golden in the flickering candlelight as she stared unblinking. Muscle cramps seized my leg as I stretched, and I bit down ayelp. Given the last few days, I couldn’t really wonder at the charley horse. I slammed my foot down on the ground, the heel pulled back to try to relax it.
Kitsune looked at me curiously as the pain subsided. I drew the robes together about my shoulders.
I sat up straighter on the other side of the low table she knelt behind. “Thank you for taking us in. How is Talivar?”
“Talivar is fine. I have cleansed the poison from his body and he recovers swiftly.” She slid a steaming mug over to me. “This time you will drink it,” she said firmly.
“Yes.” I’d refused to take any form of sustenance from her when we’d met this way before. At the time, I’d no reason to trust her word, though if I had, things might have turned out differently. By accepting a meal from her, I’d be under her protection in an informal sort of guest friendship.
At this point I’d take every bit of protection I could.
I sipped the tea, sighing as a delicate warmth crested over my skin, followed by a twist of irony in my gut. I could only hope Kitsune’s intentions were more honorable than the Queen’s.
The flavor was light, with a hint of vanilla. “It’s good.”
“Of course.” She sounded mildly offended but I smiled at her in thanks.
“I just wanted to say how grateful I am that—”
One smooth hand rose in warning. “Do not thank me for this, Abby, for I do not do these things for you.”
I sat on my heels, stung by her brusque tone.
“I told you once before that a cure for the Faerie Queen would not be welcomed nor sought after, and yet I procured it, upon your request.”
“Hardly out of the goodness of your heart,” I pointed out dryly. “I seem to recall there was a fair amount of contraband involved as part of the trade on my side.”
She nodded. “Yes. And for that I am grateful. Such a gift was beyond measure, but I’m not sure it will be worth it in the end. Better, perhaps, if the Queen had died, or been forced to step down.”
I shrugged at her. No matter what I’d tried to do since becoming involved with the OtherFolk it had almost always been wrong—though I could admit I probably wouldn’t be in this mess if I’d let things alone.
Or you could be dead, my inner voice reminded me snidely.
I did die, I reminded it, so shut up .
“Fine. I fucked up. What is it you expect me to do? I’m under a geas and that limits my options.” I set down the mug a little more forcefully than I intended, the tea sloshing over the sides.
“I would not undo it, even if I could.” Kitsune dabbed at the spilled tea with a small cloth.
“That’s a hell of thing to say,” I snapped, my fingers trembling in sudden anger. “And why not?”
“Interfering in another’s destiny is never wise,” she replied calmly. “This knot you must untangle for yourself.” Her golden eyes narrowed and I shivered beneath her scrutiny. “Or not, as the case may be.”
“How very Zen of you.” Part of me wanted to rage at her about the unfairness of it all, but what was the point? She’d already made her choice. I was on my own.
My hand traced over the bruised ring at my neck. “It seems you were right about me not being the Key’s true owner, but I think I’ve paid the price for that.”
She took my hand in hers, rolling it over to exposethe cut on my palm. A hot flush swept over my cheeks as she stared at the crescent-shaped nick. Trust Talivar to have put an artistic flare into it. At least it would be a pretty scar.
“Where is he?” I was tired of playing games.
“Would you truly bind yourself to him? Wed him in truth?” Her ears flattened for a moment. “Would you share his destiny?”
I swallowed. No lying here. But I wasn’t sure I knew the truth. “I will do what I must to make things right. Whatever that is,” I added a moment later before reaching into my hair to
Kitsune looked at me curiously as the pain subsided. I drew the robes together about my shoulders.
I sat up straighter on the other side of the low table she knelt behind. “Thank you for taking us in. How is Talivar?”
“Talivar is fine. I have cleansed the poison from his body and he recovers swiftly.” She slid a steaming mug over to me. “This time you will drink it,” she said firmly.
“Yes.” I’d refused to take any form of sustenance from her when we’d met this way before. At the time, I’d no reason to trust her word, though if I had, things might have turned out differently. By accepting a meal from her, I’d be under her protection in an informal sort of guest friendship.
At this point I’d take every bit of protection I could.
I sipped the tea, sighing as a delicate warmth crested over my skin, followed by a twist of irony in my gut. I could only hope Kitsune’s intentions were more honorable than the Queen’s.
The flavor was light, with a hint of vanilla. “It’s good.”
“Of course.” She sounded mildly offended but I smiled at her in thanks.
“I just wanted to say how grateful I am that—”
One smooth hand rose in warning. “Do not thank me for this, Abby, for I do not do these things for you.”
I sat on my heels, stung by her brusque tone.
“I told you once before that a cure for the Faerie Queen would not be welcomed nor sought after, and yet I procured it, upon your request.”
“Hardly out of the goodness of your heart,” I pointed out dryly. “I seem to recall there was a fair amount of contraband involved as part of the trade on my side.”
She nodded. “Yes. And for that I am grateful. Such a gift was beyond measure, but I’m not sure it will be worth it in the end. Better, perhaps, if the Queen had died, or been forced to step down.”
I shrugged at her. No matter what I’d tried to do since becoming involved with the OtherFolk it had almost always been wrong—though I could admit I probably wouldn’t be in this mess if I’d let things alone.
Or you could be dead, my inner voice reminded me snidely.
I did die, I reminded it, so shut up .
“Fine. I fucked up. What is it you expect me to do? I’m under a geas and that limits my options.” I set down the mug a little more forcefully than I intended, the tea sloshing over the sides.
“I would not undo it, even if I could.” Kitsune dabbed at the spilled tea with a small cloth.
“That’s a hell of thing to say,” I snapped, my fingers trembling in sudden anger. “And why not?”
“Interfering in another’s destiny is never wise,” she replied calmly. “This knot you must untangle for yourself.” Her golden eyes narrowed and I shivered beneath her scrutiny. “Or not, as the case may be.”
“How very Zen of you.” Part of me wanted to rage at her about the unfairness of it all, but what was the point? She’d already made her choice. I was on my own.
My hand traced over the bruised ring at my neck. “It seems you were right about me not being the Key’s true owner, but I think I’ve paid the price for that.”
She took my hand in hers, rolling it over to exposethe cut on my palm. A hot flush swept over my cheeks as she stared at the crescent-shaped nick. Trust Talivar to have put an artistic flare into it. At least it would be a pretty scar.
“Where is he?” I was tired of playing games.
“Would you truly bind yourself to him? Wed him in truth?” Her ears flattened for a moment. “Would you share his destiny?”
I swallowed. No lying here. But I wasn’t sure I knew the truth. “I will do what I must to make things right. Whatever that is,” I added a moment later before reaching into my hair to
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