Immortal Blood by Magen McMinimy, Cynthia Shepp Editing

without getting much in the way of facts. She could be standing in a room full of creatures that would eat her for all she knew —all because she had been blindsided by a pretty face.
    Izzy suddenly felt very exposed and unsure of the situation she now found herself in.
    When Bain finally let the woman go and focused back on Izzy, he gave her a quizzical look, his brows forming a V as he tried to assess her sudden change in mood.
    Shit. What parts of her musings were written on her face?
    “Isabelle, this is Lady Esperanza, but I call her Mother. ”
    “ Mother ?” Izzy’s eyes shot between the two of them. Crap, she saw it now. Bain had the same face shape as the stunning woman.
    “Yes, I admit I am responsible for this one. And you must be the human I’ve heard so much about.”
    Izzy wasn’t sure what the difference in her tone when she said the words human meant. Somehow, it didn’t seem like a compliment.
    She continued, “Your kind … well, they fascinate me, they always have.”
    Fascinate did not sound like a compliment at all either . In fact, it sounded like a dig.
    “Oh … really, and how is that?” Izzy held the woman’s mysterious gaze.
    “ Mom .” Bain’s voice sounded in a warning tone.
    “Oh Bain , relax, I meant nothing by it. I find her species interesting—is that a crime?”
    “No,” Izzy answered, but wondered if she found them interesting like a scientist finds a new bug species interesting, like something to dissect. Izzy kept a smile on her face as she continued, “I’m curious about your world and your people as well.”
    Lady Esperanza smiled . “Perhaps my son will allow me a little of your time during your stay with us, so we can learn from one another .”
    “Sounds lovely,” Izzy continued with a smile plastered on her face.
    Esperanza turned her sights back on Bain. “She is charming, Bain.” She patted his cheek and walked off to a small group of Fae woman.
    Izzy arched a brow at him . “Should I be insulted? She didn’t make charming sound like a compliment.”
    Bain shook his head with a forced smile on his face . “It’s nothing to be concerned about, I assure you. Come, I’ll introduce you to Lothar.”
     
     
    Dinner was amazing , and the company was pretty good too. They folded Izzy into their world easily, making her feel welcomed. She laughed as Esperanza told stories of Bain’s childhood, she sat mesmerized as Lothar and Bain reminisced about battles from their past, and shook her head at some of the stories of the five brothers.
    She was intrigued and couldn’t wait to meet Rowan, as everyone spoke so highly of her. She learned of Bain’s father , who had passed nearly a century ago, but she could still see the pain in both Bain and his mothers’ eyes. They had inquired about Izzy’s family, and she was, as always, proud and willing to talk about them. They were an important part of her life; hell, if she was honest, they were her life.
    When dinner was over and the others began to disperse, Bain pulled her chair out for her and took her hand .
    “It was lovely to meet you,” she told Lothar as they exited the room
    “I was thinking much the same, Isabelle,” Lothar said, smiling at her. His smile was reflected in the grayish-blue of his eyes.
    He seemed very honest and real. She wondered if that had something to do with his gift . An empath would be empathetic, feeling what others felt would make you hard pressed to be anything but raw and real with them, right? Regardless, she instantly liked him. He reminded her of Uriah, gentle and trustworthy, which made sense, seeing as how they were actually biologically related.
     

Chapter Nineteen
     
     
    “You still up for a tour? Or did my family suck the last of your energy ?”
    Izzy bumped her shoulder against him . “Not hardly, they were fascinating and very welcoming.”
    She didn’t mention her previous bug and scientist analogy that she had originally thought about his mother. Lady