“Was there any doubt about that before now, brother?” Riall teases, and Curio chuckles and shakes his head.
“Suppose not,” he agrees, mirth chiming in his tone.
“You’re brothers?” I ask around a large bite of eggs and bread.
“Not by blood,” Tarek informs me.
“By choice,” Curio supplies.
“Careful, you’ll choke,” Tarek commands as he rises and opens the cooler to pull out a pitcher.
He plucks four glasses from a different cabinet, filling the first one and handing it to me. I swallow what’s in my mouth and bring the cup to my lips. The drink is sweet and waterlike. There’s no bite of hidden spirits in the cold liquid, so I quickly gulp it down before returning back to the last plate. My movements slow, my stomach now starting to stretch and fill, but Curio’s food is mine—I don’t care what my stomach says. I know I can’t finish off the bread too, but maybe when they’re not looking, I can hide it in my blanket and stash it in my room. I nod approvingly of that plan as I finish off what’s left on my last plate.
Tarek clears his throat, and my eyes snap to his. “Well, we’ve established you can shadow walk and siphon. Any other abilities that we need to know about?”
I consider him for a moment. “Like what?”
“Can you manipulate any elements? Persuade others with just a look or command? Any gifts with glamour?” Tarek asks, and I dismiss the idea I was just entertaining about licking the plates clean, and focus on him and the last of Curio’s cutlet.
I deliberate whether or not it’s wise to tell these killers what else I can do, but after a beat, the desire to find more answers outweighs the need to keep the few secrets I have left to myself.
“I’m strong and fast, or at least stronger and faster than I ever let the masters see. I don’t know the limits of either. I’ve never been able to test them, but it’s more than the average fae, I think.”
Tarek nods as though this isn’t a surprise to him.
“I don’t know about the other things you mentioned. My instinct is to say no, but I’ve never tried. What I can do now, I discovered by chance, and I’m nowhere near close to mastering any of it,” I admit. “Oh, and I can heal with the help of moonlight…and blood. Again, that last part I just learned.”
Riall stands up from his spot at the prep table and starts cracking more small orange eggs into a bowl, but I don’t miss the look he levels at Tarek.
“What?” I demand, looking over at Curio to see a similar contemplative look on his face.
“Just your appearance alone has us speculating that you are probably from the Night Court. The Dusk Court is a possibility too, but the fact that the moon is healing to you supports the Night Court theory,” Curio answers.
“Is it normal for fae from the Night Court to heal with the moon’s help?” I question.
“Not normal, but I recall reading about a group of fae that were once thought to be moon blessed. I’ll have to look for the passage again to see if there are any other clues. We could be wrong, but it’s a place to start,” Tarek explains.
I look at each of them in turn while his words steep in my gut.
The Night Court? Could that be home? Am I moon blessed?
As expected, the words rolling around on my tongue and in my mind trigger nothing but curiosity and contemplation. There’s no sense of awareness or recollection. There never has been, but for the first time, I look around and know all of that is about to change. I’ve been here for less than a day, and already I’m clothed, fed, and learning things I never thought I would. Who knows what will happen in three months before I leave for good? I could very well have found family by then, found a place in this world that isn’t at the end of a whip or a knife or under the thumb of some slaver.
Something warm settles in my chest. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was hope, but I’ve long since learned my lesson from playing with that poison.
Riall slides plates piled high with fluffy eggs and crisp vegetables in front of Curio and Tarek. He sits down in front of his own plate, and they all look at me as though they’re waiting to see if I’ll try to commandeer their food. Awkwardly, I lean away from the table. I’m not really sorry, and I’ll probably do it again next meal, but it’s odd to have the three killers defer to me like they are. When it’s obvious I’m not going to demand more from their plates, they dig in.
“Eat up, boys. When you’re done, we’ll go see what this Beasty can do,” Riall declares with a smirk.
He smiles more than anyone I’ve ever met, but I can’t say that I hate it. I want to, but it’s proving more difficult than I thought it would be.
The green in his gaze brightens as he fixes it on me. “Your ass is mine.”
I study the look in his eyes and easily surmise there’s more to that statement than just training. For some reason, it feels as thoughthatmight be more trouble than anything I’ve faced up until now. I have to shut this down, but I don’t know how. I need things from them, but I need to figure out how to get what I want without it costing me more than I’m willing to give.
ChapterTwenty-Five
My fangs drop for the thousandth time today, and I try not to growl in frustration. The momentary lapse in concentration throws me off my attack, and I lose the advantage I just worked for the last hour to gain. Riall deflects my overhand hit and drives my bow staff to the side with the top part of his while the bottom end swipes up toward me. I flip back, barely missing his strike aimed at my chest.
