He nodded. “Honey, where’s your pomander?”
“Why? What happened?” Her brows snapped together. “Are you injured?”
“No.” He frowned back at her, looking nonplussed. “You are.”
Following his gaze, she glanced down at her palm.
“Oh, yeah.” Used to the minor, nagging pain after one of hertypical prophetic sessions, she hadn’t even thought about the healing spell. “It’s back in the library. I’ll go get it.”
He raised a hand. “I’ll bring it to you. After I do this.”
Finally approaching the sofa, he gently clasped her nape in one hot hand, leaned down, and kissed her. Softly and lingeringly, as if Edie weren’t wolf-whistling at them the entire time in the world’s most hypocritical instance of catcalling.
“I suddenly sympathize with the witch’s trauma,” Max said, sounding pained.
“Be right back,” Hugh murmured. “Would you like some water?”
“I…” Her lips still tingling from the sweetness of his kiss, she blinked at him in dazed confusion. “I guess?”
“Good.” After giving her another, much briefer kiss, he brought her a glass of ice water, then retreated down the hall. And true to his word, when he reappeared a minute later, he came bearing the prettily pierced pomander.
Sitting beside her, he carefully deposited the sphere into her injured palm. “Hopefully this will help your head too.”
“Cool it,Gaston.” Despite her boyfriend’s best attempts to initiate another make-out session, Edie pressed a staying hand on his chest and turned to their guests. “Gwen, before my…nap, I need to thank you for sharing your talent with me again. Oracular sessions are normally way out of my financial reach, so this was a treat. Not to mention very useful.”
Gwen bowed her head. “I’m just sorry I couldn’t do more.”
Edie made a surprisingly rude sound. “You did plenty, Gwen. Later today, I’ll find a different sage-scented oil to use. I’ll also tape a picture of Jim Carrey with dumb bangs to my computermonitor as a reminder to back away from my scissors when I’m frustrated.”
“I’ll help you search for your oil.” Max’s sidelong stare at his girlfriend should have come with a PG-13 rating. “Let’s do that now. Privately.”
“Bye, everyone.” Edie waved at their guests, then slapped Max on the ass and led the way toward the bedroom. “You’re the one who’s going to need oil, vamp. I hope you’re ready.”
“As Kip always says…” Max’s pace hastened. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
The two of them disappeared through their bedroom door, which slammed behind them with a decidedthunk. Moments later, a room-rattling blast of Sade singing about paradise drifted down the hall.
Shaking her head ruefully, Gwen angled herself toward Hugh. “What did Thora tell you?”
“Quite a bit.” Hugh took her uninjured hand in his. “New intelligence seems to indicate that someone within SERC is part of the fae splinter group she’s infiltrated. Perhaps even the group’s leader.”
“Someone within SERC,” Gwen echoed. “Like a species representative or…?”
“Worse.” His eyes were clouded with worry. “From what she’s hearing? The insurrectionist might be an actual councilor.”
Holy shit. That wasterriblenews.
She told him what they both knew. “But there’s only one fae on the Council. Does that mean Tanielle Beech, the actual SERC chair, is part of the conspiracy?”
He blew out a long, slow breath before answering.
“I don’t know who else would benefit from the slaughter of all non-fae Supernaturals and Enhanced humans. Unless someoneon the Council secretly hates their own species and wants their entire lineage wiped off the face of the planet…” His bearded jaw worked. “I have to assume Beech is the plant. But we need proof before making any accusations. Thora’s working to gather evidence, and I set some plans in motion this morning too.”
He didn’t sound happy about any of it, and for good reason.
If the chair—privy to all confidential SERC communications unless the sender deliberately excluded her, as Hugh had been doing in recent days, and wielder of incomparable influence with access to nearly infinite funds—was part of the conspiracy, outmaneuvering her could prove impossible.
“I’m waiting to hear back from a few researchers and informants.” His fingers tightened around hers. “In the meantime…”
