let me know this time it was right. Summer completed him.
It might have been different if she hadn’t looked at him like he was the sun in the sky.
“You were supposed to be in jail,” Dev complained. “I’m going to have a talk with that mercenary about allowing his prisoners to run wild.”
Daniel laughed, a sound I hadn’t heard in days. “I suspect Marcus found a way to be utterly discreet.”
From the blush that took over my daughter’s face I knew she’d spent some time in Marcus’s mind. I’d been a guest several times—mostly when Marcus wanted to take me away from physical pain or overwhelming grief. Marcus could take a person to places far away and every moment would be real.
Marcus had been so kind to us. He’d sheltered Daniel in the beginning, and then he’d offered up his immortal life to get a message to me.
Dev might fight it, but Marcus was already family.
“My king, we should talk.” Marcus sighed and got serious. “I believe we should take this time to update each other on what’s happening. Kelsey told me a bit, but she did it in her signature style, so I still have questions. And we have much to tell you as well.”
“Should I incapacitate the others?” Dev asked. “I can do it without killing anyone.”
I was certain he could, but I looked to my daughter for guidance. This was her life and her mission. Marcus would make the safest of calls, but perhaps not the right one. I wanted to give my girl what I so often hadn’t been given—a choice.
“No, Papa,” Summer said quickly. “I know Taggart arrested me, but his wife has been helpful. She’s done a lot of research. There’s some worry that I might be causing the problems the outer planes are having.”
Dean had explained what the convergences were. “Good. I’d like to speak to her.”
“That could be a problem,” Summer said with a wince. “She’s kind of unconscious, but according to Marcus, she’ll be okay.”
“She should wake soon,” Marcus explained. “She was hit with a heavy sedative. There are several factions we need to watch out for. Summer has made some powerful enemies.”
“I want to know everything.” Daniel had moved fully into protective dad. “Do we trust the mercenary? And who are the others?”
Marcus started giving Danny and Dev the rundown, but Summer took a step back. I followed her, moving slightly away from the men and nearer to the small stream that ran through this part of the forest.
“I can’t believe I’m here with you,” she said quietly. “There’s a part of me that wonders if maybe Marcus is doing this and I’m still in his head. I wonder if this is his way of making my last days more pleasant.”
“What does that mean?” I hated the desolation I heard in her voice.
“It means that there are several groups who wouldn’t mind executing me.” She gave me the saddest smile. “I’ve caused a lot of trouble, Momma.”
“Who hasn’t?” I joined her as she sat down on an overturned log. “You know what I used to do for a living.”
“I know. I kind of liked that I was following in your footsteps the first time I had to steal something.” She stared out at the stream.
“That’s what I don’t understand. Where did Haweigh take you? When we let you go it was to save you. I didn’t understand what was going on at the time. I thought the demon I was working for wanted you, and I couldn’t let him take you. It turned out what he really wanted was to use your father as his assassin and spy.” She gasped and I held a hand up. “It’s okay. I got us out of the contract, but you have to know if I’d thought you weren’t safe, if we’d known you were truly ours, we wouldn’t have let you go. I want to talk to Haweigh because she promised me you would be safe.”
“Haweigh’s dead,” Summer said, the color draining from her face.
“What? When? Did she get caught up with the witches?” I asked because I was fairly certain I’d seen the woman when we’d been caught in the convergence.
“It was a long time ago,” she said. “It’s why I bound my magic. I saw Dean was with you. Have you talked to him?”
Dean hadn’t mentioned anything about Haweigh. “Yes. He explained that you don’t have access to your magic, but he didn’t tell us why. But Summer, you are magic.