Page 68 of A Lost Light

I nodded and started searching for my clothes. “Coming.”

He paused, glanced around the room, his gaze snagging on Dyre as the necromancer scrambled to hide his scars. Then he laughed, deep, and hearty, and free. “I assume you already did. But I'll tell the others you're all on your way to the kitchen war room and make sure there's tea on.”

With that, the strange shifter turned and left us to get dressed.

I just shook my head again and took the underwear Dyre sheepishly handed me. “I thought the door was locked.”

He arched a red brow at me as he dragged a hand through his thoroughly tangled hair. “It was.”

Hasumi gracefully stood and started pulling on their clothes. “I assume someone unlocked it while we were distracted. I wonder at their motives.”

I huffed as we all continued dressing and hastily righting the room. The furniture had gotten some rough use, and a few things were knocked over or shoved out of place. “Ha,” I said dryly. “Being an ass. What other motive could there possibly be, since whoever it was didn't jump right in and join us?”

The water weaver paced over to me and gently kissed my temple. Their turquoise eyes were full of warmth, and their perfect lips curved up in a soft smile. “Perhaps the perpetrator only wanted what I want. What we all want.”

I sighed. “And that would be?”

Graceful hands cupped my face. “For all of us to make a home together. To see how perfectly weallfit here. To belong. To love and be loved in a way I never dreamed was possible before.” They kissed me, slow and sweet. “Perhaps whoever it was left the door unlocked hoping someone would stumble upon us. Sometimes people need a little nudge to realize they actuallydeservethese things.” Then, with a meaningful look at Dyre, the water weaver dematerialized and left the room.

I had a feeling I knew exactly who had unlocked that door.Sneaky, Hasumi. Sneaky.

“You know,” Niamh said as she secured her small utility knife to her belt. She never went anywhere without it. “They're right. If it wasn't for Hasumi, I think most of you idiots would still be fumbling in the dark with your repressed feelings and all that bullshit.”

Dyre snorted. “Oh, like you've never struggled with your emotions, fae.”

But she just smirked at him. “I did. For all of a day and night. Then I decided Andy was mine and this was where I belonged and that was the end of it.” She shook her head. “Women are much smarter than men when it comes to these things. I think the creator borrowed brain matter from males to make the useless dangly bits between your legs.”

I barked a laugh. She wasn't wrong. Niamh had hated me when she was freed from the bestiary, but she appeared the next day and demanded that since her clan was gone, I was her new family. She had never wavered the way the rest of us did from time to time. I wasn't sure if it was a fae thing, or just a Niamh thing. But whatever the reason, her loyalty and love were fierce and steady. Unwavering.

I reached for her and drew her in for a firm, enthusiastic kiss. “Thank you.”

Then I walked past Dyre on my way to the door, smacking his ass as I passed. “You both looked hot as hell with Hasumi, by the way,” I said with a grin. Turning to glance back over my shoulder, I stuck my tongue out at Niamh. “Which reminds me… what were you saying about never struggling with your feelings? It sure took you long enough to make a move on our pretty water weaver.”

I laughed as I dodged the book she threw at my head. Then I headed down the hallway, bracing myself for whatever new problem was waiting for me. Dyre and Niamh followed close behind.

When we reached the kitchen, Aahil immediately shoved the letter into my hands. “There's blood on it.”

I arched my brows, but Dyre reached past me to touch the envelope. “Not Lovell blood,” he said after only a second's analysis. “Pixie, I believe.”

I winced, both loving and hating the blood affinity that was Dyre's base witch talent. “Pixie? Who hurts a pixie?” Theywere delicate beings who mostly preferred to avoid any sort of confrontation. The bad feeling in my gut instantly got worse.

Tearing open the envelope, I read the blood-smudged letter. One word was scrawled across the paper, with a hastily drawn sigil at the bottom that looked like a locator spell so we would know where to portal.

I stared at the word as my blood pounded in my ears. “Help.”

That was it. Nothing more. As if my sister—or whoever sent this on her behalf—had only had time to scribble out those four little letters, with their hands covered in blood.

Chapter 42

Andy

We stepped out of the unsteady portal and into chaos.

Bis had insisted on coming with us, and he wasfuriouswhen I told him no. But now I was glad that he was safe back home in his nest, far away from this carnage. I only hoped I’d make it back to him and he wouldn’t end up stuck in an uninhabited pocket world when we all got our asses killed. Because this was no simple little “defend the councilor” spat.

Smoke billowed from what looked like it had once been an idyllic encampment of simple, storybook cabins set against a backdrop of towering trees. This was fae land. I could feel it in my bones. The fact that anyone had dared to cause such destruction here in fae territory was shocking.

But apparently, the cult had gotten bold. They had overcome the fae protections. Trees older than my entire family lineage were singed, blackened and burned, splintered from magical blasts. People screamed and cried. I stumbled over something and looked down at a severed arm.

---