not going to leave. You know it and I know it, so I’ll help protect them as best I can. Besides, we can use the research help.”
“Well, let’s get to it,” Rainey says, popping up off the couch, which makes me stand too just from the enthusiasm in her tone. “Let’s go back down to the library and start researching angels. We can order a pizza for lunch and work straight through the day.”
She walks off, heading back to Carrick’s office and the secret passageway, acting like she owns the place. Myles silently follows after giving me a half-smile and a quick but smug smirk to Carrick.
Before I join my friends, I turn back to Carrick. “How are you going to make the protection spell on the houseboat stronger?”
With a jerk of his head toward his brother, he says, “Pooled magic. Lucien will help.”
“I’ll call him,” Maddox says as he grabs his cell phone out of his pocket. “We should go over there sooner rather than later.”
“Agreed,” Carrick replies, loosening his tie to take it off. “I’m going to get changed, then I’ll help with research.”
While I very much think Carrick is at his most handsome when he’s in one of those very well-tailored suits, I prefer the Carrick in Faere who wore cargo pants and hiking boots and had a sexy five o’clock shadow at the end of the day.
“I’ll bring down some refreshments,” Zaid advises. “And then join in the research as well.”
“How about you go down and I’ll grab some drinks for us,” I suggest, and Zaid looks absolutely scandalized I’d suggest such a thing. We engage in a staring contest for only about five seconds before I turn tail and head off toward Carrick’s office so we can begin learning everything we can about angels.
CHAPTER 5
Finley
Glancing down at my phone on the table, I note the time and close the book I’d been skimming. “Workout time,” I announce to Zaid, who sits in a chair opposite me.
He grunts an acknowledgment, not lifting his eyes from the book he’s nose deep in.
I expected no different.
For the past week, both Zaid and I have spent a lot of time down in the library, researching as much as we could about changelings and guardian angels. There’s a lot more information on changelings than we had thought, but it’s voluminous and contradictory. We’ve typed pages of notes, and in the evenings while we eat dinner, Zaid, Carrick, and I discuss what we learned. Sometimes, Rainey and Myles join us, and occasionally Maddox, too. Lucien not so much, because well… he’s a loner.
It’s been a week since Echo brought us the news that Kymaris, Queen of the Underworld, is the Dark Fae now wearing my sister’s glamour. Our inner circle knows she’s a changeling, so we are trying to stock up on as much knowledge of this strange ritual as possible so we can know what we’re up against.
Every day, Zaid and I head down to the library for research. Sometimes, Carrick joins us; sometimes, he leaves to do only God—or gods—know what. On those occasions he leaves, Maddox or Lucien is always at the condo for extra protection, although it’s probably not needed. All three demi-gods reinforced the protective spells on not only the condo but on the Fantasia as well. With their combined power, they were confident nothing could get through—short of one of the gods themselves.
Even though the Fantasia is protected, I still worry about Rainey and Myles as they returned to their jobs and weren’t going to spend every moment within the safety of the houseboat. Carrick gave them each an amulet that provided a mini-shield should they be attacked, but it wasn’t strong enough to protect them from a sustained attempt.
Last night, my distress over their safety was eased a bit when Myles and Rainey came over after work to help with some research and eat dinner. I was bemoaning their safety when away from the Fantasia when Myles dropped a bombshell.
“You don’t have to worry anymore,” Myles said with a grin as we all sat around the conference table in the library, getting ready to dive into our books.
I cocked an eyebrow. “And why is that?”
“Carrick has a Light Fae protective Secret-Service-like detail on us,” Rainey answered for her boyfriend.
“He has a what?” I exclaimed, shocked that such a thing even existed, much less that Carrick would be thoughtful enough to implement it.
Not that he’s not thoughtful, but I thought he’d gone above and beyond