“You never know. It might.”
I moved away from the gambling table, Nathan at my side. He hadn’t noticed my preoccupation. Or if he did, he was pretending not to.
My gaze roamed the room, searching for my quarry.
The games here were different than the ones you’d find on a Vegas casino floor. The setting was familiar enough. Most of the tables possessing green felt. The symbols and numbers on them the first indication that this wasn’t your average dice game.
The symbols were archaic representations of things I had no reference for.
More compelling was the fact that the dice they were using were made of bone. My knowledge of human anatomy was a little spotty but the oblong shape suggested it came from a small bone in the hand. One edge had been painted green. The other red.
“You’re dodging my question,” Nathan observed.
“I’d prefer to think of it as buying myself time to think.”
It wasn’t safe to bandy Arlan’s name about in this setting. There was also the small fact that Inara’s geas was preventing me from sharing what I knew.
At least I could hold thoughts regarding the subject again.
I couldn’t always.
The geas had placed restrictions on when I could and could not access that knowledge. It was like playing hide and seek with something in my own mind.
My power was slowly eating away at the geas. Likely the only reason I could remember their involvement at all. Though it would take time to fully break the magic she’d placed on me.
It was a glaring weakness in my power that I’d have to figure out how to remedy. That was if I remembered.
If I wanted Nathan’s help, I’d have to come at this sideways since I was pretty sure any direct mention of the barrow lord, Inara or Baran would trigger the geas again. That left me with hints and innuendo while hoping Nathan was smart enough to figure out what I wasn’t telling him.
One thing was clear—if not for Caroline and the pack’s situation, I’d probably still be in Columbus, clueless as to what was going on.
“Do you remember what happened the night before I arrived?” I asked.
Come on, Nathan. There weren’t too many things it could be.
“I do,” Nathan said, drawing the last word out slightly to show his confusion.
“Let’s just say I saw it’s owner walking around as a free Fae.”
My throat closed up after those words. The geas tightening around my mind in warning.
I breathed through the effects, relieved that I hadn’t forgotten yet. Though if I’d said anything more, I would have.
Comprehension dawned on Nathan’s face. “That would be a problem.”
“We need confirmation,” I managed around the lump in my throat.
Then Nathan needed to inform the rest so they could prepare. Because I wouldn’t be able to.
My thoughts were slipping, eddying away on a current.
“What are we doing here again?” I asked, looking around me in confusion.
The weird look on Nathan’s face at that question made me uneasy.
“You don’t remember?”
My gaze shifted from his as I struggled to recall. “The barrow lord.”
