“That’s…” My eyes glued to the finely-worked wood and the swirling images etched into the top and sides. A seal frolicked through the carved waves, interrupted by the name Lyra. “Is that your mother’s name? Lyra?”

“Yes. May I come in?”

“Yeah. Yes, of course.” I stepped out of the way as I heard an appreciative whistle.

“We don’t get women around these parts who look like you,” Frank said in a strange tone.

A form appeared out of the mists, ethereal and beautiful, with a sad smile and a flowing cream dress. She drifted toward me with her hips swaying and confidence radiating from the perfect lines of her body.

Kieran’s mom, Lyra, no doubt summoned by her son’s turmoil and the trunk he’d rescued from the cliff.

A moment later, the image was ruined by Frank following behind her, his eyes on her butt and an appreciative smile on his face.

“Really, Frank?” I asked, annoyance dashing my mood. “That behavior is inappropriate.”

“What?” he said, stepping onto my porch with his hands out. “She’s a beautiful woman. I’m just acknowledging it.”

“She doesn’t want a dirty old man like you acknowledging anything, Frank. Guys like you are the reason women can’t ever relax.”

“Oh, come on now,” Frank said, attempting to follow Lyra into my house. “I don’t mean—”

I slammed the door in his face.

Kieran stood in the kitchen, still holding the trunk, nearly as wide as the doorway and over a foot tall. It must’ve had a good amount of weight to it, though Kieran didn’t show any strain.

“Here.” I patted the table, pushing aside a random piece of junk mail that hadn’t found its way to the garbage. “Set it here.”

Sorrow etched his face and anger sparked in his eyes. He set the box down gently, as though it was the most precious commodity in the world.

“That’s it?” Daisy said, giving Kieran a wide berth as she made her way to the table. “You did it?”

I glanced at Lyra, whose sad gaze was focused on her son.

“Yes, that’s it. That’s the skin.” I didn’t have to affect a trance to feel the hum of the spirit trap. “Or…the spirit of the skin, I guess.”

“It’s in there?” Kieran said, his deep voice gruff, struggling with emotion.

I fell into the depth of those stormy eyes, feeling the aching misery beyond the shallow anger. His grief was sharp and fresh, slicing through him. I could feel the anguish in his soul, crying out for a life raft in the turbulent waters of loss.

“The spirit trap is keeping something in there,” I said, going to him without thinking. I put a supportive hand on his arm. “I think we can assume it is the skin.”

“Can you…” His voice hitched and he clenched his fists.

Daisy and Mordecai both drifted out of the room without being asked, knowing instinctively to give him space. Demigods weren’t in the habit of showing vulnerability. They might not like Kieran at times, but they both understood human suffering.

“Can you break the hold?” Kieran whispered, his body tense. Tremors ran through him. I couldn’t tell if they were from sorrow or rage.

“Yes. But…” I slid my hand down his forearm before slipping it into his. Without hesitation, he entwined his fingers with mine. “Are you sure you want to do this now? Your father will know. He’s…a little off his rocker where your mother is concerned. That fountain, the picture, the placement of the box…”

“The fountain…” A crease formed in Kieran’s brow before his eyes went distant. Startled, he glanced down at the box. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’s the likeness of her when she was younger. Before you. It’s the form she uses now.” I looked at his mother, waiting beside him.

She met my gaze and tilted her head forward. I couldn’t tell if it was a bow or a nod.

“He revered me, at one time,” she said. “He treated me like the most precious thing on the planet. I was too young to know that it was an illusion. That the thing he loves above all is himself. I was a treasure, but only as long as I was under his control. I learned the hard way what it was to defy him.”

“Yes, you did,” I mumbled.

Kieran started before looking down at me, his gaze so open. His depths laid bare. “Is she here?”

“Yes. She followed you in.” I told him what she’d said about his father. I figured he’d want to know, in case she’d never told him of the good times. In case he couldn’t understand why she’d fallen for a guy like his father, who’d put her through hell.

He blew out a deep breath and nodded. “I want to do this now. She’s waited long enough. Even if you can’t find the person who did this for my father, at least she’ll be free. But…” He squeezed my hand. “Can I have a few moments with her? To say goodbye.”

