Page 84 of Flirting with Darkness

He did, and he’s crossing the wide space under the canopy to join us.

The crowd’s eyes are on me. I’m used to attention, as is any musician, but I flush all the same. When I’m watched this closely, I’m usually dressed either in a pretty party dress of my choosing, or in an appropriately somber gown, with a flute in hand.

“The mortal realm?” a woman at his side remarks.

She’s shorter than me by at least a foot, though I’m only five foot three.

She’s impossibly thin, and her translucent pale pink skin makes her look sickly, though I can’t deny her beauty: impossibly long silver lashes, the bluest of eyes, and a face so delicate she would have seemed like a doll if she hadn’t been speaking.

“What did you go to the mortal realm for? We have plenty of humans here.”

I blink. They have humans?

Jaynus shrugs. “Harder to catch, and overused. I wanted a fresh one.”

Overused.

I want to retch. Preferably on him.

“The paths between their world and ours are dangerous, Jay. Especially bringing one along on the way back.”

“It is done,” he declares unrepentantly.

I huff a frustrated breath. I want to hear more about those paths, danger be damned. I want their exact location, and everything else about them.

“Jaynus.”

I shiver, awareness prickling the back of my neck even before I lift my gaze and see him.

I knew it would behim. No one else could have a voice so suave and full of dark promises.

Lost in the dazzling depth of the gold of his eyes, moving like liquid inside his endless pupils, I miss it at first, but when I can make myself look away, I notice that Jaynus is shocked into speechlessness.

I don’t know who or what the newcomer is, but I immediately decide I like him, for this moment alone.

Jaynus finally recovers and bows as low as he can without falling over. “Your Grace.”

I see that everyone around me has bent forward or fallen into curtsies. I hesitate but opt to remain exactly as I am. Fuck this world and its customs. I am an American. We claimed our independence a long time ago. I’m not about to learn to curtsy now.

“None of that,” the man dismisses. “The winter court is well, I hope.”

“You’re very kind, my lord. As well as can be, given the circumstances. Cissavna’s betrayal has left a lot of unrest, dissent. Still, we manage. If you were to visit—”

“Let us talk after the conclave.” Then, interrupting all attempts at pleasantries, he turns to me. “We haven’t had the pleasure. You may call me Valdred. You are?”

His voice is like warm chocolate on a winter night. I lick my lips. “Humans aren’t supposed to give our names to fairies, are we?”

I know next to nothing about fairy tales, but a thank-you got me into this mess. Right now, I’m taking everything I have ever heard for fact.

Valdred offers his arm, and I needle mine through his, letting him lead me away. Perhaps foolish, but nothing seems worse than remaining here with Jaynus.

My captor is either too impressed or afraid to think to stop us.

“That only applies to true names. Do you know yours?”

I wrinkle my nose. “What’s that? “

“The name that shapes your soul, rather than one given to you by others. It comes to us fair folk in our youth. Some mortals also hear it in their heart.”

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