The Evolution of Fae and Gods (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 3)

Another reminder of why I hate the fae so much—Arwen, of course, excluded. I’ll even throw Pyke in there because he was genuinely nice and welcoming of me into Faere the last time. Even Rebsha is tolerable.

But the fact Arwen’s mother abandoned her because of her physical deformity—having been born with no eyes and just skin over where they would be—is so abhorrent to me that I have started lumping the values of all these creatures in with Arwen’s mother.

Knowing Nimeyah won’t care only solidifies this knowledge.

The Light Fae may not be as evil as the Dark, but their moral compass is completely nonexistent.

Carrick doesn’t waste any time, taking my hand and bending distance to bring us right back to the front doors of the castle. As always, Rebsha is mysteriously there, opening the door before we can knock.

“That was a fast visit,” he observes.

“Arwen was gone, and we didn’t feel like waiting around,” Carrick replies easily. “Do you mind opening the veil to let Finley back through?”

“Not at all,” he replies in that baritone voice, inclining his head. “Where would you like to go?”

“I’ll take her,” a voice says from behind Rebsha, which I recognize as Pyke’s. He steps around and offers Carrick an arm, which they grasp at the forearm, and then smiles with a nod. “Finley”

“Hello, Pyke,” I say with a return smile.

Pyke and Carrick have been friends for an eternity, and that’s not overstating the time frame. They’d fought in wars together and probably got in trouble together, which I don’t even want to know those stories. Carrick had told me one night that they would sometimes hang out together for decades, then wouldn’t see each other for even longer periods. Throughout it all, it was still one of his stronger relationships throughout time, coming after Zaid, Maddox, and Lucien, of course.

“Mind if I come to hang in the Earth realm with you?” Pyke asks genially. “I actually have an event to attend there tomorrow.”

“Sure,” Carrick says, but I can sense through my connection to him that he doesn’t want that at all. We’ve got so many things to do—figure out how Kymaris will enact her evil plan, as well as track down the Blood Stone, assuming it’s real. I also know that Carrick will not let Pyke be privy to any of this information, not only because he didn’t bother to tell him details before other than I’m part of a prophecy of doom, but because he made Pyke’s mother agree to a binding to keep the information secret.

Still, I also know Carrick is inviting him to come with us in case Pyke knows something, since he’s known to travel the Earth realm frequently. While I know Carrick well enough to know he won’t tell Pyke everything, I’m sure he’ll feed him some information.

Regardless, it’s Arwen I’m still thinking of when I take Pyke’s hand, and we step through the veil into Carrick’s condo. Deep down in my gut, I know she’s dead and I know it has something to do with the prophecy.

CHAPTER 20

Carrick

Carrick stepped into his condo, followed immediately by Pyke pulling Finley through the veil. He didn’t like that Pyke had to hold her hand to get here but was satisfied when Finley immediately pulled away.

Zaid and Maddox were in the kitchen, sharing a beer over the kitchen island. Maddox had always been the most socially outgoing of his demi-god brothers, and Zaid always enjoyed a beer or two. Carrick had to admit he didn’t mind his brother hanging at his condo. He wasn’t nearly as annoying as he remembered him in centuries past. Lucien had not stuck around after forcing Stan to come to help Finley through the veil to Faere, but that wasn’t unusual. He had never been, nor would he ever be, the type to chill out on a purely social basis. He just wasn’t built that way.

Carrick thought he should probably at some point thank Maddox for all the help he had given since this all started. Lucien for that matter, too. He’d need them in the future. Felt it in his bones. Just as he knew they’d be there for him when he asked.

Zaid’s eyebrows raised in surprise over the appearance of Pyke, but ever the genial host on Carrick’s behalf, he offered the fae prince a beer, who gladly accepted it.

“Your Scooby Gang is here,” Maddox said to Finley, but he offered no more information. Despite the fact Carrick, Maddox, and Zaid had known Pyke for most of their long lives, Maddox was smart enough not to divulge anything more than what Carrick would ever want him to know. Thus, he did not explain what a Scooby Gang was, even though Pyke cocked his head curiously.

Finley’s eyes lit up with excitement to know her friends were here, as she hadn’t seen them since the night they did their stupid and completely foolish stakeout on Kymaris’ house. She grinned at Maddox for the information, her eyes shimmering, and Carrick fucking loved it. The way the colors would delineate into distinct rings of color with great emotion, in this case happiness, made him feel good that she felt good.