Under different circumstances, I might’ve agreed. Sure, I would’ve had to call in sick to work — something that felt like shirking my duties — but I would’ve gladly hunkered down with him for twenty-four hours if I thought I would feel better when the sun rose a second time. That didn’t seem like an option today, though.
“We can’t. The real world beckons.”
“Screw the real world.”
I laughed, and it felt good. I knew I would feel even better if I forced myself up and into the shower. “I want to see your father. I need to know what’s happening. Cernunnos is probably here, too. He won’t hang around forever.”
“Yes, Cernunnos.” Braden made a growling sound deep in his throat. “Is it wrong that I hate that guy?”
I kind of hated him, too. Of course, I also knew I needed him to provide answers. “How about this? We’ll face the day today. If things still suck tomorrow, we’ll spend the day in bed then ... but at the boat house so we don’t have to worry about the staff here thinking we’re doing dirty stuff all day.”
He barked out a laugh. “You’re such a prude sometimes.” He poked my side before sobering. “If that’s what you want, I’ll make it happen.”
“Great.” I leaned in and let him hold me for a full two minutes longer and then brushed my lips against his chin. “I’m hungry, so we need to get cleaned up. Knowing your father, he’s going to have an absolutely huge spread for breakfast.”
“That is his way.”
WE WERE THE LAST ONES DOWN FOR breakfast. Everybody else was already at the table stuffing their faces from what looked to be individual cast iron skillets. I couldn’t help staring over Aisling’s shoulder as she shoved potatoes and eggs into her mouth so fast I worried she would choke.
“What are those?”
“Heaven in a skillet,” Braden replied, practically skipping over to the chef. “I want the works ... and absolutely smother it in sausage gravy.”
I was confused. “How come we’ve never had these before?”
“Because Dad only whips them out on very rare occasions,” Redmond replied. “They’re like the ultimate reward.”
“And why are we having them today instead of the omelet bar you promised Sami?”
“Because I figured you would like them,” Cormack replied, patting Lily’s back as she sat on his lap. “There’s nothing better than comfort food after a big battle.”
“There’s nothing better than this food no matter what,” Sami enthused, shoving a huge mouthful of eggs and hash browns into her mouth, apparently unbothered that her dream omelet bar hadn’t come to fruition. She continued to talk, although you couldn’t make out a word she said. It was simply a series of muffled words and head bobs.
“Oh, there’s daddy’s little girl,” Aric teased, sipping his juice as he beamed at his daughter.
Sami swallowed before speaking again. “Just remember, I was good last night. That means I’m no longer grounded.”
“Yes, but you’re still stuck on vacation with your parents,” Aric reminded her. “We’re staying here a few days, and you’re going to spend time with your mother and Paris doing girly stuff one of those days so ... no fun for you.”
“Hey!” Zoe slapped his knee under the table and gave him a dirty look. “I’m tons of fun.”
“Of course you are, baby. I’m sure we’ll be back to having fun on a regular basis just as soon as we get home.”
I couldn’t hide my surprise. “You’re leaving?”
Slowly, Zoe let her eyes drift to me. “For now.”
“But ... .” I didn’t know what to say. I was afraid if I told her how I really felt, I would come across as a whiny baby.
Almost as if reading my mind, she flashed a smile. “You don’t need me. I supplied the firepower last night, but only because you were too surprised to do it yourself. You have it within you to drop those gates if you have to and you don’t need me to do it.
“Don’t forget, the gate in the basement of that Poletown house was down, too,” she continued. “I think that means they’re all down, at least that network. The monitored ones still seem fine.”
“I understand that, but we’re nowhere near done with this,” I argued. “The revenants are still out there.”
“They are, and if you need me, I’ll be back.” Zoe’s voice was calm, even. “This isn’t technically our fight. We’ll help you if it becomes necessary, but we need to get Sami back home. We have another trip planned for a few months from now — we’re going to Savannah, Georgia, for a family vacation — and Sami needs a bit of normalcy after what happened in Hawthorne Hollow. When you combine that with what happened here … well … going home is what’s best for her.”
On the surface of it, I understood that. Losing the mage was still a blow. “I guess I’m going to miss you.”
She laughed, the sound low and throaty. “Sami calls Paris three times a week on FaceTime. I’m pretty sure you’ll be seeing me on a regular basis. We still need to go home, though. If you need us, we’ll only be a few hours away.”
“I guess.” My stomach was suddenly upset and I had to look away from the food. “Where is Cernunnos?”
“He disappeared sometime during the night,” Cormack replied, smiling for Lily’s benefit even as his eyes darkened. “He left a note on the foyer table, thanking me for a lovely stay, and said he would be in touch.”
Anger bubbled up. “He said he would be here, though. He was supposed to have a talk with Zoe. He was supposed to answer our questions.”
“He was never going to do that,”
