Page 96 of By the Fae

Also no, he said, and I heard the words as clear as though he had spoken them, but his lips didn’t move.

So, you can read my thoughts? All my thoughts?I said, in my head.

Yes. Everything.

I didn’t have enough spare energy to think about the meaning, or consequences, or even care about them.

Will Goldie be back?I asked, at the same time Joey said, “Where’s he gone?”

Dima looked between the pair of us, his brow creasing in the centre. He floated over to the desk chair in the corner, pulled it out, and not sat on it exactly, more like hovered two inches above it.

He was quiet for the longest time. I realised he must have been conversing with Joey and Taurin telepathically when Joey said, “She has a right to know.”

Dima shook his head. It was subtle, but unmistakable. Whatever he knew, whatever they were talking about, was bad. Terrible.

You tell her then!he shouted — shouted? — into my mind — our minds? I was so confused.

I felt as small as a child.

Joey’s hands went to her hair. “I can’t tell her. I can’t believe he would do that.”

“Do what?” I said, or at least, I think I said.

She pinched her lips between her teeth and shrugged in Dima’s general direction.

Taurin knelt in front of me. He cleared his throat. “About a month ago, Goldie told Dima if he ever developed true feelings for you, if he thought he might be falling in love, he was going to leave Borderlands. To, uh, forget about you. He’s gone to the Kingdom.”

The room seemed to darken around me. “The Kingdom of the Fae,” I said. It wasn’t a question, but Taurin nodded. “For how long? When will he be back?”

He looked over his shoulder at the vampire, swallowed loud enough for me to hear over the blood pounding in my ears, and said to his trainers, “A couple of decades.”

I said nothing.

A couple of decades.

Twenty years.

Two zero.

I’d be nearly fifty when he returned.

“Okay.” The word came out of my mouth, but I didn’t feel it leaving.

The others were silent for the longest time. Either having some internal conversation I was not privy to, or else they were waiting for me to say something.

But there were no words left. No tears, either. Nothing.

Just inescapable emptiness.

A couple of decades.

He didn’t really mean twenty years. He couldn’t have. Surely he was exaggerating.

I wish I could say he was,the vampire said.

Eventually, Joey ran her fingers through my hair. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need to. When you’re ready, I’ll drive you home.”

“Don’t you have work today?” I said, wondering how long I could get away with sitting naked, wrapped in a blanket, on Joey and Taurin’s marital bed. How long before I could even pretend to function?

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