Evangeline away from that wolf.”
All I wanted was to make sure my kids never had to go through the pain they had. I didn’t see how an amulet with a one-way call was going to help me. Unless I could convince the ancient Fae royals to ship a note through time, it would be useless to me.
But I never said never. “You have it on you?”
He reached into his pocket and drew out a golden disc attached to a chain. “I smuggled it out of Faery and will likely be in serious trouble when my mother and her council realize it’s gone. But I am willing to risk anything to reset this timeline.”
I reached out and took the amulet in my hand. It was roughly the size of my palm and heavier than it looked. “How do you use it?”
“It must be in proximity to one of the Seelie or Unseelie treasures. That is what we call the jewels our royals wear. For Mother it would work by attaching it to her crown. I have a jeweled sword it works with.”
“So now I have to steal your mom’s crown? Because you know I’m coming for the sword, so you should hand it over.”
He rolled his emerald eyes. “You wear one of our treasures around your neck, Your Grace. You have to know the High Priest’s goddess is considered royalty.”
The Goddess Chain. It lay against my heart, and I almost never took it off. It was the same with my wedding ring. I’d been wearing both when we’d gone through that painting, so they were the only possessions I had from my former life. “So I put them together and make a time traveling phone call?”
“Something like that,” Declan allowed. “You must wear it close to the Goddess Chain for several days before you can use it. The amulet will be primed by close proximity to the treasure, and you’ll know it’s ready when it glows.”
“I have to think about it.” I wasn’t sure there was anything I could do with it, but the thought intrigued me. “Do you know how it works? Or rather why it works?”
He shrugged. “I only know that it does. Not that the ancients are all that helpful to me. They do not understand the complexities of the modern world. It is much harder to be a royal today than it was back then. But they do understand things we do not. They have knowledge that has been lost.”
“Your Highness, would you like more tea?”
I looked down and a brownie stood at the end of our table, her small body in a shift dress and her scraggly hair adorned with a pink bow. I loved the brownies like I loved my pixie army. They were the sweetest of the Fae.
“Yes, servant,” Declan said with a sigh. “I will take some tea, and you may fetch my breakfast. I will need meat, of course. And bread. I believe I smelled pastries. Hurry along now.”
The brownies eyes went wide and the tea tray trembled. “Oh. I was speaking to…of course…”
“Nope.” I picked up the creamer and dumped it over Declan’s head. “She was talking to me, and as far as I’m concerned you are a prisoner here. Get your own breakfast.”
He frowned fiercely and picked up a napkin. “One of these days, Zoey.”
“Yes, one of these days, you will learn.” I shook my head and took the tray from the brownie, setting it on the table before I stood and held out my hand. “Come now, my sweet friend. Can you show me to my son’s brugh? I need to speak with him.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Of course, I shall,” the brownie said and began to lead me away.
“Zoey? You’ll do the job, right?”
I pocketed the amulet. “Yes.”
“Be careful with that,” Declan called out. “It must stay in close contact with one of the treasures. If not, it will find its way back to Faery, and sometimes the effects are violent, to say the least.”
That was good to know.
I would do the job, and it started with finding my son.
* * * *
I found Rhys walking out of the cottage Neil and Chad and their kids were staying at. I’d spent some time there the night before, catching up with Chad and getting to know Neil’s kids. They were all kinds of awesome, and they looked at their dads like they were heroes. Which they were.
I would have to remember to add them on my list of things that