SEVEN #6
"In some ways, for some women, I guess. But in many places - most places - women aren't seen as a commodity.
Your family doesn't get to force you into marriage.
You can make your own decisions. For the most part, anyway.
In this point in their timeline. In the area of their world that I was living. "
"Funny how most fae looked down on humans, consider them base and backward."
"They can be," I allowed, shrugging it off. "But I think, as a whole, they are good. I don't know if I feel the same way about most fae these days. Who slaughters an entire family just to steal a letter?"
"Makes you think..." Smoky started, then cut off cryptically.
"Think what?"
Her gaze slid to me, eyes cold, as cool as her tone when she spoke again. "What he would do to you if he got his hands on you."
My lips curved up slightly at her bluntness. "You don't sugarcoat things, do you?"
"Sugarcoat," she repeated, not knowing the meaning.
"Try to make bad things sound better," I clarified.
To that, she laughed, short and humorless.
"Why would I do that? Why would anyone do that?
Doesn't it make the inevitable harder to face, to be told lies about it?
Women, we don't live in a world where things can be coated in sugar, where half-lies can be believed as whole truths.
We know better. Sometimes, the reality is too bitter to ever be sweetened. "
"That's true. And I know what you mean. Cass would do whatever it would take to lure my brother and his daughter out, to get them to do what they say.
I'm not naive. I was raised by a woman who knew exactly who she was making a deal with, what that man is capable of, and she was still willing to ship me off to that fate.
I understand cruelty just fine. My life has been surrounded by it.
If Cass could slaughter children for no reason at all, I know exactly the kinds of horrific things he would do to me for something he wants more than anything else. "
"You don't sound angry."
"What good does anger do?"
"Anger does a lot of good, Amethyst. Maybe you don't see that now, but someday you might. If that happens, don't shy away from it. Use it. Nothing will save you like your own rage will."
"I'll keep that in mind."
There was silence for a while before she blurted out, "Have you ever seen Drake Change?"
"No. I mean.... I've seen some of the plates come out. When..."
"When he was beaten," she filled in for me, clearly much more accustomed to the ugly aspects of life, making me wonder what she must have seen, done, experienced. What may have been done to her.
"Yeah, when he was beaten. But he always fought the Change. I've never seen him take full form."
"It's gotta be sexy," she murmured, gaze looking past me out the window at the world whizzing by.
Unable to stop it, maybe emboldened by her bluntness, I watched her as I asked, "Is it sexy when Sal changes?"
Her gaze slid to mine, eyes keen, smirk wicked. "Well, the naked part isn't a hardship," she admitted. "Speaking of naked... did you?"
"Did I what?"
"Fuck Drake?" she demanded, making my face feel hot immediately.
"Ah, not really."
"There isn't a 'not really' about it, you know."
"We, um, kissed. That's it. Oh, and, ah, he saved me from a..."
"A what?"
"A sex fae," I declared, embarrassed about something that had been completely out of my control.
"Ah," she nodded sagely. "Saved. I'm assuming some manual labor went into that. But it clearly doesn't count."
"What are you two gabbing about?" Sal asked, leaning onto the side of Smoky's seat.
"Oh, nothing. Just how unappealing it is when men turn into other things."
Sal, clearly used to being pricked by Smoky's barbs, was completely unfazed, simply giving her a smile, the light dancing in his unusual slitted eyes, making me wonder how the humans hadn't realized he wasn't one of them yet.
"Oh, Smoke, baby, you know you love the part where all my clothes come off. "
And then they bickered for the remaining forty minutes of the train ride. Then the walk back to the woods, a constant noise that was at times amusing, at others irritating.
"I would tell you it gets better," Drake said, falling into step with me. "But they don't really give it a rest."
"Keeps my mind from wandering too much," I admitted.
"You're worried?"
"Yes," I admitted without hesitation.
"I'll be right there with you, Amy."
"I know," I agreed, taking a steadying breath.
"But it doesn't make it any easier," he guessed.
"Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. This is my family, they are my people.
I have dreamed of seeing them again for longer than I even remember.
But that doesn't make going home any easier.
I get it. I don't think there is any way to truly prepare for this.
But we will have each other's backs. It should help... ease the transition."
"Here we are," Sal's voice called, making me suddenly aware of the pull, like the very air was drawing me forward, reaching out to me, pulling me toward the trees.
Everything was about to change.
I was going to go live with a tribe of dragons.
Whether I was ready for that or not.
Drake's hand closed over mine.
And we walked through the veil.