40. Maeve

“What the hell are you doing here?” This is impossible, and since everything that already happened today was already impossible, this is impossible on a monumental scale.

“How the hell are you here?” Arthur said. “You can’t break our protection spells.”

Blake grinned. He placed a boot on the corner of the table. “I’m not fae.”

“What? But—” Arthur looked totally lost.

“Look,” Blake sighed. “I can explain it all, and I will. But right now you’ve got more important problems.”

“Oh yeah? Climate change? Pandemic? Publican strike?”

Blake pointed at the babies. “You need to give those babies a protection spell and return them to their mothers. And then you need to give the bossy one over there something to wake him up.”

“How the hell are we going to do a protection spell without Corbin?” Flynn demanded. “He’s the only one who can find what we need in the library?—”

“Oh, for pity’s sake. Let me do it.”

Before I could protest, Blake grabbed Connor from my arms and pressed his hand against his forehead.

“Don’t hurt him!” I tried to grab his arm, but Blake flung me away. He muttered some words in the strange, singsong tongue of his.

Connor whimpered, but didn’t cry out.

After a few moments, Blake handed Connor back to me. “There. Now I suggest you call the mother and the police and say you found the babies dumped in the forest. Then go outside and roll them around in the dirt and leaves. The fae won’t leave fingerprints, so the only evidence they’ll find on him is from you guys, which will make you prime suspects in his kidnapping for a while.”

“What? But we got them back! We can’t go to jail for this,” I said.

“No one’s going to jail,” Blake said, as he pressed his palm to the other baby’s forehead. “Not when we can use spirit.”

I didn’t know what he meant by that, but Blake’s confidence was infectious, and I was desperate to return Connor to Jane.

Flynn glanced from me to Blake and back again. “I’ll take care of the wee babes.”

I handed Connor off to Flynn, admiring the way his eyes lit up as he juggled both babies in his arms. Flynn made for the garden, making funny faces and voices until Connor was cooing and laughing again.

He’d make a great dad.

Rowan was already bent over Corbin, a vial of some sweet-smelling poultice in his hands. He smeared some of it over Corbin’s lips, then sat back on his heels, his expression worried.

Blake paced the perimeter of the room, his boots crunching over the salt on the floor. He trailed his hands along the walls, pressing into the cracks between the stones. He stared up at the rafters and out the windows into the valley beyond. “So this is what it looks like from the inside,” he said, his voice wistful.

“Stop touching our castle. You’re not supposed to be here,” Arthur yelled.

Blake smirked. “Come over here and make me.”

It seemed like Arthur was going to make good on Blake’s invitation, but then Corbin moaned.

I ran to his side, practically shoving Rowan out of the way. “Corbin? Corbin, can you hear me?”

Blake yawned loudly just as Corbin’s eyes flickered open.

“Am I…am I dead?” he asked.

Tears brimmed at the corners of my eyes. Fuck, we nearly lost him. I nearly lost him. “No, you are very definitely not dead.”

“I feel dead,” he moaned, lifting his hand slowly and clenching and unclenching his fist. “I feel all…bollocksed up.”

“You’re perfect.” I threw my arms around him, drinking in the distinctive smell of him. You’re not getting away from me that easy, Corbin Harris.

“This is so beautiful, I think I’m going to cry,” Blake grimaced.

I whipped my head around. “Leave us alone. It’s partly your fault this happened.”

Corbin’s eyes grew wide as he took in Blake’s presence. “But how…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rowan tried to push his shoulder back into the couch. “It’s some kind of accident. We’ll figure it out as soon as you’re strong enough.”

Blake shrugged. “No accident. I followed you guys out.”

“But you can’t do that!” Arthur growled.

Blake shrugged again. “Empirical evidence suggests that I can, unless the scientist can come up with an alternative hypothesis.”

The guys turned to stare at me. “Um, based on what we know about fae, this is impossible. Which either means that the magical protection surrounding the castle is destroyed, or that he’s telling the truth and he really isn’t a fae.”

Blake blew me a kiss. “Got it in one, Princess.”

“So if you’re not a fae, why did you follow us? What do you want?”

“I’ve already told you. I want to help.” Blake lifted his hands, palms facing up, a gesture of appeal. “Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Blake Beckett. I am born of the human realm to Colleen and Darren Beckett. I am the newest member of your coven.”

TO BE CONTINUED