Page 70 of Final Shift
“Don’t step across the boundary, Evangeline.”
He knew I was up to something. I made the sign of the scout. “I promise.”
Dad sighed and shook his head. “Come on, then.”
I put my hand in his and we were gone.
Just like at our Keep, the fae had gathered in large numbers at Soren’s main house. I hadn’t told the Lord I was coming here, so hopefully we could get in and out before his people sounded the alarm.
A tall woman with multicolored hair stood at the front. She jerked when she saw me come into existence. Her eyes lingered on Dad first before sliding to me.
“Queen,” the woman said in a deep voice. She dipped her head, which seemed a little insulting, my father confirming it with his rigid posture.
Too bad for them I’d never cared about all that nonsense. I’d rather hold the respect of my people than enforce all the bowing and scraping that sometimes came with a position. “Who are you?” I asked.
“My name is Nyria.”
She looked like a Nyria, if that made sense. The woman was tall and slender as a reed. Her skin was the pale porcelain of someone who saw little to no sun. Her eyes were a crystalline violet, and if you passed her on the street, you’d know right away she wasn’t human.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Nyria?”
“Did you take this land, too?”
I blinked in surprise. “No. Why would I do that?”
Synchronized howls rang in the distance. Shit. Someone had sounded the alarm. I’d have less than a minute before they reached us.
“You seem to be taking a lot of land these days,” Nyria said, those strange eyes taking my measure.
“Your source of info is flawed. Danu poisoned these lands in order to force me to take her place.”
Nyria blinked. “You lie.”
Dad stepped forward. “Your queen does not lie to you. Danu has threatened her multiple times and poisoned fae and human lands to force her hand.”
I glanced at Dad. Danu had poisoned the fae, too?
Nyria’s lips thinned. “You’d keep us from claiming our birthright?”
Dad snorted. “Human lands do not belong to us. Not completely, and not anymore after our bargain.”
“Then we have nothing,” Nyria said. “No property. No claim. No home.”
Dad frowned.
“Why do you say this?” I asked, that suspicion growing even deeper.
“We’ve been stuck in this place for months.” The surrounding fae murmured their assent. “Unable to return to our lands, and unable to purchase or claim property here, we’ve been close to being homeless! And our queen—” the word was a sneer, “has yet to answer any of our concerns!”
I had no idea anyone had concerns. “Who did you speak to about this?”
“Danu! Titania! We even tried to beseech one of the Lords, and he refused to speak to us.”
“Which Lord?” Dad demanded.
“The studious one,” Nyria said. “Not close to this place. He wouldn’t even come outside!”
I rubbed a hand over my face. This was not good. And I wasn’t surprised Thorvin had blown him off. He would have blown me off, too, if I hadn’t insisted.
