He studied her now with a wide, soulful gaze. If she hadn't known better, Ivy might have bought the caring father routine. “I struggled for a long time, yes.”
“Your mother abandoned you at a school for young witches, but it must have been obvious you didn't belong. You couldn't possibly have been happy there.”
Ivy heard it for the manipulation that it was; she also heard the ring of magic meant to coax a sympathetic response from her. It made Ivy hate him, far more than she already did.
Rowena nudged her under the table, reminding her to think. To pay attention. Her father went from saying he had no idea where her mother had taken her to speaking of Ivy being abandoned at a school for young witches.
Was that information given to him by the Brownies?
Or in his arrogant attempt to sway her, had he slipped up?
Ivy didn't dare make the same mistake and assume she was winning anything or gaining any ground. She had to play the game.
“There were most certainly days at school where I was miserable, but in truth, it was because I believed I was failing to live up to my mother's legacy.
“She died when I was so young, and after that, I believed I was alone. So, I built my own family. I'm happy here. I have a home, a man who loves me, and a coven I belong with.”
“Do you belong?” Donnatar pressed, jerking his chin as he switched his focus to Rowena. “Surely, you've known Ivy is no mere witch and noticed she doesn't quite fit in with the rest of you.”
Rowena gave an elegant shrug, waving her fingers at where the girls lounged in the sunshine. “There's a daughter of the last earthbound oracle over there, a summoner of the dead, a crazed alchemist, and another witch who might very well be the offspring of Chaos itself. We formed this coven because we didn't fit in anywhere else.”
“But wouldn't you like to be among your own people, Ivy?” Donnatar pressed with a smooth purr, a devil taunting Ivy with the illusion of paradise. “Among the Fae, your powers are incredibly rare and necessary to the continued prosperity of our race. The Fae would treat you as a queen and revere you for your abilities. You wouldn't have to live this... this half-life.”
Ivy gave an easy laugh, resting her cheek on Uriah's shoulder. “I'm hardly living a half-life.”
Frustration seethed out of her father's very pores, his shoulders tightening, hands fisting with the effort it took not to explode in a fit of temper. She even noticed a tick in his left eyebrow. Ilex gave a long, suffering sigh, acting as though he was bored and ready to go home.
“Our father is attempting to entice you with grand promises, sister. We thought you would be dissatisfied with your life here, but I see now that your adopted family means a great deal to you, and no offers of status or great wealth will sway you to come home. The truth is, our lands are fading. Dying.”
Ilex was staring at her intently, his face a mask of boredom, but those damn eyes of his were so expressive, and she had no idea what he was trying to convey to her through the power of his stare.
“Crops are withering, springs are drying up, children are few and far between, and wars are cropping up between territories that have some fertile land left. Father and I have been doing everything we can to correct the imbalance happening, but it's quickly becoming clear the two of us aren't enough.”
Donnatar grunted as though he disagreed that he, a god, was incapable of anything, but to her surprise, he kept his mouth shut.
“There are only a handful of others with similar abilities, those who can replenish the land and make it fertile, but theirs is a spark compared to the awesome flame of your power. Binding your magic when you could do so much for your people is shameful.”
Ivy was almost hurt by her brother's admonition, but she had to remind herself this was all a twisted illusion. A game.
“I'm truly sorry to hear about the troubles in Fairy, but the only thing that's shameful is you attempting to make me feel guilty for something that's clearly not my fault.
“I realize neither of you is here because you want to know me as a sister or a daughter. You want my help. My magic. The problem is, I have everything I need right here.”
Donnatar settled back in his seat, stroking his beard slowly as his gaze moved across the meadow to pointedly touch on each of her sisters and their furry companions.
“That's hardly a problem.”
Those four words were simple enough, and yet so terrifying Ivy had to clench her thighs and butt cheeks to keep the blood from leeching out of her face.
The threat was there, velvety soft. If her father didn't get his way, he was prepared to take everything from her.
“What our father means, Ivy,” Ilex interjected soothingly, “is we do need you. It was wrong of me to try and manipulate you. Of course, you do not know us and have no loyalties to Fairy. Your presence is required only for a little while in the Summerlands. I would like to know you, to be your brother. Surely, there is something we could offer you.”
*****
The forest god reeked of rage, and considering he was more animal than man, Uriah was surprised the old goat managed to keep his temper in check. Ilex... there was a twisted map of scents.
The redheaded male kept his face perfectly passive, his tone even and nearly as blank as his face, but he was a mess of emotions. Uriah could barely keep up from one sniff to the next.
When Ivy spoke about their mother, Ilex smelled of grief, longing, and hatred so intense it felt like Uriah had inhaled black pepper straight from the jar.
When Ivy managed to calmly deflect their sire's manipulations, Ilex smelled proud. Smug, even.
Like his sister, there was a wealth of anger that seemed to swell and grow with each passing word their father spoke.
The two seemed to be a united front, but when Ilex claimed he wanted to be Ivy's brother, there was nothing in his scent to even hint at a lie. Ilex wanted a relationship with his sister badly.
Rowena took the lead next, a far better actress than Uriah would have expected, pretending the offer for payment from the Fae for Ivy's services was of great interest.
“Obviously, the offering should match the effort needed. What exactly does 'a little while,' mean?”
The forest god made another impatient gesture, but there was a gleam of triumph in his golden gaze.
“With her powers completely unbound, it would take no more than a week to prepare, and a day to perform the ritual that would heal the imbalance in our realm.”
“I see,” Rowena answered, glancing to Uriah then with a lift of her brow, signaling him to take the lead. All the while, Ivy sat quietly, an easy smile on her face.
“If Ivy and I did go with you to the Summerlands to help you with your problem, what would she be expected to do?” Uriah's instincts screamed at him to beware, the bear inside him rising to the surface when Donnatar turned a cold stare his way.
“Your presence is not required,” the forest god stated flatly.
“Then there's no reason to waste any further time,” Uriah replied, lifting his arm to let Ivy settle into his lap. She snuggled right in, resting her cheek on his shoulder with a happy hum. “Ivy doesn't go without me to keep her safe.”
The trees closest to them shivered in response to the forest god's anger, but Ilex once again stepped in to divert it. Clearly, he had a lot of practice smoothing the way when his pops would have bulldozed right over anyone standing between him and what he wanted.