Page 15 of Silent Secrets

We both turn to find a man standing in the doorway, head ducked, and a blush riding high on his cheeks. And just like every other Fae, he is beautiful. He appears to be of Asian descent—or whatever the Fae equivalent of that is. His black hair is cut close on the sides, the top swooping to the side and over his forehead and falling into his eyes. Sharp cheekbones cut across his face and honestly, I’d be more apt to call him beautiful, but while he’s slight of build, there is no mistaking his masculinity.

“Kai, what are you doing here?” The look Marcos shoots me is full of longing and apology. At least I know he wanted this to progress further as much as I did.

“I just got back from Shita and thought I would escort Hadley to the East Drawing room. That is, if you’d like me to.” Kai’s eyes move from Marcos to me for a moment before returning to the other man.

“That was nice of you, Kai.” Marcos turns to me while gesturing to Kai. “Hadley, this is Kai Jin, the Autumn court representative. Kai, this is the future Fae Queen Hadley.”

When Kai’s eyes lift to mine, I give him a small smile. He seems shy and I want to put him at ease. I’m not sure if it’s because he was thoughtful enough to think to seek me out so that he could walk me to the room where we’re having our lesson, or if it’s something else.

“It’s really nice to meet you, Kai.”

“You, too.” His eyes drop once more. “I’ll just wait in the hallway until you’re ready.”

Before Marcos or I can speak, he steps out of the doorway, closing the door behind him. Marcos runs his hand through his hair as he leans back in his seat.

“Do me a favor?” he asks.

“Sure.” I don’t hesitate, which is unlike me, but if I don’t like what he asks of me, I can always say no.

“Be easy on him. He had a meeting with his father that he’s been at most of the day and I can guarantee it was not a good meeting, so be kind to him?”

I frown. “Why wouldn’t I be? Was I not kind to you?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Marcos huffs. “Kai isn’t like me, Caiden, and Hunter. He…”

“He what?”

“It’s not my story to tell. Just know that his life hasn’t been easy. And he’s much closer to your age than me, Caiden, and Hunter.”

I frown. “Okay, a few things. Number one, who the hell is Hunter? That’s the second time you’ve mentioned him. And I don’t know how old any of you are, but neither you nor Caiden look that much older than me or Kai.”

“Hunter is the Winter court representative. He’ll be doing your magic lessons. Did someone explain to you about Fae’s extended lives?”

I nod, recalling that Grace had explained during our tour that most Fae live hundreds of years, depending on how strong their magic is. The stronger their magic, the longer they live. I’d been shocked to find out that the Fae Queens had been known to live for well over a thousand years. I can’t even imagine living that long, but I guess I’ll need to wrap my mind around it eventually.

“Thank goodness for that. Hunter and Caiden are both over one hundred years old. Hunter was born nine months before Caiden. They were raised together. I’m thirty-one years younger than Caiden, but Kai is only twenty-four. So technically, he still has another half a year before his aging slows.”

I sit there in shock. Caiden certainly didn’t look over 100, but I guess he’s only a quarter of the way through his life if he’s lucky, so it makes sense. But I don’t understand why Kai is so much younger than they are.

Thinking back on what I’d learned today, Marcos had said that the court aristocrats like to have their heirs within a few years of one another so that they’re raised together. Based on that, it’s even odd that Marcos was thirty years younger than the other two.

“I don’t understand. I thought you said that the families tried to have their eldest within years of one another, but you’re 30 years younger, and Kai is eighty years younger.”

Marcos’s teeth sink into his bottom lip as he grimaces. “I can’t tell you Kai’s story—and please don’t ask him. If he wants you to know, he’ll tell you in his own time. But my mom had problems conceiving. No one could figure out why, and it was a happy surprise when she got pregnant with me. A year later, she was pregnant with my brother Benjamin—an even bigger surprise, let me tell you, since most Fae wait decades between pregnancies.”

The more I find out about the Fae, the more I realize just how much I don’t know. Doubt creeps in, imposter syndrome at its finest, because how in the hell can I expect to lead the Fae when I know nothing about them?

“Hey,” Marcos’s voice is quiet as he cups my cheek, concern obvious in his eyes as he frowns down at me. “Where did your mind just go?”

I shake my head, trying to clear the negative thoughts as I straighten my shoulders. Marcos might have been kind to me—hell, he’d been flirting with me for sure—but that doesn’t mean that I can trust him.

“Nothing important.”

I step back, away from his touch—which is much harder than it should be for someone that I’ve just met. “Thank you for the lessons. I guess I’ll see you at dinner?”

Marcos doesn’t look convinced, but he nods slowly. “You most certainly will.”

I shoot him a quick smile before dashing around him and into the hallway, where I find Kai leaning against the wall. He straightens with a smile when he sees me.

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