I bit back a snarky response. Avani wasn’t talking about Ace’s skills in the bedroom. In fact, she appeared to be trying to warn me. “Ace is not a threat to me.”
Avani snorted and flicked water with her finger. “Love sick fools.” She poked her finger in Ace’s direction. “You should tell her everything. She deserves to know.”
Everything? What was left to tell?
“I will,” Ace said. “We have been a little busy trying not to die.”
Avani shrugged and turned to the river.
“Wait.” I flung up my hand as if I had some power to stop her.
Luckily, she didn’t dive into the water and disappear. Instead, she stilled as the water flowed around her.
“Why do you call me Daughter of Mab?”
Avani turned back toward me and frowned. “Because that is who and what you are.” She glanced at Ace. “You didn’t pick a very bright one to lose your heart to.”
“I grew up in an orphanage,” I said, maybe a little too sharply. “I never knew my birth parents. I don’t know who Mab is. So, I don’t know if you’re calling me an alternative for what I am or if Mab is one of my birth parents or ancestors.”
Avani’s eyes widened and she ducked her head to watch the pine needles float past.
“My apologies,” Avani said. “In your case, it’s both.”
The wind whistled along the surface of the water and played with the shells braided in her hair.
That made absolutely no sense.
“Child of Mab refers to phaanons in general, but you are, quite literally, one of Mab’s biological offspring.”
One of… Either Avani knew of my brother or there were more of us.
“Of course, most of your siblings have long departed this plane—gone like so many others in the galeon-phaanon war. I thought your entire line had perished until the day we met.”
“How are you so certain I’m a descendent of Mab?”
“I saw a memory of the Phaanon Queen once. You look like her and there is no mistaking the magic that encases you. Your blood sings with her power.”
“The Phaanon Queen?” Ace whispered. He leaned in to nudge me with his arm. “Maybe I should’ve nicknamed you ‘Princess’ after all.”
“Shh.” I elbowed him. “Who was the king?”
Avani smiled slowly, revealing her sharp fangs. “The Phaanons bowed to no king. Mab ruled with an iron fist and took many lovers. Some even said Oberon was once her lover before he married Titania.” Avani flicked up her hand and examined her fingers. “Some say the war started because the sisters fought over Oberon.”
“Sisters?” I whispered.
Avani stopped examining her nails and pinned me with an unreadable look. “The history really has been lost, hasn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Mab and Titania were not just sisters. They were twins.”
I let out a long breath. Twins. Titania was my aunt and had sent me to the orphanage. Did she act out of love, remorse, or guilt? Or was Avani wrong about the war and the sisters getting caught on opposing sides? “Queen Titania and I look nothing alike.”
Avani cocked her head. “Don’t you?”
“She has white hair.”
“Her hair turned white after the war. Some say it’s because she expended too much power. Others suggest it was grief. But if you look past the white hair, you’ll find you look a lot more alike than you thought.”
