Page 21 of Shift of Shadows

A laugh bubbled from me. “If anyone’s going to kill him, it will be me. Got it?”

Dad let out a long suffering sigh. “Very well. But I hope I’m second on the list.”

“Mmm. Rowan has dibs. Husband privilege. But you’re definitely third.”

“Fine,” Dad growled.

We smiled at each other and settled back in to search, but just as I was closing my eyes, there was a rustling from the woods. Dad leaned forward just as a red fox burst from the tree cover and headed our way.

“Ember? What’s wrong?”

A series of yips and barks followed. Dad’s expression sharpened. He unfolded his legs and came to standing, a massive set of antlers spiraling from the top of his head. “Where?” he demanded.

I couldn’t understand a single thing the fox said. One day I might be able to, but plants were much easier. “Dad?”

His expression turned grim. “Gather your people. Ember knows where Moira is.”

Chapter

Eleven

Watery sunlight peeked through the window. I’d lost all sense of time, but I knew it was morning. Sleep had proven elusive—the thought of what might happen when I woke up almost too much to bear.

Emotions swirled inside of me, the lesser one being fear. I was tired. So tired. My body was failing. My will to keep resisting weakening. Something had to give, and if today was my final day in this world, then so be it.

So I wasn’t afraid. Not exactly. Resigned was a better word, I suppose.

Whatever happened, happened. For better or worse.

I lay there in the quiet, keeping my breath slow and steady. Someone was always watching and listening. The longer I lay here in the silence, the more I could pretend this wasn’t happening—that I was back with the people I loved, safe and secure.

In the weak light, I allowed my thoughts to drift to Ethan. To survive here, I hadn’t allowed myself to think of him. If I had, after everything that happened and the way he’d soundly rejected me, I might have given up. But here, at the end, I imagined what it might be like if things were different—if he loved me like I needed to be loved.

What a world that would have been.

Evie had gone through so much to get to Rowan. Was that to be my path, too, or should I give up on Ethan while I still possessed some pieces of my heart he didn’t own?

Even as I thought of him, ancient swirling eyes intruded. I closed my eyes and let myself think of his handsome face, of the way he touched me, how he’d allowed himself to be vulnerable when I was near.

Cernunnos was a god. He could never love me like I imagined I one day would be loved by Ethan, but could his love be enough? Even if it were different from anything I’d ever felt?

Would it matter if I didn’t make it out of here today?

Liaza would not put his hands on me. I’d die first. Nor would my end be at my mother’s hands.

I released my breath in a slow, steady stream, rolled over, and waited on the inevitable, ignoring the angry growl of my stomach.

After last night’s conversation, Minka had conveniently forgotten to feed me. A final fuck you and a good way to keep me weak for Liaza.

I dragged my blanket over my shoulders and tiptoed to that hole, concealing my movements as I peeked inside.

Did the dirt look different? Disturbed? I couldn’t tell. I thought about spooling a teeny-tiny bit of extra magic there. As soon as Evie felt the new growth in a place where there hadn’t been any, she would investigate. I know she would.

But I’d need every bit of strength for what was coming. Two against one, though, in my weakened state…

“Here goes nothing,” I whispered. Releasing a tiny, almost nonexistent shimmer of green light from my fingertips, I touched the tip of the dirt where I dropped the seed, and watched the magic disappear into the earth.

While I had high hopes for experiencing a Jack and the Beanstalk moment, once again absolutely nothing happened.