she is, playing the role of mad scientist herself. She’s wanted you with Liam from the start, because Liam is human . His mortality cloaks your magical abilities. She was hoping to keep you out of Ankou’s grasp by putting you with the most mundane person she could find. Liam fit the bill. I would venture to guess that she’s hoping if you ever marry, a human would squash out the magic in your offspring. Like I said, she’s got many little projects of her own that directly involve you.”
Inside I was fuming. There was no way that was possible. Memaw would never do such a thing. But I did want to know how to get Liam out of his death sentence, so I ignored the remarks that Dalbach was making. “How do I relieve Liam from his duties?”
Dalbach looked at me simply. “Get an immortal to do the job. When an immortal agrees, it won’t kill Liam. If another mortal agreed, it would. Think of it as trading up, if you will. The only problem is, no immortal wants to be tied to that lowly of a job. Protecting a mortal? Stuck in one place when the world is yours? That’s insulting. Good luck with that one. Any immortal that has tasted their abilities at all will say no.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “Then why tell me?”
He shrugged. “Because you deserve to know the truth.”
After that, we walked in silence for a long time. Discussing honesty with a Changeling seemed like an oxymoron to me.
When we finally reached the foot of an enormous crater, Dalbach sighed and pointed down into the explosion site. “We’re here.”
“Where’s ’here’?”
“The last place anyone – including Changelings – want to be. We’re going to see Ankou.”
With that, he pushed a massive boulder as though it weighed nothing. Behind it was a staircase. He dropped onto the first stair that was four feet below and disappeared, leaving me no choice but to jump in after him.
EIGHT
REESE
I T’D BEEN THREE weeks since I’d last heard from Ash. Three weeks was way too long. I was worried about her but had no idea how to get in contact with her. The last I’d heard, she was in Ireland beating down crazy faeries. Things had definitely changed since the winter break last year.
I was trying to eat the cereal Mom had put out before she left for her “ladies’ day out,” but it felt like shredded wheat paste in my mouth instead of mini wheats. Ladies’ day seemed like it was basically an estrogen-filled day – they’d go out and shop, complain about stuff, then come home all relaxed because some guy had given them a way too expensive massage. Dad seemed to be a happier guy on these days. I didn’t want to know why. I was just thankful today wasn’t Mom’s turn to host. Those days were a nightmare if I didn’t have anything planned. Loads of women in one living room equaled shrill laughter and a constant butler service free of charge, starring me.
The thought made it even harder to swallow the now soggy cereal, so I gave up and dumped it down the disposal. I leaned against the kitchen counter and sighed. I shouldn’t care what Ash was up to or if she was okay. Still, there was part of me that wanted to make sure she was doing all right. She was my best friend. Most of the good memories I had of the past few years were with her, and try as I might, I couldn’t just let her run off without worrying about her.
I turned my phone over and over in my hand and brushed the lock switch just to see her picture on the screen again. There she was – brown eyes, brown hair, smiling as she leaned against me and we took a million stupid pictures by “the rock” in front of the high school. It was hard to tell how big that rock started out, but now it was the high school tradition to spray paint it. Layer upon layer, memory upon memory, the rock grew. Kind of like every time I was around Ash, I couldn’t help but grow to…I don’t know…like her? I shook my head. That would never happen.
The picture made me smile. Her eyes were
Inside I was fuming. There was no way that was possible. Memaw would never do such a thing. But I did want to know how to get Liam out of his death sentence, so I ignored the remarks that Dalbach was making. “How do I relieve Liam from his duties?”
Dalbach looked at me simply. “Get an immortal to do the job. When an immortal agrees, it won’t kill Liam. If another mortal agreed, it would. Think of it as trading up, if you will. The only problem is, no immortal wants to be tied to that lowly of a job. Protecting a mortal? Stuck in one place when the world is yours? That’s insulting. Good luck with that one. Any immortal that has tasted their abilities at all will say no.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “Then why tell me?”
He shrugged. “Because you deserve to know the truth.”
After that, we walked in silence for a long time. Discussing honesty with a Changeling seemed like an oxymoron to me.
When we finally reached the foot of an enormous crater, Dalbach sighed and pointed down into the explosion site. “We’re here.”
“Where’s ’here’?”
“The last place anyone – including Changelings – want to be. We’re going to see Ankou.”
With that, he pushed a massive boulder as though it weighed nothing. Behind it was a staircase. He dropped onto the first stair that was four feet below and disappeared, leaving me no choice but to jump in after him.
EIGHT
REESE
I T’D BEEN THREE weeks since I’d last heard from Ash. Three weeks was way too long. I was worried about her but had no idea how to get in contact with her. The last I’d heard, she was in Ireland beating down crazy faeries. Things had definitely changed since the winter break last year.
I was trying to eat the cereal Mom had put out before she left for her “ladies’ day out,” but it felt like shredded wheat paste in my mouth instead of mini wheats. Ladies’ day seemed like it was basically an estrogen-filled day – they’d go out and shop, complain about stuff, then come home all relaxed because some guy had given them a way too expensive massage. Dad seemed to be a happier guy on these days. I didn’t want to know why. I was just thankful today wasn’t Mom’s turn to host. Those days were a nightmare if I didn’t have anything planned. Loads of women in one living room equaled shrill laughter and a constant butler service free of charge, starring me.
The thought made it even harder to swallow the now soggy cereal, so I gave up and dumped it down the disposal. I leaned against the kitchen counter and sighed. I shouldn’t care what Ash was up to or if she was okay. Still, there was part of me that wanted to make sure she was doing all right. She was my best friend. Most of the good memories I had of the past few years were with her, and try as I might, I couldn’t just let her run off without worrying about her.
I turned my phone over and over in my hand and brushed the lock switch just to see her picture on the screen again. There she was – brown eyes, brown hair, smiling as she leaned against me and we took a million stupid pictures by “the rock” in front of the high school. It was hard to tell how big that rock started out, but now it was the high school tradition to spray paint it. Layer upon layer, memory upon memory, the rock grew. Kind of like every time I was around Ash, I couldn’t help but grow to…I don’t know…like her? I shook my head. That would never happen.
The picture made me smile. Her eyes were
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