Page 99 of Fated or Knot

Then the three males started suggesting the other two leave, having a circular argument about who should show me to my nest. Fal, who reminded them that he was the eldest and “her obvious favorite,” he’d practically purred. Little did he know how not obvious my favorite prince was when I was smitten with all four of them.

Marius, my protector and “the only one of us who wouldn’t take advantage of her.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to tempt his feral side, nonetheless.

And Tormund, put off that it would be any male but him. “I’m her comfort and the one who’s going to help her fill her nest. I should see it first.” He was far more eloquent while speaking his native language.

I realized what showing me to my nest really meant and turned red around the edges. Stars, I wanted them too, but maybe not tonight. I wasn’t fully recovered yet, and my adventure around the palace had tuckered me out.

Interrupting their argument, I said, “I think I’ll head to my nest. See you all tomorrow?”

There was a joint sigh of disappointment, only for them to leave me to rest with kisses and gentle touches. They took itgracefully enough, at least. I went to curl up in my nest with my new acquisition, the fleece blanket from the library, and held the kelpie plush in my arms as I drifted off.

This time, I cast out my mind in search of the dreamer I wanted to visit.

“Hi,” giggled a nixie girl. She craned her neck up at me with a big toothy grin. I wasn’t the best at guessing kids’ ages, but I’d put her at six, maybe seven. She was as blue as Marius, with a mop of navy curls atop her head, and was dressed in puffy pajamas.

Our surroundings were fuzzy, as only a dream space could be.Stars, I was in the wrong dream.

The girl dreamed of a colorful space in candy tones, a warm paradise with no discernible ground, only cloud fluff below our feet.

“Hi,” I said back, wondering if she knew she was dreaming and that I was just visiting.

“I’m Ambriel,” she told me joyfully. Her fins flared out behind her, wiggling just because. They were speckled heavily in dapples of bright green and gray. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Lark,” I said.

She reached up and put her little hand in mine. “Want to play, Lark?”

Aww.I didn’t think I could say no to a face like that.

I woke with a smile and full clarity of the dream I’d just experienced with Ambriel. The little nixie and I had skipped through a nonsensical space and played made-up games until the dream inevitably ended, and I’d drifted in dreamless rest for the rest of the night.

I turned over the plush kelpie I’d been snuggling with. It’d once been the girl’s toy. Thalas had mentioned using items that belonged to the one whose dream I wanted to enter to guide my mind there. But what did I have of Kauz’s? Maybe I could visit his rooms or his bedside and borrow something small. If I knew where either location was.

I stumbled out of bed early and crutched my way to the shower, getting ready for the day without my handmaidens’ help. Since Jani and Lon weren’t here yet, neither was breakfast. I shrugged to myself as I fumbled the doorknob open and crept into the hall. Marius wasn’t waiting for me yet, so I reasoned that I should probably head back inside. Stars knew what kind of fury he’d work himself into if I tried to venture off on my own.

There was a furry creature idly cleaning itself nearby, back pressed to the end of the hall. I didn’t call it a cat yet, considering how it could be a grimalkin. But it was cute, small, and fluffy white. I eased to my knees and crawled closer, holding my hand out.

“Hi there,” I whispered. It blinked at me slowly.

I’d always been good with animals. It might’ve been a pixie thing, but I liked to think it was a secret talent or somethingabout me that put them at ease. The potential cat didn’t bolt as I inched a little closer, and it sniffed my fingers. “Are you a grimalkin?” I asked it.

It sat upright with a low growl, then bolted away as if its life depended on it. Aw, I guess it was a grimalkin. I lifted my head as I heard footsteps on the stairs behind me. Marius approached with his usual predatory lope, taking in where I knelt on the ground with a brief dilation of his eyes. Niall just sneaking a peek, I guessed. “Did you just ask that mouser if it was a grimalkin?” he asked.

“I wanted to be sure. A grimalkin nearly took my arm off the last time I tried to pet one,” I said.

He covered his face with his palm, then bent to help me up and back underneath my crutches. “That was likely also a cat. It’s considered rude for shifters to take their second form in polite society. And a shifted grimalkin ismuchbigger than a palace mouser.”

“Good to know.”

“Did you want a cat?” He tilted his head, a hint of Unseelie cunning flashing across his expression. “I’ll make a deal with you. Give me an hour, and I will find you a cat for a visit. There are plenty of mousers around.”

“What’s the catch?” I asked, a little uneasy.

“You go back in your rooms and rest until I return with the cat,” he said. Sounded reasonable enough. “And then, we can have a lesson on common Unseelie races. You clearly need more than just kelpie facts.”

“Fine,” I sighed, sticking my hand out to shake, though my balance wobbled. He held me steady for the handshake and got the door for me. At the threshold, I paused, turning to him. “Do you have any more kelpie facts, though?”

His usual unreadable face had relaxed, his lips now quirked with a hint of amusement. “Always. Our brightest scientificminds call this aco-evolutionwith nixies.” He flexed his hand, unfurling membranes between his fingers that looked identical to the webbing nixies had.

---