“Mom.” Thatcher let Kaz replace him at Harper’s side and ducked beside me. We were almost to the sod-covered door, and Doug’s histrionics weren’t letting up. “You need to know Dad is completely off his rocker. And he did something to Harper to make his wings grow.”
I’d thought Harper’s lower back felt odd. Intent as I was on getting him to a safe place, I had dismissed the bumps. “What did he do?”
Thatcher shook his head and lifted Harper by the ankles. We made it inside the mound. Kaz indicated where he wanted Harper, and we lowered him to the ground right away. Thatch helped roll Harper onto his side, facing the interior wall. Holding Harp’s other shoulder, he tugged on his brother’s T-shirt. “Kaz, I need your knife. Mom’s got to see this.”
The druid pulled out his knife, flicked it open, and handed it over. Thatcher pulled Harper’s T-shirt away from his brother’s back and sliced the fabric from the neck down.
“Oh, no, baby. No,” I whispered. Raw, gaping cuts on either side of Harper’s spine exposed a translucent network of milky white cartilage, folded tight, exactly like the bones of bird wings. Blood pulsed through veins and arteries.
Kaz pressed fingertips to the edge of the peeled and broken skin and hissed through his teeth. “We have to get him to Christoph right now.”
I grabbed Thatch’s arm. “Did Doug do anything to you?”
“He was only interested in Harper, once the feather follicles started to pop out. I think it was the stress,” he said. I nodded in agreement. “Dad just kept babbling about his mother, how if she could see what Harper could do, she’d accept him.” Thatch shrugged, his gaze unwavering from his brother. “I don’t think he was talking about Grandmother accepting Harper. Dad wanted her to accept him.”
One hand resting lightly on Harper’s hip, I rubbed Thatch’s back with the other. We all had to hang on a little longer. Kaz could get the boys to the house, and I felt sure that with the help of the LaFleur Fae, we could deal with Doug. “Kaz, any luck locating another portal?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a problem?”
“The other portal is located in the underland. And traveling through the underland is never easy.”
“Then what do we do?” I opened the flap on my pants pocket and tugged out the three feathers. “Would these help? Christoph gave them to me as a way to communicate with him.”
“Hold on to them. If Thatcher and I can get Harper to the underland, I can navigate us safely back to the crabapple.”
“Thatch? Are you okay with that plan?”
He nodded. “I feel like a fucking warrior right now.” He turned his hands palms up and spread his fingers wide. “I may not be growing wings or baking magical cakes or making magical necklaces, but I know I have magic in me. I can feel it. I just don’t know what it’s going to look like.”
“Then go with Kaz, protect your brother, and please, stay safe.” I gripped his chin and turned him to face me. “No undue heroics. You did amazing getting Harper to us, and Kaz needs you to stay focused just a little longer.” I stood and brushed off my knees. “I’m going to see if I can end this once and for all with your father. I’ll try not to resort to violence, but if Meribah shows up I make no promises.”
“C’mon,” urged Kaz. “Let’s get Harper over your shoulder, and we’ll go out the opposite side of the mound. Calli.” He gripped my fingers tight. “I will get these two to safety, but it may take a while. Christoph absolutely needs to know what’s happening to Harper. I can think of no way to stop his wings from growing, but your grandfather has far more knowledge about this.”
I hugged Kaz. “Go and with Goddess speed.”
From the threshold of the burial mound, I could see Doug—still on his knees, still ranting, and seemingly oblivious to the boys’ absence—and the nearby presence of Hyslop, Peasgood, and the Fae sisters. I shook out my body, let Bear once again settle across my skull and shoulders then strode into the last flashes of sunset just as four rapid-fire pops disgorged Vadim, Primèvere, Adelaide, and Meribah. The matriarch was in the middle of speaking.
“See?” Meribah said, her back to me. “A Flechette always delivers on their promises.” Her voice sliced through the heaviness in the air. Her summer dress, a knee-length silver lamé sheath, followed the hard lines of her torso and thighs. Her chin-length hair was swept behind her ears, her footwear molded over her heels and arches, and the jeweled collar at her neck flashed as she moved.
That was new.
Adelaide wore the sleeveless jumpsuit version of the night’s uniform, also in silver, and sported a similar collar. Unclasped metal rings hung from one hand. More collars. And if I wasn’t mistaken, a coiled leash.
“Mother.” Doug’s face, bright red and streaked with dirt, lifted at the sound Meribah’s voice. He stumbled to stand and lurched toward her. “Mother, look at me.”
Adelaide dropped the leash and collars and flexed her fingers.
Meribah held up a hand in Adelaide’s direction while speaking to Doug. “I will deal with you and your ridiculous behavior once these innocent creatures have been safely removed. Vadim? Primèvere?”
“Silène, Némophilie, whatever are you doing here?” Primèvere picked up the script she and Wes had worked out with her guards. Her voice reverberated with maternal worry, tinged with a shade of disappointment.
“Mama, Papa, we are of age, and you cannot make us marry men we do not love,” said Silène, chin lifted and voice strong. The girls clutched at their chosen sweethearts, their gazes darting between their parents and Meribah and Doug, while Hyslop and Peasgood moved to stand to the girls’ fronts.
Meribah let out a sharp laugh. “The sooner you separate your daughters from these worthless farm boys, the sooner we can complete our transaction.”
The Fae guards
