Page 26 of Final Shift
Guilt gnawed at me. I let out a heavy exhale.
“This isn't your fault,” Rowan said quietly, rightly sensing how I was feeling.
“Isn't it?”
Moira shook her head. “No. We saw this happening last time we were here, and we had nothing to do with that. Caelan brought his own downfall around by his actions.”
Things were never quite that simple, were they?
I let go of Rowan and did a slow turn. “Something is wrong.”
“In addition to the utter failure of the Lord?” Garrett snarled.
I ignored his anger, knowing his fury wasn't directed at me.
“Can't you sense the otherness in the air?” I whispered. What was it? Magic other than Caelan's tainted the air, its influence seeping into everything around us.
Rowan's brow furrowed. He closed his eyes and inhaled. Garrett did the same.
“What is that?” Rowan whispered.
A deep male voice spoke from behind us. “The gods have come.”
I spun. Neit stood a few feet away, hands shoved into the pocket of a pair of blue jeans I could not believe he was wearing.
“Where's your armor?”
Neit winced. “Easier if I blend in. We aren't exactly popular around here.”
“What happened?” Rowan demanded.
Neit turned his attention to my mate. “You must be the reason the Joy Springs Lord has fallen.” He sucked his teeth and looked at me once more. “I can see why you chose him.”
I huffed a frustrated laugh. “Thanks, I think? I'm not looking for your approval. What do you mean the gods have come? Surely you wouldn't have done this?”
Neit snorted. “I'm not in the business of ruining lives, your mother being the one exception.”
Yeah. Yeah. He totally wanted to do my mother and was sticking around to play the odds. One of my eyebrows went up.
Neit rolled his eyes. “I don't want to talk about it.”
He jerked his head toward the woods. “Let's chat in private. This place is too open.”
Dad could have put us into a bubble of silence, but he was gone. When I went to follow after Rowan, he took my arm to stop me. “Going into the woods with a god seems a bit dicey, doesn't it?”
Neit stopped and turned, his eyes flashing that strange violet. “I've never hurt Evie.”
Present tense. What about the future? “Do you plan to start?” I asked with a frown.
Neit huffed. “Dammit, Evie. Walk with me, please. I would never harm the daughter of the woman I am desperately trying to woo.”
“So you are hot for Mom,” I teased.
Neit shook his head and disappeared into the dense forest. Garrett stepped in front of me. “Wait.”
Without another word, he followed Neit. I didn't think he'd hurt anyone in my party, but the gods were fickle, and Neit was acting…off. Nervous, even. Odd behavior for a god of war.
Garrett popped his head out a few seconds later. “Come on.”
