Page 30 of The Monster's Mate

She drops the paper. “My God. He knows. He knows you’re affiliated with the commune! Why else would he suddenly start speaking religiously?”

I shake my head. “No. No, he’s just trying to scare us. To flush us out, Sam. If he knew, he’d be at that door right now.”

“Wait. What is Lucifer’s Daughter?” Kalrian asks, his brow knotted.

“It’s Lucy’s real name. They changed it to that when she was two right before giving her to the home. We didn’t find out what her legal name was until she was released.” Then Sam turns to me and sucks in a ragged breath. “How do you explain the accidents hitting the church?”

“Just Isabel’s dad trying to flush her out. That’s all. It has nothing to do with me.” But I cling to that thought out of desperation. Please, please, please let it be Isabel’s dad and not mine. “They never happen at night when she—I—am working. They happen during the day or at events put on by the religious sect.”

“The Britonian leader sent Kalrian and Mejak here to be sure. He’s looking into how to get you safely to Pimeon, but like we suspected, to register you means to expose you and your name.”

“I really don’t think this means anything. I think we’re reading too much into it. The accident at work was a fluke, nothing more. If another one happens, and another one? Okay, you’re right. But it was once, Sam.”

“There was more than once.”

“Those don’t count. They didn’t happen to me, or the church. It’s just various buildings getting old and flukes happen. If the accidents had been more harmful or targeted to the buildings I clean, I’d be the first to admit something’s up. But they’re too random.”

Sam bites her lip. “Maybe you’re right.”

“You know I’m right. And I love that you’re scared for me. But I think we’re okay.”

Mejak clears his throat. “Skiden hasn’t been the same since he returned home.”

I freeze. Oh, God. Did our fight distract him? Did he get injured—perhaps in an accident? I’m aware of everyone’s eyes on me. “Is—is he okay?”

“He’s been a beast,” Kalrian says. “Angry at the world. Which, even though you’ve only met him once, I’m pretty sure you’ve seen is completely unlike him.”

I nod. “He’s an easy-going guy.”

“He works behind the scenes. He’s the buffer between his brothers. Between his parents. He’s always kept things running smooth, even when his brother Bronan was being trained to lead the clan. He kept Bronan on point when their patron tried to sabotage his relationship with Tiran, the middle sibling from another patron.”

“We’re guessing something happened here,” Kalrian says and all six eyes are fixed on me.

“Well, uh, I—yes,” I admit. “We had a fight and I asked him to leave.” Threw him out is more like it.

“What?” Sam says. “Why? You guys were getting along great when I left! Did he make a move on you that wasn’t appreciated?” She scowls and I can feel my cheeks warm.

“No, no, not that.” Not unappreciated, anyway. “I, uh, asked him to match with you. In the program.”

Her mouth drops.

“Lucy!” she says when she recovers. “Surely you saw that he had a crush on you?”

“Well, yes. I know that. But I also know that you leaving could keep you safe from Duke’s clutches. And I’m safe, hidden the way I am. You’re out in the open—”

“No wonder Skiden got pissed.” She cringes. “Maybe he thought we planned it.”

“No, no!” I assure her. “Skiden’s not like that. He just—” Well, now I’ve done it. Now I have to go into more detail. “To be honest, he and I hit it off.” I’m sure my cheeks are about as red as cherries. “Like really hit it off. But I love you so much and I was worried and made it clear that I couldn’t enter the Match Program when he asked. So, I asked him to take you instead and of course, he found that really insulting after what we shared.”

There’s an awkward moment.

“Oh, honey,” Sam says softly. “You like him.”

I nod frantically, knotting my brows to keep my emotions in check. “I wanted to say I’m sorry, but I can’t even reach him.”

Kalrian clears his throat at the sudden silence. “We can tell him for you. We’re going back in a few days before Samantha’s parents return from their cruise.”

“Would you?” I ask.

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