Page 6 of Cathmoir's Sons

“Me, not me and Law?” I respond.

The Holly King cuts that green gaze at my brother. “Forgive me for saying so, but Master Hale isn’t the only one in need of rest.”

Law lifts his upper lip to show his fangs, but he doesn’t respond. Probably because what the Holly King’s saying is true. Law should be in bed.

“Okay, I’ll come. Let me throw on a shirt.”

“We’ll be happy to provide you with suitable clothes,” the Holly King’s knight says, speaking for the first time.

“I need my laptop, too,” I tell him. Mine is specially warded to work even in Faery, where technology rarely gets along well with magic.

“We’ll provide you with everything you need,” the knight says, his eyes gleaming in the darkness of his helmet.

Which is their way of saying they’ll get my research notes, and I won’t be able to withhold anything I find.

But I have a fucking photographic memory and taking notes is more of a convenience than anything else. So I say, “Sure. Let’s go. Law, please tell Rho I’ll be back in time for dinner. Call me if anyone needs anything.”

I pat my back pocket. No matter what I’m wearing, I always have at least one phone on me.

I never know when Kellan might call.

Chapter 3

Hogmanay Hootananny

KELLAN

“You snookered me,” I grouse at Teddy.

“I’m dead awful at snooker, actually,” she responds, without lifting her head from her task: diapering a squirming twin.

“You know I wouldn’t have come if I’d known about theball.”

I sweep the Legos scattered across the floor into a basket and dump the basket in front of Gal, who is sitting on her freshly diapered butt on the thick carpet of the Ember Palace nursery. It was just the twins’ room, until Teddy tried to put Carrie’s cradle in a room down the hall and Gal screamed non-stop for a full day about “keepin’ Car-Car swafe.” Teddy moved Carrie’s cradle into the twins’ room, which became the nursery, and the screaming stopped.

Well, most of the screaming stopped. Gal’s still very ... vocal when she’s displeased.

She’s in a good mood today, though, and grabs a Lego from the pile to chew on.

“Ball, shmall,” Teddy says. “It’s a party. Eat the finger foods. Drink the good booze. I finally convinced Callan to let me serveproper ale as well as that fizzy shite. I booked a local folk band Gabe loves. They’re mint. Enjoy the fireworks at midnight. Auntie Jill’s bringing her whole tribe. She loves you. You can talk with her all night and listen to the good music if you don’t want to dance. Let Callan hang out with Jane for a while. If anyone understands loss, it’s him.”

That’s true. Callan’s last princess, who Teddy calls Ursula the Sea Witch, was wife numberfive. And he’s too traditional a fae to divorce.

“Okay, fair,” I admit. “Still, you didn’t tell me I’d have to wear a dress-dress. Or heels.”

Teddy snorts. “I have to wear dress-dresses all the time now. Fecking fae. And feel free to wear Docs under your dress-dress. I do.”

“No way can I wear boots under my dress. It’s only knee-length.”

I’m sure there are other dresses in the suitcase that’s still in Jane’s closet but I’m not ready to unpack it, so I’m down to the contents of my own closet, and the gray silk dress I bought for schmoozing alumni. It’ll do for a ball.

“Ah, I shoulda mentioned you don’t get to wear your own dress.” Teddy holds up a finger for emphasis, somehow finishing off Honour’s diaper with one hand. Dang, she’s good. “The Liusaidh will want to dress you. You have to pretend that she’s giving you one of her million granddaughters’ hand-me-downs. Which will fit you perfectly and be in the best color for you. Just roll with it.”

I snort. “Seriously?”

Teddy nods. “It’s a high fae thing. You’re a guest. You’re gifting them your time and attention by visiting. It creates an imbalance if they don’t provide everything for you.”

I sit on the floor next to Gal and start putting together the Legos. She immediately crawls into my lap and helps. And by“helps,” I mean, she begins chewing on each of the Legos I snap together.

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