Chapter 17
GWEN’S VOICE CAME from behind us. “That was my idea.” She returned from the kitchen, carrying a stack of plates.
Setting them down, she scooped a large helping of eggs and bacon onto one, making my stomach growl embarrassingly loud.
“Since no fae is going to willingly give us their blood, we had to find a way to take it.”
When Peregrin followed with a tray of something that looked like chocolate cookies, I wanted them even more than the breakfast, but I didn’t move from my chair. I didn’t know what the etiquette was here.
With all five of them here, it should’ve made me uncomfortable. I was an outsider, like always. But the atmosphere was relaxed. It was more cozy than anything.
Peregrin set the plate down on a table. “Chocolate mint,” he whispered to me. “It counts as a breakfast food because of the mint.”
When my stomach gurgled again in response, Gwen raised a brow.
I pressed a hand over it, mentally shushing myself, but Peregrin picked up a cookie and handed it to me on a small plate. I swallowed back unexpected tears and took it without a word. I accepted a mug of dark liquid that smelled like coffee as well. It warmed my hand.
Soren stood up, and I didn’t miss that he quietly slipped away as the others settled in.
“Sugar?” Peregrin asked, distracting me.
“Lots.” I managed a smile. How was it that I’d never felt this welcome anywhere back home? I should not enjoy it. Maybe this was some fae spell they’d put on me. Maybe I should fight back. But I really, really didn’t want to.
As I brought the delicious fluffy chocolate to my lips, I paused. Those fictional stories I’d spent all last week reading infiltrated my pleasant thoughts. I took a second look at the dessert. “This isn’t actually bugs or leaves or something, is it?” I asked without thinking.
Peregrin sputtered from where he’d sat down. His hooves fell off the footrest, clopping loudly on the floor as he sat up straight. “Absolutely not. My cookies? I can’t believe—” He whirled to face the others. “Do they taste that bad?”
“It’s delicious,” Lore assured him.
Julian snatched another cookie. “For your sake, I’ll shoulder the burden and check again.”
Gwen leaned forward and caught Peregrin’s hand. He’d grabbed a cookie and was holding it up to his nose to sniff it. She gently made him set it down. “Your baking isn’t the issue,” she said with a meaningful head tilt in my direction.
Mouth full, Julian agreed, “They’re delicious.”
“I’m sorry.” I felt stupid for asking. I’d let my guard down, and that almost never happened. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Now I’d offended them. The easygoing air in the room would fade to tension. The scenario was all too familiar. I sighed, setting the warm cookie down, too depressed to eat.
“Say whatever you want.” Gwen shrugged.
After a second, I looked up and realized she was talking to me.
“Yes, you’re allowed to not like it,” Peregrin muttered unhappily to himself, wiping his fingers on a cloth napkin.
Gwen sat back casually. “Perry forgets what our kind are capable of.”
He squinted at her, then me, then back at her. “Ah . . .” He twisted to face me, eyes hopeful. “So, you don’t hate my food?”
My lips twitched in a slight smile. “Are you kidding? It’s the best thing I’ve had all year. It’s just . . . the stories . . .”
Gwen tilted her head at me, considering. “I once ran into a human who was stealing children.” Her stare never left my face. “Should I assume you do the same?”
My forehead wrinkled. “What?”
She tilted her head. “If all fae behave alike, the same must be true of humans, yes?”
I got her point.
“I disagree,” Julian said before I could think of a way to apologize. He reached over to tap my knee, serious for once. “Assume the worst. Better to be cautious.” Then he winked as he held up his last bite and added, “More for me that way.”
Lore snorted.
It broke the tension.
They moved on while I turned Gwen’s words over. I’d only known about the existence of the fae since they’d taken Mom a week ago, but everything I’d read—and seen—had taught me that fae hurt people. Period. It went against every instinct to consider that they might be as varied as humans.
Rubbing my forehead to ease the headache forming, I sighed. All I wanted was to get my family and get out of here. Whether or not they might be the kindest, warmest group I’d ever spent time with was irrelevant.
The delicious minty chocolate disappeared in four huge bites. Placing my empty plate on the small table beside my chair, I stirred the coffee and took a sip. The food lifted my spirits a bit.
When Peregrin held out the sweets a second time, I didn’t hesitate to take another and add some actual breakfast to my plate.
“So, how do you steal blood?” I shook my head a little. Words I’d never thought I’d say.
“It’s not easy,” Lore said, then wrinkled her nose at Julian inhaling another treat. “Slow down. We’re not leaving for at least another hour.”
Gwen settled into a chair and gave me a huge grin as she started to explain, “We got ahold of one of the royal family’s enchanted—”
Soren’s voice came from behind me, startling me. I hadn’t seen him return. “Since that’s not fully covered by our contract, you’ll forgive me if I don’t share the details.”
Coming around the couches to join us again, he stopped by the fire, shooting a sharp look at Gwen.
She smirked into her drink, clearly unbothered.
Turning to stare into the flames, Soren touched his pocket subconsciously. It was the same one he’d put something from his room into earlier, when he’d pulled something out from under the bed. The same enchanted item? Or maybe a different one? Definitely stolen, from the sound of it.
