Page 20 of Dark Sun (Wicked Lovely 6)

Katherine nodded. “Truth.”

“Of course, it is. Faeries can’t lie.” Gina rolled her eyes. “But if his touch is addictive and yours is, too, what does that mean? Are faery couples like . . . storms?”

Briefly Katherine thought about her parents. They weren’t both fey, but they’d definitely been intense together. Sharing a house with them meant needing a yard or headphones. They were ridiculous.

A flicker of a thought of what that would mean for twogancanaghsmade her need to clear her throat and look away. Her brain quickly filled in “Urian” in the visual that flashed to mind.

Just because he’s the only other gancanagh I’ve met,she consoled herself, but even the thought was enough of a lie for her to flinch.

“I wouldn’t know what two faeries are like together,” Katherine finally said. “But, you know, not all faeries are addictive the way . . . he would be if . . .”

“If you did whatever you were just thinking?” Gina teased.

Despite everything, or maybe because of it, Katherine laughed. “Shut up.”

“Uh huh. We all think it. He’s a fucking prince. Smart. Sweet. Sexy.” Gina fanned herself with her hand. “I wasn’t even sure I could like guys until him. Mostly, I’m all about women, but Uri . . .” She shrugged. “I guess if I was going to have a straight-curious moment it might as well be a faery prince.”

Katherine paused at the defensiveness in Gina’s tone. There was an edge, a fuck-you-if-you-reject-me thread there that Katherine thought she could stand to adopt. “I wish I could say that about whatI amwith your attitude.”

Gina gave her a weird look.

“Faery. I never admitted it before today, but in fairness, I don’t get out much so maybe I would’ve if I had more opportunities. My mother is protective.”

“Because she’s human?” Gina asked.

“Yeah. And my father was . . . I mean, they were so in love it was like an ice cream headache sometimes. All the sweet. All the cold. They fought sometimes, but even then . . . just in love like it was their jobs.” Katherine shook her head. “Then he died. And she’s left with me. Not quite human. Not quitenot. We thought I could be hidden, especially because we thought they didn’t notice me, but I guess that’s not really true, is it?”

“Urian knew exactly what you are,” Gina added.

“He knew I was fey which isn’t the same as knowing exactly what I am.” Katherine motioned toward the town. “Show me around.”

Gina paused, clearly with more to say, but she didn’t press the matter. Instead of asking about faeries or cheering for Urian, she gave Katherine a confused look and said, “But you’ve lived here a while now . . .”

“Like I said, I don’t get out much.”

They didn’t do anything terribly exciting. They looked at a used bookshop and browsed a rock shop.

Then Katherine paused, a geode in hand and Gina’s chatter at her side. This was probably the most active thing Katherine had done since moving to New Mexico. At the least, it was the single most independent thing she’d done. Her family worried too much if she left the apartment alone.

What will they do when I leave for real?

If I am recognizable as fey, I can’t hide. I don’t know how to live as a faery, though.

“Coffee?” Gina asked, interrupting her reverie.

“What?” Katherine put the rock back on the shelf carefully.

“Caffeine. Coffee? Tea? Soda? I need something.” Gina motioned toward the door. “Do you drink any of those things?”

“Whatever has sugar sounds good to me.”

“Sweet tooth, huh?” Gina teased.

“I think so . . .” Katherine shook her head. Traditionally, sugar wasn’t appealing, but she could recall her father at the kitchen table spooning so much sugar into his tea that her teeth ached at the sight, even as a child.

I’m changing.

Sugar sounded almost as good as touching Urian’s arm.

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