Page 210 of Blood & Betrayals

“We weren’t fighting,” I say with a shrug.

I can feel his exasperated look without being able to see it. “You know what I’m referencing, little fae.”

“We’ve worked it out, yes. Have you decided to stop being cold to me?” I ask, lifting my chin.

He crosses his arms and leans against the banister wrapping the porch. “Cold?”

I return his exasperated look.

“This killer,” he begins, pushing past the question, “wants you scared. Which made me wonder why.”

I sit on the porch step to listen. The stranger sits next to me, our bodies close but not touching. I look down at my legs and the goosebumps covering them and tug the shirt down over my knees.

“Which led me to something intriguing about fae. Did you know that while your eyes are a rare color for fae, they are not entirely unique?”

I don’t say anything. The habits of the past keep me from discussing my eyes. I tip my head and watch him, waiting for him to continue.

“One of the first Queens of the Fae had eyes like yours, a bright, pale blue.”

“She did?” I ask.

He nods. “I think there’s a reason you were brought to Avalon, why this all seems to be centered on you. I believe you might be a contender to the throne of your people. That alone makes you very dangerous to the current king and most fae.”

I shake my head. “That can’t be?—”

“The killer references the Mark of Nimue in every killing. Nimue was a handmaiden to the last rulers of Faerie.”

“I know that. I’ve done a little research, not that there’s much to find. But what does this have to do with me? I’m just a fae with weird eyes.”

“You challenge their very existence, little fae. The Fae King has built an empire since the fall of your home realm. He has people who both fear and love him in equal measure, but you’re the candle refusing to extinguish in a howling wind. They’ll want to snuff you out. The king especially.”

I exhale and look up at the sky. “None of this makes any sense. It can’t be true. Did I make a mistake in coming here?”

“No. I don’t know why or how, but you obviously came to someone’s attention, and I think being here is the only thing that’s kept you alive.”

I shift closer to him and lay my head on his shoulder. He tenses for a moment before relaxing again. “Don’t be cold to me,” I whisper into the night.

He doesn’t reply for a long moment. “I’m sorry. I was annoyed.”

“Why? What did I do?”

He exhales and shakes his head. “Nothing.”

“Stranger?” I whisper, shifting a little closer. I swear I can feel the slightest amount of warmth coming from him.

“Hm?”

“You make me feel less lonely.”

“You’re surrounded by friends. What is it I offer that they don’t?” I can hear the confusion in his voice.

I pause for a moment, considering, though I already know the answer. It’s a lonely answer, but it’s a true one. “You understand me in a way they don’t.”

“Your darkness calls to mine.”

Something inside me twists, but it’s not unpleasant. “You feel it, too?” I whisper.

“Yes. Why do you think I started watching you?”

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