Page 15

Zoey

I stare at the food set out in front of us and hope that Bibi told the kitchen staff that now’s not a good time to kill us all.

I’m hungry. My morning sickness is gone and now baby wants some food, but I worry about that cold iron dust. After all, even when growing a baby abomination, one must consider nutrition.

“It’s fine.”

Dev stares at me across the table. He glances up at the beautifully dressed servants waiting by the entrance. We’re dining in the most intimate of the dining rooms. I say intimate, but it still seats twenty, and the open-air walls that look out over the grounds make it seem even larger. “I promise.”

I nod and take a bite of the salad, noticing how Rhys keeps staring at our guest. Although I suppose we’re in fact her guest.

It’s weird since she thinks she’s marrying my husband.

“Maybe I should eat in my room,”

I say tentatively.

The goddess, who told me I should call her either Ostara or Meadow, cocks her head and sends me a quizzical look. “Why would you do that?”

“I suspect my go…Zoey is worried her presence will offend you since we are engaged to be married,”

Dev says evenly.

Rhys and Shy explained the meeting with Ostara, though we’re still trying to feel her out. And to figure out if her Myrddin Emrys is another version of ours. As tales go, this one feels confusing and poorly plotted out. Like the writer was high or something.

Ostara smiles, her teeth a perfect white and eyes sparkling. “Oh, no. I am not offended at all. I’m Fae, Zoey. Even if your husband was the Devinshea I’m going to marry, I would not be offended by his lover. We are not in love. He is simply kind enough to aid me and my plane.”

She glances around. “I am curious as to why the vampire is not here. The one I saw you with earlier when you entered the palace.”

Daniel is busy checking the place out. And by that I mean he’s casing Devinshea’s rooms, trying to figure out if Evil Dev keeps the important amulets in the same place his mom did. Neil is going with him as backup, and Sasha is doing his Sasha thing. Hanging out in shadows and listening.

“He does not eat,”

Rhys explains. “Have you never met a vampire before? Is that why you’re so curious about him?”

“He feels familiar to me,”

she says. “Ostara would like to meet him.”

See, it’s weird when she talks about herself like that. She told us her Fae name is Meadow, but she often goes by Ostara now. Simpler, she said. Nothing about this situation feels simple to me. “I’m sure that can be arranged. So you are from another… Wait. What did you mean by even if my Devinshea was yours?”

Ostara gives us all a beatific smile. “I read energy very well. I thought that was the case, but I have never met Rhys nor his goddess so I could not be sure. Being in the room with this Devinshea makes it all clear. Your energy is off, and not in a way that would let me know you come from another plane. Though I feel that as well.”

We all stare at the goddess, wondering exactly how to handle the situation. If she goes to the guards, will they believe her?

“Perhaps we should hold this discussion for a time when we are alone,”

Dev says, glancing at the servants. Telling me not to give anything away.

Ostara waves a hand. “Oh, the servants in this dining hall are all spelled so they cannot hear unless it is a command for them. Devinshea says it is because of the rebellion, to protect both them and him. The rebels won’t hurt the servants if they know they can get no information from them. The king has been hurt many times. I will help him and this land heal.”

“I’m not so sure he deserves your help,”

Dev says with a sigh. “Fine. Since you already seem to understand we don’t belong here, Ostara, I am the High Priest of the Fae of a plane connected to the Earth plane. This is my goddess, and the vampire you are so interested in is my partner. Can you get us home to our timeline? We are in danger here. It is clear to me you have faith in this timeline’s Devinshea Quinn, but I find myself horrified at the things he’s done and worry what he will do if he returns home and finds me and my family in his palace.”

“We can explain,”

Ostara says. “He is a reasonable man.”

“I know the spell you are talking about when it comes to the servants,”

Dev replies, his mouth a flat line. “Did he explain that it is permanent? That those he uses it on can never again hear anything but the commands of the masters of this palace?”

Ostara pales, the pixies in her hair stilling. “We do not have such spells on my plane. You must be mistaken.”

“Bibi, could you tell the goddess what you know of the spell and why you were not subject to it?” Dev asks.

Bibi stands, showing herself. She was sitting in shadows by the fireplace, keeping watch. “I am not allowed to speak to the king’s fiancée.”

“But why?”

Ostara rises and gets to one knee, holding out her hand. “I love all of the Fae. Little trolls and brownies are my dearest friends on my home plane. They are beloved. I hate the term lesser. You are not less than a sidhe. You are beautiful, little one. Why would I not wish to speak with you? I have been worried that the trolls and dwarves and gnomes are afraid of me for some reason.”

