Zoe cut her eyes to me, perhaps gauging my reaction, and then surged forward. “Is there anyone in the state we can talk to? Maybe it’s best if we have someone we can ask questions of in person.”
“Actually, that’s the reason I asked you to call so early,” Paris replied. “I have found someone who is considered an expert on the Children of the Stars, and funnily enough, you know him.”
Zoe’s eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. “I’m pretty sure I would know if someone introduced himself as a Child of the Stars, or some variation on that. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from making fun of him.”
“He didn’t introduce himself that way, though he did mention being a fairy.”
I watched Zoe and knew the second she recognized who Paris was talking about.
“Oh, no.” Zoe rubbed her forehead. “You’re talking about Pemberley.”
Paris nodded. “He’s apparently either a Child of the Stars himself or a fairy who knows a lot about them. He’s in three reference texts I’ve stumbled across. That means he’s your best bet for finding answers.”
“Great.” Zoe heaved out a sigh.
“Who is Pemberley?” I asked.
“That would be our wedding planner,” Zoe replied, focusing on Aric. “I wouldn’t call him a close friend of the family, but he used to pop in from time to time when Sami was little.”
“How come I don’t remember him?” Sami asked. “I’ve heard you talk to him, but I don’t remember him at all. That probably means you should forget about him and focus on Rafael.”
“I just said you were little,” Zoe fired back. She looked lost in thought, or perhaps a different time. “I could go to his website and see where he’s hanging his hat these days. If he has answers, it can’t hurt to question him.”
“I already did that,” Paris supplied brightly. “Believe it or not, he’s supervising a wedding in Shadow Hills, a small town about thirty minutes from you guys. He’s there right now. In fact, I checked his social media, and he posted a photo in front of a lake where he’s having his coffee this very morning.”
Zoe didn’t look thrilled at the prospect, but she nodded. “We can’t do anything about Rafael right now. If Pemberley is that close, we’ll talk to him about the Children of the Stars. I’ve always been good at multitasking.”
“Yes, that’s what everybody says about you.” Paris grinned. “I’ll text you the information.” She paused for a moment then continued. “Are you sure you don’t want me up there?”
Zoe nodded. “Thanks for the offer but we’re getting Rafael back sooner rather than later. By the time you even manage to get up here, we’ll most likely have him back and it will be a wasted trip. I’ll handle it.”
“Okay, just let me know.” Paris’ eyes moved to me. “If you are a Child of the Stars, odds are you have more powers than you’re aware of. When this is all over, I would love to touch base with you. I’m a student of the paranormal world, so to speak. I would love to hear about your life.”
The offer caught me off guard and I shrugged. “I need time to figure things out. We’ll see how things go.”
“Fair enough.” Paris turned a stern look to Zoe. “Remember that Pemberley only finds your attitude funny up to a certain point. You need to be charming, not sarcastic, if you want information from him.”
Zoe’s expression darkened. “If I can’t be sarcastic, I might as well kill myself right now.”
“Just be calm.” Paris’ smile was serene. “He’s genuinely fond of you. Er, well, that is when he doesn’t want to throttle you because of your lack of style. Try working with him rather than against him for a change. You might be surprised how well things work out.”
“I won’t hold my breath.”
Twenty
We took Gunner’s truck. It made the most sense. If Aric, Gunner, and Sami had to flee for some unknown reason, the Winters’ vehicle was already stocked and ready.
I had to use the GPS because I wasn’t familiar with the roads, so my attention was focused on the digital display. In the passenger seat, Zoe stared out the window, a dark cloud hanging over her. I didn’t know her all that well, but it was obvious she was bothered.
“Tell me about Pemberley,” I prodded. “You said he was your wedding planner. That’s kind of weird. You don’t strike me as the wedding planner type.”
That drew a derisive snort. “It wasn’t my idea. We had a very low-key wedding planned, one that our mothers hated. They brought Pemberley in to fix the travesty we’d planned.”
Ah, that made more sense. “He’s a fairy?”
She cocked her head and smirked. “That’s what he said. We didn’t trust him at first. We were under attack at the time. It turned out to be witches, but he was acting suspiciously a lot of the time. Ultimately, he ended up helping us.”
“That means he’s a good guy.”
“He’s not evil.”
“But is he good?”
She heaved out a sigh. “I don’t know. That’s a very black-and-white question. He fought on our side back then. We’ve interacted with him since, exchanged information, even had dinner a few times. He once stopped by when Sami was five and spent three hours doing her hair because he said we were mucking it up. He’s an ally. I just don’t know much about fairies. That always makes me nervous.”
While I could see that, it felt as if she was being purposely evasive. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’ve told you all that I know. It’s just ... I’m on edge.” She cast me
