Solstice (Midsummer #3)

19. Lex

19

Lex

I planned to personally see to Theo’s last requests. He’d been required to create a will when he started working for me, and now that I was pretty sure he was dead, I wanted to make sure his family was well taken care of. Did it make me a monster that I couldn’t do more for him? Maybe. But I had the rest of the world to think about.

“It’s about time.” Poppy crossed her arms and squinted her eyes. We were in the woods where I normally met her for lessons, far away from the prying eyes of Washington high society. “I’ve only been waiting forty-five minutes.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Don’t take that tone with me.”

“What’s going on? Ivy’s been calling me every five seconds, and I know Carter’s around here somewhere.”

There were a lot of things I should have told Ivy in the weeks after Poppy took me to see Marcus. But I didn’t. I continued to practice with her, and I encouraged her to train on her own, employing basic movie time travel rules like not interacting with any prior versions of us and definitely not trying to change anything. So far, Poppy didn’t feel comfortable doing it without me, and I didn’t particularly enjoy going with her. It ripped my body apart, and I was but a lowly, fragile human.

“It’s more than that.” I tilted my head at her, debating whether I should tell her or let her find out on her own. “But you need to spill first.”

She rolled her eyes and groaned. “I’ve been practicing ever since we saw Marcus.”

“And?”

“I can control it.” She squinted up at me. “I can choose where and when I go.”

“Are you sure?” My plan relied on that. If she thought she couldn’t do it, I’d have to reassess and reevaluate.

“Yes, I’m sure.” She sounded indignant, and I swallowed down a laugh. Such an impudent little thing, she reminded me so much of myself when I was younger…and Ivy. “I can do it.”

“If you get scared?—”

“I won’t.”

“If you do, pull out. Come find me. Don’t keep going just because that’s what you promised.”

“I know.” She nodded. “We should tell the others.”

I took a deep breath, reminding myself Ivy and I had no boundaries between us. The next time she got in my head, she’d see this, and she’d know I’d been keeping it from her. She’d hate that I’d put her precious Poppy in harm’s way, even if Poppy insisted on doing it herself. She’d hate that I hadn’t asked or at least consulted her before going through with what was probably the dumbest thing I’d ever done. And I didn’t even want to think about what Carter would do.

Fuck it.

“Not yet.” I cleared my throat and glanced away, hoping she didn’t see the truth in my eyes.

“Then when?”

“I have to convince them to go along with it first, the wedding and the big showdown.”

She screwed up her features, seeming confused. “You really want me to do this?”

I nodded. “Yes, Poppy. It’s the only way to protect everyone. He has to believe it, understand? And no one else can know.”

Poppy nodded. “Now, your turn. Spill it.”

I grinned and rubbed a hand over her head. “Siobhan is at the house.”

Her big eyes turned the size of saucers and she smiled, giving me a solid shove. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Then she disappeared, and I knew she’d gone home to visit her long-lost friend. They were deep in conversation when I made it there myself, reminiscing about the old days. Poppy sat on Siobhan’s lap, laughing and hugging the older fairy.

Finn looked better when they dragged him up here, but still not back to perfect. Siobhan had been sure he’d be cured by now, but from the looks of him, I doubted he’d be back on his feet by our wedding. Donnelly lurked in the corner, sitting in a chair with his feet out on an ottoman in front of him, an old book open on his lap. He seemed deep in thought, but I knew he was well aware of everything in the room. He gave off that “hunter in the shadows” vibe, and I didn’t want to find out the hard way if he had fairy powers like Siobhan.

I went to find my own partners in crime, walking down the hallway to the spare bedroom Carter claimed when he was here. Finding it empty, I checked my room and Ivy’s before heading upstairs to the third floor loft.

Ivy sat at the desk at the far end, her laptop open in front of her, her shiny red hair twisted up on top of her head with a pencil. By the time I woke up this morning, she had long since been out of bed. I hadn’t had the chance to follow up with her, so I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and leaned down to kiss the side of her head.

“How’d you sleep?” I lingered on her ear, giving it an extra kiss so she’d understand my affection. I’d been too raw and emotional last night, so when I told her not to die on me, it bordered too close on baring my soul.

