“How about we try nodding yes or no,” he suggested, breezing past the moment for both our sakes. “Did they have wings?”
Immediately, I nodded.
His expression fell, and he slowly closed the logbook with a sigh. “Her name is Ivywren.”
“Why doesn’t that sound like good news?” I narrowed my eyes.
“While we have certain methods of stealing fae blood when necessary, I can’t remember the last time we attempted to do so with Ivywren.” He stood, giving me a half-hearted smile, which brought my mind right back to the kiss. My hand unconsciously rose toward my lips before I stopped it.
Soren stayed focused on business, unaware of where my mind had gone. “Our first step will be asking Julian to find out if we still have any of her blood.”
“One problem...” I stood slowly as well. “Caius told me he owns their contracts. Does that mean we need his blood instead?”
A shadow crossed Soren’s face. “It could,” he admitted. “A hurdle we will cross when we come to it. Another will be finding their contracts. Caius is known to guard court contracts carefully, whether they’re signed to him or another fae, such as Ivywren.” He moved to the closet, throwing it open and pulling out a fresh shirt and pants.
Without warning, he unbuttoned his vest, shrugged it off, and began unbuttoning the shirt underneath as well.
I blushed and jumped up, rounding the bed in a hurry and smacking into the sharp bedpost.Ouch.I’d just bruised my hip. “I’ll leave you to, um... yeah.”
Possibly my most awkward exit ever.
I practically ran down the stairs, heading for the bathroom, because I alsoreallyhad to pee.
After using the bathroom, I peeked in the mirror. I looked like a train wreck. My wrinkled pants and shirt screamed, “I slept in this,” and my bangs stuck out at odd angles—not to mention I smelled sweaty after dancing my butt off last night. My muscles ached with every movement.
Wetting my hands with water, I drug my fingers through my wild hair to tame it. By the time I meandered to the empty kitchen, Soren appeared in the doorway, completely put together with fresh clothes, hair brushed, and a calm smile.
Though from the way he blushed, he might not be as confident as he pretended.
As I quietly poured myself another big cup of water and drank the whole thing, he opened a pan of cinnamon rolls and set two on a plate for me. My mouth watered at the sugary smell. I scarfed them down, and they might’ve been magic with the way my head instantly felt better after eating.
Though tempted to ask if I could raid Lore’s closet yet again or maybe take a long, hot bath, I had a burning question that had risen from the haze of the night before. Without explanation, I asked, “Do you know the name Thorneveil? Or a clan called, uh... Grim-something, I think.”
“Grimhollow?” His brows rose high.
“Yes. That’s the one. You know it?”
“Everyone knows it,” he said slowly, pushing off the counter to circle it, coming to join me at the table. “Why do you ask?”
“Caius kept saying it last night. He said I was ‘the daughter of Maeve Thorneveil.’ ” A shiver of relief passed through me that Soren finally knew that Mom had been taken. Because even now, that word vomit sensation rose up if I thought it. “And something about not harming a member of the Grimhollow clan. But I don’t know what that means.”
Instead of answering, Soren traced my face, eyes widening like he’d never seen me before. “The daughter of Maeve?” he whispered. “Are you sure?”
“Well, yeah, that’s my mom’s name. But I didn’t know her maiden name was Thorneveil.”
Soren shook his head slowly as he sank back in his chair.
“I mean, I think she’s Irish, but they usually have names that start with ‘O’ or ‘Mac’ and have a pretty rolling sound, you know?” I was rambling now, because his behavior was starting to freak me out. “What kind of a name is Thorneveil, anyway?”
Blowing out a breath, Soren met my gaze. “It’s Unseelie.”
