mood today. I need you to listen.”
Something in his tone must have convinced Arrogan, for the ring refrained from making a snappy comeback. “All right. Let’s hear it.”
“Tailtiu is missing.”
“Ordinarily I’d tell you to thank your lucky stars, but that sounded ominous. Explain.”
Will jumped into an involved explanation, beginning with Laina’s first visit to ask for Selene’s help and continuing on until he left the Nerrow household. He stuck to the facts but left out the effect that some of it had had on him. When he got to the baron’s farewell, he kept it simple. “He told me to stay away from his family.”
“That was cold,” remarked the ring. “I can understand his reasoning, but he certainly made an ass of himself there.”
It felt good to hear his mentor’s agreement, but Will didn’t want to talk about it. “That’s the least of my worries right now,” he said, wishing he believed it. “Aislinn is already on her way. I called her a short while ago.”
“Aislinn, eh? You don’t shy away from danger, do you?”
“She seems like the one most likely to help. It’s her daughter after all, and yours too.”
“I’m trying not to think about it in those terms,” said Arrogan. “If I start down that path I’ll be too upset to offer you any worthwhile advice. The first question is—”
“Where is she?” cut in Will.
“No, you dumb bastard! Don’t interrupt me again. Yes, her location is what you want to know, but it isn’t the first thing to ask, because it isn’t helpful. You have no goddamn idea where she is. A better question is—how was she captured? Along those same lines, when and where was she captured? Those questions are more manageable, and they will hopefully lead to the next question you should be asking—”
“Which is where she is now,” finished Will. There was a long pause, and eventually Will asked, “I spoke too soon, didn’t I?”
“Damn right you did, you insufferable fuckwit! May I finish now?”
“Ah, go ahead.”
“As I was saying, they will hopefully lead to who captured her. If you’re lucky, the who will lead you to your goal, where.”
“So, what should I do first?”
“Well, I would have probably advised you not to call Aislinn. She’s going to be too invested, and despite the time and effort she’s put into you, her first priority will be her daughter.”
“We’ll be in agreement then,” said Will.
“No, you won’t,” said the ring harshly. “Aislinn is fae. When I say her first priority will be her daughter, I mean that everything else will probably drop way down her list of priorities—including whether or not you continue to breathe.”
“But I want to help her.”
“Good, because she never turns down a good tool,” quipped Arrogan. “If she isn’t fully convinced of your willingness, she may try to apply additional pressure.”
“Pressure?”
“Threats. The good news is that she’s precluded from harming you directly because of the accord. So, the next question is this: What other sorts of leverage does she have to use?”
“You’re slipping, old man,” said a soft feminine voice from just behind and to Will’s left. Her jerked his head in surprise and saw his grandmother standing there, though as usual, the term grandmother was misleading. Aislinn looked every bit as young and alluring as her daughter; the main difference was in the maturity and authority she projected. “You should already know what sort of leverage I have.”
Will barely heard her, for his attention locked on the woman who had been hidden from view by Aislinn. As his grandmother moved, he got a clear view. “Selene!” In her eyes he could see a mixture of emotions—happiness, fatigue, pain, and a warning. There were dark circles beneath them that underscored the strain of her training.
“Will.”
Selene took a step toward him, but a sharp word from his grandmother brought her up short. “Stop there.”
Selene looked at the elder fae, hatred smoldering in her gaze, then she lowered her head submissively. “Mistress, may I? Please?”
Aislinn looked at