Page 95 of Heir of Ashes

She was mid-sip when I replied, “Dr. Dean and Remo Drammen.”

Tea spewed from her mouth as she choked violently. I got up, filled a glass of water, and brought it to her. She stared at me, stupefied. I shifted uncomfortably from side to side. I had to remind myself I was no longer a child and this woman was not my mother before I could lift my eyes from the ground and face her.

“They deserved it,” I said defensively.

“I guess that explains why there aren’t any of his watchdogs sniffing around the house.”

I paused. So, she didn’t know about the botched break-in and my contract with the Hunters.

“But Drammen—how?”

“I guess I took them by surprise.”

After the shock wore off, she asked the important question, “Why were Dr. Michael Dean and Drammen together in the Low Lands? And you?”

“Dr. Dean sold me to Remo Drammen, and the Low Lands was their rendezvous point.”

Elizabeth’s black eyes darkened with anger. I wondered if my eyes looked like that when I was furious too.

“What did he give Dr. Michael Dean?” she asked.

“Archer.”

Her face jerked back as if an invisible hand had slapped her, and her eyes widened in shock, showing the whites all around. I doubted she’d had as many surprising revelations in her lifetime as she had in the past half hour.

“That boy was telling the truth. The PSS does have Archer,” she murmured to herself.

I gathered “that boy” was Logan.

“We thought he was exaggerating. We assumed he’d had gone somewhere to unwind and didn’t want anyone to know.” Then she straightened and got up. “I need to make a phone call.”

“He’s alright. He’s not there anymore. He’s out.”

She paused with her hand on the phone and looked at me. “You?”

I shrugged. “Not for him.”

Apparently, my word wasn’t enough. She took the phone and walked out of the kitchen. I heard the name “Ruben” before a distant door banged shut.

When she returned five minutes later, only two cookies remained on the previously full plate.

“I called an urgent meeting for next week,” she said briskly. “The message will be passed on to Archer. Let’s hope you’re right.”

They thought next week was urgent? I shrugged. Not my problem. “So tell me … what am I?” I asked after she settled back down to finish her cold tea.

“And don’t tell me I’m the offspring of a human and a Rejected,” I snapped when she opened her mouth. “I want toknow what the Rejected are and everything you can tell me about myself.”

She stared into her cup for a moment. “I suppose you deserve to know. Where do you want me to start?”

“From the beginning. Why Rejected?”

She nodded once. “Very well. We’ll start from our origin. Ever heard about the Seelie and the Unseelie?”

“Assume I haven’t.”

“The Seelie and Unseelie are two factions of the fae, originally from the Sidhe land, a world that is parallel and in sync with this one. The Sidhe land is divided horizontally, with the Seelie occupying the entire middle, and the Unseelie at the top. No one owns the bottom half. The Dhiultadh—the Rejected—tried to claim it.” She waved a hand dismissively. “But that is an entirely different story, maybe for some other time. The Seelie live together in harmony and peace. They are good-looking, often human-like, dress very well, and usually mind their own business. Mostly, they are civilized—in comparison to other creatures from other worlds. They occasionally find entertainment in deceiving others into owing them favors, often demanding something as valuable as a firstborn. They are powerful, deceptive, and self-serving, but mostly benign.

“The Unseelie, on the other hand, are a solitary and malevolent lot. They revel in causing pain and suffering, both to each other and others. While they lack the natural beauty of the Seelie, they are adept in the use of glamor and often change their appearances. Though some Seelie may appear less human and some Unseelie more so, the latter are primarily known for their darker, twisted nature.” She paused and took a sip of her tea. “One day, a Seelie named Verenastra, daughter of Queen Titania and one of the most beautiful Sidhe in the land, ventured too far from her home. The leader of the Unseelie, Madoc, saw her nearhis territory. It was a grave offense to enter another’s territory without observing the hospitality code.

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