Ben winced as though the reminder was the opposite of comforting. I tried not to be offended. I knew precisely how difficult it was to undo a lifetime of horror stories about hunters. And by the way he spoke, he had some firsthand tales himself. After what he’d just spilled to me, asking formorewould be in terrible taste, even if I was curious.
“I’m sure Jon is a fine protector,” Ben said. “But this distance is harder than I thought it would be. If anything were to happen to him…”
His jaw suddenly tightened, and a new shiver rattled me—another ripple from the call of a gemstone. Just as swiftly, it was gone, muffled amongst the other sources of power and magic choking the air.
“You can sense the gemstone, too, can’t you?” Only half-joking, I added, “I hope there’s more than one, seeing as I would hate to fight you over it.”
Ben paled. “You can have every damn gemstone in the world, for all I care. The last thing I want is more power. Perhaps if a gemstone could take itaway, I—” He chuckled bitterly. “Illusions are fine, even enjoyable, but the compulsion is maddening.”
“Have you done it since Lee?” I asked.
He was scraping the back of his hand again. “It makes me feel sick. During a compulsion spell, I am aware of every sensation of whoever I’m ensnaring. That, and it takes a lot out of me. I’m vulnerable afterward, if not outright unconscious.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Rarely,” he said after a beat of hesitation. “I haven’t needed it more than a few times since compelling Lee. I wish I didn’t have it, because when I have no choice, Idouse it.” He gave another humorless laugh. “Try as I might, I can’t smother the instinct that the stars so generously bestowed upon me.”
I had never heard anyone speak of their affinity this way. Children, from time to time, might be disappointed by their gift at first, but they always grew into their abilities and found a way to channel their magic as they were meant to. But this ability, this breach of free will, was difficult to wrap my head around as anything other than sinister.
Yet, the haunted look on Ben’s face made me inclined to believe him.
“I may be out of line saying this,” I told him. “But if there are fairies in the world whomusthave this affinity, I believe you’re the right kind of person to have it.”
He gave me a bemused look. “Thanks. It’s been a long time since I’ve talked to someone like you.” A sheepish frown set into place. “I’m sorry about the whole, um, mock bargaining token thing. Are you nervous?”
“Probably a normal amount.” I glanced down at the stern, well-dressed guard positioned at our target door, stomach knotting. “But at least I’ll be able to brace myself this time. A few months ago, Jon sort of put me on the spot with a vampire, and I had to think quickly to play along.”
I chewed my lip at the memory of that dark gleam in Jon’s eyes. It took a moment to register Ben’s state of utter shock.
“I know what you said before, but…hunters?” he said.“What could possibly make all this worth it?”
He didn’t mean it cruelly, and that gave me pause.
“Love,” I said. “Love makes it all worth it. Besides, it wasn’tsobad last time. It worked, which is the important part.”
“Let’s hope the streak continues tonight,” Ben huffed. “I can guarantee you have more of a fighting chance than I would. The whole time we were planning, before you three arrived, I was terrified of losing myself before we even reached Eros. I spent too many years captive to this type of crowd, and even the thought of goingback…Being forced to…”
As his expression pinched, the air shivered around us. Iridescent bends of his glamour magic flickered.
“Hey, it’s alright.” I grabbed his wrist, grounding him with my touch.
“S-sorry, I…”
“I lose myself too, sometimes. If it were storming outside, I’d be fucked.” I smiled encouragingly. “Just stay focused. We’re nearly there.”
Below us, the elegant music swelled, then tapered. There was a smattering of applause. Cliff lifted Delilah out of another jaw-dropping dip. A few nearby guests stared not with suspicion but envy. If beauty were a blade, those two had it pressed to everyone’s throat.
I wasnevergoing to let him hear the end of this when we came out of the other side of this mission.
One bold man approached them, seemingly asking to steal Delilah for the next song. Cliff slung his arm around her waist and said something I couldn’t make out, but the other man’s face soured as he stalked off as though Cliff's words had been quite choice. While the others started in time to the renewed string music, Cliff guided Delilah off the marble floor and toward a small hallway nearby. His eyes cut up toward our direction as he walked—a clear signal.
It’s time.
When we were sure the hallway was vacant for the time being, Ben flexed his hands, unveiling me from his glamour. At last, Cliff’s gaze was able to settle on me with no amount of uncertainty. Although he looked relieved to see me again, there was tightness around the corners of his eyes.
“Showtime, kiddo.” Cliff held out his hands. I’d never felt so strange to perch there, slowly gliding down and folding my wings.
I offered him a teasing smile to diffuse the tension. “Don’t be worried about being too stern with me.”
