Page 44 of Blood on the Ice

“There’s a mid-levelpiseógplaced by goblins, but it has traces of a botanical accelerant, so to speak. Likely someone hired a multi-race group of Fae who do hits for hire. The herbs and flora from both here and Faerie were used to weaken your body while the curse slowly killed you. It would distract most supe doctors until it was too late to stop.”

“Can you reverse it?” Morgana pleads.

“I can try. I doubt their power dwarfs mine, but I’ll need time to focus on unweaving the components. Do you have someone you can contact to get things to counteract the plant accelerator?”

She beams as she pulls her phone out. “Hold please.” When the person answers, she rattles off my theory, then turns back to me. “Lay it on me, Prince.”

“I believe cestrum or gelsemium from here. Antarachnia and Elysian Bubbleberry from Faerie. Oh, and if I’m not mistaken, a tiny brush of unicorn hair.” She looks confused, and I chuckle. “It’s a flower people use like… baby’s breath here?”

Morgana relays the information, then sighs as she hangs up. “Iggy is on it. He’ll get Slade to help him with his little mess at the greenhouse, then bring everything here. Which means, Prince, you only have about an hour before very interested supes will be dying to watch you work Fae magic. Unless you want gawkers, I’d suggest you chop chop.”

Damn, this woman is amazing. I’ll let her bust my balls anytime.

Kaspar wasn’thappy when I sent him home for a few power boost items I don’t carry on my person. He thinks this is someone else’s problem and I risk calling unwanted attention to our people if I can’t fix what’s being done to the illustrious Wolfenberg heir.

He worries too damn much.

Once he returned, we helped Morgana get Lucas outside on her porch. Fae magic is strengthened by proximity to nature, and being in the sunshine will help—Daybreak Prince, of course. The light is our strength and I’m going to need a lot, given the time they wasted researching magics on this side of the Veil. It’s a damn good thing I dropped in for a visit, or she’d have a dead shifter on her hands within a day or two.

“You know, I have a few suggestions for gardening back here—both for Fae foliage and plants from your realm. I should probably consult with your wizard so we can coordinate a strategy for this area, Morgana. I have the feeling you attract trouble,” I say, as I wink playfully.

Hopefully, that calms her nerves a little. She doesn’t look jittery on the outside, but I can sense her fear.

“Yeah, she’s a magnet for it,” Lucas mumbles weakly. “Being a Slayer isn’t easy.”

Kaspar snorts, arching a brow. “One dragon dead—a weak, lazy, pampered one at that—does not a Slayer equal, bear.”

Morgana’s gaze hardens as she stares at my grouchy guardian. “We could try for two, but I have more pressing issues at the moment. Perhaps a rain check?”

“Oh, rain checks work perfectly for me,” Kas purrs with a dangerous look in his eyes. “Whenever you feel froggy, step on up. I’m not afraid of your curses.”

Merciful Aed, the two of them.

“Stop!” I growl as I look between the two stubborn, overconfident supes. “We need calm and support for this magic to work. After we heal the lad, you two can snipe at one another all you like. I suspect it would be a draw regardless—which neither of you would like to admit the ‘why’ of. Go to separate corners for now.”

“As you wish, Your Highness,” the storm dragon murmurs, dipping his head.

“For fuck’s sake, Kas,” I mutter. He only resorts to that when he’s pissed about my choices, so I know I hit the mark in his dragon pride.

The gorgeous hybrid doesn’t reply. She simply moves to her mate’s side and kneels by him, placing her hand on his stomach. Once she’s settled, she looks up and nods. “I’m ready to assist in any way you need, Prince Liam.”

Oh, the distraction of seeing her kneeling and saying my name like that.

Lucas turns his head to smirk up at me, winking before he mumbles, “Give it to me, fairy man. I’m ready.”

Shaking my head, I close my eyes and start working on unweaving the threads of the Fae curse carefully. I can see all the different races who added their magic to this—goblins, brownies, Fae, fairies, pixies—it’s a spiderweb of the races of my realm. Both Seelie and Unseelie cooperated for this venture, which means my father’s worry about a group of multi-race assassins crossing the Veil to set up shop was correct. I don’t always agree with my old man and he’s more paranoid than necessary, but… his spies were correct this time. The entirety of Faerie is at risk if the Council and the Society find out about a cooperative team running around on Earth accepting hits for money.

The humans do it and the Society is aware of that little compound because it's run by one of the originals. We, however, cannot allow our citizens to wreak magical havoc on this plane.

“Kaspar, I’ve sensed at least seven different races’ magic. This discovery must be brought to the attention of the King. His fears about the Hand of Morrigan are not unfounded,” I murmur as I continue pulling at thin cords of magic. “I don’t wish to return to the portal when I finish, but perhaps you could notify him in my stead.”

“Hand of Morrigan?” Morgana says, her eyes narrowing. “What the hell is that? Why would they care about Lucas?”

Kaspar snorts. “You’re far too intelligent to be this naïve, gorgon. Obviously, they’re a group of assassins thought to be rumor. All different species from our realm, banded together to come here and try capitalism. We’ve been hearing whispers for years, but no one has showed proof—until now.”

“A group of Fae doing dark magic for hire? The Society will lose its mind,” she hisses. “Rogue shit isnotrewarded as evidenced by me. A hit on someone as prominent as Lucas would draw their attention. Why risk it?”

The bear groans as I keep pulling on the power infecting him. “Because their first attempt was probably framing me for the murder. When it failed, they decided taking me out was easier.”

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