Chapter 15
SOREN’S FROWN MADE it clear he wasn’t buying it.
But instead of calling me out, he stepped back, putting distance between us, and moved around me to push the door to his room shut with a sharp click.
“This way,” he said, waving for me to follow him across the balcony. Under the bright sun, the shadow of his wings faded away, nearly invisible unless I was looking for it.
It didn’t feel like I had a choice. Where else could I go?
Last night, I’d let my guard down, but the morning light—and that note—reminded me I couldn’t trust any of them.
At least we were headed toward the front door, if I needed to make a run for it.
But I didn’t have my coat, boots, or makeshift weapons, or any idea where Lore had put them.
When we’d climbed down the ladder, his friends all turned. Lore cheerfully said, “Good morning,” and the others joined her, though Gwen’s was grumpy, Julian just winked, and Peregrin ducked his head after waving.
Lowering myself into a chair, I expected Soren to chastise me in front of them.
But he didn’t bring up where he’d found me at all, launching into business instead as he stood beside the fireplace.
“Cosmo’s Winter Solstice Ball is this evening.
While there’s no guarantee you’ll find your family there, after discussing it, we’ve decided to help you get into the ball to look for them, if you help us with our task. ”
“We’re going to pull off our biggest con yet,” Julian stage-whispered from where he sat on the couch.
I narrowed my eyes. “How do you con someone if you can’t lie?”
“You should probably be aware of something going forward.” Soren pulled my attention away from the others.
“When it comes to the folk, always watch for misdirection.” He looked at a spot on the floor as he spoke, like he couldn’t be bothered to meet my eyes.
“Fae lie in every possible way except with words.”
I blinked at him.
“Why . . .would you tell me that?” I asked finally, frowning. “Or . . . is this a misdirection also?”
He sighed through his nose, eyes closing briefly. “Anything could be. Train yourself to second-guess everything.” He finally faced me. “Right now, I’m being as straightforward as possible because we need your help.”
“Me?” I squeaked, glancing at their faces. “How could I possibly help?”
“I can’t tell you that until you sign a contract that will keep you from speaking about it.” Soren put his hands into his pockets, shoulders slumping slightly. He looked oddly resigned.
I wrapped my arms around myself. “That sounds like an NDA.”
“I’m not familiar with that term.”
“You know . . . a nondisclosure agreement?” Forehead wrinkling, I tried to think why they’d want me to sign something like that and remembered the note. “Are you involved in stealing people?”
“Yes and no.”
The others chuckled, like he’d made a joke.
A hot sinking feeling burned in my chest. “Are you trying to confuse me?” I scowled at them, wishing I had the right words for how disgusting they were to be involved in something like that, in any way.
“I’m not trying to make it clearer, that’s for certain.”
I narrowed my eyes. But I needed him, and he knew it. So after chewing on my lip, I caved. “What do I get in exchange for signing something like that?”
“One way or another, I’ll get you into the burrow where your family is reportedly working today.” Soren finally lowered himself into a chair, leaning forward. “Better yet, I’ll give you the information you’ll need to set them free.”
He set a single paper on the coffee table between us. “This is the contract to sign if you agree to those terms.”
Picking it up, I eyed him and the others. I hated reading under pressure, but I wasn’t about to rush through this one. Ignoring the suddenly loud sounds of breathing, little coughs, and shuffling feet, I pored over each line twice, sometimes three times, searching for hidden meaning.
Soren Velarde, referred to going forward as the Dealmaker, will ensure that Brynn Donovan, referred to from here on as the Human, gains entry to the burrow of Cosmarion Bristle the Stonemason by midnight of the Winter Solstice Ball.
Besides Soren’s last name, which I vaguely remembered seeing on our previous contract, I hadn’t learned anything or spotted any loopholes.
Sighing, I read on.
The Human will also receive information on how contracts can be terminated or renegotiated in the possible instance of needing to cancel her family’s contract.
Oh, I’d definitely need to cancel.
Soren was giving me more than I would’ve thought to ask for. My brain had obsessed over finding them. But I also needed to break them out.
But something tickled my brain. There. The timing.
I cleared my throat. “I need a pen.”
Standing, Lore leaned across the table to snatch the one they’d probably used to write the contract earlier. “Here.”
I accepted it, rolling the thin, fragile writing instrument between my fingers. It felt strange. Trying not to snap it in half accidentally, I found the words “receive information” and added, “immediately after signing.”
Soren barely glanced at it before nodding.
Was he even close enough to read it? Or would he agree to anything?
It made me wish I could find a way around the magical word vomit and add Mom to the contract.
Once signed, the Human will be unable to speak of the plans or intentions of the Dealmaker to anyone without the Dealmaker’s express permission.
That’d be that magical NDA he’d mentioned. I knew from firsthand experience with Mom’s contract how effective that would be.
In exchange for the aforementioned access to the Winter Solstice Ball and contract information, the Human will share a deliberate and detailed lie with the prince of the Hollow Court. It must be delivered exactly as requested or the deal will be null and void.
Caius? They wanted me to lie to him again? And they clearly weren’t going to tell me why until after I’d already signed, which was a gamble.
“I get access to my family and information on ending their contracts, while you get my secrecy and my lies.” I summed it up out loud, turning from the contract to meet Soren’s gaze.
He nodded.
Jaw tightening, I stiffened my spine. “I’m going to need to hear you say it.”
“That’s correct. The contract covers those four things.”
“And nothing else,” I challenged.
With a dip of his chin, he agreed softly. “Nothing else.”
Agreeing to this was a lot harder than the first time, when I hadn’t had any history with the prince, before I’d learned how much we had in common, and especially before he’d gone out of his way to help me.
But my family was at stake.
Soren’s name was already signed in blood, and he’d left a line for me right beside it.
There was only one catch I could find. “If I don’t say the lie right, you won’t take me to the burrow?”
At least, not without another deal, I added silently.
“Is that a deal-breaker?” Soren asked with an unreadable expression.
I considered. They’d tell me how to break my family out of the contracts as soon as I signed. That alone made this deal worthwhile . . . probably.
But no matter what the paper and ink said, my gut whispered that the deal tipped in their favor. “I think it should work both ways,” I said as an idea came to me. “If we don’t find my family at this solstice thing, then I don’t have to keep your secrets.”
When Gwen frowned and sat up straighter, I added, “Otherwise, there’s no incentive for you to really try.”
“False,” Gwen argued immediately. “There’s the contract’s magic—”
“I will add it.” Soren’s soft voice overrode her protests, and he held out a hand for the pen, which I handed over, then scrawled a quick line in cursive.
After reviewing his addition, I blew out a breath. “Okay. I’ll sign.”
This time, Soren gave me that strange bloodsucking pen.
I poked a different finger this time—the other still stung—and it sucked a dot of my blood inside.
Carefully, I signed my full name.
“There.” I held out both paper and pen, which Soren accepted with another strangely disappointed expression . . . almost like he wished I’d said no.
“Now you can tell me what’s going on.”
“Some of it, at least.” Lore winked at me.
“Could someone fill her in?” Soren sounded weary. To me, he added, “Consider this my permission to talk about it with anyone in this room.”
Julian shifted forward, bright blue eyes lighting up. He could pose for a photoshoot with those looks, but for once, his demeanor changed from flirtatious to serious. “We’re stealing the humans away from the fae who took them.”