journeys, my friend. You know that. Quinn will remain here. I’ll bring the fae to her.”
“You will go to the fae, Arturo,” Neo said, his tone brooking no argument.
Arturo smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as his voice turned Obi-Wan. “It will be fine, Neo.”
But Neo only shook his head. “You’ll not sway me, Arturo. You bring too many to my home. You’ll compromise all our safety. No more. You must go to the fae. There is too much at stake.”
Arturo’s jaw hardened, but to Quinn’s surprise, he didn’t argue further or attempt any more mind control. “We’ll go tomorrow. I do not wish to run across York’s vampires again. Not with Quinn.”
Neo nodded. “We are in agreement, then.” He motioned to the platters of food. “Eat. Enjoy. Now that the sorceress is here, we have a chance. This is cause for celebration. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do upstairs.”
Once Neo left, Micah and Arturo moved off to one side of the room to talk in private. While Zack refilled his plate, Quinn placed a couple of finger sandwiches on one of her own, then joined the vampires. She was through being left out of discussions.
“I’m going to have to report to Cristoff in the morning, first thing,” Arturo said, as she approached. He met her gaze, apology in his eyes. “It’s been several days, and he’ll have someone out looking for me if I don’t.”
The thought of him with Cristoff curled her stomach.
He either felt her uneasiness or saw it in her face, for he said, “It will help us not at all for Cristoff to know I’m his traitor. He’ll send his troops after me to get to you. And he might well succeed.”
“I know.” And she did, logically. It didn’t mean she had to like it. “When will we visit the fae, then?”
“Afterward. My visit with Cristoff will be short.”
“I’m staying here,” Micah added. He cocked his head at her, a smile lifting his mouth, a kind Mike smile. “You look . . . lighter, Quinn. Like the weight of the world is no longer weighing you down. I’m glad. It’s Zack, isn’t it?”
It amazed her that, despite all the revelations—that he was a vampire, that he’d been spying on her—he was still Mike. He was still her friend. Either he was a heck of an actor or he’d never acted with her at all. She was inclined to believe the latter.
She found a smile for him. “I was worried about him. I still am, but far less now that he’s threatening to eat Neo out of house and home.”
Micah grinned, then gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze and turned to walk away.
Quinn glanced at Arturo as she picked up one of the finger sandwiches. “I need a word with you.” She took a bite, the sandwich melting in her mouth.
A gleam entered his eyes. “You can have whatever you want of me, cara, you know that.”
She snorted. “You say that so glibly.”
His mouth quirked up. “It was, perhaps, meant to be suggestive rather than glib.”
She chose to ignore that. “I want to take Zack with us to see the fae tomorrow.”
“It is too dangerous.”
Her spine stiffened. “Your only interest might be in my magic, but my primary concern is his health. I need to know why my magic’s hurting him and if there’s some other way to help him.”
He reached for her, lifting a lock of her hair, studying it as if the glamoured color fascinated him. His gaze slowly lifted to hers. “We will put the question to Tarellia. Perhaps she will sense the connection as Kassius did. If we are fortunate, she’ll understand what she senses as Kassius did not. If she wants to see Zack, then we will take him to her. But it will be far safer for both of you if we don’t have to do that. Your brother will be fine here.”
She didn’t like the idea of leaving Zack behind. But the last thing she wanted was for Cristoff to figure out he was her brother. Cristoff already knew she had one and had threatened to hurt Zack in order to force her hand.
Quinn set down her plate
“You will go to the fae, Arturo,” Neo said, his tone brooking no argument.
Arturo smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as his voice turned Obi-Wan. “It will be fine, Neo.”
But Neo only shook his head. “You’ll not sway me, Arturo. You bring too many to my home. You’ll compromise all our safety. No more. You must go to the fae. There is too much at stake.”
Arturo’s jaw hardened, but to Quinn’s surprise, he didn’t argue further or attempt any more mind control. “We’ll go tomorrow. I do not wish to run across York’s vampires again. Not with Quinn.”
Neo nodded. “We are in agreement, then.” He motioned to the platters of food. “Eat. Enjoy. Now that the sorceress is here, we have a chance. This is cause for celebration. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do upstairs.”
Once Neo left, Micah and Arturo moved off to one side of the room to talk in private. While Zack refilled his plate, Quinn placed a couple of finger sandwiches on one of her own, then joined the vampires. She was through being left out of discussions.
“I’m going to have to report to Cristoff in the morning, first thing,” Arturo said, as she approached. He met her gaze, apology in his eyes. “It’s been several days, and he’ll have someone out looking for me if I don’t.”
The thought of him with Cristoff curled her stomach.
He either felt her uneasiness or saw it in her face, for he said, “It will help us not at all for Cristoff to know I’m his traitor. He’ll send his troops after me to get to you. And he might well succeed.”
“I know.” And she did, logically. It didn’t mean she had to like it. “When will we visit the fae, then?”
“Afterward. My visit with Cristoff will be short.”
“I’m staying here,” Micah added. He cocked his head at her, a smile lifting his mouth, a kind Mike smile. “You look . . . lighter, Quinn. Like the weight of the world is no longer weighing you down. I’m glad. It’s Zack, isn’t it?”
It amazed her that, despite all the revelations—that he was a vampire, that he’d been spying on her—he was still Mike. He was still her friend. Either he was a heck of an actor or he’d never acted with her at all. She was inclined to believe the latter.
She found a smile for him. “I was worried about him. I still am, but far less now that he’s threatening to eat Neo out of house and home.”
Micah grinned, then gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze and turned to walk away.
Quinn glanced at Arturo as she picked up one of the finger sandwiches. “I need a word with you.” She took a bite, the sandwich melting in her mouth.
A gleam entered his eyes. “You can have whatever you want of me, cara, you know that.”
She snorted. “You say that so glibly.”
His mouth quirked up. “It was, perhaps, meant to be suggestive rather than glib.”
She chose to ignore that. “I want to take Zack with us to see the fae tomorrow.”
“It is too dangerous.”
Her spine stiffened. “Your only interest might be in my magic, but my primary concern is his health. I need to know why my magic’s hurting him and if there’s some other way to help him.”
He reached for her, lifting a lock of her hair, studying it as if the glamoured color fascinated him. His gaze slowly lifted to hers. “We will put the question to Tarellia. Perhaps she will sense the connection as Kassius did. If we are fortunate, she’ll understand what she senses as Kassius did not. If she wants to see Zack, then we will take him to her. But it will be far safer for both of you if we don’t have to do that. Your brother will be fine here.”
She didn’t like the idea of leaving Zack behind. But the last thing she wanted was for Cristoff to figure out he was her brother. Cristoff already knew she had one and had threatened to hurt Zack in order to force her hand.
Quinn set down her plate
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