“I cheated Dianna out of nothing,” Selena said sharply, feeling the heat rise inside her. “I ascended because I could meet the gift on its own terms, because I was what it needed. The witches who live in the Old Place that anchors your Clan’s territory are a family. I would have thought even the Fae could understand that bond. They have no desire to leave their home or their land, and if any of them did, she would go to a place of her own choosing. The Fae have no right to dictate what one of the Mother’s Daughters does or doesn’t do. You have no say except among your own people. And you obviously have no understanding of why the Huntress came into being.”

The old woman’s face reddened with anger. “And you’re going to tell us?”

“The Huntress is the Queen of the Witches because she is their protector. So if you think I’ll use my power to force a witch to live someplace against her will for your convenience, you’d better think again. And if you try to force a witch against her will, I won’t be going after her. I’ll be hunting you.”

Gwynith, who was sitting beside her, gasped.

The matriarchs muttered angrily under their breath. The one who faced Selena looked ready to explode. “It is because of creatures like you that we leave half-breed spawn in the human world.”

Selena burst out laughing. “You must have missed a few.”

Hearing Gwynith’s stifled moan, she tried to rein in her amusement, mostly because she could feel sharp bitterness and anger under the laughter. The dream came back, swelling her temper. She stood up abruptly, needing to get away from these people before she lashed out at them.

As she stepped away from the table, a man strode into the courtyard. Combined with his black hair and gray eyes, he had a face and body that would make a woman’s pulse jump under other circumstances. Now she just looked at him and wondered how many women he had seduced and how many half-breed spawns he had abandoned in the human world.

“Mother’s mercy,” Gwynith whispered.

One of the matriarch’s looked over and said with a note of triumph in her voice, “Lucian! Come meet the new Lady of the Moon.”

He strode over until he faced her, with barely an arm’s length between them.

“What sort of witch tricks did you use to steal my sister’s rightful place?” he demanded.

Her temper spiked, barely held in check now. “Be very careful, Fae Lord,” she said softly.

“Careful? A wiccanfae bitch usurps the power of one of the Fae, and you’re telling me to be careful? Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t really care as long as you get out of my way—and stay out of my way.”