Page 8 of Back in the Hunt

Merlin made a serious sound as he lowered onto the foot of the bed and clasped his hands on his lap. “I can tell you all you want to know about what happenedafteryou were brought here. But we were hoping that you could tell us more about yourself and how you were attacked by so many sluagh.”

“Sluagh…” Everly shook his head and looked at Bryn. “I don’t even know what that is. I have no idea why they would want to attack me.”

“Why?” Merlin blinked at him for several moments, then held up a finger. “Can you tell us about your parents?”

“No,” Everly answered without hesitation. He expected pity and for them to possibly pull away, the way people usually did when they found out he was an orphan. Instead, they nodded knowingly and shared sad glances. “I was kidnapped and lost before anyone could figure out where I came from,” he said, earning a groan from Merlin as he shook his head.

“Do you know what a changeling is, lad?”

Everly frowned, nodding slowly. “I think… I saw a horror movie about one once,” he said and caught Nox’s and Nelson’s grimaces. “Why? What does that have to do with me?”

“Hmm…” Merlin scooted closer and took Everly’s hands in his. “You’ve had a very difficult time, haven’t you?”

“Lately or just in general?”

Merlin clicked his teeth. “Desperately wanted, but never truly loved. You’ve been hiding for a while, I would imagine,” he said softly, but tears blurred and burned Everly’s eyes as his lip quivered because that was all true!

“Why? What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing!” Bryn interrupted as he came around the bed and sat next to Everly. He put an arm around him and Everly immediately felt better. “You’re just…different.”

There were more grimaces and grunts and Merlin cleared his throat. “You are what us old Irish folk call leannán sí, fairy lovers. If I had to, I would guess that it was your mother who had loved a man and gave birth to you. The leannán sí do not keep their offspring, but prefer to hide them amongst the mortals, as a bit of mischief.”

“Mischief?”Everly said loudly, his voice breaking. “Is that what my life was? All that…misery was some fairy’s idea of mischief?”

“Yes,” Merlin and Nox replied in unison and the older man humphed. “There are many kind of fae folk and most cannot be trusted when it comes to their affairs with humans. It’s far moredifficult to switch babies these days, so a fae is more likely to leave their baby with someone who would be kind to it—want it—as a sort of prank.”

“I was a prank?”

Everly had devoted hours andhoursto imagining who his parents really were and believed that they were out there waiting for him. Instead, he was a mystical gag and his entire existence was some fae’s punchline.

“No…” Bryn started, but Everly turned to him,angry.

“Why didn’t you let me die? You have no idea what it's been like. I used to have hope because I thought that at some point, my luckhad tochange. But I wasn’t cursed, I was damned. Nothing was ever going to change for me.”

“But it has! You aren’t damned and I won’t let you give up,” Bryn vowed and there were nods and hums all around.

“You are not damned,” Merlin agreed as he rose. “Transformation is the essence of nature, and we possess the power to transform ourselves into that which we need to be. All that is required is knowledgeandcourage, and I can see that there’s still a drop or two of that left in you, young man. As for the actual curse that brought you here, Nox and I were able to heal you after that attack.”

Nox nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Someone wants you for your magick, so that he can attack others and drain theirs. Sort of like a magick vampire. We’re going to find him and put him out of business, and Bryn is going to make sure he doesn’t get another shot at you while we’re hunting for him,” he explained, calming several of Everly’s immediate fears.

“Okay… Thank you. And you all are like me? You’re…leannán sí who figured out how to live with this?”

“We are not,” Merlin said, trading concerned looks with Nox and Nelson, who stepped forward.

“I’m still just a man and most of this is new to me too. Nox is…complicated and so is Merlin, but I believe that they can help you. I don’t know Bryn and his brother very well, but I trust them and they’re on your side too, so the odds keep getting better and better for you.”

Bryn chuckled wryly. “We have a man on our team named Fletcher and he’s not so bad, as far as brother-in-laws go. He had to go back to Roanoke with Arawn for a few days so they don’t lose their jobs, but I’m pretending I won a giveaway and am burning up some extra leave while I get that BBL I’ve always wanted.”

“BBL?” Nelson asked and there were giggles from Nox and Merlin.

“A Brazilian Butt Lift,” Bryn whispered out of the side of his mouth, making Everly smile while Nelson grew more confused, judging from his frown.

“They’re going to notice that your butt is the same when you get back.”

“Not if I keep at it with my squats and lunges,” Bryn replied and tapped his temple. “Gonna be caked-up back there in two weeks,” he said and a loud cackle burst from Everly, surprising him and making his face hot.

“Are you always like this?” he asked Bryn as he wiped his eyes. “Not that I’m complaining. I can’t remember the last time I laughed.”

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