A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 2)

I don’t even bother with her human face, but take in the gray sagging skin, lipless mouth, and the freakishly long eyelashes she sports. Echo is a dark daemon. Although her aura is black as pitch, her vibe isn’t flat-out sinister but rather just unsettling. I wonder if the drugs she abuses mutes her intentions.

“What do you want?” she demands as she looks around at us. Her gaze skims over me, then slams back my way. She narrows her eyes, and peers at me. “Hey… I know you, right?”

I nod. “A month ago. You tried to see if I had anything other than human in me.”

For a moment, nothing registers, then a slow smile spreads on her face revealing rotting teeth which could be just her daemon species or just as possible from the meth addiction she has.

“Oh yeah,” she drawls as if a light bulb goes off. “Now, I remember. You felt pure human then, but there’s something different about you.”

My gaze whips to Carrick. “The feather.”

He nods because that’s the one thing that’s distinctively different about me now. I step quickly into Echo, holding my hands out, and demand, “Read me again.”

I’m surprised when she hisses at me, a creepy, murderous sound, and slams both hands into my chest to push me back. Her strength is incredible and given the fact I’m caught unaware, I go flying backward, my feet actually leaving the ground.

I’m immediately caught in Titus’ strong arms, but before he even puts me to rest on the ground, Carrick flashes forward in a blur of speed. When he stops, he has Echo by the throat and holding her off the ground by several inches.

She chokes and claws at his hand, fear in her eyes.

“Touch her like that again, and you’ll get a full taste of iron,” he promises darkly.

Somehow, she manages to nod, and Carrick drops her like a hot potato. She falls hard, crumpling to the ground. Part of me feels bad that Carrick scared the bejeezus out of her, but the other part doesn’t because now I feel a low thrum of malevolence coming from her.

Maddox holds a hand out to her, which she hesitantly takes, and hauls her up. He brings out his wallet again, pulling out another hundred-dollar bill.

Holding it up for her to see, but clearly too far away for her to take, he says, “Read her, then we have some questions we want you to answer.”

Echo swallows, rubs at her throat, and gives a side glare at Carrick. Then she turns to me and holds her hands out. Without hesitation, I take them, despite the fact they are filthy; and watch as Echo closes her eyes. She’s an empath who can read feelings and is apparently rather good at what she does. There’s also the suspicion that her drug usage enhances her abilities.

Frowning, she tilts her head slightly as if trying to listen to something. Then her eyes pop open, and she releases my hands. “She’s different.”

“How?” Carrick demands.

“Light,” she replies. “There’s light inside of her.”

“What the hell does that mean?” he asks.

Echo shrugs. “I have no clue. I don’t get information, just feelings. She’s still human, but there’s a light inside her.”

Carrick’s gaze comes to me, shrewdly considering her words and what they mean. I have not a clue.

“The hundred is yours, Echo, if you answer some questions,” Maddox says, prompting her attention back to him. “There’s a new Dark Fae in town. She’s holed up at an art gallery on First Street. Might be recruiting Dark Fae and daemons to her side. I want to know everything you’ve heard about her.”

Echo’s eyes go flat, and her expression blank. “I’ve never heard of her.”

“Now that’s a lie,” Carrick says as he takes a step toward her.

She retreats, holds her hands up. “Okay… I may have heard something.”

“Like what?” Maddox prompts.

Echo looks around, making sure no one is close, but I don’t understand why. I haven’t seen another fae or daemon in this camp. She moves in closer to us and lowers her voice. “I’ve had a few friends on the street talk about her. Supposedly has immense power, but no one knows where she came from. There hasn’t been a new Dark Fae in this area in ages.”

“Why is she recruiting people?” Maddox asks.

Echo shrugs. “I don’t know that she is. I just heard that a few have been hanging out over at that gallery, although she’s been gone for a few days. That’s not normally my area so these are just rumors I’ve heard.”

“And what’s the word on the person who owned that gallery?” Carrick asks in a tight voice.

“Word is she killed the gallery owner and assumed her identity,” Echo replies, and my heart lurches. I try not to take her words literally because I’m never going to give up the hope that my sister might still be savable. I hate not knowing her actual fate, and the prospect she could be trapped in her own body is horrifying to me.