My shoulder ached as it started to heal.
“No. It’s too coincidental that we arrive here and a clone of my wife is waiting for me, and now she’s managed to get us involved in something dangerous,” Dev said.
“I agree that this is a dangerous situation.” Marcus had taken off his jacket and was rolling up his sleeve. “Come, Kelsey. I know you’re a married woman, but I also know your husbands wouldn’t want you in pain. We need you at your best if we are going to make our way back home.”
He was right on both counts. When he bit into his wrist and offered it to me, I didn’t hesitate. There was nothing at all sexual about it now. Nope. Not one bit. I wasn’t going to think about how we used to end these sessions with Marcus throwing me down and doing all sorts of dirty stuff to me.
Okay, it was completely awkward and the minute I could feel the hole in my shoulder starting to heal, I let go of his vein.
Dev was staring at both of us. “Don’t feel bad about it, Kelsey. If we’re here long enough I might have to take his vein. Now that will be truly discomforting. We’re on a foreign plane. His blood is one of our major resources.”
Marcus frowned his way as he rebuttoned his dress shirt. “And to think I wanted to be loved for my mind. Devinshea is right, however. We have to find a way back. We need to talk to the young woman who is wearing the queen’s face. She’s the key.”
“Yes, I want to know more about her,” Dev said, his voice going low and on the predatory side.
“She resisted my suggestions,” Marcus admitted. “I was able to get inside her head, but it had no effect on her. I know she heard me, but all I felt was her fear. I did not sense ill will toward any of us.”
Dev nodded as though Marcus had confirmed his worst suspicions. “And what human or Fae can resist your persuasion? She’s some kind of shapeshifter or a witch. I’ve heard there are hags that can take on different faces. She took on the wrong face. I won’t allow anyone to use my goddess against me.”
“I think first we should figure out what we’re dealing with.” The guys seemed super excited to go after the pseudo-Zoey. It was time for me to be the voice of reason. We had a couple of handy prisoners who might be able to give us a hint of where we were and how to survive. “Can we ask the soldiers a couple of questions first? I can find our friend. She’s got a distinct scent.”
“She smells like sunshine and honey.” Marcus was staring off into the forest the way Summer had run. “I’m beginning to believe Devinshea. She might be the trap. But I believe she’s a trap for me. I’m going after her. You two stay and talk to the soldiers. I’ll bring her back and we’ll figure out what’s happening.”
Marcus stalked into the forest. He’d left his jacket behind and he seemed far more primal than the elegant man I’d gotten to know. There was a light in his eyes that wasn’t about joy. It was all about the hunt.
I didn’t like the idea of Marcus going off on his own. I started to open my mouth to stop him, but Dev put a hand on my arm.
“Let him,” Dev said, his voice low. “He needs this.”
I watched Marcus take off into the woods. “Needs what? Needs to run around a faery forest?”
“He needs to feel like he’s in control of something.” Dev walked back to where our prisoners were still wrapped up in their green prisons. “You weren’t the only one who felt the pull of that exchange, but you are the only one who gets to return to two lovers who will take care of you. Marcus is alone.”
My heart hurt when I thought of him being alone. I knew how much he hated it. He was almost two thousand years old and he’d never met his soul’s mate. He’d had companions over the years, but not one who matched his soul. Including me. “All right. As far as I could see, she didn’t have any supernatural power. She seemed to be holding her own with a sword, though. I would bet she’s been well trained.”
“Marcus can handle her.” Dev stood over the first soldier and frowned.
“I’m happy you didn’t kill each other. I’m afraid that’s what I kind of thought when I realized the two of you were gone.”
Dev held a hand over the cocoon he’d wrapped his prisoner in and it started to retreat. “I don’t hate Marcus. I simply don’t get along with him the way Daniel and Zoey do. There are many people who think their world would be better had Marcus formed the third tip to our triangle.”
If I’d been drinking something, I would have coughed it all up. “That’s ridiculous. Marcus…Marcus wouldn’t take care of the king the way you do.”
“Yes, I believe that’s the point.” Dev’s shoulders slumped as he stared down at the soldier he’d caught. “He’s dead. I’m going to suspect the other one is as well. It looks like a spell of some kind. I wouldn’t want to be in this man’s army.”
Sure enough, the second soldier was dead, too. He had some kind of symbol branded on his cheek that likely had also been spelled to ensure that the soldiers couldn’t be taken captive.
“So this Summer chick is our only lead.” I better hope Marcus could find her.
Dev had gone pale. “Did you say Summer? Her name was Summer?”
“Yes. That’s what she told me.” I groaned. Sometimes it takes me a while to put shit together. “Summer is almost here. Gray was talking about this chick, not the season. That’s really shitty. Prophecy is already hard as it is. Who thought it would be awesome to give a girl a name that could be confused with a season?”
Dev seemed to come back to life. “Daniel. Daniel gave her that name. Oh, goddess, I can’t let her get away.”
He turned and ran into the forest.
I sighed and started to follow. It looked like it was going to be a long day.
Chapter Six
Summer
I ran through the forest, my footing sure on the dirt and loam. I knew these woods like the back of my hand. Of all the planes I’d visited, this was the one I’d spent the most time on. Mostly because there were no centralized authorities here, no one native to the plane that I had to hide from. At one point it had been used as a refuge for Fae fleeing a plane called Tír na nÓg. Tír na nÓg was where the original Fae from the Earth plane had settled when it became obvious the humans would take over that plane. There had been a battle for the throne and once the Finns had won back their rightful crowns, the Fae had left this place. So there were structures here, and no one who might put in a call to a warlord who wanted to take me as his bride.
I could see the lake in the distance. It was roughly half a day’s walk once I got around the lake. I could camp out, but it would be better if I made it to our deserted village before nightfall.
I took a long breath and hoped Kelsey had made it out of the fight.
The ground seemed to shake around me and I cursed because I knew what was happening. Well, I didn’t know exactly what it was, but I did know the episodes were getting worse. I knew when the ground began to shake beneath my feet that reality would warp and the planes would mesh. One minute I was standing in the forest on the Refugee plane and the next I could see the grand white marbled columns of the palace in Tír na nÓg. It wasn’t always Tír na nÓg. Sometimes I found myself momentarily on the Vampire plane or knee-deep in the snow of the plane where the great wolf packs ruled. There were times when I didn’t even know what plane I found myself morphing on to. I only knew that something was wrong and it was getting worse.