Bibi stares at that outstretched hand for a second and then slowly places her own in it. “Mistress, we are not allowed to speak with sidhe unless we are serving them. It is the king’s command. He hates the lesser Fae. I am only not subject to the spell because I typically work in the gardens, and it is necessary to discuss how and when we will plant. The king gave up his Green Man powers years ago.”

“Asshole,”

Dev says under his breath. “I would like to kick my own ass. Why would I give up my fertility powers?”

“For darker powers that are not compatible,”

Bibi explains.

Ostara stands, tears in her eyes. “I do not understand. Devinshea told me it was his mother who made these rules, and he is attempting to change them. He told me society changes slowly, but he thought marrying me would help speed things along.”

“Devinshea lies,”

I say and look back at my husband. “The other one, of course. I am curious what happened that changed you here. It sounds like your childhood was relatively the same. At least you had your mother and brother. Bibi, do you know anything about why your king is so angry with the lesser Fae?”

“He is angry with everyone,”

Bibi explains in her quiet tone, looking at the servants as though they will tell on her. “I know a few things. You should understand that even when his mother was queen, there were tensions, though Miria was fair enough. As a prince he fell in love with a commoner. Have you noticed the courtiers staring at you, Zoey?”

“I have,”

I acknowledge, though I thought it was simply prurient interest. Now I wonder. “She looked like me, didn’t she?”

Bibi nods. “She was a woman who lived in a far-off village. At the time the king was the second son. He was free to pursue his education as he would. They had a son. One who looks very much like your own.”

“Lee. In this timeline he doesn’t have a twin brother,”

I surmise.

Rhys snorts. “I’m sure that’s made him so much better.”

Shy sends him a shut-the-hell-up look and he does. Rhys had not been surprised to hear his brother was causing trouble in another timeline.

“No, there is only the one, and he is not considered proper for the line of succession since his mother was a commoner.”

“I can tell you the rest of the story. I know what went wrong. He was not allowed to marry her.”

Dev sighs. “My brother did not think my goddess was a proper one. He attempted to strong-arm me out of the marriage, but I had been on my own for years. I was strong and held up by my goddess and my partner. So in this timeline, my brother got his way. Likely because I stayed here instead of moving my whole life to the Earth plane. So this me has a bastard son and a version of Zoey who likely loathes me. I would like to avoid an angry alternate of you, my goddess. You can do a lot of damage when you’ve been wronged. Although…”

I frown my husband’s way because I know exactly what he’s thinking. “Not happening.”

He’s got visions of two Zoeys in bed. It would not go well.

“Oh, she is dead,”

Bibi replies, cutting us off at the pass. “She was killed by a group of ogres, and that is when the prince began spending much time with the royals who prefer the company of only sidhe.”

Dev looks my way. “So you die and I fall under the influence of the Duke of Ain. That is horrible and makes sense.”

The Duke of Ain. In our time, he wanted a sithein free of lesser Fae. Devinshea had called the Wild Hunt down on him. But in this timeline, he listened. In this life, he got inside Devinshea’s head and corrupted him. I didn’t like the idea of the duke hanging around. I might have hated the duke, but he was clever and he didn’t mind getting his hands bloody. “Is the duke around? Or is he off plane with the king?”

“The king took most of his retinue,”

Ostara explains. “It is why the palace guard is so confused. You came back with people they don’t know and without any of your normal security. But they also aren’t creative thinkers. Eoin asked if I thought something was wrong and I told him you simply found some friends you wanted to impress.”

“Everyone is used to the king’s mercurial moods,”

Bibi adds. “And everyone knows he is looking for his lost love. Her name was Zandra. I’ve heard it said the wizard has promised to find her for him so he can have another chance.”

“Well, that makes some sense,”

Dev admits quietly, his eyes finding mine. “I think we often seek out our soulmates. I have two, and it seems without them I am nothing.”

I reach out and hold his hand before turning back to our guest, who brushes away a tear. “Are you all right? I’m sorry to put you in this position. I don’t think this Devinshea is capable of truly helping you.”

“I fear he is planning something far darker.”

Dev’s accent turns very Irish, and Bris is here. He brings my hand to his lips, kissing it before he stands. “Ostara of the Wind and Rains, I am Bris. I was an agricultural deity on the Earth plane in a place called Ireland.”

Ostara smiles, a genuinely delighted expression. “It is lovely to meet you. It’s been so long since I met an ancient one.”

