“He may as well be a unicorn,” I remark, detached, not addressing anyone in particular.
“Unicorn!Humans have such wild imaginations,” Cyrinda snorts.
“You never met his family?” Niven asks tentatively.
“We talked about it. But… it didn’t work out that way,” I respond after taking a long sip from my glass.
“You didn’t need to show him to his room? Give him a tour of the house?” Tallie asks, sounding confused. She must not be caught up on the gossip.
“He knows his way around,” I answer too fast, almost cutting her off.
Tallie’s eyebrows fly up to her hairline. “Oh, that’s why…” She doesn’t finish her thought. I nod as she connects the dots.
“And he decided he wanted to stayhere? Is he crazy? Ashes, why didn’t you tell him to stick his tongue on a frozen polar bear’s ass and shove it? Make him sleep outside! Or better yet, on your most uncomfortable couch so he has a backache for the next three weeks,” Cyrinda exclaims, sounding gratifyingly irate on my behalf.
“I didn’t intend to invite him. But since I did and he accepted, I felt I couldn’t revoke the invitation because of my role on the town council. What if I did and then he decided not to attend? I will set aside my feelings. It’s just a few weeks, I’ll manage,” I attempt to clarify, my excuses sounding feeble as everyone stares at me, skepticism written plain on their faces.
“I agree with Cyrinda. You’re being too nice. He’s up to no good,” Aurelia pipes up, pointing accusingly with the hand she isn’t using to scratch under Earl Grey’s chin.
“Bullseye. Exactly what I was thinking. I knew I liked you for a reason,” Cyrinda jokes, winking at her. Aurelia rolls her eyes like she’s used to her antics.
“Has he contacted you at all? Asked if you’d be okay with this?” Niven questions.
“Not once. I haven’t spoken to him since he left. This was a surprise I didn’t need, considering everything else,” I respond honestly.
“Can we ice him out? Pun intended.” Cyrinda snickers.
I huff a laugh and shake my head at her joke. “I wish, but no we shouldn’t. We’re lucky anyone from his clan agreed to help. They are no strangers to the fae living so far north. I don’t want to compromise that, if it turns out his help is somehow conditional on him staying here.”
Sensing him before I see him, I look over as Norrell strides through the doorway. Hopefully, he wasn’t listening to us, but it’s feasible given his superb hearing. Even if he heard, I only spoke the truth. I’d say it again to his face.
“Good evening, everyone. I am Norrell Snowstrider,” he introduces himself as he steps toward the table.
“We figured,” Cyrinda retorts, apparently not taking my plea to heart.
Niven stands up and extends a hand to him. “I’m Niven Whitehall, a representative from the New York City coven and a lead investigator in the hunt for the three fugitives. I’m also an old friend of Ada’s from our academy days.”
Norrell seems to size him up but shakes his hand in a friendly manner anyway. “I do not know if I remember her mentioning you, but I am glad she has a friend here,” he answers in a way that feels too territorial for my liking.
Niven’s eyes dart to mine with suspicion, and he sits down again as Tallie and Aurelia introduce themselves. “Tallie Sureheart. I hail from Alder Glen in the Puget Sound, and I’m the top advisor to our chief.”
“Don’t forget he’s also your father,” Cyrinda interjects with a smirk.
“I already regret telling you that,” Tallie says with a sigh.
“I’m Aurelia Woodrum, chief of the Catskill Mountains Bear Clan. Our community Sky Mountain is made up of more than just bear shifters and werebears, but we account for much of the population,” Aurelia says. Side-eyeing Cyrinda, she adds, “You may even spot a faun there on occasion.”
“Only when I get bored of New York City, darling,” Cyrinda remarks flippantly.
Aurelia ignores her comment. “And if you haven’t figured it out yet, this is Cyrinda Ariti, self-proclaimed faun-extraordinaire, professional pain in the ass, and a renowned member of the Whispered Folk Congress of Los Angeles. How anyone gave her a position of power is beyond me.”
“Charmed, I’m sure,” Cyrinda deadpans with a sniff aimed vaguely in his direction. While I enjoyed her sweet sass earlier, it makes me nervous she’ll cause trouble for me.
As he looms over us, I realize there isn’t anywhere for him to sit at the kitchen table. We only ever had five chairs at the table for family dinners. One for each of us. Me. My parents. Walt and Acton. It was the perfect number.
“Why don’t I bring in a chair from the dining room,” I offer, striving to remain an impeccable hostess.
“I would stand for now, if you do not mind,” Norrell responds as he leans against the kitchen island.