She whipped her attention to me and narrowed her eyes, pulling out of my hold. “What do you mean?”

The reaction made me pause because I hadn’t meant anything. “Did you get any rest?”

“Yes.” Ivy pushed to her feet, her features going calm and steady, the politician’s mask in place. “Did you?”

Something about her seemed off, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. Her guarded answers knocked at memories I hadn’t thought of in years. Ivy and I didn’t keep each other out. We were on the same side these days.

Were we?

I had an entire plan set in motion that I hadn’t told any of them about. I kept a secret with Poppy that neither of us planned to share with anyone else. And if I’d been capable of keeping that from her, then what was she capable of keeping from me?

“Yes. Fine,” I answered.

She nodded, gathering her laptop and books in one arm. “Good. Siobhan and Donnelly would like to talk to us at dinner once Poppy has gone home.”

I thinned my lips and watched as she headed downstairs, that annoying stoic look in her eyes. Ivy could be a good actress when she wanted to. She could turn on the Washington charm with an effortless grin. But Ivy never could beat me in a game of poker. I knew her tells like I knew my own, and now that I suspected she was hiding something from me, I wouldn’t stop until I knew what it was.

Ivy had her door closed when I passed by it on my way to find Carter. He was in the gym, running on the treadmill, sweat dripping down his naked torso. God, he was beautiful, a Greek statue come to life before my very eyes. I could stand here and watch him move for the rest of my life.

Carter always had a way of sensing my presence no matter how stealthy I’d tried to be. He stopped the machine when I stepped forward, grabbing his towel so he could wipe his face. I focused on the curves in his arms as he did, his muscles bunching in all the right ways.

“Keep staring at me like that, DC, and I might do a trick.” Carter’s grin almost brought me to my knees.

“If you do a trick, you might get a treat.” I leaned against the doorjamb, waiting as my proverbial knight hopped off the treadmill and stalked closer. His gym shorts hung low on his hips, reminding me of the time I’d fucked him right here on this rubber floor. How long ago that seemed compared to today.

“Is that a threat or a promise?” He eyed me with a smug expression that made me want to force him to shut up in the most despicable ways. If I wasn’t so damn caught up in all the other bullshit, I might have done just that.

“A gentleman never divulges all his plans before the endgame.”

Carter made a low laugh and leaned in to kiss me, smelling like sweat and man and deodorant, an alluring intoxicant for a hedonist like me. My cock throbbed, and I had to remind myself I’d come down here for a purpose.

All these years, and only one person could really break through to Ivy. If she was keeping a secret, Carter might be able to sniff it out before I could.

“Have you talked to Ivy today?”

His smile faded, replaced by concern in his eyes. “Yeah, why?”

“Did she seem strange?”

Carter narrowed his eyes, flipping his towel over his shoulder as he moved past me toward the showers. “No, I don’t think so.”

I followed him. “She was up before us this morning. I don’t think she slept well last night.”

He shrugged. “She’s shaken up over the fight with the king. We all are.”

Could be, but my gut told me otherwise. “No, this is different.”

When we got to the bathroom, he shucked his shorts and boxer briefs down to the white tile floor, stepping out of them before he reached into the shower and turned on the water, looking back at me with confusion in his eyes. “How so?”

“She’s hiding something.”

He snorted and shook his head. “Well, you’re the truth teller. Make her reveal all her dirty secrets.” Carter eyed me up and down, a sexy smirk coming to his lips as he grabbed at the ends of my shirt. “You staying for the show?” He leaned in and kissed the side of my neck, pressing his hard body against mine.

Fuck, Carter could always make me weak. Ever since I met him, I’d never been able to resist him. When his soft lips worked their way up my neck and collided with mine, I groaned and let him lift my T-shirt over my head. My jeans hit the floor next, followed by my boxers. When we both stood naked, the steam building between us, I pulled back to look him dead in the eyes.

“Promise me you’ll check in on her.” I raised an eyebrow, one hand going to his hair, the other to his cock between us. I gripped the tip and squeezed in just the right place to have him buckling at the waist.

