Page 5 of All Her Feelings

Helene kept the chatter light as she led them all toward the back of the Academy grounds to the little cottage she and Andy shared. While it didn’t quite look the same as the one they shared at Brandlevine, the warm light streaming out the windows and the sound of soft music being played had Holly relaxing even further.

When her papa’s expectations became too much or her parent’s fights too loud, Holly would escape to Andy and Helene’s cottage at Brandlevine. There, she could shed the weight of the role she usually played and just be… well, just be Holly. She had always downplayed her relationship with the witch and the dryad, afraid it would be taken from her if she let on just how much it meant to have that escape. Instead, she told her papa that it was for extra tutoring, and he was so obsessed with Holly becoming the best and the brightest he believed her. It didn’t feel good to lie to her papa, but sometimes his expectations just became too much.

The screech of the gate swinging open interrupted her thoughts as Kallan held it open for her and Helene. She offered him a small shy smile as she passed, and the intensity in his eyes had her stomach flipping.

“Holly,” Andy greeted her warmly. “I’m so glad Helene found you all for dinner. Zack sent me a message to let me know what was happening.” Zack had apprenticed with Andy over the summer and had developed quite the bond with his mentor.

Holly felt Kallan stiffen slightly behind her and tried not to take it personally. She was beginning to understand that the stoic Fae took everything very seriously and had serious trust issues. He probably viewed Andy and Helene as a threat, but Holly trusted these women with her life.

“Unfortunately, not great news,” Holly answered. “We are heading off to the shifters first thing in the morning.”

“Starting with Roland, then?” Andy asked, motioning them to take a seat on the benches around the table. Holly was momentarily distracted when Kallan and Kieran shuffled her between them. Their warmth ignited a heat in her own body that she quickly quashed. Now was not the time to be distracted.

“Yes,” Synora answered for her, her green eyes glittering in the flames of the hearth as she accepted a bowl of stew from Helene.

“Zack’s message indicated there was someone on the inside, possibly their right hand, that helped with the prisoner escape?” Andy asked.

“Possibly,” Kallan agreed. “We don’t know yet if there are two different people or if those are one and the same.”

“I would imagine that the right hand was involved—most likely directed it—but I doubt he directly helped with the prisoner escape,” Helene mused.

“What do you mean?” Holly asked.

“He or she likely called the shots, but I doubt they were at the prison,” Andy explained. “Just like I doubt their right-hand person was at the battle. They would never put all their eggs in one basket. They would be too smart for that. The problem with evil people is they are usually extremely intelligent, which makes it difficult to root them out.”

Because the smartest people always think ahead, Holly finished in her head. Her papa always used to say that to her in his lessons.

“So, who would have the most to gain from Roland and Vanya’s plan?” Helene asked, tapping her spoon against the side of her bowl.

“I doubt it would be anyone directly in power,” Andy said.

“Why do you think that?” Synora asked.

“Who would have the most to gain from the type of treason Roland and Vanya were planning?”

“It wouldn’t be someone with power already,” Kieran answered slowly, seeing where Andy was going with this. “If they had power already, they wouldn’t need Vanya and Roland.”

“Correct,” Andy said. “If they had power already, Vanya and Roland would be an obstacle in their path, and they wouldn’t be likely to work with them. Instead, it would have to be someone who didn’t have power yet.”

“Or someone who was close to it and wanted more,” Kallan agreed. “We should look at the upper families of the shifters. Maybe not the prominent pride and pack leaders, but some of the smaller groups, or even some of the other shifters who don’t have a group.”

Andy nodded. “That would be where I would start. We can do some discreet digging here and see if any names come up.”

“We would appreciate it,” Kieran said with a smile.

“Anyway, enough serious talk,” Helene said with a wave of her hand, like she was pushing the heavier stuff off the table. “We’ve known Holly since she was a small girl and are dying to know how you all met. The details—not the where, ’cause we worked that out.”

“Helene,” Andy groaned, but with a smile. “I thought we agreed not to bombard them?”

Helene smiled at her partner. “I rememberyousaying that, but I distinctly don’t remember agreeing to it.”

Holly couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, even as her cheeks blushed hot.

“Well, I met Kallan and Kieran when we traveled to the Fae lands, and I met Synora when she came through the portal to the Fae lands before the battle.”

Judging by Helene’s expectant look, Holly had not given her enough details. “Have your parents met them yet?”

The “no!” tore out of Holly’s lips with more force than she intended it to, and by the raised eyebrows around the table, it was not unnoticed.

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