Page 45 of The Evernight Court

“I do?” That certainly surprised me.

Quinn raised her brows. “Yes, you do. Youknowhow much magic you’re gathering, don’t you? You’re training it?”

I flinched. “Nope.” And I turned to the stage again, but I wasn’t really listening to the music anymore.

“Why not? The Evernights must be teaching you. They teach all the brides personally, and they’re very good at magic,” Quinn insisted.

“Grey’s banished, remember?” If he were here, maybe he’d have taught me all about magic. If he were here, maybe I’d have wanted to learn all there was to learn about it, too. I’d have learned Faeish as well. Maybe even how to fight eventually, just for the fun of it.

If Grey were here.

“But the others are still there. I heard your blood is compatible with all of them. Is that a lie?”

I tried to focus on the people in the bar sitting around us next, hoping to distract myself a little bit. “No, it’s true.”

“Then why aren’t you learning magic? That should be your main concern right now if there really is something you need to protect yourself from.”

I turned to her, laughing. “Has anybody told you that you ask way too many questions, Quinn?”

She grinned like I’d paid her a compliment. “I’m a curious girl. What can you do?” She shrugged.

“I can’t learn magic because I can’t be taught by the other brothers because I don’t want to. That enough for ya?”

“Not even close,” she admitted.

“Well, it’s all you’re going to get.”

“Fine. Then you should read a book on magic.” She stood up from the table, grabbing her empty cup. “Want another?”

“I’m good.” I still had half a cup left. “And I can’t read a book on magic.”

“You don’t have books?”

“Oh, I have plenty of books. I just can’t read Faeish.” And unfortunately for me, I had nowhere to learn, either.

Quinn walked backward to the bar, deep in thought, then raised her index finger at me. “Let me see what I can do about that.” And she winked.

We stayed another half an hour until I drank all of my ale, and she drank another two, and she told me all about how soundmakers use their magic to alter the sound of the instruments they played, even the sound of their own voice.

If I knew how to use magic, how to get it to bend to my will, I was pretty sure I could do it, too. Maybe not right away, but with practice. With years and years of practice, and I wouldn’t stop until I got it right.

Besides, what else was I going to do in this place for the rest of my life?

Eleven

I playedthe violin the next day.

The sound came out all wrong and sopoorcompared to what Lenna had done on stage last night, but I was smiling ear to ear when I was done. It was music, music thatI’dmade, and that was enough. I could get better as soon as my hands remembered what it was like to play the one I played at school. I could get better in no time.

But on the fourth night, I ran all out of food to eat, and I needed to be full before training with Quinn. My muscles were already used to the way she made me move—which was a damn miracle and further proof that I was most definitely not the Fall I used to be. Definitely not human anymore. But I still needed to eat for energy, so I was forced out of my tower after three long days, and I had no choice but to go searching in the kitchenbeforedinner started and the brides went to the dining room. Not that I was afraid of them, but I didn’t want to see them, didn’t want to see how they openly judged me, how theyblamedme when they’d all been there, had all seen what had happened that morning in the clearing.

Unfortunately, at that time of day, even though I made itto the kitchen without running into anyone, the kitchen was full. Two chefs and three helpers, all wearing white, not to mention Vinny and Aster were at the kitchen isle, sitting on stools with books in their hands.

Everyone stopped what they were doing when I went in with my basket, and they all hated me so much it was in the fucking air. It smelled heavenly in there—they were preparing for dinner, I assumed, and I was so hungry I wanted to get a little bit of everything, but I was also too proud.

So even though Aster and Vinny said that they’d be happy to bring a tray to my room for dinner, I said no because it was painfully obvious that they were lying through their teeth. They wouldn’t behappy—they could hardly look me in the face. They most definitely didn’t want to bring me food, and I was fine with it. I had a kitchen in the tower that I could use, and this time I got everything I could carry in that basket while the chefs and the helpers moved out of my way like they were afraid they’d be contaminated just for breathing the same air as me.

When I went back to the dining room with a full basket, I breathed easier—until I pulled the door open and I found Lucinda standing right there in the middle of the hallway, arms crossed and brows raised, waiting for me.

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