Ostara seems to think, but I believe she’s having one of those inner conversations. It’s obvious to me these two are not as well integrated as Devinshea and Bris. “My goddess is excited to see you, but she is asking questions. Is the vampire truly your soul’s mate?”

Bris frowns but his tone is gentle. “He is Devinshea’s. There is no question about it. I worry that is why the Devinshea of this timeline has chosen an evil path. He requires Daniel and Zoey to be complete.”

“Daniel.”

She seems to taste his name on her tongue, and now my worry creeps in. What does a goddess of spring want with my vampire? “Yes, a lovely name for him this time around. He is happy?”

Well, not really right now. He wants off this plane. “He is happy with our marriage. May I ask why you wish to know? Did you know Daniel in some way?”

She takes a breath and shakes her beautiful blonde hair. “It matters not now. Ostara has other questions. I’m afraid she has always been suspicious of our fiancé. What do you think he is doing?”

Bris turns to Shy. “Daughter, what do the spirits say?”

I feel like I’m missing something, but I give my attention to Shy, too. I’ll ask Danny later.

A concerned expression sits on Shy’s lovely face. “The spirits I met in the forest loathe the king. I believe they would say he is capable of all manner of evil. As for the ones in the palace, there are none. I do not sense or feel them.”

“Is that normal?”

Bris is unusually anxious, his worry clear. Something is bothering him. Likely the idea of being out of his timeline.

“No.”

Shy closes her eyes and seeks something the rest of us can’t feel or see. When she opens them again, her eyes seem darker, as though she’s tapped into power. “I can usually feel death energy. Animals, humans, even plants die all the time. My mother used to describe it as magic. There’s a magic to death, an energy that turns the wheel. Even as one thing dies, another is born. Or reborn, as she would say.”

She shakes her head as though realizing something. “Ostara recently told me. She said the wheel doesn’t stop at death. Death turns the wheel. All this time I’ve been worried my power would harm Rhys’s.”

“Your power fuels mine as mine fuels yours.”

Rhys puts a hand on hers, a brilliant smile playing on his face. “Baby, I know you think I should be with some sweet Fae girl, someone whose powers are similar to mine. I know you thought I was attracted to Ostara.”

Ostara gasps and puts a hand to her chest. “No. That would be terrible.”

Rhys shakes his head. “She smells cloyingly of gardenias and fresh rain.”

A brow rises over my soon-to-be daughter-in-law’s eyes.

“I am used to it from me,”

Rhys replies, bringing her hand to his lips. “When we return, ask my brother. I was never attracted to submissive Fae girls. I liked the ones who could kick my ass, and I promise I’m going to be better about trusting you. I’m so in love with you and so afraid I’ll lose you that I’m practically making it into truth. If you wish to go to the mountains tomorrow, we shall go.”

His eyes go to Bris. “My goddess believes there is something wrong with the mountains to the north. She was told there are sluagh there.”

Ostara nods. “I have heard rumors about the mountains. That the dead are congregating there.”

“Specifically sluagh,”

Shy explains. “My question is why are there no dead in the palace? I don’t sense any wards that would keep them out. Those have to be incredibly strong since it’s natural for the dead to be around. Well, as natural as it can be to remain in a state of flux. But there is nothing here. No shades or spirits. It is disconcerting. It’s like we crossed a line when we left the forest and now there are no spirits. I’d like to talk to the dead in the mountains and see if they know what’s happening. It’s obvious that this Devinshea is eliminating what he considers non-helpful Fae. But why would he only do it in the forests? Did he purge his household when he became king? Send them away?”

It is Bibi’s voice that answers, tremulous but strong. “He slaughtered many lesser Fae. It is why my master has begun recruiting from the Unseelie sitheins.”

“So he’s the one who sent the chimera,” I muse.

“Of course it was Lee who sent a monster to kill us all,”

Rhys complains, but I also notice he’s still holding Shy’s hand, still staring at her like she’s the sun in the sky.

Like he knows what Ostara explained to her, what she now understands will make a huge difference in her accepting their relationship. Perhaps going on a mission together will seal their bond, though I worry about them making the journey with his face so close to his father’s. And apparently the leader of the resistance.

“The question now is why Arawn would send us here. And why would he not be here to greet us or send us further instructions?”

Devinshea has taken over the body again, and he stops at the edge of the open-air windows, looking out over the starry night. “It makes no sense.”

The door opens and Neil walks in. I stand. Earlier he chose to go with Daniel while Cassie and Brendan stayed with the C?n Annwn. They went down to the kitchens to find some food for all of them, and we were going to meet back up in our rooms to decide on which path to take. We’re only certain of one thing. We can’t stay here.

