We all smiled and waved. Silène wrapped one arm more snugly through Peasgood’s. Némophilie bumped Hyslop’s shoulder with hers before taking a step forward and extending her arm. We shook hands.
“Hi,” Némophilie said. “We owe you our gratitude for rescuing us. Our parents are on their way.” She looked over at her sister. Both blanched a bit, and a silent signal passed between the two. “We would be further in your debt, if you would help us to remain here rather than return to Court.”
Belle bustled in between the two couples and planted her fists on her hips. “Sil, Néne, this is much more complicated than you think. One cannot simply wish away a marital obligation, especially given who your parents are.”
The sisters rolled their eyes as if on cue. Sil said, “Belle, ple-ease. You promised you would help.”
I looked to Wes for guidance. This wasn’t the time to get drawn into negotiations. “Girls. And guys. I have a huge problem, and mine trumps yours. My sons are missing. I think their father’s taken them, and I need all of us”—I circled our rag tag gathering—“to focus on figuring out how we’re going to get them back.”
Némophilie raised an arm. “Calliope, Wes filled us in on the walk up from my…” She darted a glance at her sister. “Our new flower garden, and we have a proposal. You have no idea how the Fae Courts work. It sounds to Silène and me as though your ex-husband and his family are likely of the Unseelie Court. That would make them bloodthirsty and devious. On a good day.”
My jaw ached with how tight I was having to rein myself in. These Fae, charming as they were, had another thirty seconds before I lost my patience.
“Our parents will have to grant you a boon, a…a gift for our rescue,” she continued. “Not only have Silène and I had extensive training in the theatrical arts, we each have over two decades of parental manipulation under our wings.” She pirouetted and fluttered a dainty set of faux wings, attached to her body with criss-crossed straps. Her sister did the same. “Allow us to assist you.”
“Please,” Silène added. “We really do owe you our lives.”
“Okay,” I said, shrugging. “At this point, I’m willing to listen to any plan.”
“If the Fae have your sons, I have a suggestion.” Kaz’s usually mischievous expression was serious. “Get Doug to come to us. If we go on the offensive, they will have every advantage, especially if we pursue them to their home turf. If we could get them to come here and let them imagine they have the stronger hand, we stand a much better chance of getting Harper and Thatcher home.”
“Call everyone you know,” added Wes.
“I started to do that,” I said, as we turned and headed to the farmhouse. I paused with my foot on the lowest step. “I asked my friend Jack to help. He’s an officer in the RCMP. He’s also a shifter.”
“Where’s Christoph?” asked Wes.
“He flew to the burial mounds to portal back to my house.” I explained my reasoning as I opened the screen door.
“Who else could we call?”
I shrugged. “Not sure, but I’m relieved you’re on board with the idea. I texted James, but I think speaking with him would be helpful. The Brodeurs should be able to keep Leilani and Sallie safe. I’ll ask Rowan to alert Shamaha, in case Sallie needs more help.”
“Let me call James,” said Wes.
Walking around the druid and into the house, I surveyed what I could see of the shadowed interior. The kitchen table was too small for all of us to gather. The sitting room was stuffed with formal furniture dating from the nineteen-hundreds. The room was spacious, however, and the floor was covered with rectangular hooked rugs. We could move the furniture against the walls. Perfect.
“Let’s work from here,” I said, pointing past the hallway and entering the room on the right. I stepped around the rugs on my way to opening the curtains. “I have another call to make. I’d like to see if Alabastair’s available. He’s a Portal Keeper. He could move people out quickly or…” Remembering how he’d whisked me away from Doug and Roger reminded me of Alabastair’s physical strength.
My musings were met by silence. I was the only one in the room. The rest were clustered in the doorway and into the hall.
“What?” I asked.
Peasgood wiggled through to the front, took one step into the sitting room, and raised an arm. “If I might speak?”
“I’ll take any input right now. Anything at all.”
He cleared his throat. “Peasgood and I know this property better than anyone, aside from Gramps and Grams, and we have some ideas about how to utilize that knowledge.”
My stomach gurgled, letting me know the sandwich the guys had ordered for me was still in its wrapper, in my bag. “Okay.” This time around, we wouldn’t have Tanner or his ability to smash rocks or his wolf. “How about we meet here in fifteen minutes? Can you two contact your parents while they’re in transit?” I pointed to the sisters. “And can they even get here today?”
“Portals,” Wes said. “We can get them here through the portals. Kaz?”
Kaz squeezed through the crowd.
“Go check the status of the known tree and locate other possibilities,” said Wes. “Belle? With your connection to the LaFleur clan, I’d like for you to stay close to Néne and Sil. Is that acceptable?”
They all nodded. Sil spoke up, “The Fae took our jewelry, which is what allows us to contact our parents. But we phoned our cousins this morning. They can get another message out.”
“It would help if your parents were not coming in and expecting a fight with us,” I said. “And why are all of you
