“You can’t trust a word that comes out of her mouth. She’s nothing but a warm hole for Leon to use and another mind for the Council to control,” Sin retorts.
My cheeks flush, and I remind myself that if I engage, I’ve already lost. He isn’t worth it.
I’m thinking it might be easier to just leave the table when Rosie defends me. “You know that’s not true, Sin. I’m a Keeper, and I don’t bow to the Council.”
I whirl on her, shocked. “You’re a Keeper too?”
How have I been hanging out with this woman for days and am only just learning this now?
I have terrible people skills. It’s not like I up and asked her, ‘so what supernatural agreements have you gotten into?’ Now that I think about it, we didn’t discuss much of our personal lives at all. It was easier that way. It ensured no one brought up my own issues.
I need to work on myself.
Of course, I’ve known this for years. But that doesn’t make it any less true.
“I sure am!” Rosie answers brightly. “I’m Irena’s Keeper. She’s the third Destroyer.”
I almost fall off my chair. “There are TWO Destroyers here?”
That’s it. I’ve already had to deal with enough all-powerful dark creatures for a lifetime. I know my limit, and I’m playing within it.
Rosie’s head hangs down as she answers, “I wish. The Council has Irena locked away. She’s fully warded, locked deep within their castle.”
Well, now I feel like a jerk. Rosie’s voice sounds small, and it’s easy to see she’s really torn up about being unable to get to Irena.
Rosie continues, “The Council has always put Irena back to sleep when she wasn’t on missions, and I would have to wait for them to decide when she was needed again. But then they decided Irena needed a new Keeper. They wanted someone more deeply committed to the Council.”
I frown. “But I thought the only way to stop being a Keeper is in death.”
Rosie smiles faintly. “It is. If it wasn’t for Morgana, I’d be done for. But she got me out of the Otherworld on time. I’m safe here, but it means I can’t get to Irena.”
Things are starting to make sense now. Why Rosie speaks so highly of Morgana, and why she’s sure I’ll get asylum here.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks,” Rosie says, giving me a small smile.
I feel it, then, a small hint of warmth in my chest. Rosie is my friend. It doesn’t matter how I ended up here. I trust her.
Magnus and Damien start exchanging funny stories of how they ended up working as spies. I reach over to put some food on my plate but am shocked to see it’s already heaping with servings.
I blink at my plate, confused. Sin is quiet beside me, his focus on the others, and I’ve been looking Rosie’s way since Sin insulted me.
An enchanted castle it is, then.
Not letting myself think more on the subject, I dig into my dinner, savoring the buttery mashed potatoes. Damien recounts a story involving a horse, two naked guards and a harrowing escape from a dragon. When he’s finished, I turn back to Rosie.
I’ve been avoiding talking about my connection to Leon, but I have a real chance to learn more about the Keeper-Destroyer bond. Given I know almost nothing about them, I think it would be wise not to squander this opportunity.
“Rosie, do you mind if I ask you some questions about being a Keeper?” I ask, hoping the topic isn’t painful for her.
“Oh gosh, not at all!” she answers. “It’s such a rare gift, and I love having the chance to meet other Keepers.”
She looks so earnest as she says it, and I can’t help but feel ashamed that I’m not feeling the same gratitude.
“Uhm, so you and Irena, what form did your bond take?” I ask, testing the waters.
Rosie smiles wistfully. “Irena and I have a lover’s bond. It’s very special. Not that the friendship bond isn’t special, too – sorry, Sin. I just mean, gaining your soulmate in a romantic sense is an incredible feeling.”
