“I’m sorry. What?” Tenia’s eyes widened. “I thought you were moving forward. Away from the direction of murder and mayhem.”
Myanin rolled her eyes. “Trust me.”
“Says the creepy, smiling djinn who’s addicted to cotton candy and likes to shower in a downpour of rain,” Tenia muttered before holding out her arm.
Myanin laughed, a genuine throaty chuckle, as she placed her hand on the fae’s arm. It probablywascreepy that she was looking forward to attacking the warlock queen. The emotions rolling around inside of her were almost foreign. There was no foreboding magic attempting to crawl out of her. And though she knew she still had to face the consequences of her actions, in that moment, she was a warrior again. Not a fugitive, not a murderer, not a thief. A finely honed weapon, and it had been so long since she’d been in battle. She missed the adrenaline rush. And she knew the queen would rise up to defend herself … hopefully. If she wasn’t a completely lost cause—and Myanin didn’t think she was—her protective nature would take over. Then, perhaps, they could come to an arrangement that would benefit them both. While Myanin had felt the need to help the woman—and obviously, the Great Luna wanted her to because she’d been the one to tell her that she’d use Lyra’s magic one last time—she wasn’t entirely altruistic. Change was a slow thing after all. She suspected the warlock queen could be her ticket out of the Order. And who knows? She might even be able to get Tenia and her son out as well.
“I really hope you know what you’re doing,” the fae said just before they flashed.
Chapter 10
“Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a fae warrior and a djinn with cotton candy magically appear in your room.” ~Lilly
Lilly felt the air shift a split second before two women materialized in front of her. She leaped to her feet, lightning springing to life in the palms of both hands.
“Who are you and how did you get in here?” she asked. One woman was clearly a fae, not just because of the slightly pointed ears, but because they’d apparently just flashed into her mountain. The woman had pale yellow hair that hung past her waist, with eyes the color of Spanish moss. The other was tall, especially for a woman, with long, thick brown hair and bright green eyes, which were currently staring at Lilly as if she was the most fascinating creature she’d ever seen. That one, Lilly was certain, was not a fae.
Neither woman responded. Instead, the tall woman threw a bolt of red magic at her. The queen brought up her hands just in time to keep from getting slammed in the face. She ground out several curses, then fired back with a bolt of lightning at each of them. The fae drew a short sword and blocked it, the metal sizzling as it absorbed the power. The tall woman simply smirked, raised a hand, andpulledthe lightning into her body.What the ever loving…Lilly braced herself for another attack. To her surprise, the fae put away her sword.Good to know I’m so weak as to not even be a threat to them.
“My name is Myanin,” the tall woman said. “This is Tenia.” She motioned to the fae.
Myanin?The name sounded familiar to Lilly, but she couldn’t place it. “I would like to say it’s nice to meet you,” said the queen, “but I prefer guests come in through the front door, rather than appearing out of nowhere and attacking without warning.” Lilly frowned. So much for Andora’s ward.
“Understandable. I, too, detest unwanted intrusions into my personal life.” Myanin snapped her fingers and then smiled. “No one will pop in on you now, queen. Not unless I let them.”
“You’re too kind,” Lilly said dryly, her hands still lit up like mini-lightning storms as she watched the two women. “Intrusions do suck. So, why then, did you just shoot a lovely ball of power at me?”
Myanin narrowed her eyes on Lilly. “You’re not as broken as I thought. That is good. I wanted to see if you would defend yourself. Your sense of self- preservation is still working. That’s a good sign.”
Confusion and anger warred for supremacy in Lilly’s mind. She might be broken, but she didn’t need a complete stranger pointing it out to her. “As you thought?” Lilly asked. “We’ve never met before.”
“You’ve never met us,” Myanin agreed.
“If it helps,” Tenia, the other woman spoke up, “I’m just as confused as you are … your highness,” she tacked on a moment later.
“Does Perizada know you’re here?” Lilly asked Tenia, hoping to gauge whether the female was in league with Peri and, as such, someone who could be trusted.
The sadness that Tenia’s eyes held was not what Lilly had been expecting. The fae shook her head. “It has been a long time since I’ve seen Perizada.”
It sounded as if Tenia thought Peri would not be happy to see her. Lilly stayed crouched in a fighting stance, but the other two females stood across from her, tall and relaxed, as if they expected no more conflict. She shook her hands, willing the power out of them, and stood up straight. “It sounds like you and Peri have a history.”
The fae dropped her eyes momentarily, and when she looked back up, they were filled with a vulnerability that caused Lilly's gut to clench in sympathy. “I am ashamed of what I’ve had to do. Regardless of the reason, betraying your race is not something that can be forgiven.”
Myanin’s head tilted slightly, like a wolf’s when it was listening intently. Her eyes studied Lilly, as if she were curious how the queen would respond.
“I think there are only a few sins that can’t be forgiven, and it depends on the reason for betrayal,” Lilly said. Her mind drifted back to Cynthia and what she’d gone through. She’d betrayed the wolves, but in the end, she’d more than made up for it.
“That’s not a sentiment most supernaturals share,” Myanin said. “I’m certain my people will not see it that way.”
Lilly’s brow rose. “I am somewhat familiar with the fae and their politics. As to your race, I wouldn’t know, as I have no ideawhatyou are.”
“I am a djinn.”
As soon as the words left Myanin’s mouth, Lilly realized who was standing in her room. Her power surged forward again, and this time she held balls of light in both hands, ready to attack again. The woman before her was a cold-blooded killer.
“I will not cooperate with the Order,” Lilly said. “I don’t care what you do to me.” There was a part of her that hoped theydidattack now and fight her to the death. Maybe she wouldn’t win. Maybe she wouldn’ttryto win.
Myanin clucked her tongue at Lilly. “That sort of mindset is unacceptable.”