Perhaps we should all go to the mountains.

“Hey,”

I begin, looking at my bestie who seems to have found some Fae clothes to change into. “You hungry?”

“Zoey,”

Devinshea begins. “That’s not our…”

That is the moment Neil raises a crossbow and shoots it toward my husband.

Rhys is on his feet in a heartbeat, running toward his father.

Devinshea manages to take the arrow in the arm rather than the chest. He groans as the blood begins to bloom, and Neil is joined by a group of Fae I don’t recognize.

I stand and step close to Shy, reaching for her hand.

“Look at his ears,”

Shy whispers.

I realize what my husband intended to say. Neil’s ears are longer, pointed in that delicate way of the Fae.

“Neil,”

Bibi begins.

But Neil holds out a hand. “In a moment, Bibi. Servants, you can leave or you can die. We don’t wish to harm any of you, but we will. The pretender must die for all Fae to be free. Lee, it’s time.”

Bibi reaches for his coattail, tugging it. “Neil, it is not what you think.”

Lee steps inside dressed in all black leathers and looking dangerous. This is my son and not my son. He is older than my Lee, infinitely harder. He has scars my baby boy never took even before his turn made him perfect again. He frowns at Devinshea on the floor, and his eyes flare at the sight of his twin. Well, his alternative’s twin. “Another by blow, Father? Damn but your wickedness runs true. He could be my twin. He’s evil, you know, brother. Anything he told you to bring you here is a lie.”

Rhys stands in front of his father. “He is not your father. He is mine.”

“Master, you are mistaken,”

Bibi says, a bit of desperation in her voice.

“Sir, this is not the king you seek,”

Ostara tries.

Lee frowns at the goddess of spring. “You are his fiancée. He’s going to murder you, too, you know. He wants the energy your goddess can give him. That fucking wizard has done the impossible. He’s corrupted Devinshea Quinn further. Well, it stops now. You made a mistake coming back without your witches and your guard.”

“Son,”

Dev begins. “I am not the…”

Lee pulls his bow and arrow.

“No,”

I yell. “Rhys, do something.”

I hear the beginnings of a rumble from outside.

That’s not the only sound I hear. Growling.

The servants have made themselves scarce, with the exception of Bibi. There are ten Fae guards backing up the alternate versions of Lee and Neil. As the big white wolf begins to stalk inside the dining hall, some of the arrows shift his way.

Neil. He heard something and he’s come. My Neil. We have one shot at surprising them since they are not listening to Bibi or Ostara. “Change, Neil. Show them who you are. Show your Fae version who you are.”

Fae Neil turns slightly, and his eyes widen first as he takes in me, and then at the sight of his own naked werewolf self standing in front of him.

“Zandra?”

Neil breathes. “Lee, stand down. Something is wrong.”

“This is our chance, Uncle,”

Lee insists and then his bow drops as he sees me for the first time. “Mama?”

Tears pierce my eyes at the emotion behind the word. Like my own baby boy who missed me for twelve years. It’s right there in his eyes. The deep longing for the relationship that was stripped from him. A loving mother. A hand in his. Cookies for his belly and stories at night to fill his soul. He is a man. Perhaps older than my Lee. But the child inside still wants his mother. Will always want his mother.

I step away from the women even as I see green vines starting to creep along the open windows.

“Mom,”

Rhys warns.

I shake my head and move to this version of my son. So alike and yet there’s a scar on his chin mine does not have. I stand right in front of him and put my hand to his face, rubbing the deep groove. “Did she soothe you when you got this? I would kiss my Lee’s boo-boos and bandage him up even though I would use vampire blood to ensure he healed. He liked the ritual.”

Lee’s eyes close. “You are not my mother.”

“Not in this time,”

I reply quietly. “But I assure you I love you, and I also promise that man who looks like the monster who sired you is not.”

“I am Devinshea Conlan-Quinn,”

Dev says, his eyes tight. “In my time, I am High Priest of the Unseelie and Seelie Fae.”

Lee looks his way but does not move from me. “We have no high priest. Certainly not one we would share with the Unseelie. Why would you name them first?”

“Because the Seelies can be assholes,”

Dev replies. “I greatly prefer the dark court. It’s far more honest, and they don’t force my goddess to wear their flowy gowns. She complains. She loves her weapons, and they are far too hard to get to with all that…”

“Fabric,”

Lee finishes. “My mother hated them, too. She preferred the country because she could wear pants and defend herself. Once she told me she would rather be a goblin.”