“Yeah, sure. Of course.” I slipped my hand out of his grasp. “Totally. Just let me grab the kids and we’ll head outside. Let me know when you’re ready.”

I left him standing there, a powerful, strong man—a prince of the magical world—in my tiny, run-down kitchen, nearly brought to his knees by the passing of his mother. The image crawled into my heart and settled, bringing tears to my eyes. He did share some of his father’s traits— he was possessive, demanding, and downright terrifying. But he also had so much of his mother, like compassion, morality, and a beautiful soul.

Unlike his father, he didn’t love himself above all others. If I’d ever doubted, I now saw the proof before my eyes. He would sacrifice his wellbeing to bring peace to his mother. He would let go of the hope of his own throne to make sure she found her permanent resting place.

He would go to war with a more powerful foe to bring her justice.

I wiped a tear off of my cheek and went to grab the kids.

27

Kieran

Kieran sat down at the table slowly, pain throbbing through his middle. The front door closed with a soft click, Alexis and her wards leaving him alone. The trunk sat in front of him, magically treated to stay in the water forever.

“I miss you. Every day,” he said, speaking to his mother like he had those long months after she’d slipped into a coma. “I miss the good times we had together, when you took me horseback riding or fishing. When we read together or made up stories. I remember when you watched me learn my place in the waters of the lake, then the ocean. I didn’t know then how much that must’ve killed you, land-trapped as you were. I didn’t know, because you sacrificed your happiness for me. You hid your pain so that I could live free. You hid the itch, your longing for the ocean, so that I could experience it fully. For that…” He took a deep breath, emotion choking him. “For that, I owe you everything. I’d be nothing without your guidance. I’d be an empty, power-hungry shell, like my father. By sacrificing yourself, you saved me.”

He wiped away a stray tear and curled his fists, trying to regain control of his emotions.

“I never would’ve found your skin without her. Without Alexis. She’s a hero. More than a hero…” He bowed his head and re-clasped his hands. “She’s putting herself at risk for me. To free you. She’s putting you, a complete stranger, before her own safety. She’s the best sort of a person. One who sacrifices herself, like you always did.” He shook his head. “She’s dealt with me—with my…manipulation and manhandling, with my mood swings and prodding into her life—she’s dealt with it like a warrior. No fear. No apologies. I’ve never known anyone like her. I’m glad you got to meet her, even if it was like this.”

He put his hand on the trunk, the grief so fresh he could barely breathe. It felt like he’d just lost her all over again. But this time, he was sure he’d be saying goodbye forever. That she’d finally, after all this time, find peace.

“I’m at a crossroads, mother. I’d planned on staying distant from everyone while I carried out my vengeance, but I’m…” He took another deep breath. He hadn’t admitted this to anyone. “I’m falling for her. I think it comes from a good place, but that’s tarnished by the danger I’ve put her in, isn’t it? Dad knows I’m spending a lot of time in the dual-society zone—he talked to me about it earlier. For now, he’s content with my explanation about organizing the magical fair here, but soon he’ll want more thorough answers. And when he does, he’ll discover Alexis. It won’t be hard—she illuminates the world like the noon sun. He’ll discover her magic, and if I’m not strong enough to stop him, he’ll turn her into her worst nightmare. He’ll use her, body and soul.” He gritted his teeth, rage flaring within him, and ran his fingers through his drying hair. “Not to mention that I’m already possessive like he is. I would lose my mind if another man touched her. I don’t know if I could stop myself from killing him. And I can’t help but wonder… If she left, like you tried to do, would I do what Dad did? Would my pain morph into the desire to control her? To punish her?”

He pushed off of the table and stood in a rush.

“I don’t know what to do. I’d intended to push her away when this was all done, for her own safety, but now…”

He paused, and in that moment, a soft breath drifted across the table to him. Words barely heard. His mother’s soft voice.

“Let her go…”

28

Alexis

Frank’s voice reached around the side of the house, so much more annoying when it wasn’t muffled through a door. “It’s Donovan with dinner. What is this situation with the weather? I can barely see out here.”

I relayed the message to Daisy, who bounded up out of the weeds and jogged around to the front of the house.

“I better go…” Mordecai was bounding after her a moment later, two savages.