"A few days. In stasis.”
Her lower lip trembles. "And my quintet? Are they?—"
"They're safe," I assure her.
I've kept my eye out for them at the dining hall and around the castle, and they haven't been hurt or picked off. It helps that their emphasis isn't combat, and they're not a highly ranked quintet, so they don't make for a large target compared to many others.
"I remember them, but…I can't remember much else. I can't remember my childhood at all." Kenzie's eyes water again, and she swallows hard. "It's like I know what's happened over the last year or so, but anything before that…"
I keep my voice gentle. "Changelings feed on memories."
"But can't I get them back?"
I shake my head, wishing I could offer more comfort.
"That stupid fucking bitch," she huffs, wiping away more tears. "If I could shift, I'd rip its stupid fake face off."
"If it's any consolation, I already killed it. After some mild torture."
Too mild, in my opinion.
Kenzie pauses. "Huh. Actually…that kind of does make me feel better. Is that bad of me?"
"In my book, not even remotely." Then I pause. "We need to get back to the university immediately. But first, you should know things changed while you were under."
Kenzie listens with wide eyes as I quickly explain the precarious situation at Everbound, including the hired legacies keeping an eye on the grad students and the Immortal Quintet's presence. I don't explainwhythey're there, but I add that they've been killing off students.
When I'm done, she takes a moment to absorb all of it. Then she frowns. "Okay, but did anythingelsehappen while I was a stupid snack for that changeling bitch?"
Anything else? "Is the Immortal Quintet hijacking Everbound not enough for you?"
"I mean, that sucks, but did anything happen with your guys?"
"That is such a Kenzie question," I inform her.
"And that is such a Mavennon-answer," she shoots back. "Hello? I just went through something really fucking traumatic. The least you could do for me is offer some steamy, nitty gritty relationship details to take my mind off things and make me feel better!"
I snort and stand from the bed, looking around the room for anything else the changeling might've left behind, but it'sempty. "I promise we'll talk more, but later. We need to get back through Everbound's wards well before dawn."
Kenzie tries to stand but slumps back with a pained grimace. "Ugh, I feel like shit. Hang on, do I look like shit? Oh, gods, I don't want to see my quintet if I look gross. I mean, Idesperatelywant to see them...but I want to be my typical, unbelievably sexy self when I do so they won't be too concerned about me. I mean, I'm supposed to be their brave leader, and we're all still in that honeymoon phase, so I don't want to ruin it all by looking like one of the Undead when I return?—"
"Kenzie."
"Right, sorry. Okay, I hereby put my vanity on hold for at least an hour. Here I go."
I try to ignore the way my anxiety spikes as I let her lean on me while we quietly leave the inn and make our way down the street. But soon, I have to step away while she braces herself on a tree so I can swallow down the rising bile and get a grip.
Stupid fucking body. It didn't seem this bad when I was with Baelfire earlier, so why now?
I'm considering using a forbidden transportation spell to get Kenzie just outside of Everbound's wards when, abruptly, all of my senses fly into high alert. After years of honing my instincts in the Nether, my senses developed a hair-trigger response to shadow fiends. I can sense whenever they're nearby…
Like I do right now.
I turn in a circle, searching for any sign of the impending threat.
"May?" Kenzie whispers. What's going on? What are you?—"
"Shh."
