Page 97 of Fate Calls the Elf Queen

“I would have moved out of the way on my own. I didn’t need your help.” He leaned forward, rapping his knuckles against the tabletop, staring her down. “And one good deed doesn’t absolve you from the host of offenses you’ve committed. I could list them out, but it would take all night.”

“Whatever you say, elf.” She lifted her brows and stabbed a cherry tomato with her talon and popped it into her mouth.

Thane cleared his throat. “Look, we need to come up with a plan to take out the demon and his hounds. That’s why we’re all here.” Thane straightened his spine and set his fork down. “As we all witnessed, our weapons are ineffective against them. Even magic did little damage.”

Hel pushed back from the table, stood up, and leaned over the back of the high chair. “Since you don’t remember, I’ll let you in on a little secret. They’re weak against obsidian, and your swords are made of steel. And sunlight but that’s not something you can produce.”

Thane crossed his arms. “Obsidian is rare and more feeble.”

“In Adalon, yes it’s rare.” Hel pushed the chair in and walked over to the long row of windows looking out across the castle grounds. “But that’s what can kill them.”

“So, I have to find enough obsidian to make us swords.” Thane’s hands curled into fists on the table. “That’s just great.”

“Can’t you just poof swords out of thin air for us?” Layala asked. She’d seen him do that on several occasions with clothes and those civars he smoked regularly.

“I don’t pull things out of nowhere. They’re from a place I keep them. I call it the aether. And if I had obsidian weapons stored there I’d havepoofedthem into existence already.” He sat on the windowsill ledge and crossed his arms. “And while you’re collecting your obsidian, it’s not safe for Layala here.”

Thane shifted toward him. “It’s not safe anywhere in Adalon. I’ve been protecting her all my life without your help. I think I’ve got it handled.”

“Except if it weren’t for me, she’d have been killed today and the other night.”

Thane glared at Hel. “No, because I wouldn’t have put her in a room by herself.”

“Oh, you’d have kept her at your side fighting against demons you can’t kill. Exceptional plan.”

“And where would she go that’s safer than here with me and her friends that will lay down their lives for her?” Thane asked, eyebrows arched. Layala swallowed hard. Yet again Thane and the others were putting themselves at risk to protect her. What if Thane was killed because of her, or Piper, Leif and Fennan? Any of the Ravens…

“With me of course. They’ve infiltrated Castle Dredwich twice now. They know where she sleeps, eats, her routine, everything.”

“That’s not happening,” Thane’s voice took on a sharpness that hadn’t been there before. “She’s staying with me.”

“What’s the matter? You two are on a relationship hiatus, aren’t you?” His lips curled into a wicked smile. “There are no wedding plans. You called it off. You said you needed time. I’ll give you time. Besides, she’smywife. It’s not as if she went somewhere with me for her safety for a while, it would be improper.”

The room went so quiet the only thing Layala heard was her own soft breath. The blood seemed to drain from her face rather than flush with heat. “Everyone out, except for Hel and Layala,” Thane snapped. The chairs scraped against stone, footsteps quietly tapped on the floor, and the three of them were alone. Even Varlett left without protest.

Both Hel and Thane gazed at Layala expectantly. “What do you want to do?” Thane asked.

The fact that he even asked left doubt as to if he wanted her here. Did he want her to go? “Stay, of course,” her voice came out weaker and with less conviction than she’d hoped.

“Do you really?” Hel drawled, pushing up from the window’s edge. He sauntered back to the table. “This place is sucking the life out of you. The people in the city have turned on you. You can’t trust the people inside the castle either.” His garnet eyes flicked to Thane. “I’m not trying to be an ass for once but whatever is going on between you two isn’t helping her remember. In fact, being here with you is keeping her attached to this life and this one alone. You want her to remember, don’t you?”

Thane’s lips formed a hard line.

“I’m not running away from everything and everyone,” Layala said, before Thane could get any ideas about her leaving. “And the last place I want to be is stuck with you and Varlett, only Maker knows where.”

“She’s safer with both of us to protect her, Hel,” Thane said. “So why don’t the three of us sit down, eat, and get past the bullshit.”

Hel let out a “ha,” and shook his head. “Get past the bullshit? You do realize we’re all here because of you, right?”

“And we can’t change it so let’s move on and figure out our next offensive move.”

Layala narrowed her eyes at Thane. “What did you do?”

“He manipulated you into leaving me, that’s what.”

Thane shook his head. “That’s not what happened. And if she was truly yours I couldn’t have manipulated her. She’s a bloody primordial goddess. She’s not a fool. Manipulation is what you’re good at, not me.”

Hel looked up as if the ceiling suddenly became his enemy. “Then tell me, cousin, what happened?”

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