring down at the damaged floor.
“I can fix that for you.”
A surprised laugh bubbled from me. “Sure, but I’m already under contract with a dryad. They take those very seriously.”
Cernunnos waved a hand. “I’ve already cleared it with him.”
I set the mug down on the table beside him. “Of course you have.”
“Sit with me awhile,” he said. “I’m tired.”
I took the chair opposite him. Cernunnos picked up his mug and took a hesitant sip.
“What is this?” he demanded.
“Hot cocoa. You’ve never had it?”
“No. It’s delicious.”
A smile tugged at my mouth. “It’s popular during the colder months.”
“I see why.”
We fell into a comfortable silence. Cernunnos didn’t speak again until he finished his cocoa. He rose and gestured with his massive antlers. “There is something you must see.”
“Do I need a jacket?”
“Not with me.”
Curious but unafraid, I followed Cernunnos outside. He led me through my property until we stood close to the boundary at the very back. A mound of freshly disturbed dirt in an oblong shape lay before us.
A sickening feeling crept up my throat. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Trouble comes your way once more, Evangeline. Be prepared.”
“From the Chimera?”
“From everywhere,” Cernunnos said.
“That is surprisingly unhelpful,” I muttered. “Why do you continue to help me?” A terrifying thought had come to mind after the wedding, but I’d squashed it down, refusing to believe it might be true.
“I’m afraid my capacity for assistance is limited in many ways due to my…role in the fae kingdom. But certain things, like your Lord’s wedding, do not fall under fae purview.”
“Even though not giving your blessing can cause a wedding and long-standing political clout to crumble into dust?”
Cernunnos chuckled. “The fae love their loopholes, my dear.”
He lifted a hand, glowing power at the edge of his palm.
“Wait,” I blurted.
Cernunnos stilled, his eyes burning. “Ask your question, Evangeline.”
I licked my lips, my heart pounding against my ribs. “Are—are you my father?” If he was, it would change everything. About me. My power. My life. Everything.
Cernunnos’ power rumbled the earth, disturbing the fresh mound. Pale skin was revealed, along with a tangle of cool blonde hair.
“She’s been dead for at least two weeks.”
I sucked in a shocked breath as Gianna’s corpse came into view, her skin stretched against the bone due to decomposition.
“Impossible. The wedding was—” My words cut off. “Finn,” I snarled.
But Cernunnos shook his head. “Not Finn. Not this time. The Chimeras rise once again, Evangeline, and your world is under threat.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Cernunnos’ eyes glowed with power. The sky opened, revealing a wide swath of pale, ghostly riders, glowing with warm fae light. “The ride awaits. I will return.”
“Cernunnos!”
Lightning cracked through the sky. “It is not time to answer that question. The truth will be revealed soon.” His eyes glowed with unholy power as he rose into the sky. “Until we meet again, Evangeline. Beware the man with too many teeth.”
“Um. Okay?”
Cernunnos winked and disappeared, the sky closing, revealing a clear night sky, no evidence of the god’s presence anywhere.
My shoulders slumped.
Can’t a hybrid, shapeshifting florist ever catch a break?