Page 58 of Faerie Trials

So they knew how important Mike was to me. And I to him. I filed that little tidbit of information away for later.

“It’s fine,” I insisted before Mike could argue. I squeezed his hand. “It won’t take long. They need every detail they can get to catch this killer and I’m happy to help in any way possible.”

But inside, I was shaking. Let them think I was being cooperative. In truth, they wouldn’t get a thing out of me I didn’t want them to know.

I definitely didn’t want Mike around to witness me weaving more lies.

It took a little convincing but eventually he nodded, stroking his thumb across the top of my hand once before letting it go. “Find me immediately once you’re done.”

At least this time the two agents didn’t grab me and drag me away like a criminal. They waited for me to approach and then called up a portal to transport us out of the forest. It deposited us right on the doorstep to the same building we’d gone to the first time around.

Bureau headquarters. I might as well get used to being here. I had the sickening sensation I’d be spending a lot more time with the investigators.

Claribel wasted no time. “You sure seem to be around a lot of bodies, don’t you, Tavi?” She didn’t ask if she could call me by my first name. It would be the only question she didn’t ask.

“It must be a gift you have,” Rooker added.

The two of them settled behind the table, with Rooker glancing at the empty chair across from him. I knew the look.Sit.

I did, realizing I had very little experience to navigate this encounter. My fried brain didn’t want to work. My strength was all but completely sapped. Taken all together, it put me on thin ice. Very thin ice indeed.

Proceed with caution.

“A gift? More like a curse,” I replied shortly. I was done playing nice. Done pretending like I wasn’t absolutely exhausted by these proceedings. Did they not think this was hard on me? Did they think I actually liked all the trouble that kept finding me? The mounting pressure on my shoulders?

Silence reigned for a long moment. “There are five bodies, Tavi,” Rooker stated. “Five dismembered bodies of pure-blood Faes, taken down with a sort of ferocity we have not seen in this land for generations. You must understand why we’re concerned. Especially considering the issues you seem to be having lately and the fact that you’ve not only found yourself at this latest crime scene but seem to have in fact personally stopped the attack on Juno Ians. We simply want to understand what you’re capable of.”

“Tell us about this latest body,” Claribel finished for her partner.

I shrugged, trying for innocent nonchalance. “It was ripped apart.” But every part of me went numb as I pictured the body in my mind.

“Do you believe this is connected to the attack you interrupted the other day? The one involving Professor Ians?”

I grimaced. “Yes, I absolutely do,” I answered. “Now why don’t you tell me what you really think?”

More silence. Finally, Claribel sighed. “What we think about what?”

“About my involvement. Because I’m sure you’ve had the same thought I had. Someone has it out for me, especially considering how I stepped in tosavemy mentor.” Let them chew on those words. “I’m exhausted and worried and tired of dead bodies, too.”

Claribel tilted her head to the side. “I’m sure you are,” she said gently. It was the first spark of sympathy I’d ever seen out of her. “It does seem to happen to you more than the average Faerie citizen. I’d be disappointed if you didn’t put the pieces together.”

“I didn’t even get to complete the first Trial.” I stared down at the floor and noticed the dirt on my sneakers, the stray leaves and twigs attached to the soft fabric of my pants. Surely they knew, at this point, all about my issues with classes at the Elite Academy. They couldn’t possibly think I’d done this on purpose, brought more attention to myself with everything else going on.

Things had gotten complicated in a hurry.

Both agents took me through a round of questioning to make Detective Wilson’s investigations look like a kid with a school report. They made a big production now of keeping eye contact and going for the sympathy approach rather than the knuckle-down hard way they’d adopted the first time around. They even offered me a glass of water.

I turned it down, thinking it was better not to ingest anything.

I made it through without losing my temper and with as much honesty as possible. Until their final set of questions.

Claribel smiled. “We do appreciate your attention to detail, although I feel obliged to let you know there are a few holes in your story.”

I shook my head. “Not surprising. I’ve been having trouble concentrating with my classes. I believe it’s called being overworked.”

And let’s be honest. I had crappy memory retention at the best of times. My recollections of the crime scenes outside of today were vague at best. I’d already described the beast that attacked Juno, a large and shaggy creature whose face I didn’t recognize because, well,beast.

“I suppose we can’t expect a little halfling to have the memory of a pure-blood Fae, even one attending Elite Academy,” Rooker said with more than a touch of sarcasm.

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