winning hand with me or my mother. I had once vilified this very kind, gentle man because I didn’t have all the facts. I thought him no more than a monster then. It’s funny how views can change so quickly. Now, I couldn’t imagine the fae functioning without his strength. I rested my hand on his. Before I could comment, he flinched and turned away. I let him go, realizing physical contact was just as awkward for him as it was for me. My voice faltered when I spoke, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say. You’re right. I have changed a lot, but only because I’ve realized how little the fae have affected Elemental life.”
He stood at the window. Soft moonlight filtered in, casting shadows under his eyes and cheekbones. “It was not always so.” He swept a look at me, then went back to watching whatever was outside. “There was a time we prized Elementals and their families. It was only when we turned to greed the Order was born. Some thought it would be easier for all involved if we kept a distance from the mortals. For a few centuries, we convinced ourselves the Order was a good idea. Ammon hated the concept from the start. He said humans had no business fooling with power.”
I interrupted him. “Why do you still call him Ammon when he hates it?”
“He’s pretended to be another man since he lost Faine, but a person can only change so much. Ammon fits him better. You’ll come to discover this as time goes on.”
With thoughts as deep as his name, he rarely surprised me. “Why do you say that? What does the name represent to you?” An air of seriousness permeated the room. I could no longer smile because of his reverence.
“Honor. Valiance. Determination. Zach is an everyday name … someone forgettable. Ammon is solid. It’s who he is.”
“You go by Jett …”
“Only to those I don’t trust.”
My stomach flip-flopped. “Oh.”
He smirked. “I’ve told you to call me Jafan more than once. It is you who retains the use of my false name.”
I’d made fun of him before. Jafan is snooty to me, and he’s not. “I like Jett better. I think it fits you more.”
He faced me, frowning. “You’d better have a good reason to say such a thing.”
“Jafan is so stuffy! Come on. You aren’t that person.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Jett was a name given to me as a joke. It is my mortal name. How am I a Jett?”
My breath hitched in my throat. “Well …”
“You cannot justify it. Do not even try.”
My mind spun as I thought of lame reasons. “You’re right. Jett is hip, and you are so not. If you want me to call you Jafan, I’ll do my best.”
He stared levelly. “Thank you.”
I shook my head. We’d gone on quite a tangent, and I’d nearly forgotten why I’d summoned him here in the first place. “Will you do it?”
His chest rose on a sharp breath. “As always, I offer you my best.”
I slugged him in the arm. “You’d better. I’m your queen, you know?”
I barely caught his smirk. “I’m well aware, my lady.”
“How long do you think it will take to draw up a plan?”
He took some time before he answered. “Perhaps a day to choose team leaders. Another two for logistics. I have a few men in mind —”
“I want women involved, too.”
He hesitated a little long for my liking. “Are you sure, Rayla?”
“What reservations do you have? Lysanne would make a great spy.”
Jett laughed. “Spy?”
My hands wanted to go to my hips, but I kept them at my side. “What do you call them?”
He shrugged. “Spy, I guess, is an apt term.” The muscles in his forearms twitched. “The truth is I’m not sure what our women can do in the field. One thing I can tell you, though: they have no experience in the mortal realm, and even the most capable among them could be a liability.” He held up his hand as if he knew my blood was churning. “Before you get angry, hear me out. I’ve no doubt any number of them would make fine officers, given
He stood at the window. Soft moonlight filtered in, casting shadows under his eyes and cheekbones. “It was not always so.” He swept a look at me, then went back to watching whatever was outside. “There was a time we prized Elementals and their families. It was only when we turned to greed the Order was born. Some thought it would be easier for all involved if we kept a distance from the mortals. For a few centuries, we convinced ourselves the Order was a good idea. Ammon hated the concept from the start. He said humans had no business fooling with power.”
I interrupted him. “Why do you still call him Ammon when he hates it?”
“He’s pretended to be another man since he lost Faine, but a person can only change so much. Ammon fits him better. You’ll come to discover this as time goes on.”
With thoughts as deep as his name, he rarely surprised me. “Why do you say that? What does the name represent to you?” An air of seriousness permeated the room. I could no longer smile because of his reverence.
“Honor. Valiance. Determination. Zach is an everyday name … someone forgettable. Ammon is solid. It’s who he is.”
“You go by Jett …”
“Only to those I don’t trust.”
My stomach flip-flopped. “Oh.”
He smirked. “I’ve told you to call me Jafan more than once. It is you who retains the use of my false name.”
I’d made fun of him before. Jafan is snooty to me, and he’s not. “I like Jett better. I think it fits you more.”
He faced me, frowning. “You’d better have a good reason to say such a thing.”
“Jafan is so stuffy! Come on. You aren’t that person.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Jett was a name given to me as a joke. It is my mortal name. How am I a Jett?”
My breath hitched in my throat. “Well …”
“You cannot justify it. Do not even try.”
My mind spun as I thought of lame reasons. “You’re right. Jett is hip, and you are so not. If you want me to call you Jafan, I’ll do my best.”
He stared levelly. “Thank you.”
I shook my head. We’d gone on quite a tangent, and I’d nearly forgotten why I’d summoned him here in the first place. “Will you do it?”
His chest rose on a sharp breath. “As always, I offer you my best.”
I slugged him in the arm. “You’d better. I’m your queen, you know?”
I barely caught his smirk. “I’m well aware, my lady.”
“How long do you think it will take to draw up a plan?”
He took some time before he answered. “Perhaps a day to choose team leaders. Another two for logistics. I have a few men in mind —”
“I want women involved, too.”
He hesitated a little long for my liking. “Are you sure, Rayla?”
“What reservations do you have? Lysanne would make a great spy.”
Jett laughed. “Spy?”
My hands wanted to go to my hips, but I kept them at my side. “What do you call them?”
He shrugged. “Spy, I guess, is an apt term.” The muscles in his forearms twitched. “The truth is I’m not sure what our women can do in the field. One thing I can tell you, though: they have no experience in the mortal realm, and even the most capable among them could be a liability.” He held up his hand as if he knew my blood was churning. “Before you get angry, hear me out. I’ve no doubt any number of them would make fine officers, given
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