Isla
I look over at the breakfast dishes we stacked earlier at the wash area near the back wall of the kitchen. I feel Sebastian’s eyes on me yet again. He is sitting across from me next to Maya, who is Orion’s wife.
Maya is very sweet and has made me feel incredibly welcome. I look over at her, and she smiles.
The Beastfae King has one arm draped over the back of her chair.
“So let me get this straight,” Damon says, leaning forward, his eyes on me. “You actually knocked Snow back. Your magic worked against her, and that is why the shifterfae want you to return to them?”
His wife, Kyrie, is next to him, her long dark hair pulled over one shoulder. “I think it’s wonderful that you are so powerful.” She smiles at me.
I smile back and then nod. “Thank you,” I say to her. “Yes, that’s right,” I tell Damon. “If there were more of us, we might just get the better of her next time we face her. The shifterfaewant me to train any half-breeds with magical ability they find.” I turn my cup in my hands. “They plan to start looking within the human settlements.”
“How do they plan on finding these half-breeds?” Maya asks, frowning. “You mentioned earlier that you were good at hiding your abilities and the fact that you have fae blood. I mean…you look nothing like a fae.”
“Nothing at all,” Kyrie adds. “I would say you are human.”
“The shifterfae have great senses. They can scent magic. They’ll look for humans who scent of magic and try to recruit them to the cause,” I tell them.
“You mean kidnap them?” Orion mutters, his eyes narrowing.
“No…they wouldn’t do that.” I shake my head. “They are a good people.”
“Based on your reaction, or lack thereof, I would say that you trust them, too?” Orion asks, directing the question at Sebastian.
Sebastian nods. “They saved us, housed us, and then let us go.” He lifts one shoulder. “After all we learned from Isla’s mother. I would say that they are trustworthy. We would need them on our side if we have any kind of hope of beating Snow. That really is the bottom line.”
“Theyaretrustworthy,” I add. “They want the same thing as we do: for Snow to be defeated and for the realm to be restored. Snow has a definite weakness when it comes to people like me. Half-breeds with magical abilities. The more people like me we can find, the more chance we’ll have against them. We all need to be united, or we will fail in our quest. We need the shifterfae, just as much as they need us.”
“You’ve hit the nail on the head, Isla. The key, I think, is human blood,” Damon speaks slowly.
“You’re right.” Kyrie nods.
“Indeed,” Orion adds. “It’s something we’ve come to realize, and this proves it.”
“It does.” Damon nods. “Snow is afraid of humans because she can’t control them. Not like she can the fae…even us kings, at least to some degree.”
“It is good to know that you can use your magic against her. That she can’t steal it,” Kyrie says.
“Snow almost drained me dry. She very nearly killed me. If it weren’t for Isla, she would have succeeded.”
He turns his beautiful eyes on me, and for a moment I am drowning in them, so I look away.
“The fae can’t keep feeding her, though,” I tell them. “It is why we need a united front. No feeding her, just swords and muscle against those who still stand with her.”
“The fae would need to use good old-fashioned strength.” Kyrie smiles. “Thesha will love that. She’s strong and can fight better than most men I know.”
“Xander and Thesha are going from one human settlement to the next, trying to get the humans on our side,” Orion says. “So far, it’s working. The humans want to be free from her rule. They’re willing to fight when the time comes.”
“It would—” Sebastian starts to say, but a thin wail rises from the back bedroom. The baby’s cry builds quickly, moving from a whimper to a full-throated protest that fills the small cabin.
“That is my cue.” Maya stands. “Excuse me. Maxwell needs me,” she murmurs as she walks toward the back room.
“I suppose the information about Tarro being responsible for your parents’ death is further proof that the shifterfae may be trustworthy,” Orion says, drawing everyone’s attention back to the table. His eyes find Sebastian. “It must have been a shock.” He shakes his head. “I still can’t wrap my mind around it. The guilty party was one of your own.”
The table goes quiet. Even the fire seems to dim.
Sebastian’s jaw works.
