Page 71 of Witchbane

Vaguely, but I didn’t speak fae without Nick setting a translating spell. It had looked a bit like gobbledygook to me. “Yes?”

“I’m learning the language as fast as I can,” Liam promised.

“You’re amazing. I can barely speak English.”

He bopped my nose for the self-deprecating comment. “You’re figuring it out. You’ve had a few weeks at most? Before you ever entered Underhill or knew you could control this type of magic? Your fox worked fine, as did your wards. I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.”

“A couple months,” I corrected him.

“Still… fits my point. It can take six months or more to train a new wolf not to attack their packmates. Or to keep them from shifting with emotions like anger or pain. And the wolf is a lot less magic than you.”

“Okay, but I don’t think I should open anymore portals.”

“No. Probably not. Especially not here in Kiran’s space.”

“He’s not doing well?”

“No,” Liam said quietly. “I think he’s further gone than he wants any of us to know. Nick wanted him to eat another fae. He refused.”

“Not sure that’s helping anything but adding to the blight.”

“Agreed. My thought is that we need to see another portal in action. Discover what is tying the two worlds together.”

“No,” I said instantly. “We are not going to the last portal, which is surrounded by monsters and monitored by Underhill, to gape at the last butthole between worlds.”

Liam’s lips twitched as he fought a smile. “Sometimes…” He paused and shook his head.

“What?” I demanded.

“You have a succinct way of putting things.”

“You want us to step in a giant pile of fae doo-doo andIhave a succinct way of putting things?”

He grinned. “No mincing words.”

“Nope,” I agreed.

“We need to find a way home. There is one current path to get there…” Liam sighed. “I’m not happy with it either. But Nick and I have gone over a dozen ideas. There are a handful of things we can try to stop Underhill’s destruction, but honestly, escape is probably the best option. And if that last portal gives us a clue?”

I had to admit it was a really good idea, and a terrible one, all at the same time. I was a visual learner. And seeing how the worlds were tied might help us design a way to get us home. “Why are you so smart?”

“Not smart, simple. We need a way out. There is one working way out. It’s a bit like watching someone make bread. We watch and follow the instructions, and voilà, bread.”

“Except most of the time the first few loaves really suck.”

“True. But it’s you and me. Two brains are better than one.” He glanced back at the closed door. “I also think they aren’t telling us a lot of stuff.”

I gave him a “duh” stare. “Um, it’s not like the fae are usually forthcoming.”

“Did you read any of those old fairy tale books I ordered for you?”

“Sure. But they are fairy tales.”

“Technically, so are you,” he said, tugging on my braid again.

I put my hand over his, stilling his movement. “Stop that unless you plan to follow through.”

His lips curved up in a smile. “Turning you on again, am I?”