“Sit down, girl.” Tad motioned for me to sit opposite him. I lowered on my knees as Ash dug the book out of his pack.
“Those little fuckers!” He growled. “They got into my mushrooms again!”
My attention shot down to the bag as he yanked the book out. Two passed-out figures snored and drooled on the cover, tiny crumbs of mushroom stuck to them. Bitzy was curled up, sucking on her middlefinger, on top of her crumpled paper wings. Opie was spread eagle, his crown down over his eyes, his dress askew, showing off his naked bits.
My hand went to my mouth, trying not to laugh.
“Oh my.” Tad fought a smile. “I wondered why the book was so vexed.”
“I thought you sealed the mushrooms away from them,” Warwick grumbled, stomping over to the brownie and imp, picking the pair up off the book more gently than I thought he would. Bitzy opened her eyes for a moment, reaching out to Warwick with a coo before passing out again. Warwick shook his head. “You know better.”
“I did secure it!” Ash exclaimed.
Except locks didn’t work on them.
“Never underestimate sub-fae. Especially when it comes to their mushrooms.” I winked at Ash, making him grumble under his breath. He wiped the gummy remnants of the fungi off the book cover and placed it in front of Tad and me.
Instantly, the mood shifted.
Tad inhaled shakily, his hand hovering over the book, his chest heaving.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes.” He nodded, swallowing. “Just been a long time since I’ve been in the company of such a powerful book. It’s even older than I am. It holds so much knowledge.” He tilted his head in wonder. “Except for a time in the 1400s, there seems to be a few pages of a war missing.”
All eyes turned to the creatures in Warwick’s arms, donned with the omitted pages.
Ash grunted and swore with fury.
“Oh well, they are being used for a much better purpose. War is always the same, no matter what time period. It was a horrendous, dark, and bloody time anyway. Not missing much.” Tad winked at me, smiling. “I, for one, am glad to see it gone.”
I grinned back at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ash still shifted with irritation.
“Good to see you, old friend.” Tad reached down, palming the book. “Hmmm... that’s interesting.”
“What is?”
“This book seems very interested in you.” Tad’s piercing eyes met mine. “I was wrong when I said you were an ordinary human. You hid yourself well.”
My throat dry, I tried to swallow. “What do you mean by that?”
He stared at me like I was a bug pinned to a board. Heat filled my face, a trickle of sweat sliding down my back.
“There is something about you.” His brows furrowed together, his gaze intense. “Familiar... but not. I can’t place it. I ignored it when we first met, but I can’t now. There is something there I should know, but I can’t grasp it. It’s like a wisp of a cloud I’m trying to capture.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Me neither, child.”
“Please...” I begged. “I don’t know what I am. Do you?”
Tad studied me for a moment, his brows furrowing.
“I don’t.” He looked astonished at his own claim. “Which is extremely perplexing. Everything issomething... but you and him.” He nodded to Warwick. “I can’t fathom it. I used to think it was because you hid your auras from me. It was the only explanation.Everyonehas an aura... like a fingerprint. I have been alive a very long time and have seen every possible species of human, fae, and animal. I don’t understand, but you and Warwick aren’t in any of them... you’re somewhere...”
In between.
Gray.