“Of course, DC.” He gave me another kiss, accentuated with a bite on my lower lip. “Anything for you.”

I liked the sound of that. “Yeah?”

He sensed the devil in my tone because his grin deepened, and he nodded eagerly. “Yeah. Tell me what you want.”

I shoved him down to the ground and pushed my thumb in between his lips. “Open wide, Chicago.”

* * *

“My prince,” Miri said. “I’m happy you all are safe.”

“You need to come home,” I said. I’d just spent the last thirty minutes making sure the fairy king of motherfuckers hadn’t gotten to her and replaying everything that had happened thus far. “Siobhan and her fairy lovers are plotting the king’s downfall. We need you.”

“Alexei,” she said, her tone sounding more shallow than it ever had…like she was depressed or tired. “I understand this is important, but I can’t leave right now.”

“Why not?” I’d grown impatient at her absence. Sure, it had only been a few weeks since the last time she’d been here, but this was a fucking fairy war. Now was not the time for her to go AWOL. “You’re more vulnerable by yourself. You need us. We need you.”

“I know that, darling,” she said. “Look, I have to go. I’ll be okay, and I’ll visit when I can.”

“Miri—”

She hung up, and I glanced at Ivy, who stood with one arm clutched around her middle, biting at her thumbnail.

“See?” she said. “There’s something up with her.”

“I agree with you.” I shook my head and sighed. “What do you want to do? Get on a flight to England? Abduct her from her ivory tower?”

“What if the king has already gotten to her?” Ivy said, stepping toward me. “What if he’s already messing with her mind? Would we even know?”

“X, let’s not jump to conclusions.” I ran my hands over her upper arms in a sore attempt to calm her. Admittedly, I worried about Miri, too, and I didn’t know how to fix whatever was causing her to keep her distance. “If he wanted to get to her, he already would have. She sounds stressed. It’s probably her wicked grandparents fucking with her.”

“Hey, you all ready?” Siobhan nodded toward the dining room, where the rest of the family had gathered to figure out our next steps. “Have you talked to Miri?”

I nodded. “She’s…uh…busy.”

Siobhan pursed her lips and furrowed her brows, but didn’t comment.

We crammed around the dinner table like one big fucked-up family. Donnelly and Siobhan teased a barely healed Finn, and Poppy giggled at whatever bad joke Carter blurted out. Ivy talked to Kit and Jon while Abigail recited the research she’d done during the day. If I squinted just right, it would almost be perfect. Except, we were down one spouse and she left a void in my heart the size of a small planet.

“I still think waiting around here is a terrible idea,” Siobhan cut in, her voice echoing over the suddenly lowered conversation.

“I agree,” Carter said. “We should relocate to the safe house.”

“How do you expect me to get married from a remote cabin in the woods?” Ivy raised an eyebrow.

“Postpone the wedding,” Carter said. “You didn’t want to get married anyway.”

She laughed and shook her head. “If I could do that, I would have years ago.”

I ignored the sting in my heart. Ivy and I had long since moved past hating each other, so I knew she didn’t mean it the way it sounded. Given all we’d been through together, we deserved more than empty insults.

“We need to draw him out,” I said. “If he’s here, then the other night was child’s play. He’s fucking with us, batting us around. Theo was just a warning. Next time, it’ll be someone closer.” I looked at Ivy’s siblings, then at Carter. “Have you checked in on your family?”

He nodded. “Yeah, they’re safe and blissfully out of town. I’m more concerned about Miri.”

I knew my princess well. If she thought she could protect us by staying away, she’d do it. I feared the worst, imagining that smoky fairy bastard with his greedy hands all over her, tricking her or forcing her to stay away from us so it isolated her into complying with whatever he wanted.

Of course, all of this was conjecture because the stubborn brat wouldn’t tell me the truth. She wasn’t lying, but she wasn’t being completely honest.

“I hate to say it,” Donnelly cut in, “but I agree with the human.”

I tried not to be offended. The way he said “human” reminded me of the way humans say “piece of shit.” Siobhan pursed her lips, and Finn made a noncommittal noise.

“What? You too?” Siobhan looked at her commander.

“It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.” Finn shrugged.

