woven tapestries and rugs, paintings and statuary to dazzle the eye. And almost all of it hosted something feathered, scaled or furry.
Members of Maeve’s menagerie stared from corners, sat atop furniture or clung to chandeliers. Everything from housecats and dogs to jaguars, koalas, lemurs and chimpanzees. He even spotted a grizzly. Voices murmured in excitement as they passed. “Is that Siobhan?”
“Is she dead?”
“No, damn it, I can still feel her power.”
“May I eat her?” The rumble from behind him sounded even deeper than Guinness’s.
“You know better than that, Shere Khan,” Helena said, aiming a dry smile back at whoever it was.
Conal glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, an enormous tiger paced behind them, green eyes focused on Siobhan’s dangling head with menacing interest. “So it’s not just me, then?”
“She tried to fry me once for insolence,” the tiger told him. “Can I help it that she doesn’t like hearing the truth?” He bounded forward to pace Helena. “You’ve outdone yourself this time, girl.”
“Don’t look at me. It was Conal and Liam.”
Shere Khan blinked at Conal in surprise. “And Liam didn’t eat you? You must be a worthy fellow.”
“He is,” Liam said from his shoulder holster. “He saved me.”
It was Conal’s turn to blink.
“Here we are,” Guinness said, as one of the doors in the hallway swung open just ahead.
Conal started to step inside, but Helena caught his arm. “Careful. There’s a nullification spell built on the walls.”
Sure enough, the minute he stepped over the threshold, the force of gravity seemed to crush down on him as what remained of his power drained away. None of the animals entered as Helena slipped in after him. Even Essus fluttered off her shoulder to perch on Shere Khan’s back.
He’d expected bare stone walls and a cot, but with the room was as well-appointed as the rest of the palace, with a massive, elaborately carved bed, a table with two chairs, an armchair, and a floor-to-ceiling bookcase packed with leather volumes. In his peripheral vision, he glimpsed something pink and meaty. The hip next to his face was bare. Siobhan’s magical armor had vanished.
So had his own, replaced by the black Armani shirt and slacks he’d worn to go dancing with Helena this evening. Siobhan must conjure everything she wore, or she wouldn’t be naked. Grimacing in distaste, he dumped her on the bed. “Let’s get the hell out of here before I invite Shere Khan in for a snack,” he told Helena, and they escaped back into the hallway.
The minute they were over the threshold, his magic rushed back, though it was still a trickle compared to the thundering power he’d commanded with Liam.
They found Maeve waiting in the corridor, Essus perched on her arm and fully healed. Apparently one of her menagerie had alerted her they were back. The Mother stroked the eagle’s breast feathers, her expression sad. “I had to make that for her when she was ten. She went into one of her rages and started throwing fireballs at the cat.”
Judging by his impressive snarl, Shere Khan was the cat in question. “I told you you were spoiling that little bitch.”
“Yes, I know. Is she hurt?” Maeve looked tired, lines pleating around her eyes as if she were a mortal mother worried for her deadly problem child.
“No,” Conal said shortly. Not that I wasn’t tempted. But that wasn’t something he could say to Maeve.
“I’m probably going to have to call one of the Magekind to treat her injuries. I won’t be able to touch her because of the geas.” There was such sadness on the goddess’ face, Conal felt a stab of pity for her. She hadn’t asked for this hellish situation. He’d seen her mothering Iona all those years ago. Whatever had happened with Siobhan, it hadn’t been simple permissive parenting.
Maeve gestured, and the door closed, locking with the metallic click. A metal bar appeared across it a blink later. Siobhan wouldn’t be getting out of there anytime soon.
With visible effort, the Mother straightened her shoulders. “I felt Liam’s geas break.” A muscle leapt in her jaw. “Which was more than a little terrifying, but I knew that if anyone could be trusted with that much power it would be you.” The smile she gave Conal looked more genuine.
“It wasn’t quite that easy. If it hadn’t been for Helena…” I’d have become a monster. But he couldn’t quite bring himself to say the words.
Guilt stirred in Maeve’s eyes, but she smiled with an obvious effort. “I can imagine. The