A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 2)

“I do,” Carrick says, a hard glint in his eye and I wonder exactly what else was done other than iron spikes.

I huff with frustration, letting my fork clatter to my plate. “Sucks not knowing where the danger is coming from.”

Everyone at the table is silent until Maddox speaks. “My money is still on Fallon. Now, it may be that she knows you have special abilities and are a threat to whatever she might be planning, and we know she’s planning something since Stan foresaw something dark was coming. Not to mention the whole gods telling Carrick there’s a prophecy thing. Or, it could merely be she wants anyone tied to her personally eliminated, so she doesn’t have to explain her change in behavior. Honestly, I think the latter is most likely.”

“I agree,” Carrick says, but then points out the obvious. “Doesn’t change the fact that Finley’s in danger, so we keep up the training, keep her under watch, and we get to Faere to see what we can learn.”

“Any movement on that?” I inquire, deciding I need to finish my breakfast.

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Carrick shoots me a never-before-seen grin—playful and completely disarming. “Turns out Stan the Light Fae owes Lucien a favor. He’s granting it to me to call in, so he’s going to get us into Faere since we can’t find Pyke.”

I roll my eyes because, of course, a favor earned is getting us there. I have no time to inquire about who this Pyke actually is because Carrick nods at my plate. “Eat up. We need to get back to the city. We both have jobs to attend to.”

I startle for a moment, realizing I haven’t thought of One Bean even once. It’s usually my first thought upon waking, and a current of guilt ripples through me. Is the prophecy and all this craziness going to end up becoming my obsession? Because if it does, that doesn’t bode well for my commitment to One Bean.

I resolve to do better and handle both with equal devotion.

CHAPTER 15

Finley

Rainey and Myles enter One Bean holding hands. While it’s still so weird seeing them this way, it also just seems like it should have always been. I had not realized how perfect they would be together until I saw them and understood they fit each other like gloves.

We’d planned to have a late lunch together here so I could fill them in on what had happened with the incubus.

And other things…

I had their orders ready, myself too nervous to eat so only coffee for me. I grab their paninis, bottled waters, and my cup of java, then meet them at one of the tables on the upstairs outdoor balcony where I had placed a little “Reserved” sign. It was one of the benefits of ownership which I didn’t mind taking advantage of because it was sunny and mid-seventies out today.

The wrought-iron chairs have a tiny wobble as we sit, and I make a mental note to get them fixed. Not that they’re a danger, but because it makes them annoying.

After passing out the food, we don’t even bother with the normal friendly lunch chat we might engage in if our lives were ordinary.

“Are y’all set to fly out tomorrow?” I ask. They’re heading to Adira’s funeral in Arizona, and I hate that I can’t go. But Carrick told me we’d be leaving for Faere and I’m just going to have to let Rainey and Myles extend my condolences to Adira’s family.

“We are,” Rainey says as she picks up her sandwich. “I just don’t like leaving you.”

“I personally think we should be accompanying you to Faere,” Myles says, ignoring his food for the moment.

I reach out, touching his forearm. “I know you want to, and I love you for it. But not only is it too dangerous, but Carrick has simply forbidden it.”

“Of course he did,” Myles bites out. He’s made it clear he doesn’t like Carrick in the slightest. I think, deep down, he blames Carrick for all of this even though it’s not his fault at all. Or maybe Myles just blames Carrick for not getting me out of this predicament, but I doubt he has that ability.

And while I would seriously love for Rainey and Myles to go to Faere with us—mainly because it would be an adventure like no other for us to share—Carrick has been drilling into me the last few days how utterly dangerous the trip will be. It’s mostly because I’m human and fae pretty much hate humans since they’re the cause of them being driven from this plane of existence.

Although Carrick has assured me that no harm will come to me as long as he is escorting me through that realm, I’m still a bit nervous. There’s no way I could ever take the chance that Rainey and Myles could get hurt. I’m glad of their support, but they can’t put themselves in the line of fire.