Decebel watched in stunned silence as Costin took Sally’s hand and lead her from the room. He gave Decebel a brief show of his neck and then left.

“Well, that’s a first,” Decebel said into the now empty room. “I’ve been put in my place by a gypsy healer.” He let out a low, weary chuckle that quickly faded away when he thought about the darkness that he was indeed walking into. He couldn’t tell Sally that his darkness was unavoidable because his daughter’s life was on the line. For that precious life, the life that his beautiful wife now carried, he would run with everything he had into the darkness without hesitation.

Lilly stood just inside the entrance to the mountain. She still wasn’t used to the magic. From her vantage point, she saw only a normal foyer and front door. But anyone passing by on the outside would only see a mountain, rocks, earth, and shrubs.  She refused to admit to herself that she was actually going to miss this place, though she had only spent a short time here. But in truth, it felt like home, or maybe it was just because Cypher was here and that made it her home. She ran a hand across her face as she fought against the tears that had been relentlessly trying to escape her eyes. Crying wouldn’t do any good. It wouldn’t change anything and it would only make her look like a weak ninny. So instead, she stood rigid, trying to appear nonchalant while she waited for Peri to arrive.

She had actually been relieved when Cypher had told her that Peri would be escorting her to the airport. But the relief was overshadowed by the fact that Cypher didn’t plan on going with her himself. But then again, what had she expected? The man was kicking her out. Why on earth would she want him to wave to her as she boarded the plane? Oh I don’t know, Lilly, maybe because you love him and want him to see you at the airport and realize he is making the biggest mistake of his life. Then, in the last moment, he would run to make the plane stop and board it to beg you not to go. Lilly groaned at her inner dialogue and pathetic scenario, which she thought must actually be from some sappy romantic comedy she had watched. She had to get a grip, and what better way to do that than by being distracted by an eccentric, ancient, and quite dramatic, fae?

“All right,” Peri nearly yelled as she suddenly appeared out of thin air beside Lilly who, for her part, yelped and jumped into the air.

“I hear you have been evicted and must vacate the premises immediately.” Peri didn’t acknowledge Lilly’s jumpiness. Instead the fae just looked at her as if she hadn’t just nearly given Lilly a heart attack while simultaneously reminding her that she was being kicked out of her man’s house, or in this case, mountain castle, which she loved.

“Thanks for that, Perizada. I’m glad that you reminded me that Cypher has decided to send me home, because I sort of forgot, even though I’m standing her in the freaking foyer with my packed bags.”

“Okay, note to self, human is touchy about eviction topic,” Peri said absently as she picked up Lilly’s bags. “Alright, have you said your goodbyes? Have you done all the ranting you require? Have you shredded all his sheets and burned the curtains? I saw that in a movie once and it seemed therapeutic.”

“Can we just go?” Lilly said as her shoulders slumped forward, her eyes devoid of their usual spunk.

“Grab my sleeve please, and try not to puke.”

Lilly closed her eyes, expecting there to be some sort of flash or rush of air. But instead there was nothing and then when she opened her eyes she was no longer in the foyer of Cypher’s home.

“Uh, Peri, I thought Cypher told you to take me to the airport,” Lilly said slowly as she looked around.

“You must not know me very well if you think that I always do what those bossy, arrogant supernatural men tell me to do. I mean, where would the fun in that be?”

“That sounds like something Jen would say,” Lilly smiled.

“Well if she does, it’s because she learned it from me.” Peri’s voice was full of her usual haughtiness.

“Whatever you say, Peri fairy.”

“I’m going to let that slide since your boyfriend just gave you the boot. Now, come on, let's go find your offspring and her cronies.”

Decebel knocked on Dr. Cynthia Steele’s door. He had debated for half an hour whether or not he should speak with her about his dilemma and finally decided that it was the best option he had. He wasn’t sure how Cynthia was going to respond to his admission, but he knew that as her Alpha he could command her to keep her silence if need be.

The door opened and Cynthia’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Decebel,” she said carefully, “is Jen alright? Do you need me to come and check on her?”

Decebel shook his head. “She is fine. I’ve come here to speak to you about something that has to do with me,” he paused and then amended, “well it has to do with both myself and my mate, but I do not want her to know that I have come to see you. I also must insist that everything that is said in this room tonight stays between you and me. Is that clear?”

Cynthia nodded as she stepped aside so that he could enter.

“What can I do for you,” she asked as she motioned him to a chair, which he did not take.

Decebel rubbed the back of his neck and Cynthia noticed then that his face was lined with worry and his eyes a little brighter than she liked. She waited patiently, not wanting to provoke an already agitated Alpha.

“I need something to keep Jennifer from being able to enter my mind while I sleep.”

Out of all the things that she thought he would say, that was definitely not one of them.

“I don’t know of any sort of human medicine that would do that, Alpha. Why haven’t you sought out Rachel or Sally?” Cynthia attempted to keep her voice as calm and clinical as possible.

“This is something that I cannot trust them with. Their loyalty to my mate will overrule their loyalty to me.”

“What about Peri?”  she asked.

Decebel’s jaw clenched. As he breathed out, the air forced through his gritted teeth made an eerie snake-like sound. “Do you really think I can trust a fae who would rather skin us males than look at us?”

Cynthia nodded. “Good point.”

They were both quiet for several minutes. Cynthia wracked her brain for some way to help Decebel. He was obviously very distressed about something and if it had to do with Jen then he would be relentless until he found a solution. Then it hit her. She grabbed her cell phone and began texting quickly. She thanked the Great Luna that all of the females in their group had exchanged numbers.