“All you need to know,” Soren told me without looking, “is that to terminate your family’s agreement, you’ll need the name of the fae who took your family so we can obtain their blood.”
He made it sound easy.
Just a name.
And a little blood.
He’d only promised information, so actually getting those two things was on me, unless I wanted to make yet another potentially bad bargain.
I lowered my plate, not feeling like eating anymore.
First, I needed to actually find my family. Then I’d worry about whose blood I needed.
Soren strode away to his desk, taking the contract I’d signed with him.
In the midst of a chaotic argument that I was actually managing to tune out, Lore leaned over and tapped my leg. “We’re not all bad, you know.”
I tried not to react, heart pumping. Is my distrust that obvious?
“I understand where you’re coming from,” Lore continued when I didn’t say anything. “If any of these folk disappeared, I’d be as worried as you are.” She gestured to the others in the room.
“You’re all family?” My brows pinched together. They didn’t look anything alike.
“Not by blood,” she clarified. “But we might as well be.” As if she sensed my curiosity, she elaborated, “We all live here and take turns helping Soren run the south entrance so he’s not tied to this place.”
“Have you all . . . always lived here?” I asked tentatively.
That made her launch into a full history with a nostalgic grin.
“Peregrin and I have been with Soren since he came here almost seven years ago. We’re both from the Shadow Court.
Perry handles feeding us, and I handle everything else.
Soren would argue that he does quite a bit, but trust me, this place would fall apart without me. ”
Her grin was contagious, pulling a small answering smile out of me.
“Gwen joined our group a few years after we arrived,” she continued in a conspiratorial tone, glancing over at the tattooed dark-skinned fae munching on bacon.
“We still don’t fully know which of the courts she hails from, but she fits right in, especially when we need someone intimidating.
And Julian wormed his way in last year. He somehow figured out we were helping humans and joined in without asking.
” She smiled fondly, shaking her head at the memory.
“Soren was furious. But Julian wouldn’t take no for an answer.
” Her smile faded. “His best friend was a human.”
I noted the way she’d said, “was.” Past tense.
Once again, I was forced to reconsider my opinion of them. I didn’t know what to say.
Changing the subject abruptly, Lore leapt off the couch. “We need to get you something fresh to wear before we leave.” She waved for me to follow. “Come on!”
I peeled myself off the furniture, already tired at the thought. “Can’t I just wear this again?” I pointed at the green dress, which was slightly wrinkled but otherwise in good shape.
“You’ll be seeing the prince again,” Soren called over to us from his desk, sorting through papers as he did. “It’s a small detail in the grand scheme of our plans, but I’d prefer we put our best foot forward.”
I wondered if that was a nice way of telling me I looked as rough as I felt.
“Go with heels!” Julian grinned. “Males love a lady in heels.”
“If you want to be involved, you have to actually help us look,” Lore hollered over her shoulder, already halfway to the tunnel that led to the stairs.
“I’d rather not.” Julian settled deeper into his chair, leaning his blond head against the cushion and winking a mischievous blue eye at me. “I’m merely passing on my wisdom. I know what I like.”
Gwen snorted from the couch.
“What about that dress that lights up like you’re wearing stars?” Peregrin suggested with a slight blush as he began to pick up the dirty plates.
Lore stopped to purse her lips, shaking her head. “It’ll look like she’s trying too hard.”
“Of course.” Peregrin cleared his throat, turning back to the plates as if stacking them required his full attention, mumbling, “I just thought you looked good in it.”
For a brief moment, I forgot my stress as I hid a smile at his obvious crush.
Gwen watched Peregrin, brows drawn together.
She wore loose black pants, a sleek black top with a leather vest, and black boots that rose almost to her knees.
The simple uniform made her tattoos stand out even more on her dark skin.
Julian and Peregrin had put on fancy tailored vests with gold vines embroidered on them.
Peregrin wore green, which complemented his darker skin, while Julian was in blue, which only emphasized his Captain America appearance.
Lore pranced back toward me in a long flowy white dress with actual flowers blooming all across the skirt and bodice. “Brynn, are you coming?”
Slowly, I began to walk. “You know, I can wear anything, really. I’m not picky.”
“No, no. We’re making you stunning!” Lore shook a finger at me while grinning. “You’ve got to capture Caius’s attention, remember?”
I actually didn’t know anything beyond the fact that I had to lie to him. Soren hadn’t filled me in yet.
Was flirting part of the lie? I really should’ve asked, because if so, I was guaranteed to fail.
When I snuck a glance at his desk, though, thinking to ask, he’d disappeared.
Gwen groaned, but with a sigh, she stood too. “Come. Let’s get this over with.”
After we traipsed upstairs, Lore went through her wardrobe again, pulling out lots more options that she hadn’t gotten to last night.
Reluctantly, I accepted a long-sleeved white tunic, a brown corset-style leather vest, and a vivid red skirt.
“Are you sure?” I squinted at it.
“Trust me.” Lore grinned. “It’s the perfect mix of bold and casual.” She handed me the clothing. “You can change here and meet us downstairs.”