Page 68 of Cathmoir's Sons

They are.

“I’m still a teeny bit angry at you for lying to me, Law,” I whisper to him. “Don’t do it again. But I believe you. I trust you. I love you.”

He pushes up onto his paws, his claws tickling my chest. Then he rubs his triangular face all over mine. I spit out fur.

“Okay, okay. Gross. Hair.”

He thumps down on my chest and shoves his head under my chin, rubbing and scent-marking me like a little maniac.

“It’s Saturday,” I point out to my favorite purr machine. “I don’t have class until Monday. I’m assuming you and Luca and Rhodes don’t, either. We can’t be seen together and I’m absolutely not having sex with any of you while you’re still students, but if you want to do something together today, we could.”

He starts licking my chin again.

“Should we go find Luca and Rhodes? And no being mean to Rhodes.”

He squashes my nose with a firm paw.

“You are naughty,” I tell him. “And I know what you’re going to say. ‘Cait.’ That’s not an answer for everything.”

His undiminished purring says it is.

More than ready to patch things up with Rhodes, I wash and dress quickly, then leave a note for Jane. Law stays in his fur until we step out of the Fae Ways at Cait House. Aine greets us with squeals about her brother’s lack of modesty that have me grinning. While Law dresses, I catch up with Aine. Her History of the Unseen World teacher at Wydlins has added my discovery to their curriculum. I promise her an artifact from the dig to take into class and promise myself that, whatever decision I make about teaching at Bevington, it won’t take me out of the field. The Magi of the Mist won’t be my last discovery. There’s too much out there that needs to be brought back to light.

Law’s gorgeous in whatever he wears, but my lady parts clench when he strolls back into the audience hall in heavy boots, leather pants, a deep green crew-neck sweater that looks so soft it’s probably cashmere, and a perfectly tailored, camel-colored wool great coat. That his hair is dark blue again doesn’t help the turmoil down south, since that’s what I associate with him as my lover. He doesn’t look like a Bevington student. He looks like an aristocratic predator. He looks like a Cait prince.

Maybe Luca’s right. Maybe being a Bevington senior is the least-important thing about Law.

He takes my hand and pulls me through the Fae Ways to his house on campus, since Aine’s told us that Luca went there last night after a hug with their dad that Aine said lasted “for hours.” I’m sure she’s exaggerating, but I’m delighted to hear that Luca’s been able to use Tsara’s teaching to make his father’s power bearable.

I’ve heard Law refer to the “den” and when he pulls me into the room I saw during my 3 a.m. video-call with Luca, Iunderstand why the moniker fits. Their campus house feels like a cave. Everything’s dim, soft, touchable.

Voices lead us into an open-plan kitchen and eating area. The kitchen appliances are modern, but everything else has a sturdy antique feeling. The kitchen table’s almost as heavy and polished as the one in Italy. It definitely did not come from a box store the way my furniture did.

Three men sit around the table: Luca and Rhodes sitting side-by-side, backs to the door, with Rhodes’ arm thrown casually over Luca’s shoulder. Evan Lords sits at the head of the table, to Rhodes’ left, sipping from a cup of coffee.

My feathers ruffle at the sight of him. He lifts his head and meets my eyes. A glimmer of gold traces around his face.

“Evan,” I say in greeting. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”

Law shifts, moving to press his shoulder against mine, instead of leading me into the room. Rhodes and Luca twist in their chairs to look at me. Rhodes’ face lights up in hope. When I smile at him, happiness bursts over his face like a sunrise.

“I’ve been talking with Rhodes about his winter study project. I’m going to help him track down the person or persons responsible for the death of his cousin, Odin Nalkaine.”

I have no reason to doubt Evan. One of my best friends is madly in love with him. He’s the new head of the Capricorn Guild, one of the few remaining Zodiac Guilds in the Unseen World. He’s trying to guide the Guild back to their path of being paladins: protectors of humans and mages.

But seeing him here sets my teeth on edge. He doesn’t belong here. My consorts’ den is one of our hearthrooms. Our safest spaces. His presence is a crystal sword at the throat, an iron hand to the heart.

Luca rises in my peripheral vision and moves to my other side. Law turns his head to look at his twin and the Air fills with whispers.

What’s going on?

I don’t know but Kellan’s reacting like Lords is a threat. Be ready.

Lords rises as well, sweeping his green cloak behind him. “What’s going on, Kellan?”

“Why are you here?” My voice drops to a harsh whisper. “What do you really want of my consorts?”

Lords swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his neck. “You tell me. What’s going on between you and the Holly King?”

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