“How did you and Eyden meet?” she asked.
“He saved me from doing something very stupid.” Ilario let go of the tablecloth and folded his arms. “You know about the fae getting taken?”
“Yes. I went with Eyden yesterday to follow the guard.”
Ilario seemed surprised but didn’t comment on it. “Well, my boyfriend, he got taken three years ago. I was there when it happened. I was beside myself and without thinking, I grabbed a hold of one of the guards. He drew his sword and just when I thought I’d meet my end, Eyden pulled me back into the crowd. I wanted to take them all on.” His eyes drifted from her face as his voice thinned. “It would’ve been suicide. Eyden saved me that day and he gave me something I could hold on to. He said he wanted to start investigating what’s really going on here. I told him I was in and we’ve been working together ever since.”
Lora was silent for a few seconds, taking everything in. “How did they discover him?”
A sad smile graced his lips. “Damir, he was adventurous. Reckless. That night, he pretended to be a royal and got us a free meal. It was dangerous and drew attention, but he loved the rush. It was hard to keep up with him sometimes but I loved him for it too. He could have given me a heart attack and I would have thanked him for it later.” Ilario let out a laugh that got stuck in his throat.
Lora remembered Eyden’s flyer. He wasn’t just some fae after all. At least not to Ilario. “I’m sorry you lost him.”
Ilario’s faint smile was the only indicator Lora had that he’d heard her. He looked lost in thoughts, maybe stuck in an old memory.
There was a silence once more. Lora couldn’t help where her thoughts turned to again. “Do you know what drew Eyden into the mystery of the missing fae?”
“I do,” he answered. She looked at him, her eyes pleading with expectation. “But it’s not my story to tell.”
Lora nodded, failing to hide her disappointment. “Do you think he’s still alive? Damir?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes I have hope he escaped somehow. Other times I don’t dare hope because what if I find out he’s been dead all along?” He sought out her eyes. “Hope is a fickle thing, isn’t it? It can hold you up yet also drown you completely in an instant.”
“It is,” Lora agreed. She clutched her necklace and looked down at the shiny reminder of home. “You can’t live without it, yet it can kill you just the same.”
Chapter21
Lora
The guest room was not the same as Eyden’s flat. Lora had changed in the bathroom in the hall and when she entered the room where they were supposed to stay, she found Eyden sitting on the edge of the bed. It was the only furniture in the room except for a small wardrobe. The room didn’t leave much space to move about and there was nothing other than the bed to comfortably sleep on.
Lora closed the door and leaned against it, standing opposite Eyden, barely two steps away. When Eyden tilted his head up, the room seemed to shrink even more.
“Maybe I can sleep in the living room,” she said, one hand on the door handle.
“There’s no space there.” He turned his eyes to the empty space between the bed and the wardrobe. “I was thinking the floor would do for two nights.”
The wooden floor seemed anything but inviting. Even with a blanket underneath, it would still be a hard surface to sleep on. “Are you offering to sleep there or are you telling me to lie on the floor?” She was guessing the second option.
Eyden smirked and the air in the small room became sweetly suffocating. “How about we gamble for it?”
“If Ilario is to be believed, I’d be a fool to take that gamble.” She let her head rest against the door; the material felt cool and she tried to let the feeling overtake the warmth in her veins.
“What else did you and Ilario talk about?”
“Nothing much.”
Eyden leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs, further minimizing their personal space. “What if you choose the game?” he asked.
She was tired from today and the thought of concentrating on any game was exhausting to her even though the room had an electricity about it that zapped her awake. “You really want to play for the bed?”
The teasing smile made a reappearance. “Unless you want to share?”
Lora blamed her tiredness for her slow reaction as she stared at him for a beat too long. Her mind conjured up images from their encounter at the club when he’d been even closer. The door didn’t feel cool anymore at all. She lowered her eyes to the floor, escaping where her own thoughts were taking her. “How about rock, paper, scissors?”
“Is that a game?”
She looked up in surprise. “You don’t know it? It’s well known on Earth. It’s quite simple.”
