“A grindman?” I asked, unsure whether I wanted to know what she meant by that.
Akhila laughed politely behind her hand but the men looked a little uncomfortable.
“Grindman, you know,” the woman undulated her pelvis. “He be good in da bedroom.”
“Oh, um,” I cleared my throat. “I already have one of those.”
“Never can have nuff of those, nuh true?” She smiled wide.
“You can when the grindman you got is the jealous type,” I couldn't help laughing.
“Getcha new man, lilly girl,” her full lips pursed sensually. “Ya nuh see it?”
“Oh I see a lot of it,” I shook my head, “but I don't touch.”
“No,” she laughed. “I mean, don't you understand? We magic women must be free to love.”
“I do love,” I shrugged. “That's why I don't touch anyone but Tiernan.” Oh okay and Raza that once. Give me a damn break. I'm going to tell Tiernan. I am.
“Ah sey one,” the Jamaican nodded. “I understand. I am Chantelle Robinson, Prime Elder of Tide.”
“Seren Firethorn, Princess of Twilight,” I introduced myself.
“Firethorn, yes,” Akhila observed. “Aidan mentioned this name. Do you have an affinity for fire?”
“You could say so,” I shrugged. “I have pyrokinesis and my personal fey magic is the firethorn; a thick, thorny vine that I can set aflame.”
“It sounds lovely,” Akhila sighed.
“Akhila, stop monopolizing,” a blonde man stepped forward. He sounded American and looked it too. His athletic build was shown off in a pair of tailored pants and a button down shirt with the cuffs rolled up. He held out a manicured, sand-colored hand to me. “I'm Jared Turner, Prime Elder of Quake.”
“Nice to meet you,” I shook his hand.
“And this is Gabriel Alegre,” Jared indicated a swarthy man on his left. “He's the Prime Elder of Beckoning.”
“Princess,” Gabriel took my hand in both of his and brought it to his full lips.
He had those smoldering Spanish looks that had made Antonio Banderas a fortune. Hair like a mink, cut in careless layers, maple syrup eyes too sweet to look at for long, and those almost feminine full lips. He was stunning, except he made my skin crawl. I had to fight the urge to yank my hand away from him.
“Prime Elder,” I took my hand back as soon as politely possible.
“We've asked you here because Aidan has informed us that you seek to establish a truce between us and the fey,” Crispin took over again.
“And the Human Council,” I nodded. “I think that would be to all of our best interests.”
“You don't know my interests,” Flight Elder sneered.
“Hey, I get it, you have a problem with me because my people killed several of yours and now I'm holding even more of Flight hostage,” I nodded. “But try to see it from my perspective; your people have been killing humans under the guise of raven mockers for centuries. How many deaths would that be, do you think? How many years have you yourself added to your lifespan by eating human hearts? Because I don't believe for a second that you're under the age of thirty.”
“It's so easy for you to sneer at me and my kind while you have immortality,” she snarled.
“I only recently acquired immortality,” I shrugged. “Before that, I was just human.”
“With psychic gifts,” she huffed.
“That granted me the ability to police the fey, not stay young forever,” I shook my head. “And had you offered me such magic as yours, I would have refused to use it. But this is besides the point. Your kind have killed many humans. In the eyes of the Human and Fairy Councils, you have broken the truce and should all be extinguished.”
Everyone tensed.
