“Lunara…”
“I mean it, Thaddeus. Promise me you’ll try to do better. Show your father, your cousins, that you’re the male you claim to be. Do it foryourself.”
He stared at her for a long time before nodding. “Aye, I will,” he said, squeezing her fingers. “I’d do anything that was asked of me. I just need someone to actuallyask. I only wish to help.”
They reached the small camp, the Fae glowing faintly where she lay on the far side, a soft mound of moss beneath her broken body.
“Blessed Sisters,” Thaddeus breathed. “Magnus had only just gotten to the part about you finding someone alive when we reached the fields, but a Fae?”
Lunara detached herself from him and sat on her bedroll. “We found her like that in Glynmor. Magnus can tell you the rest. I haven’t the heart or the time for it now, and there’s a reason I asked you to come specifically.”
Fool.
She summoned her empty flask from the ether. “I was wondering… Well, I figured you’d understand, and I don’t know who else to ask. I’m notsupposedto ask. But this is gone and?—”
She’d only brought the one, thinking it would sit untouched while she gallivanted around Thodelebor for a few days. Her body was aching, torn between the humming energy of the well and the pain that healing caused.
For what they were about to do, she needed the security of a blood gift, even if it meant exposing her full power.
Thaddeus closed his hands around hers where they clenched the silver vessel. “Say no more.”
He took it and used one fang to puncture his wrist, the crimson trail flowing until the flask was full to the brim. “Accept this gift, freely given,” he said, intoning the words of their shared people as he handed it back.
Lunara moved to heal his wound, but he shooed her away. “Thatis for later. You already know I’ve never fed, but I’m well aware it’s more potent this way.” He offered her his still-bleeding arm. “Go on.”
“I… haven’t done that for a very long time,” she admitted.
For good reason!
“Aye. You said that when da offered, too. He got you to take it, though, and that was the day you woke up Mam.” Thaddeus waved his arm under her nose. “Once again, the life of my family is in your hands.”
He was right. She knew he was right. That didn’t stop the cold sweat from breaking over her brow.
“Swear to me… Swear you won’t tell another soul what you’re about to see.”
There was a reason she only took direct gifts from Cordelia—Caius being the one exception in fifty-two years. Yet another thing that would give her away.
Thaddeus flashed a lazy grin. “You mean the way your eyes go swirly? Already seen it. Never said a word. Don’t plan to.”
Lunara blinked, stunned.
Tilting her chin up, he gave her head a little shake. “You have nothing to worry about. I wanted to know if it would be the same for me if I ever decided to feed, so Da and I talked about it once. That was it.” He raised his arm again with a pointed look. “We both know what you are, but your life is your business. You might find that most of us feel the same.”
Beyond the buzzing in her ears and the furious pound of her heart, there were too many thoughts for Lunara to process.
They’d known, and had said… nothing?
Maybe Brand would be willing to do the same.
Oh, no. No, no, no. Don’t?—
Too late.
If Lunara was going to her death, she’d be having as many wondrous ideas as she could.
“I don’t likethis one fucking bit.”
Brand had the insane urge to laugh. “No one in their right mind would like this.”
