I knew he was shrugging. “I’ve been on a couple with Grandad.”
I turned on my father. “What?”
He waved me off. “You were far younger when I started taking you with me.”
“I thought you were retired.”
“Retirement is boring, and it wasn’t anything truly dangerous,” he replied.
“It was cool, and I totally got away from that werepanther.” Lee had a light in his eyes that scared the crap out of me. Probably because I remembered it in my own at his age. He suddenly shifted the cape off his shoulders and turned it inside out. It was nothing but a plain cape now, and that proved to me he really knew how to use the sucker. He stepped in front of me and his expression had turned distinctly serious. “Momma, I think that wizard doesn’t like me. Kelsey told me to stay away from him. You get upset when he’s around me. I know you don’t like him, but you really don’t like him being around me. Does he not like humans?”
“I don’t think he does.”
“But he really doesn’t like me.”
I didn’t want to get into this with him. I didn’t want him to know that he was one of two beings in all the planes who could take down Myrddin Emrys. “He doesn’t know you and I would like to keep it that way.”
“He killed the old Lee.”
God, how much did he know? “I swear if I find out you’ve been listening in on private conversations…”
“I haven’t been eavesdropping. Well, not on you, but Kelsey said some things while we were in Wyoming.” He touched his chest. “He’s inside me. Old Lee. He’s in my soul. It’s okay. I’m not scared of him. He is me, and that’s the part that the wizard doesn’t like. Or wouldn’t if he really knew.”
No one said my kid was dumb. “Yes, baby. That’s why we need you to stay away from him.”
“That’s why I need to help you,” he said solemnly. “I’m the only one who knows exactly how this cape works. I know you think it’s easy, but there are tricks to it. And no one sees me anyway. If they ask where I was, I’ll tell them I was up in my room. No one will question it. They’ll ask about Neil and Sarah. Not me.”
I took a deep breath. Was there any way out of this?
“The boy’s right,” my father said. “He’s the best one for this job. He’s used it more than anyone. Take him with you. I’ll be your lookout in the hall and Neil is going to inform us if the wizard leaves the temple. I suggest you decide now because they’ll be done soon and I don’t think you’ve spent much time in those apartments.”
But Sarah had. She’d spent time with Nimue discussing how the covens worked on this plane. She’d told me exactly where to find the grimoire. “It’s in his office.”
“Take the bag of holding with you,” my father advised. “If it all goes to hell, stash Lee there with the book. No one will know where he is, and they won’t be able to hurt him. If anything happens, I’ll get the boy out when it’s safe.”
I stared at my father but there was a grin on my face. He always had his backup plans. “I thought I was the only one who could find it.”
“You and me, my darling girl. I’m not foolish. I always knew it might be you who had to be stashed in the damn thing,” he replied. “I wasn’t about to let you be lost.”
My father would always be there for me. I leaned over and hugged him, so happy to have his strength and wisdom and yes, his deviousness, supporting me. “I love you, Dad.”
“Love you,” he replied. “Now let’s get this job moving.”
Lee was holding up his hand. “Uhm, if I’m going into a bag, can I bring some snacks?”
I promised to shove some snacks and a six pack of Dr Pepper in.
I also promised I wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt my son. It was a promise I intended to keep.
Chapter Nine
Kelsey
What had he said?
I stood there in the middle of a faery forest and stared at the ancient god who’d made an announcement that nearly set me on my ass.
Marcus’s lips had turned up in the sweetest smile and he stepped in front of me. The tension I’d seen in him before seemed to have evaporated in the face of my complete and utter shock. “Are