“Dad, my husband and I are having a moment,” I called out without turning. “One I’d rather you didn’t witness.”
“Sara—”
“I’m fine, Dad,” I called, remembering how he’d last seen me. “It was all a misunderstanding. I didn’t know what the herbs really did.”
“Sara, I brought someone to talk to you.”
“Little busy here.” I was done with him bossing me around. He had only been back in my life for a few days, yet he couldn’t manage to treat me like anything other than the seven-year-old he’d abandoned.
Micah’s arms suddenly tightened about me. I glanced upward, but his eyes were fixed on what I assumed was my father. I glanced over my shoulder, and learned that once again I was wrong.
Behind Dad stood Juliana.
29
I turned around slowly, as if the water in the Clear Pool had gone from its usual silky warmth to cold molasses. Micah wrapped an arm around my upper body, whether to preserve my modesty or keep me from running out of the pool and killing someone, I didn’t know.
Dad had brought Juliana to the manor. So yeah, probably the latter.
“Why is she here?” I ground out. Why the hell had Dad brought her here? Didn’t he know that Mike Armstrong was her uncle, and that Juliana was nothing more than one of his pawns? Didn’t he know that Juliana had betrayed us all?
“Sara, please,” Juliana said as she stepped out from behind my father. “I only want to help you.”
“You do not get to speak!” I shouted, pointing at the traitor. Traitors! Both of them! Micah grabbed my hand and thrust it under the water, then he called for the silverkin. They appeared in an instant, swarming like silver bees around Dad and Juliana.
“Restrain the newcomer,” Micah ordered, sounding more regal than Oriana or Ferra ever had. “Escort her to the dungeon.”
“Now, let’s not do something we will regret,” Dad protested as Juliana was placed in silver shackles, but Micah silenced him with a glare.
“Interfere, and you will share her cell,” Micah commanded. “Wait for us inside. Sara and I will be along directly.”
Juliana was led off and Dad, for once without a snappy comeback, retreated to the manor like he was told. I turned around to face Micah, trembling with fury.
“Why would my father bring her here?” I demanded. “Her, of all people?”
Micah, strong, reliable Micah, held me close. “I do not know, love,” he murmured. “But I do mean to find out.”
A new set of silverkin appeared, this time bearing towels and fresh clothing. Micah and I took our time exiting the pool, and even more as we dried ourselves and dressed. In addition to avoiding whatever nonsense waited for us inside the manor, our dawdling gave me plenty of time to think. Unfortunately, my mind kept racing back to the same conclusion—Dad had brought Juliana here to talk me into leaving Micah.
“Not gonna happen,” I muttered as I tied my shoes.
“What was that, love?” Micah asked. He was wearing one of his buff-colored leather suits that I’d once found so odd, but now appreciated for their versatility and freedom of movement. His sword belt was slung low about his hips, which I found unbearably sexy. As for me, I was also dressed for battle in jeans, sneakers, a black tank top, and a hoodie. After our initial wardrobe disagreements, Micah had come to find my jeans unbearably sexy as well.
“I just…” I shook my head, and began again. “This is just crazy.”
“Then let us make it not crazy,” Micah declared. Despite the many intricacies of the Otherworld, Micah always managed to see things clearly. He seemed to never be conflicted or confused. Then again, it wasn’t his father who had dragged the enemy into our home. “My Sara,” he murmured, holding out his hand. “We have let them wait long enough.”
Maybe we let them wait a bit too long, based on the sight of the Corbeaus clustered around the front room. Four sets of eyes, their expressions ranging from fury to confusion, watched as Micah and I entered, hand in hand. When I remembered how close I’d been to death’s door the last time they’d seen me, I understood that an explanation was my first order of business.
“It was a mistake,” I began without preamble—it’s not like they didn’t know what I was talking about. “I didn’t know what the herb really did.”
“Yes, you did,” said Sadie. “You went to the apothecary specifically to buy it.” Micah’s hand tensed in mine, but he remained silent.
“No, I thought it would prevent a pregnancy,” I said, shaking my head, “not end one.”