I swallowed and looked over at Samian. His lips were pressed thin, his eyes locked on Kieran, and shining with anger. I turned to Ezra, finally noticing he was speaking to the group.
“Good, keep your eyes on the general, though, try not to look so disappointed.” Kieran purred.
A delicate hand covered my own, causing me to flinch. The female’s soft ivory fingers curled around mine while she watched Aster speak. Once Aster finished, the female threw a pointed glare at Kieran, as if she knew what he was doing and was reprimanding him. She turned to me then; her round gray eyes reminded me of the glass marbles I used to keep as a child. Warm and striking, they crinkled slightly as she introduced herself.
“My name is Vivian, though you can call me Vivi,” she said, her voice soft. “I’m Kieran’s second-in-command.” She tucked a lock of honey-blonde hair behind her ear. I watched the movement, surprise rippling through me when I saw her long, pointed ear—longer than the other faeries I’ve seen.
“Ah, yes.” She said, noticing my stare. “I’m not a faerie. I belong to the Elven clan in the Seelie Courts.”
“The Seelie Courts?”
Samian cleared his throat. “We can explain that in a moment. It will make more sense when you learn more about our history.”
I looked back at Vivi to see if she agreed. Giving me a soft smile, she waved a hand to the male beside her, his golden eyes so otherworldly.
“This is Orin. I believe you met him the other day in Lowbrook.”
Orin inclined his head and grinned. His hair was twisted in small locs and pulled back behind his rounded ear. “I’m Kieran’s third-in-command.”
“Are you…human?” I asked warily, pointing to his ear.
Orin flashed a bright, wide smile and huffed a laugh. “No, I’m not human. I’m a gryphon—a shapeshifter. I’m not faerie, nor am I part of the Seelie Court. My kind came from the deserts of Mide, but we followed the Fae and Seelie Courts to Nemos once the realms were separated.”
“Ah, so gryphon…like the bird-lion animal?”
Kieran barked a laugh, and my face heated, but Orin only smiled, “Yes, something like that.”
I pulled in a shaky breath, glancing at everyone around the room. Samian gave me a book on the creatures of Nemos, though I never had enough time to study it as I should have. I felt ridiculous sitting there, clueless about this world, unsure why I thought there were only different types of faeries here.
My eyes landed on Samian, who looked somber as he watched me closely. “Tell me what I’m missing.”
Samian shook his head. “You have to ask me specific questions,” he said, his voice tight.
“And why do we have to do that?” Ezra growled, his anger finally surfacing.
Samian held Ezra’s heated glare while his thumb rubbed against the ring on his middle finger. Steeling himself, Samian took off his ring. Beautiful and intricate black lines laced around his finger—the mark of a bargain.
Chapter 2
Sybil
Silence fell over the room, the air growing heavy. “Who did you make the bargain with?” Kieran demanded. Surprise flitted across his face, though his tone remained firm.
Samian hesitated, his fingers delicately stroking the band. “The queen,” he finally said, soft as a whisper.
“The queen forced you into a bargain?” Ezra rasped, his voice constrained. “Why?”
Looking at me, Samian’s face cringed slightly. “The queen has a secret that not many know. She and her brother, Dryden, came from the Seelie Court. A court forged from the pure, wild magic of the land. It was a court that was created from a mix of the first high fae, elves, and gods. They were powerful and created clans and offspring that now make the faerie courts of today, though some stayed together, keeping the court alive. Everyone knows about her magic, her power over light, but she has another ability. Cassia can see the future. She knew what Ambrose was planning—what he was going to do. She asked me to enter this bargain so that I would have to wait until the time was right to tell others the truth.”
My heart pounded wildly in my chest. I peeked around the table; everyone’s faces were pale and grim. Ezra’s body stiffened,as if he was fighting to keep his temper at bay. When I looked back at Samian, he was giving me a knowing look, like he was waiting for me to realize something.
I went over his words again and started, my body feeling too tight.
Her power over light.
“My magic is made of light,” I whispered to myself. “Is my power related to the queen?”
Vivi sucked in a quiet breath and whipped her head to Kieran, her eyes full of an emotion that I couldn’t read. Kieran only tapped his fingers against the table as he watched Samian, waiting for him to respond.