I’ve said it before many times. How odd the things that are the same and different. “I have a couple of knives on me and my Ruger.”

“What is that?”

Lee asks and then shakes his head and steps back. “This is some kind of trick. We have one shot at this. Our witches have taken out the guards. Uncle, we should kill them.”

Other Neil is busy staring at himself. He waves Lee off. “You’re not going to kill your mother. Even if she’s not technically your mother. She’s obviously some version of Z. You know I told you about other planes. And we’re not killing this magnificent creature. What am I?”

My Neil puts his hands on his hips. “Werewolf. You know I always thought I would make a gorgeous Fae. You are keeping it tight, mister. Proud of you.”

Other Neil nods. It’s good to know neither of them suffers from self-consciousness. “You, too. Damn. What are you doing to get those abs?”

“Oh, it’s werewolf DNA. And this is my body after two kids. I keep telling Z it’s not that hard,”

Neil says with a grin. “Seriously, we’re not from this plane or this timeline. We got sent here by a death god who now that I think about it never actually asked us himself. Sent a crone and some dumb hellhounds. That’s lazy, right?”

“Or it’s a trap,”

Other Neil acknowledged. “You think they were setting you up to be killed by us?”

“Or you up to be killed by us,”

my Neil agreed. “And therefore be vulnerable. Isn’t it odd it all occurs while King Evil happens to be off plane, and then we find out he’s working with our own personal nemesis, Myrddin the Dick Face Wizard?”

“We can’t be sure it’s our Myrddin.”

Dev grimaces but he’s more relaxed.

“What do you mean?”

Lee asks. “Yours? I’m afraid I’m extremely confused.”

“That does not surprise me.”

Rhys helps his father move toward the table. “You were always terrible at school. You would never pay attention.”

“What is school?” Lee asks.

Rhys gestures his way. “My point is made. Lee is always Lee. He runs on charm and recklessness and pure emotion. Did you even think about the fact that you are seemingly an army of ten against all of the palace?”

“I feel the weirdest urge to punch you right in the face,”

Lee says with a sigh and looks at me. “You had two of us?”

“And two girls and one on the way,”

I admit. “And you were not bad at school. You were a bit distracted. You are very, very smart, son. In our time, you often solve mysteries.”

“And catch venereal diseases,”

Rhys mutters.

“Rhys,”

Shy groans.

“Well, he is already checking you out, my goddess,”

Rhys accuses. “I know exactly how he works. He might have a few different scars, but he is Lee. I shared a womb with him. I know what he is thinking. She is mine, Lee. Mine. I do not share.”

Lee’s lips curl in the most lascivious grin as he takes in Shy. “He’s not wrong. I wasn’t going to kill you, gorgeous. I was going to offer to take care of you, of course.”

Shy’s eyes roll. “Yep, there he is.”

It seems the real danger passed. For now. “How did you incapacitate the guards? Permanently? Or should we get out of here?”

Maybe we would be safer in a rebel camp. It’s not like Rhys and Shy and Neil and his kids don’t know how to get along in one.

“We have two witches who are covering this part of the palace and the guard house. It should come as no surprise that the king doesn’t inspire loyalty,”

Lee says. “They won’t risk themselves if they think for a bare second that they can get away with it.”

“Are they the reason I couldn’t bring the vines and trees to my aid?”

Rhys asks, looking down at his father’s injury. The arrow is sticking out of his upper bicep. “I could pull them from the ground, but they would not come in through the windows.”

“You must be strong,”

Lee says as the Neils start to chat and the others take up positions around the dining hall. “The witches are warding to keep all magic from being performed in the palace. I think you got through those. The windows are warded by the palace witches to keep me out. Fucker didn’t think I could find a way around it, but I did. You are truly another Devinshea?”

Dev winces and gives Rhys a nod. He grits his teeth and Rhys pulls the arrow through, blood soaking Dev’s shirt. Dev manages to keep his pain to a low groan. His eyes are weary as he looks at the young man who could have been our son. “I am. I am a Devinshea who left the sithein for the human plane. My father was human, and I went to live with him as a young man. I took care of him until he died, and then I built his businesses up and one day I met a gorgeous redhead and her vampire boyfriend.”

How quickly he forgets. “Not at the time he wasn’t.”

“A vampire?”

Lee asks and his jaw drops. “You are in a ménage relationship with my mother and a vampire?”