“What about the thousands of people in attendance? Or the millions more watching at home?” Kit crossed her arms.

“I can handle the people there.” Siobhan ran her fingers over her eyes. “Ashley may be willing to help.”

Finn shook his head. “She’ll want conditions.”

Siobhan nodded. “I know.”

Donnelly started to talk, but Finn held up a finger to stop him, perhaps indicating they’d talk more about that later, and Donnelly shut up.

“Can you handle the broadcasts? Can you disrupt them?” Siobhan looked at Kit, who sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. A few moments passed in silence.

“Kit?” Ivy asked.

“I…I don’t know,” Kit finally said. “I’m good, but even I have my limits.”

“Try your best.” Abigail grabbed Kit’s hand.

“I know a few people who could help.” Kit nodded. “I think I can do it.”

“Wait,” Carter cut in, his gaze darting between Ivy and me. “Are you seriously sabotaging your wedding? You’re inviting him to show up?”

“No,” I said. “We’re preparing for him to show up. He hasn’t struck until now. Why?”

“He’s a maniacal narcissist with unlimited magical power.” Finn’s voice sounded rough, and his weakened state made him look even rougher. “The human is right. He’ll wait until he thinks we’re distracted. He’ll want a big show, and without me around to temper his ego?—”

Siobhan nodded and shook her head. “And without the queen around to stop him?—”

That got my attention.

“What happened to the queen?” Carter glanced from Siobhan to Donnelly and Finn. “You said she escaped?”

Siobhan’s mouth opened, but she didn’t answer. Donnelly eventually said, “Before he took her captive, he blew ruby dust in her face, hypnotizing her. After that, she couldn’t speak. Her mind is fried.”

“It’s a spell,” Finn said.

“What spell do you know calls for ruby dust?” Siobhan rubbed a hand over her face, seemingly as exhausted with Finn as she was with the whole situation.

“Well, I don’t know all the spells that have existed since he was born, do I?”

“Now that she’s out and still bewitched, it’s only a matter of time before she ends up in a hospital somewhere.” Donnelly refocused the conversation. “She’s wandering around, half dressed, speaking in tongues. Someone will pick her up.” He took a sip of beer, his icy blue eyes narrowing on Poppy for a moment, long enough to draw my attention to her. She squirmed in her seat, avoiding all our gazes.

“You haven’t seen her, have you?” Carter nudged Poppy on the shoulder and she looked up, ignoring me in favor of her favorite human.

“Nope.” She forced a grin. “Haven’t seen her since Samhain.”

The lie hit me between the eyes hard enough that I almost winced. It soured my stomach, and the urge to make her spill her secrets nearly overtook my willpower. I could do it. I could force her to tell us all the goddamn truth for once. But I didn’t. I took a drink and made a mental note to call my uncle after this was over. Poppy looked from Carter to Ivy and finally to me.

I stared right back at her.

All this time, I had my suspicions about the changeling. There were things she didn’t tell me, and as long as it didn’t endanger the ones I loved, I let her keep her secrets. But I couldn’t forgo this. I didn’t want her to suspect I knew, so I gave her a playful wink and returned my attention to Donnelly.

“I think Lex’s plan is the best course of action. We’ll secure Poppy to make sure he doesn’t get what he wants, and when he shows up, Ashley will keep a container on the optics.”

“If we go along with this,” Ivy said, “what are we supposed to do when he gets there? Isn’t he the biggest, strongest fairy in the world?”

“He is,” Finn said. “But this time, I’m not on his side. This time, I’m defending the humans.”

“And that means?” Ivy pursed her lips, waiting for an explanation.

“For six hundred years, I was the leader of the king’s army.” Finn’s gravelly voice hinted at how much pain he must have been in. “I did whatever he wanted. I went wherever he told me to go.” He reached to grab Siobhan’s hand, his other going to Donnelly’s. “Even at the expense of my loved ones. I swore never again. My banshee believes we must help you, so I will help you. When the rest of the Fianna finds out what side I’m on, they’ll join us. We can contain him together.”

“You sound sure of that.” I narrowed my gaze.

“They are blood sworn to me.”

