suspicious. We’re actually probably better waiting until morning.”
Disappointment rushed through me.
Go without them. You don’t need them.
Gods, shut the hell up.
And now I was talking to myself. Damn, I needed to get away, and not just from them.
“If they’re so desperate for supplies, wouldn’t a night delivery be appreciated?” I asked, hoping to change his mind. I would need Finn to get back in. I couldn’t use Maribel again so soon, given that she was supposed to be from so far away and only visit occasionally. Plus, if the guards had been smart, they’d have combed through every bit of evidence for the day and made me as one of their suspects. Sure, they might let me into the castle again as Maribel, but I doubted I’d be coming back out if I tried.
“She has a point,” Maddox said.
Finn shot him a shut-the-hell-up glare. “We’re not rushing into this. We leave tomorrow. Tonight, we get Neva back to Earth and prepare what we need for the delivery.” Then, he turned his scowl on me.
I held my hands up. “Don’t send your wrath my way. I said nothing.”
“But you were thinking it. If you leave again without us, you’ll be on your own the moment you do. And by that, I mean you won’t be welcome back here.” Finn’s face didn’t soften whatsoever.
“Okay, Mr. Pissypants. Don’t have an aneurism over it. I’ll be right here all night long.” Okay, that was a lie, but I’d be on the farm. I needed to at least go for a walk and get some space after learning about Edgar. I needed to not underestimate him.
Neva showed up then, another trunk beside her. “What happened?”
I tossed a smile her way from my chair. “Oh, nothing. We were just talking.”
She grimaced but didn’t say anything more about the tension in the room. “Is it time?”
“It’s perfect timing,” Finn murmured. “I’m taking you to the border. Lucinda mentioned before that once we’re on the other side of it, you can find your way to wherever you’re going?”
“Of course.” She smiled, and her politeness grated on my nerves. “How am I supposed to reach you when I’ve found help?”
Finn went to the side table and pulled out a pen and paper. Once he was done writing on it, he handed the note to Neva. “This is my email. Just send the word ready and I’ll meet you the following day at dawn in Sri Lanka.”
She took the paper, reading the script before tucking it into her front pocket. “Very well.” She turned to me. “Do you need anything else, Ms. Lucinda?”
“I need a lot of things, none of which you can provide for me, unfortunately.”
Neva nodded, likely reading between my words, because she seemed to enjoy that so much. Then, she surprised the hell out of me by darting into my personal space and awkwardly hugging me.
My brain didn’t even have enough time to register the gesture before she was already on her way to do the same to Ivy, but without the awkwardness. My heart stirred, but I didn’t have time to ponder my own feelings. That was for after I was done on Fae Islands and back home in LA.
Finn walked past me and guided Neva from the house. “Let’s get you on your way if you’re ready.”
Neva faced me one more time. “Stay safe, Lucy.”
Damn her.
“Yeah. You, too,” I grumbled.
Chapter 19
The following morning, Maddox showed up with three crates of plumcots, some interesting fruit hybrid I’d never heard of. I also hadn’t ever tasted one and gladly stole a couple while we waited on Finn. Sweet juice trailed down my chin with the first bite, and I decided I would definitely be checking out Maddox’s farm when this was all over.
Finn finally came from the orchards with Dain behind him, pulling a wagon of more crates filled with lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots. “These should get the king’s attention.”
I grinned. That they would, since I ruined every bit of lettuce at the marketplace. Having a salad for fae was like coffee for humans. The fresh veggies were an obsession for some, including King Zephyr. It was my main reason for destroying the produce.
“Are you ready for me to do the glamor?” Maddox asked.
“Been ready since yesterday,” I replied.
His wings unfurled, thin yet strong, swirling with blues and greens. Then, he rubbed his hands together, creating friction sparks. “I’m going to do the magic dampener first. It will be harder than the glamor.”
“Whatever you say.” I moved