Rise of the Magi by Jocelyn Adams Page B

A thought had my golden skin pinking up to a pale peach, and my hair dimmed from golden blonde to a darker version. My Light retreated into my center, almost what I’d call dormant, sleeping, waiting to be recalled.
    Brigh’s pink hair ended up a strawberry blonde, and her near-to-white skin took on a little color as if she’d been out in the sun for an hour. Andrew, like Gallagher, had a more subtle change. A laying down of arms that took him off my radar as fae. Again, I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what had changed about him physically. Same with Liam, though he could still make me swoon when he wasn’t all aglow with his fae yumminess.
    I couldn’t help thinking that the last time we’d been at H.Q. it had been Nix waiting at the door for me, instead of Neve smiling encouragement at me. A twinge of hurt kicked me in the chest before I remembered what a close-minded dick he’d been. Still, I couldn’t help wondering what had happened to him after our blow-up over my confession that Donovan was my father. Had Nix gone back to Dun Bray? Last I’d heard, nobody had seen him since that night. Although my heart had cut him loose, mostly, it didn’t mean I wanted him hurt or dying.
    “He doesn’t deserve your worry,” Liam said in a clipped tone, his focus forward as if he couldn’t bear to look at me. I opened my mouth to tell him off, or possibly apologize for thinking about my former captain, but he cut me off with an, “I’m sorry.” His sigh held regret and a hint of the same exhaustion that seemed to be making the rounds. “It drives me crazy that he can still hurt you, and he isn’t even here. I know you cared for him, and I know how much it ripped you up when he admitted loving your power and status and not you. Frankly, it’ll be hard for me not to deck him if I ever lay eyes on the slimy weasel again.”
    I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to that, and Neve saved me from having to respond by throwing open the door and taking up her position just inside, giving us room to enter.
    “Showtime,” I said.
    “Knock ‘em dead, babe.” Liam kissed my hand, and we stepped into a din that came to an abrupt halt.
    Gallagher stood at the head of the table amongst quite a crowd of restless natives, appearing more himself than he had a few moments before. “May I present Lila Gray and Liam Kane, king and queen of the fae.”
    “Lila!” Willa bounded out of the group, wearing a simple tan peasant-style dress beneath her sealskin draped around her shoulders, and threw her arms around me.
    I braced myself and held her with equal enthusiasm. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.”
    “Why do the selkie get first greeting rights?” A thick boulder of a man with a black brush cut gestured to us, wearing nothing but a pair of dirty shorts around his wide hips. He had to be a troll. Not exactly what I’d imagined one would look like, but nobody else appeared as if they’d crawled out of a mountain before arriving.
    Willa stepped back wearing a sheepish grin. “Oops.”
    Yeah, oops was right. To Liam, I thought, “Please tell me this doesn’t mean I have to play hug and kissy face with everyone now because of some protocol bullshit?”
    “Afraid so. Pucker up, buttercup.” His amused tone didn’t help my mood any.
    I groaned internally and forced out some semblance of a professional smile. If I had such a thing. “We meant no offence,” I said. “Greetings to you all. Here, in this room, we’re all equals, working against a mutual threat. It’s just that Willa and I are old friends, though that will have no bearing on this meeting. Please, can we all sit down and get started?” Well, didn’t I almost sound like I knew what I was doing?
    Gallagher came to me and cleared his throat. “On that, we might have a little problem.” He spoke above the murmurs rippling through the group.
    “There’s a problem with sitting? I can’t stand all night in these blasted shoes,