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I shut it and circle a finger at her cheeks. “When did your face start doing that?”

Samara huffs, and her freckles flare brighter. I’m guessing that’s the opposite of what she wanted them to do. “It’s a side effect of my darn magic.”

She unclasps her cloak and moves on while I laugh. “I was told the Mer have books that belong to my bloodline.”

“Well, yes. It was mentioned by one of them.” I lean against the door. “Kind of odd that you came without your sisters.”

Samara sighs. “It’s not something I wanted, but Tiana and Kiara are fuming over what happened to my mother. They’re always on my mother’s side. They won’t see the bigger picture.”

“But you do?” I raise a brow at her.

Samara smiles at me. “A little.” She wanders around the living room, peeking into everything. “Ah. So this is what the inside of my brother’s old cabin looks like. I never visited while he lived here.”

That’s Aaron. He left to rule the Witching Glen and handed this place down to Ezra. She says it easy, the same way my family talks around the things that still sting. She takes in the kitchen before she turns back to me. “I keep hearing I’m the fairest sister of the three.” She wrinkles her nose. “I came to Wintermoon young. Six years old, to be exact, when my memories started to settle in. Wintermoon is all I know, the same as it is for you.”

Hearing my own thoughts come out of a witch’s mouth is weird. I grew up thinking Angie’s girls had it all figured out with their magic and their matching cloaks. It turns out they squabble like the rest of us.

I push off the door. “Well, it wasn’t the Mer’s fault, what happened in the restroom.”

Samara snorts. “Oh, I know. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here. I’m still my mother’s daughter. Don’t forget that.”

Ezra starts down the stairs at an old man’s pace. She looks up at him. “Hello, Ezra.”

He grunts back and tugs his shirt straight. I hover by the bottom step until he’s standing beside me.

“Is this bad timing?” she asks again.

“Not at all,” Ezra tells her. He moves in behind me with his hand on my hip and his heat at my back. Banged up or not, he plants himself between me and anything he hasn’t approved yet. Samara notices but has the good manners not to comment.

She brightens. “I know a little about the Mer.” She lifts her hand, and her magic spins up a hologram of them swimming in pods. Blue-gold light drifts through the middle of our living room and ripples over my bare arms. My wolf pushes to the front to watch with me. I stare with my mouth hanging open at dozens of them moving together over huge whale shadows. It’s beautiful.

Samara keeps her hand raised. “Some of the old books do talk about the Blackwoods having connections with them. Their queen is not fond of surface dwellers, and quite frankly, I don’t blame her. But I can and will help you convince them that Wintermoon is a safe place. The father is here, correct?”

I nod, and Samara waves the hologram away.

She clasps her hands together. “Solomon will help.”

“Why Solomon?” I glance between her and Ezra.

“Amir’s only son walks this land free of danger. But, Ezra, I’m afraid you will need to stand in your alpha position with Ash Clan for this to work. Whatever you’ve got going on…” She clears her throat.

I can guess the rest. Wintermoon runs on Mother Fate and other people’s business. By now every cabin from the Academy to the border knows the new alpha of Ash Clan is healing in his mate’s bed instead of sitting in Valek’s chair. Let them talk. He almost died earning the gossip.

Ezra groans. “It’s just a cool-off period, Samara. I am going back.”

Samara ignores him. “And with House of Zorah. If Sirena’s pod can see that a wolf pack and a dragon clan are at peace, there’s no reason for them to argue that the surface of Wintermoon is not a safe place.”

Smoke puffs from Ezra’s ears. “Samara, all due respect, but you’re asking for a lot in a short amount of time.”

She heads for the door. “Okay. So you aren’t serious about rebuilding a relationship with the Mer.”

Ezra drags a hand down his face. “Okay, okay, Samara. Damn.”

She stops short and spins back around. “Great! So, first order of business, let’s find Solomon.”

“I know where he is,” Ezra says.

“Ohhh,” Samara hums.