her shoulders. “Can’t say as I was impressed, but he pissed me off from the minute he grabbed my arm. That rarely leaves me with a favorable assessment of any man.”

“Could Fenella have left with him?” Daegan had a momentary image of the woman falling for Cavan and running away.

Luigsech made a loud derogatory scoffing noise. “No. Not a chance. You would have to know ... Fenella. She only commented on his looks, because she’s sly enough to realize when a man is tryin’ to play her. I don’t care what he has for power, he would not woo Fenella and she would not leave with him. She would not leave me voluntarily.”

Quinn tapped his fingers on his arms. “You were to meet with Cavan this morning, then what? Go somewhere with him?”

Daegan had come to know the way Quinn’s mind worked. The man had a reason for every word and question he spoke.

Daegan didn’t interrupt.

“Sort of,” Luigsech replied. “Cavan said he would join me in my search for the grimoire, which sounded like he expected me to leave with him to physically hunt for it and not just provide him with where to search. I mentioned he was to meet with me to translate somethin’ in the book he brought by while I was out. Fenella and I believed he used the book as an excuse to meet me, which might be true. I don’t know. Outside the grocery, he told me how to find the passage he wanted translated, then warned me not to read it until he arrived.”

“Did ya read it or not?” Daegan wanted to see if she had been cautious or not.

“I did not, but only because you showed up right as I made up my mind to read it while I remained a bit longer for Cavan.” She made that statement and cocked her chin at him.

Daegan pushed up to his feet, wiping his hands more to gather his thoughts than any concern of dirt. “Do not read that passage.”

Quinn slapped his hand over his eyes.

Luigsech shook her fist at him. “What is wrong with you?”

Daegan crossed his arms and said nothing.

“How many times do I have to tell you that You. Are. Not. In. Charge!”

“Yes, I am.”

Quinn made a noise that sounded like, “Bad move.” Then he stood and announced, “We’re not making headway.”

Luigsech looked from Daegan to Quinn. “I’m not makin’ any headway either.” She swung her fiery gaze back to Daegan. “All you had to do was stay the hell out of my life so I could read one freakin’ passage from Cavan’s book and Fenella might be safe.” She grabbed a fast gulp of air and her next words came out shaky quiet. “Fenella is family to me. She may now be sufferin’ because I made a mistake somewhere in all this, but so did you.”

Guilt squirmed under Daegan’s skin, but he had not created this mess either. “’Tis simple. Help us find Cavan. We may be able to get both of our friends back. Ya must also find the grimoire.”

Luigsech shook her head, mouth in a bitter flat line. “Then we are at an impasse. I will not risk Fenella’s safety. You huntin’ me down and harassin’ me has solved nothin’. Here’s my suggestion. Why don’t you two go away and give me some space? Then Cavan might come to see me.”

Her fingers stretched and curled in the same motion Daegan had seen on warriors about to pull a sword out to do battle.

Chapter 19

After teleporting from Ireland, Cathbad appeared in a wide and soaring hallway in TÅμr Medb realm. Tall warlocks, broad with muscle and eyes dark as death, stood guard outside the massive doors to Queen Maeve’s private area.

Their faces were placid.

But fear rolled off them in sickening waves.

A hideous yell erupted on the other side of the doors. The realm shuddered hard.

Cathbad walked forward, taking his time to survey the landscape.

The guards stiffened and clamped their swords in white-knuckled grips as he approached.

“Mor-oooons!” screamed from within the queen’s quarters. The only one who dared to speak at that volume would be her.

Cathbad’s hope of a calm meeting sank.

The guards watched him with wary eyes.

He understood their concern. With the queen out of control, would Cathbad’s presence make it worse?

Truth be told, the same question crossed his mind.

A guard moved to assist Cathbad when the doors did not open on their own.

Cathbad waved him off. He teleported in, remaining above the ground and immediately cloaked himself where he floated fifteen feet in the air.

The queen had her back to him. She stood in the midst of twenty-four warlocks and witches, twelve of each. They waited in pairs.

Cathbad thought back over specific groups he’d created to insert into the human world the one time VIPER had allowed Medb warlocks and witches in. He’d been the one to encourage pairings to appear as human couples so their people would more easily blend.

Females of two pairs were pregnant.

That plan had been working brilliantly. Even after Queen Maeve lost control in a Tribunal meeting, which was reason for her ejection from the coalition, VIPER did not boot out warlocks and witches appearing to integrate into the humans’ realm.

Fear inside here tripled what he’d felt from the guards.

Her body had grown to ten feet with a head stretched tall and wide on one side as if her change had stalled lopsided.

A robe of black wraiths wrapped her body and moved with her, demonic red eyes staring out from different spots along the undulating mantle.

Her normally beautiful cascade of hair had bristled wildly a foot thick in some spots, shooting straight out in other places. The color couldn’t decide between silver, orange, and a putrid shade of green.

Pale skin on her hands had a rough, leathery appearance with dirt-brown splotches.

Screeching at the top of her lungs, her warped body waved back and forth as if her feet had been glued to the floor.

Along with the alteration of her body, her voice deepened to

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