The Rebel Queen (Outlaw #1) - Lexi Blake Page 0,135

it sometime today. I intended to be back in Frelsi with the book and Gladys before tomorrow evening.

“I went to a music festival on a faery plane once. I don’t think it was a music festival as much as an orgy where they had musicians playing.” My son sat across the aisle from me.

“Lee, I need you to seriously think about what you say around me.” I did not want to know what my precious son had been doing all these years. There are some things that a mother should never know.

“I was just going to say I understand how it could have happened.” Lee wore all black, and his backpack was filled with the things we would need for the job we were about to do, including the Mantle of Arthur. “Dean seemed pretty freaked out by the idea of being conceived at a giant sex party. Apparently the Vampire plane is actually pretty staid when it comes to sex. Or rather they value their privacy when it comes to their companions. Consorts. That was what he called them. He was pretty freaked out that his mom would have had a three-way with Myrddin and Nim. I tried to ease his mind by telling him you and Papa regularly perform in front of a crowd.”

“That is a sacred fertility ritual,” Dev said with a frown. “Although I will admit I can be a bit of an exhibitionist.”

“Devinshea.” And there were things our son didn’t need to know.

Lee snorted and tried to cover up his laughter. “Anyway, I was glad to have a job for him to do while we’re gone. He doesn’t need to think about that for too long. Also, I think it’s good for his mom that he doesn’t have a way to call her on the Vampire plane because he would be asking some questions. Awkward questions.”

Dean, Rhys, and Shy would be working on a project while we were gone. They would be taking Nim to Lagarfljót Lake in eastern Iceland. It was deep and cold, and according to legend was home to a big-ass serpent that Nim assured me would keep her company over the weeks as her body regenerated.

“We can’t be certain Dean is the child of Myrddin.” Danny was always the logical one. He had to look at all sides of a situation.

I personally knew that the answer that would fuck us over the most was always the correct one. The universe liked to screw with us.

Dev and Danny sat directly across from Neil and me. The jet Dev had purchased was a twelve seater and boasted a kitchen, bathroom, and small bedroom. Dev called it basic comfort and promised a better one when he could find the time to shop.

It was just the five of us and a pilot who’d passed Sasha’s tests. We were running a tight crew this time. We needed to be able to move very quickly once Lee and I finished the job. We wanted to be on our way back to Frelsi before Myrddin realized what we’d done. I had high hopes that he would simply think the wards had finally failed and wouldn’t realize his book had been in the apartment at all.

Though there was a part of me that longed for confrontation.

My hand went to the amulet that lay against my chest. I wished there was some way to get that sucker around Myrddin’s neck and then walk away. “Nim seemed pretty sure.”

“It was a long time ago,” Danny pointed out. “I was unaware Myrddin had ever produced a child.”

“Well, he’s way better at keeping secrets than you are.” It wasn’t fair, but I was still pissed about how much they’d talked to Myrddin. And done dumbass things like giving him the combo to our safe. I’d customized that sucker myself, and Dev had handed over the keys to the kingdom. “I think Nim’s right. I’ve always wondered why he would make it a point to put Lee in a situation where he died, but he sent Dean’s mother off plane when he could easily have done the same. He could have ensured Dean was never born in the first place. I don’t think it’s his soft heart about kiddos that did it.”

“They don’t look much alike.” Danny’s whole body was tense, and nothing I said seemed to ease his anxiety.

“We can’t be certain we’ve ever seen his true form.” Lee looked more serious now. “I mean he’s like Nim in that way. He doesn’t