“Yes,”

Devinshea says and flexes his arm. “As you can see, I regularly take his blood so this wound is already healed. Thank you, son.”

Rhys pats his father’s shoulder and moves back to Shy. “You should expect my dad to rush in the minute he gets close enough to smell Papa. He is protective of his precious blood. You should be happy you have a face he will recognize.”

Lee stares at Rhys, an intense look in his eyes. “Were they good to you? Not Mother. She was wonderful. When I close my eyes I hear her singing to me, feel her hand in my hair. See what they did to her.”

Rhys is quiet for a moment and his eyes are bright as he takes in this version of his twin. “She was taken from me, too. From us. Me and Lee and Evangeline. Myrddin took our father’s crown and sent them through a portal. They did not return for years. We were on the run, and each night I would close my eyes and hear her voice and feel her kiss on my cheek. But I also heard my papa telling me he loves me. I remembered my dad hugging me. They weren’t good to me. They were everything to me.”

Tears cling to my cheeks and I make eye contact with Devinshea, who watches our sons, absolutely feeling our loss, hearing our son say he missed us, loves us. Wishes we had that time together.

But we must appreciate the time we have now.

“And we are brothers in your time?”

Lee sniffles but holds it together.

“You are my deeply obnoxious brother,”

Rhys returns. “How we are twins, I have no idea. You create chaos wherever you go.”

“So pretty much the same,”

Other Neil snarks. He’s beside my Neil, who has no problem standing there with his dingus hanging out. I’m suddenly worried for his husband. They might decide to date.

“I love you, brother. I say that unashamedly and without hesitation. I would give my life for you and I would trust you with everything that matters to me. We are more than brothers. You are part of me,”

Rhys vows.

“In another time,”

Lee says softly.

“In all of the times,”

Rhys replies, his voice strong, unwavering. “Even if you turned out like your father, but you should know I would protect the world from you. I will help you take out this version of the man even though it makes my heart ache to do so because somewhere in there is my papa. He just took a wrong turn.”

“A wildly insane turn,”

Dev complains. “I don’t even understand what he’s doing. He gives up his Green Man powers? Chooses to not ascend?”

Other Neil moves to Lee’s side, seeming to get serious. It’s easy to tell that he is Lee’s second in command. He likely had a large hand in raising him after his mother was murdered. “He went insane after he learned of Zandra’s death. The king was not always as he is now. He was selfish, but I do believe he truly loved Z. He came to our village many times after he pledged he would not marry her. He was even a halfway decent father to Lee for many years. But then the queen declared he must marry.”

“My father did not wish to marry,”

Lee continues. “He was content to be something of a husband and a father two or three times a year. He would come to our village and it would be good for a few weeks and he would be gone again. Mother had a friend who constantly told her she deserved better. But she wouldn’t listen to him.”

“Let me guess. Sandy hair and dimples? Blue eyes?”

our Neil asks.

“Yes, Deiniol did have those attributes,”

Other Neil agrees.

The thought makes my heart clench. “Is he here with you?”

Lee’s head shakes. “No. After Declan Quinn sent his assassins to kill me and my mother, it was Deinny who saved me, who took me to Neil and asked him to hide me. To keep me safe. And then he went to the palace to kill the prince. He showed Devinshea the evidence and that was when my father went mad. In his grief, he killed his mother and brother, took the throne and burned Deinny at the stake because he would not give up my location. I believe by that point, Deinny knew Devinshea couldn’t be trusted.”

“But you’re his son,”

I say, feeling so much for the tragedies these versions of ourselves had gone through.

“I was his rival at that point,”

Lee explains. “For all Uncle Neil claims the king was a decent father, I believe he was merely obsessed with my mother and once she was gone, he shut away the tiny part of himself that could love. I’m his bastard, and I’m someone the rebels could rally around. The last with Quinn blood.”

“So you’re taking his throne?” Dev asks.

“I care not for the throne. Let the damn royals figure it out,”

Lee explains. “I want peace in my lands. I want all of the Fae to live in harmony again. He has thrown off the balance of the world, and I intend to restore it.”

“Is Myrddin from this realm?”

I want to know if this is the same Myrddin we’re dealing with.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sasha walk into the room. “Your Highness, we must move now.”

“Oh, why would you leave so soon, my love?”

From the opposite entrance, my husband walks in. My not husband. This version of himself practically glows with dark magic. And his smile is the most predatory thing I’ve ever seen.

Unfortunately, he’s not alone.

“Hello, Zoey. I do believe I told you this wasn’t over,”

Myrddin Emrys says.

And I know we are much too late.