[This post is from Gray Miller’s point of view.]
He’d gone a dozen steps beyond the corridor’s exit before he ran into Phelan, whose nose was stuck in a book. Somehow, Gray found that to be a surprising sight—Phelan wandering around with a book in hand. Phelan just didn’t seem to be the bookish type based on Gray’s impression of him, though he’d be the first to admit that he might be wrong about that.
“Can I talk to you?”
Phelan jumped, blinking and startled, then smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Guess I was a little more engrossed in this than I thought I was.” He tucked a scrap of paper into the book to mark his place before shutting it and tucking it under his arm. “What’s up?”
“It’s about your sister.”
Phelan’s smile became a little forced, a little strained. “If you’re asking for her hand, you should probably—”
Gray choked, shaking his head. “No, no, nothing like that.” Not yet, anyway, but maybe someday. Maybe next time we visit.
If there’s a next time.
He took a slow, deep breath. “How do we stop her from going after the Hecate?”
Blood drained from Phelan’s face and he abruptly looked ancient and very, very tired. “I wish I had an answer to that riddle,” he said quietly. “None of us seem to. We’ve been trying to find one.”
“Are you anywhere close?” Gray asked, feeling his throat tighten and his stomach sour.
If her brother doesn’t have any answers, what kind of chance do I have?
“Damned if I know,” Phelan muttered. “Seamus tried to pull the head of the clan card with her and she rejected it out of hand.”
Gray frowned. “Is he?”
“Is he what?”
“Head of the—the clan?” The words felt awkward, but he assumed they were true based on everything he knew about Aoife and her family.
“As near to as it gets,” Phelan said. “At least here. He and Teague can fight it out later if Teague would care to. It’s not like the crown matters here. Not anymore.”
Gray frowned. This is a lot more complicated than I thought.
“Right,” he murmured. “Well, maybe we can still use that.”
We’ll find a way. I can’t let her do this. It’ll just get her killed.
I can’t let that happen.
