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“Sure,” Rowan chuckled. “I also protect human women I’m totally horny for, like, all the time.”
I scowled at him. “Fuck you, man. I’m not into her. I’m just making sure those guys staking out the forest don’t find her. Gods know what they’ll do to her when they find her. I don’t think they have any intention of giving her a happy ending.”
“No… but she has you to do that for her, eh?” Rowan winked at me.
I punched him in the shoulder, hard enough that he staggered to the side.
“Hey, asshole,” Rowan complained, but his voice was still thick with laughter.
I shot him a warning look.
“Let me say one last thing about it, and I’ll change the topic,” Rowan offered.
“What?” I growled.
“I don’t usually see you getting this worked up over jokes—unless it hits a nerve.”
I growled again, a low, warning sound at the back of my throat. I flared my magic along with it, blasting heat toward my friend.
Rowan laughed and shook his head, not worried at all that this could turn into a fight. “Yeah, I get it, I get it. I’m just saying, maybe you should look inward before you get pissed off.”
“You were about to change the topic,” I suggested through gritted teeth.
Rowan laughed, his voice filled with delight that he’d pushed my buttons, and it had worked for a change. I was usually so damn placid, not giving a shit, not responding to his quips.
“Yeah, I was actually looking for you earlier for a reason. I didn’t think you’d have your… ward with you.”
I glanced at him. “Why were you looking for me?”
“You were talking about changing, and it’s a terrible, terrible idea.”
I frowned.
“What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t steer you in the right direction at least?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m not saying it’s a good idea to do this. Seriously, I think you’re going to fuck yourself up by getting someone to change you over into a different immortal. I think you’re messing with nature and how things work. So, I found someone who can actually tell you what you’ll be risking.”
“You’re sending me to some kind of therapy?”
Rowan laughed. “I think you need fucking therapy more than anything, but no, this is just about getting all the facts. You don’t want to do something stupid, you know? You keep saying if only you knew when it came to Ava, so…”
I stilled when Rowan mentioned Ava. I still froze over whenever anyone talked about her. I hated hearing her name. I hated that after all this time, she still affected me.
It was one of the big reasons I wanted to find a way to change over, to give up this magic for something else. Woodland spirits were emotional beings, and I needed something less emotional.
“Her name is Hecate.”
“The goddess?” I asked.
“You know her?”
“I know of her.”
“Magic and witchcraft,” Rowan said, nodding. “If anyone can give you answers, it will be her.”
I shook my head. “Are you trying to get me to change my mind?”
