Who would set her up to fail? Every time he got an answer from her, three more questions sprang up. Was she trying to drive him crazy? If so, it wouldn’t work. His best skills were patience and reconnaissance. “Who allowed you to put yourself in danger like this?”
She pressed her lips together and shook her head.
More secrets. He’d heard that fairies, or rather, the Fae, were nuts. Turned out that was a special little nugget of truth. “We need to get out of here.” Once he got her to safety, he’d question her until satisfied.
“Oh, no. You should go, but I need to report in,” she said, straightening her white shirt, which was marred with soot and had lost two buttons. “Take my lumps, as they say.”
If she thought he was saying good-bye at this juncture, she hadn’t read him correctly. “No. You said you failed.” He couldn’t let her go get hurt now. Not until he figured out what the hell was going on.
“Yes, but I’ve failed before. I won’t be harmed.” Her odd eyes sparkled, giving her the look of an imp. “The attack force didn’t know Iwasn’tgoing to succeed in either gaining your cooperation or squiring you somewhere you couldn’t leave. When they arrived, a fight started, and they lost. You totally kicked butt, to use the vernacular of human teens. So, we all failed. I won’t be punished for that.”
His gut rolled at her words. “What kind of punishments do the Fae have?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I guess there’s always banishment. But that won’t happen with me.”
“Why not?” Could he trust her assurances? So far, she’d been way too blasé with her own safety. Challenging an experienced demon soldier was pure folly for somebody with her level of training. Or non-training. “Why won’t you be banished?” He didn’t like repeating himself and let his displeasure show.
“Let’s just say we all have a purpose, right?” The sides of her mouth creased just enough to show a slight dissatisfaction. Or was that fear? “Banishment isn’t an option right now.”
Interesting. “What’s your purpose?”
“None of your business,” she snapped, her fingers curling into the worn bedspread.
Fair enough. “Where do your people get banished?” he asked.
“Other dimensions usually,” she said thoughtfully. “But since travel has been mostly suspended, I’m not sure. The rules are still being listed.”
He was really starting to dislike the Fae. “Listen. I’m no diplomat. But my brother heads the demon nation, and we’re tight with the King of the Realm, so maybe we should get them in touch with whoever rules your people.” Though the secret of the Seven had to be kept—even from his brother. This was getting complicated.
“Niall Healey is our king, and Alyssa Dawn is our president,” she said grimly. “Neither trusts diplomacy with the Realm or the demon nation, believe me.”
“Why not?”
She blew hair out of her face. “You’re all barbarians. More concerned with fighting than knowledge.”
That was a tad harsh. “Says who?”
She blinked. “Says everyone. The mere fact that the Seven still exists shows that you’re muscle-bound morons.”
He wanted to be insulted, but she was so earnest, amusement took him again. “I’m the first demon or vampire you’ve met, right?”
She nodded.
“Then how do you know anything about us? About me?” Why the hell did he care what the little fairy thought about him? Proving her wrong shouldn’t be at the top of his to-do list right now. Yet he waited for realization to dawn.
It didn’t.
“I read every scrap of history about your nations. Both of them.” She leaned in, her gaze more than direct. “And I know everything about you, Logan Kyllwood. Down to your interest in architecture and your odd fascination with the British royal family. You send flowers every time they procreate.”
His eyebrows rose. The intel on him was a mite impressive. “The British royal family has been our ally for centuries. We’re friends.”
She leaned in, her eyes widening. “Is Kate Middleton as nice as she looks?”
He nodded. “She really is. Brilliant, too.”
“I thought so.” Satisfaction curved Mercy’s smooth lips now. “Well, this has been entertaining, but I really must go, unless you’d reconsider my offer to send you to an out-of-the-way paradise to sit out the action for a while?”
“Not a chance,” he said evenly.
