One simple thing.
“I don’t want details, but I need to know if whatever the hell is going on with you two, is going to cause a problem,” I held up my hand and shook my head. “Don’t tell me it’s nothing. I’m not a blooming idiot!” I shouted as I eyed them both seriously. “All I want from you both is an honest answer about whatever it is that you two have going on—will it affect you today, since Danu, you kinda need to be on point and you can’t mess this up. My daughter’s life depends on it. And, Ristan, I need you. So, is whatever the hell’s going on here going to end up at the Tree, or can you both forget it until we save the Tree, and the lives of my children?”
I waited and watched as Ristan murderously glared at Danu, who smiled seductively back at him.
“I’m here for you and the children, Synthia. I’ve fed, and made sure I was in fighting form,” Ristan said as he tore his eyes from hers to mine.
“I am also here for my daughter, and hers,” Danu said softly. “I need to do something first, so I’ll meet you at the Tree. Call for me when it’s been thawed out. Good luck,” she said before she left, and the women started talking again.
This had to work, and we all knew it.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cade had been fussy so I brought him along with me for a visit with Alden before we left for the Tree. He was snuggled up on my shoulder, content for the moment as I sat in a chair near Alden’s bed, watching him sleep. Alden had been through hell at the hands of the Mages, and Eliran had been trying to accelerate Alden’s healing process. One of the other Fae healers who I knew had been working on Ristan a few days ago had used her healing touch on him as well.
Bruises and angry red welts remained on his hands and arms, but he was a fighter. I readjusted Cade in my arms, and turned to find Ryder watching me from the door of Alden’s room.
“I thought I’d find you here,” he said softly.
“He doesn’t deserve what the Guild is doing, or the Humans.”
“No, he doesn’t. We can fix it though, and luckily the children we saved can vouch for what occurred at the Spokane Guild.”
“The children,” Alden whispered and turned to look at me.
“Are recovering,” I said softly. He’d taken blows to the head, which the healer had been working on. Luckily she’d caught the blood clot in time to remove it before it could have done any real damage, but the side effect was a massive headache. “We saved a lot of them; some are still receiving medical care from Eliran as we speak.”
“My head feels like it was used as a soccer ball,” he said as he tried to sit up.
“Don’t get up, Alden,” I said, watching as he gave up. I stood and handed Cade off to his father. “We have news from Vlad and Adrian. It’s not good.”
“Damn, kid. I’m already on my ass, what could be worse?” he asked as his gray eyes watched me. I felt my stomach flip-flop as I tried to figure out the gentlest way to deliver this blow. “That bad?” he asked as I continued to search my brain for the way.
“The Seattle Guild is accusing the Fae of attacking the Spokane Guild. They’re labeling you as a traitor. Because of your connection with the job at the Dark Towers, they’ve seemed to connect the dots and now think you allowed us in to kill and destroy the Guild.”
“Shit,” he said as he rested his head back on the pillows and looked at me. “I knew there would be accusations, but that’s extreme, even for the Seattle Guild,” he mumbled.
“It gets worse,” I continued. “The Humans in Spokane are calling for blood. I believe the Seattle Guild is fueling the fire—well, I believe the Seattle Guild has a couple of Mages inside that are helping to fuel the fire.”