26. Chapter Twenty-Six
~Felix~
Both women gave me their rapt attention as I pointed out the various food items on the cart that the kitchen had sent up. Too late, I realized that I didn’t know the first thing about fae dietary practices.
“Do you… uh, do you eat animals?”
Were they vegetarian? Vegan? What kind of animals did they have in the fae world? The longer I thought about it, the bigger the gaps in my knowledge seemed.
“The royal family does,” Evalina’s mother answered smoothly. “The rest of us don’t get much of a chance to.”
So, it came down to economics rather than morality? That seemed easier to handle. As a werewolf, I didn’t know very many vegetarians.
“Lina and I both worked in the royal kitchens,” she added, giving her daughter a warm smile. “We snuck a few tastes now and then.”
My eyes darted over to Evalina, who seemed less at ease than her mother. Something appeared to be bothering her but it could be so many things, I didn’t know where to start.
I decided to stick with something simple. “Lina? Is that what you prefer to be called?”
Her icy blue eyes met mine with much more uncertainty than they had earlier. “Most people close to me call me Lina, but I like the way you say my full name.”
Her answer sent a small spark of warmth through me, and Kai crowed in joy in my head at the fact that she liked anything about me.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, I snorted back.
“I’ll stick to Evalina then.” Flashing her a grin, I turned back to the food. “Did I miss anything?”
“I do have one question,” Evalina spoke up. “You said that you couldn’t eat my food in Etta because you wouldn’t be able to return to this world. Does it work the same way in reverse? If we eat here, will we be stuck?”
All of Kai’s happiness evaporated along with my own when she referred to staying with us as being ‘stuck’, but I swallowed down my disappointment, determined not to let it show. “I’m actually not sure about that. Let me check.”
Opening a link to Calista, I addressed my Luna in my head.
Quick question: can the fae still return to their world if they eat here?
She replied to me immediately, not leaving me hanging like her mate often did. It shouldn’t affect their ability to move between worlds. I’m not exactly sure why, but it only seems to affect beings from our world and not vice versa.
Perfect, thanks.
To Evalina and her mother, I spoke out loud. “It’s safe. You can eat here and still go back to your world, if that’s what you want.”
Evalina’s brow furrowed into an adorably confused frown. “I thought you were going to check.”
Ah, right. Mind-linking didn’t occur in many species like it did for werewolves. I’d have to do my best to explain. “Werewolves have a telepathic link with the other members of their pack. I just asked someone inside my head and they answered me already. You’re fine to eat.”
Her eyes widened in surprise and, unless I was mistaken, a little bit of wonder as she and her mother exchanged a look. “Some fae have that ability but not many. It’s very rare.”
“I would love to hear more about your world; all about it, actually. But first, please eat.”
Evalina filled up a plate for herself while I made one for her mother, insisting that she stay in bed even though she looked a hell of a lot better than she did the night before. Evalina took a seat on the bed next to her and they tried small bites of everything, exclaiming over the tastes and comparing our breakfast items to the things they ate at home. A natural grace infused each movement; the way her chin tilted in laughter, the delicate way her tongue darted out as she placed a piece of fruit onto it. Watching her left me feeling almost spellbound.
I could have happily watched her all day.
However, a soft knock on the door came before they’d finished, and Calista appeared from behind it, her blonde hair tied back and wearing a simple sweater and jeans. “How are you both doing today?” she asked the two women on the bed.
“We’re well, thank you,” Evalina answered for them both before making some introductions. “This is my mother, Maudi. Mama, this is Calista. She’s the queen of this place.”
The older woman immediately bowed her head while Calista shook hers in dismay. “No, no, I’m not a queen. Nothing like that.”
“You kind of are,” I countered with a grin.
Calista threw me a dirty look. “Is that what you’ve been telling them?”
To the fae, she gave a different explanation.
“The social structure here is much less formal. My mate and I are in charge, yes, but you don’t have to treat us any differently.”
Neither Evalina nor Maudi looked convinced, so I jumped in again, keeping my tone light. “What’s up, Luna?”
Calista’s lips pursed at the title but she ignored me, addressing the women instead. “I’ve been doing some research into using silver as a treatment since you mentioned you were going to try that.”
Evalina nodded. “I’d like to get to work on it right away.”
“Actually, I don’t think you should.” She paused for a moment to let that sink in before continuing. “The reading I’ve done suggests that metals behave differently between our world and the fae world. There, it might be a cure, but here, ingesting silver could be fatal.”
Evalina’s face scrunched up as she processed that. “But our physiology is different too, isn’t it? Wouldn’t that make a difference?”
“Possibly, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk. It might be better to have your mother checked by our doctors instead to see if they can determine an appropriate treatment in this world.”
“I’m confused,” I had to admit. “If she’s healed here using our methods, how do we know she won’t get sick again if they go back?”
I had to stick with saying ‘ if they go back’ because saying ‘when’ would have made my chest ache.
“Possibly,” Calista repeated. “There’s a lot we don’t know.”
“I’m feeling much better just from being here,” Maudi interjected. “I’m not sure I even need a treatment anymore.”
Evalina nodded emphatically. “I wondered if something in Etta had been making you sick to begin with since you’ve taken such a turn just from us leaving.”
“There are a lot of factors at play here,” Calista stated again. “And until we have more information, I think it’s best that no one goes around drinking any silver. Why don’t I accompany Maudi to the hospital once she’s finished eating and Felix, you and Evalina can search the Crimsontooth territory for another portal to the fae world. Since you’ve both been there, you’ll be able to spot the portals easily.”
By that, I assumed she meant they would glow in the same way the other one did after I came back through it. More than that, I knew exactly what she was doing: orchestrating a little time alone for me and Evalina so I could get to know her better. I mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to her while Evalina consulted with her mother.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay without me?” Evalina asked, her small hands grasping her mother’s in a gesture both protective and affectionate.
“I’ll be just fine,” Maudi insisted. “You’ve spent too much time looking after me already. Go and take a nice walk outside with your new friend.”
The word ‘friend’ sounded almost sarcastic, and she smiled over at me in a knowing way that made me suspect she knew exactly how I felt about her daughter, though how she could have figured that out, I had no idea.
To my great relief, Evalina gave in, flashing me a sweet smile of her own. “I guess you’re stuck with me, then.”
Nothing in the world could have made me happier.