Page 149 of Fallen Court

“Roark or Lach?”

“Roark.” She sighed, scanning the restaurant. “Where the hell is the server? I’m ready to skip food and order a bottle of whiskey.”

“I’m actually on board with that plan, because I think I need to set a few things straight with my mate when I get home.”

“Me too,” she agreed, flushing pink. “I mean with Roark. Gods, can you imagine if we were…?” She smothered a giggle with the back of her hand before shaking her head. “Is there anything else you need to tell me?”

“Nope, I have nothing else to hide. I might be a fae princess, and I’m mated to your brother. If I have any other big secrets, I don’t want to know about them.”

“Seriously, is anyone even working here?” She pushed up on the table, trying to get a better view over the back of the booth.

Baptiste appeared like she’d been summoned, and Ciara settled into the booth. “Sorry. We got busy preparing for tonight. There have been some changes to the schedule, so I’ll take care of you myself.”

“Thank you. I think we’re going to stick to celebrating,” Ciara said, her smile growing sloppy from the wine. At least celebrating sounded better than drowning our sorrows. She tapped the menu. “A bottle of this and two slices of Doberge.”

I had never needed cake so badly in my life.

“Oh, bless your heart. I think you misunderstood what I meant by ‘take care of you.’” Baptiste reached into the pocket of her half apron. There was a flash of movement that my brain couldn’t quite process, and then Ciara froze as the barrel of a 9-millimeter pressed to the back of her head. Baptiste chuckled. “Now, let’s not ruin the tablecloth.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Lach

She was nowhere to be found.

Every guard in the city was looking for her. Roark had torn through the three blocks surrounding the bridal shop.

Nothing.

Cate had gone to look at wedding dresses. She had tried to get out of it. And now… I shook the thought loose. It wouldn’t do me any good. I needed to find her.

“I can try to do a locator spell,” Willow offered, still looking queasy.

“How? I took your magic.” My heart pounded like a drum in my chest.

Another mistake. My sins were catching up to me.

But I would know if something was wrong, just like I’d been sure she was still alive after Oberon abducted her.

That begged a new question: Would I feel it if someone took her from me?

“I forget how faithless the fae are. Even without my magic, I still have someone watching out for me.” She flashed the triple moon tattoo on her wrist. “I’m not entirely powerless. Give me the map.”

I didn’t bother to defend myself. Instead, I laid the map back on my desk, smoothing out the crumpled paper. “Do you think it will actually work?”

It had to. I couldn’t live with the other option.

“Let’s hope.”

“That’s encouraging,” I muttered.

She chewed her lip as she dug into her purse and produced a crystal pendulum.

“Do you have anything of hers?” she asked me.

I hesitated before I reached into my breast pocket and pulled out her mother’s signet ring. “How about this?”

She frowned as she recognized the ring that had brought Cate to her shop and so much trouble to our door. “It should.” She snatched it from me, closing her fist around the ring as she began to mutter in an ancient witches’ tongue. She held the pendulum over the map, but it didn’t move.