“But oath sworn to the king first,” Siobhan said.

Finn shook his head. “I know where their true loyalties lie. I wouldn’t risk your life on it, Banshee.”

She swallowed and nodded. “I trust your judgment, Commander.”

“Can you get word to your soldiers before the wedding?” Jon said. “That way we can be sure?”

Finn looked at Donnelly, who sighed and rubbed a thumb over his brow. “It’s tricky.”

“How tricky?” Siobhan looked at the lieutenant, concern in her deep brown eyes.

“I’d have to reach out to old friends, people I swore I’d never talk to again.”

Finn growled low in his chest like he didn’t like the sound of that. My throat tightened and my heart hammered, a natural response to a literal fucking monster baring his teeth at my dining room table. They looked and sounded so much like us that I forgot they were magical beings from time and lore and shit. They didn’t belong here, just like we didn’t belong in Faerie.

“Do it,” Siobhan said. “I’ll go with you.”

“No, absolutely not,” Finn cut in. “Lieutenant, I forbid it.”

“I’m missing something here,” Abigail said. “Who does he need to talk to?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Donnelly said at the same time Siobhan said, “Donnelly has friends in low places.”

“When I found you in that trash heap, I swore I’d never let you go back there.” Finn’s anger turned to Siobhan. “Either of you.”

“We can do it,” Siobhan said to Jon. “We’ll figure out a way in. We’ll give them the warning.”

“It’s getting out that I’m worried about.” Finn started coughing and grabbed at his wound, evidently over-exerting himself.

“In the meantime,” Donnelly continued, “pretend like nothing’s wrong. Siobhan has warded your homes and those of your parents.”

“Won’t he suspect something when Mount Vernon is the only place that isn’t warded?” Kit pursed her lips. “Won’t that be a big fat sign saying ‘It’s a trap?’”

“It won’t matter.” Donnelly sighed. “He won’t be able to deny himself the opportunity.”

Ivy met my gaze from across the table, raising a brow when we connected. “Are we really doing this?”

I laughed at the irony. For four years, we’d rebelled against this inevitability. We’d fought it as long as we could, and we lost. Now that I’d finally come to accept the rest of my life with her, we were going to destroy it. Maybe I was ready to rip this apart because, in my mind, we were already married by vow and soul. Or maybe I didn’t give a shit anymore because I never had a choice about any of it. “Yeah, X. Let’s do it.”

Ivy smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, and I remembered what happened when I went to find her earlier today. She was still hiding something, and so was I. Weren’t we a fucking pair? Weren’t we past this by now?

“Great,” Siobhan said, focusing her attention on Ivy. “One more thing.”

Ivy sat up straighter.

“You need to get Miri to come home.”

Ivy’s features dropped. “I know. I tried.”

“Not hard enough.” Siobhan let that sink in before reiterating. “You need each other.”

“Yeah, yeah, group gift.” Ivy sighed and pulled up her politician mask to protect herself.

“Not just that,” Siobhan said. “When this all happens, when the end comes, it is the four of you. Not three. Not two. Four.”

Siobhan met my gaze with a discerning one of her own, seeming to suggest I needed to drive this point home with Ivy, that I had the most sway. What did she expect me to do? Short of standing outside Miri’s bedroom with a speaker and a classic love song, we couldn’t make her do anything.

“That’s enough for one night.” Finn clapped his hands on his thighs and tried to push to his feet. Still unable to support his own weight, Donnelly and Siobhan got under each arm to help him. “We’ll regroup tomorrow. Fare well, friends.” The three fairies lugged the commander up the stairs, and now that their homes were warded, Ivy’s siblings said their goodbyes. Carter and Ivy went upstairs to her room, leaving me alone with Poppy.

I wanted to ask her why she’d lied. I wanted to dig into why she seemed so uncomfortable with talking about the queen, but I didn’t. Instead, I acted like nothing had happened.

“We’re still following your plan, right?”

I pursed my lips and nodded. “Remember, it stays between us, okay?”

She agreed and stood, coming around the table to throw her arms around me. I reciprocated the hug, reminding her to be good before she disappeared back to Vera’s house.

And then I pulled out my phone.