“Well, we’ll have to practice.” It would be so much fun running around under a small cloak trying to coordinate our movements.
“Or we can find another way.” Dev sank down beside Danny. “I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t like the idea of her going in with only Lee.”
“I can’t fit three of us in there.” And honestly, I didn’t want to because I was already worried that Lee and I were going to have to talk about changing his clothes after spending the night with…whoever he spent the night with. Baby boy needed some hygiene lessons. He would likely change his lazy ways when he got supernatural senses. There was also the fact that I had a bad idea. One of those stupid ideas I get that I really shouldn’t even talk about. “Besides, I think I need you to agree to meet with him in a neutral place. If you and Danny keep him busy while I’m robbing him blind, he can’t capture me and skewer me with a sword to unleash the power of an angel.”
When I thought about it, it kind of sucked. Kelsey had totally killed that fucker Jude, but here he was again, trying to screw up everything.
Danny’s brow rose. “You want me to meet with him?”
I nodded. “Not only do I want you to meet him, I want you to play him for a while. Listen to his concerns. Tell him I’m not with you because I disagreed utterly with meeting him at all.”
“So basically pretend we’re still in thrall,” Dev surmised. “I think that’s a dangerous game, my goddess. If he knows the stones are gone, what is to prevent him from trying again?”
“Well, you would be conscious this time,” I pointed out. “And you would also be in a place of peace, so we should be able to nullify Myrddin’s magic.”
“If he agrees to it, which he likely will not,” Dev countered.
“I don’t know about that.” Danny’s eyes met mine, and I knew when he’d been keeping something.
“He’s already contacted you.” That hadn’t taken long. “When?”
Dev’s glare could have roasted our whole dinner. “When he asked me to speak privately with the alpha about future locations for meetings with the other European packs. I should have realized something was going on when you disappeared with the she-wolf. Is she a spy?”
“No, she doesn’t need to spy. Myrddin contacted her over the Dark Web. He sent the message out to the Irish wolves, too. There isn’t a pack here in Iceland that isn’t connected to me, so those were his two best bets.” Danny stood and started to pace. “I didn’t tell you because I wanted to discuss it with our wife, and you know damn well if the two of us talk we generally make a decision and then inform her. I’m not making the same mistakes this time around.”
It was good to know that he was thinking about how the first time had gone. He and Dev had been excellent at making decisions that affected me without ever asking my opinion. But then I’d done the same to them. I had to learn from my mistakes, too. “What did Myrddin want?”
“He wanted to meet,” Danny admitted. “I think he hoped I would be the one in the city today. He obviously had it all planned out. I have to think he’s got a witch he can work with in most of the major cities. He waited until one of us was sighted and then he worked his magic. Like I said, I think he would have preferred me or Dev, but it’s a sign of desperation that he was willing to try it with you.”
“Not that you aren’t the prettiest of us.” Dev always tried to soften Danny’s edges.
He didn’t need to in this case. I wasn’t offended that I was the last royal the asshole magician wanted to deal with. It was a point of pride that most people avoided dealing with me if they could. “Well, the witch must be good because Neil couldn’t tell he wasn’t corporeal. It was an excellent illusion. And he had it focused. Dean saw him. Lee couldn’t, but Dean could. And by the way, he did mention that he was surprised Lee was still human.”
Dev’s gasp let me know he hadn’t been in on that secret.
Danny’s eyes widened, and it was obvious he knew he was in serious trouble. “Z, I was under the influence of that stone. It made me think I was safe with him.”
Dev stood and faced him. “And you weren’t safe with me? Lee is our son. You knew he was a latent and you didn’t tell us but you talked to him?”
“I wasn’t sure.” Danny huffed as he tried to find a way out. “You can’t tell before puberty. At least I’ve never been able to. Look, I started to suspect it because of his behavior, but then I thought maybe it was wishful thinking.”