“You mean you hoped you’d find me in a state that would allow you to have the upper hand?” Mémé asks.
“You wound me. I came to pay my respects, and greet the heir apparent.” Her eyes flicker with purple flames. I tamp down my urge to flinch. I can’t afford to show weakness right now. Unseelie?the dark Fae?are as slippery as eels. Born with black hearts, they respect power, cleverness, and the ability to play political games.
“Meet my granddaughter, Louella, future matriarch of the Esçhete family.”
“Call me Lou.” I smirk and wink, in that annoying way I’ve seen Marcellus do all too many times.
Sebile narrows her gaze. “Lou … how common.”
“You know us mere mortals. We like to keep things simple.”
“Quaint. I wanted to see for myself the woman who wound Cristobal Cortez around her human finger.”
It’s an insult. My hackles rise, but my training keeps me from showing it. “It’s a mutual exchange of respect, affection, and power. I assure you no one manipulates my Lord.”
“Lord? So, you admit to submission? That you are a lesser being?” Her eyes light.
“I admit to using proper titles. If I were lesser, I could never be a queen meant to rule at his side. We are equals with different strengths and skillsets. Together we can only be stronger.”
“She’s a clever one, isn’t she? See how well swiftly she plays at politics. Perhaps the Esçhetes will survive this exchange in power after all,” Sebile muses.
“Do you want to make your true intentions known? I can tell it’s more than a curiosity when you bring Cein and Kul with you and arrive during the daytime,” Mémé says, providing me with names for the heartbreakingly beautiful, deadly beings.
“Can’t I visit an old friend?” Sebile asks.
“We’ve been many things, but friends was never one of them.”
Sebile casts her gaze toward her guards. “Recently I’ve sensed a disturbance in the veils between worlds.”
“People cross back and forth all the time.” Mémé shrugs.
“Yes, but this … felt different. Foreign and ancient.”
Mémé tenses. “Are we in danger?”
“I’ve yet to determine intention or details. The hall of mirrors is vast, and I am but one. I thought perhaps you could come and tell me your impression?”
I’m shocked to find her gaze fixed on me. “It’s been a long time since I walked among the Fae,” Mémé says.
“Not you, wise one. She who’s proved quite adept at walking between all of us. I want to see this balancing act. We all do. It’s the first thing the courts have agreed on in ages.” Sebile smiles happily.
I frown. “Surely you don’t expect me to travel into the Fae lands by myself?”
“You’re welcome to bring a trusted entourage of course. We wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” She flashes a smile that shows her rows of shiny, slightly pointy teeth.
“When do you want us there?” I fish for more information.
“I need to speak with the other courts. We wanted to know if you’d be willing to make the journey before we made any plans. You’ll be alerted when negotiations have been settled.” She rests her arms in the crook of her guards, and in the blink of an eye, they’re gone. I’ve grown used to the speed in which vampires move, and this terrifies me.
“Choose your partners wisely, girl. Things are never as they seem in the Fae world. You’ll need your wits about you, and senses you can trust without a shadow of a doubt.”
“Are you telling me to take vampires?”
“I said no such thing.” The upward curves of her lips tell me the exact opposite of her statement.
***
I’m like a schoolgirl with a secret burning a hole inside of me. For days I’ve digested what’s been revealed. Now, I need to speak with someone I trust, or I might explode. Sacha is off on vacation mending the rift with her family, Cristobal is too close to Percy, and I’m fit to be tied. I’ve been faking my way through every day pretending everything is fine when it’s not. Between planning, training, and work, it hasn’t been that hard to do.