The Rebel Queen (Outlaw 1)

“He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I think he did that for Shy. She was pretty torn up. I think he wanted to make it as private for her as he could.” That young woman had become part of our family. Even if she never returned Rhys’s affection, she would be my daughter and I would watch out for her. I’d held her as we’d both cried, and my instinct to care for her had been overwhelming to say the least. She was alone again, her soul once more on its own, but she would find she had a home among us forever.

I’d settled her in her room before I went to find my boys and Dev and Danny. I’d given them their letters and held Evan and Fen’s for their return. Then I’d cried some more.

“You should know I’m giving Declan back the amulet,” I said quietly. I hadn’t announced my decision to the boys because I didn’t think Lee would believe me. And nothing should interrupt his grief tonight. Asta and Magnus were already at work. They would check out the Council building and make sure my bag was where I’d left it. Then we would make the meeting with Myrddin, and Lee and I would go in using the tunnels.

“I knew you would, baby. You just needed some time.” Danny sighed against the back of my neck.

“And you’re not giving it back. That amulet is powerful. We might need it.” Dev laid his head down on my lap.

“You want to consult with the ancients?” Danny asked.

“Perhaps.” Dev sighed against me. “Or it can be used as a small bomb if she needs it. I would like for her to have all the tools we can give her while she’s in the Council building.”

“A bomb? Declan mentioned something about it being destructive if not properly used.” It was around my neck. I didn’t think carrying a bomb around was good for the baby.

“It’s perfectly stable as long as it’s close to the Goddess Chain,” Dev explained. “If it’s not within a few yards of it, it dematerializes here and goes back to its base, which is my mother’s palace in the Seelie sithein. The transfer is a bit on the violent side. I’m not sure why, but when it opens the veil it tends to start fires or blow up whatever it happens to be sitting on. But it has to be apart from the chain for fifteen minutes or so before it will return home.”

“So she can’t just leave it on Myrddin’s pillow and hope it blows his head off?” Danny was a little bloodthirsty when it came to his old mentor.

“Not unless she managed to sneak in while he was sleeping,” Dev explained. “Otherwise all she would do is blow up his pillow”

I wasn’t interested in anything but getting my bag back. “Did you set up the meeting?”

“Yes, we’ll need to be in Dallas soon. We’re still negotiating the time. I’ve already been in contact with Jamie and Nate Atwood,” Dev explained.

“Kelsey’s brothers?” They were technically Kelsey’s half brothers, but she didn’t make the distinction. Nate and Daniel had been in the same game group for years, and Jamie worked with the Texas Rangers on their weirder cases. At least he had twelve years ago. “Are they still in the area?”

“Yes. Both married. Jamie has two kids and Nate has one on the way. Kelsey’s already been in touch with her family,” Dev announced. “Nate finished college and he’s working with his brother. Since Gray left the Rangers, they haven’t had anyone to investigate the supernatural cases. The Atwood brothers are who they shift those to now. Jamie’s going to find us a safe house, though we’ll only use it if we have to. My intention is to leave as quickly as we can after the meeting with Myrddin.”

“Do we know what happened to my dad’s house?” Danny and I had spent our teen years in the house in North Dallas.

“He told me he left it to Christine,” Danny said.

“Good.” She’d lived there longer than I had. It was right that he had the place where she and my dad had been happy together.

“How long do you need us to distract Myrddin?” Dev’s hand moved over my leg, stroking and giving me comfort.

“I’m hoping Lee and I can do the whole job from start to finish in an hour. Hour and a half tops.” It was surreal to be sitting there talking about a job when my father was gone. The boys had taken the news hard. They’d gone off to the other side of the mountain where I was sure they would drink and mourn their grandfather.

I had to hope the loss brought us together. I worried that after we got the grimoire and the sword, my kids would relegate me to the royal role. Daniel and Dev would have so many political moves to make and I would be needed for some of those meetings, but I mostly wanted to stay here in Frelsi and get to know my kids again.