"Let me," I reached for Jolie's hand and tried not to let my worry show. I was relieved to see that even though she'd punched through the ground, nothing was broken. "You didn't injure yourself. I think Tate's right. You're stronger than you were, and your need to protect everyone is taking over your emotions."

She wanted to argue, but Mark said, "You're way faster and stronger. Maybe it is affecting your emotions too."

"Why?" she shrugged. "If Flint gave me this magic when I was a toddler, why is it suddenly stronger now?"

"I don't know. Your age, maybe? You're an adult now. Are baby fae strong?" Mark looked at Tate.

He chuckled and shook his head, "I think it might be because of the time she's spending here."

Hedera nodded, "Yes, that makes sense. Her magic has had time to fill and grow. I wonder if that means she'll lose it when she goes home, now that it's had time to connect to our world?"

Jolie huffed in aggravation, "So now I'm going to lose the magic I just found out I have?"

"This is new for us too, so we can't be sure." I kissed the back of her hand, "It makes sense that it would be the same as it is for us. You may need to spend time here regularly so your magic won't fade away."

She looked into my eyes, and her expression softened along with her emotions, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so crabby."

"No reason to apologize. You help me. Now, I'll get to help you stay calm until you get used to things." Jolie grinned, and the warm feelings coming from her had me leaning in for a kiss.

Pulling back, she rested her forehead on mine to whisper, "What did I do to deserve you?"

The anger was gone. Feelings of love and possessiveness washed over me in waves that were sweet as honey. "I'm the fortunate one here, love." Her sweet smile made my heart beat faster, but Tate was there to pull us back to reality.

"We need to find Lochlan."

"Yes," Hedera was glad to be back on track. "Lochlan seems to be the puppet King Slate has attached himself to."

"Didn't he use Clara too? What's the difference with Lochlan?" Mark asked.

Unease surrounded Tate in a dark cloud as he answered. "In the stories, it's said that Slate has the ability to control someone as much as he wants. He can attach himself to someone and actually live through them, or he can control their mind from a distance."

"Well, that's creepy. I don't see the difference, though. If he can control someone's mind and make them do whatever he wants, isn't that the same as living through them?" Mark's confusion bordered on aggravation, and I understood his feelings.

It was frustrating not knowing exactly what we were dealing with. I'd heard some tales growing up, but I didn't know how much of them were true. King Slate was the thing the older fae would use to scare the young ones for entertainment. He was the fae equivalent of ghost stories humans would tell around a campfire. The difference was our monster was real.

Hedera tried to explain, "If he's living through someone, he can use all of his gifts through them. The way Lochlan was able to see River watching them through Dahlia's eyes makes me think Slate himself was in there. When Lochlan left Clara at his house, she sat there, unmoving. It's as though she was waiting for something to trigger the orders he'd left in her mind."

"Like when we tried to get her to leave," Jolie said.

"Yes, exactly," Hedera nodded. "She told Ash she felt like she needed to protect the house. That may be what her purpose was there until he needed her to kill Crystal."

"If she was just his zombie, following orders, why was she acting like his girlfriend?" Mark cringed at his own question.

"He probably made her feel that way. If she acted like a zombie in front of anyone, someone might have questioned things. Plus, who doesn't like being adored?" Tate shrugged.

"Yuck." Jolie's hand covered Clara's, and anger started to overtake her emotions, "I thought I hated Crystal and Dahlia, but this King tops my list."

"Can he control anyone like that?" Mark asked.

Hedera shook her head, "I'm not sure. Ember may know more."

"I'll get her. She needs to hear this anyway. Citrine too. They can help us form a plan before we tell everyone and cause a panic." Tate kissed Mark's cheek and rushed from the room.

We sat in silence as thoughts of King Slate weighed heavily on us. Jolie's breathing was slow and deliberate as she worked to calm her emotions. The way she was handling her growing magic filled me with pride. She never ceased to amaze me.

Mark's eyes alternated between the doorway and Clara's face. He was ready for her to wake and prove she was alright, but nervousness filled him whenever Tate was out of sight. Everything they'd been through made it harder for both of them to focus when they were apart.

Hedera's emotions were the only ones that surprised me. She was calm and focused. I would have expected fear and apprehension, not that I could blame her. After the pain she was forced to inflict on people for years, she was understandably hesitant to be involved in fighting of any kind.

Since we lost Emily, something in Hedera had changed. She was stronger, determined to help our people and set things right. Watching Jolie and feeling what she went through, I knew the loss of her mother had affected us all.

Tate's return was accompanied by a rush of relief from Mark. They grinned at each other, and Tate told us, "Ember will be right here. Citrine's with River, waiting for Dawn to say he's well enough to use his gift." As he took his seat, Mark reached for his hand.

Ember joined us a minute later. "Tate says you think King Slate is here, that he's the one causing all of this."

"We do," I agreed. "What can you tell us about him?"

Ember took a deep breath, and her agitation grew as she thought about Slate. "He's ruled the Unseelie for longer than any Seelie fae has been alive. Legend says his strength and longevity come from his first gift, the ability to take the years away from any fae and add them to his life. In addition to their years, he also absorbs their gift."

"What happens to the fae?" Mark asked.

"They die," Ember murmured.

Jolie was disgusted. "He kills his own people to stay alive?"

"And gain their gifts. That's why he's so talented," Tate's voice was hard.

"He's more than a King to his fae. He holds god-like authority over them. Anyone that shows less than total obedience is expendable." Pain filled Ember as she thought of the way he abused his power.

Mark's lip curled in revulsion, "Wouldn't he run out of people eventually?"

Surprise shot through Tate. He turned to Ember with wide eyes, "That's it. That's why he wants to trap us here. We're a source of years."

"Years and gifts." Hedera looked from Tate to me, and sadness filled her. "Just from this room, he could gain three rare talents. It makes sense. That's why Queen Crystal protected the two of you. Slate probably ordered her to."

The air became bitter, and my skin burned as the heat of hatred radiated from the girl beside me. My chest tightened and Jolie's breathing grew heavy. "Love," I brushed her cheek with my fingertips, "I understand. I'm angry too. We all are. But we need to stay calm while we figure this out. He's dangerous and powerful. We can't make our decisions based on our emotions."

Her hands shook. I leaned closer to hold her face in my hands; she stared back, and I could tell she was trying to relax. "We're going to stop this. He will not trap us here or kill our people," I whispered, and she nodded.

"Wait," Hedera said. "If Lochlan is his true puppet, who blocked Crystal's power when Clara attacked her?"

"Lochlan must have been hidden there somewhere. Maybe he's still close." Tate was ready to leave.

Citrine spoke from the doorway, "Maybe he is. River's ready to see what he can find out. Come on."

Tate was at the door before he realized Mark hadn't moved. "What's wrong, Mark?"

"We can't just leave Clara alone."

"We'll stay," I volunteered. Jolie was conflicted. Worry for her friend was competing with her need for action. Leaning down to her ear, I whispered, "It'll be easier to stay calm this way." Looking at the rest of them, I told her, "They'll come back as soon as they know anything, and we'll decide what to do together."

"Of course," Tate nodded, and they filed out of the room.

Jolie was frustrated to be left behind, but being able to keep an eye on Clara kept her relaxed. "I wish she'd wake up."

"I'm sure she will soon. I promise she's fine, love."

"I know. I'll just feel better when I hear it from her." Jolie held my hand in her lap, and her head rested on my shoulder as we settled in to wait.