His smile waned, the good-natured greeting taking the serious turn she could only blame herself for.
“Neither of you should have found out, but to answer your question, no. Cassy doesn’t know because she can’t. She can’t see through the glamour, and I can’t make her. Not here. It’s a natural defense mechanism us Fae have to blend into the mortal realm without detection. However, she’s doing great, the same high-spirited woman you and I both adore. We had brunch a little while ago.”
“You fucked with her mind.”
Rori bit her bottom lip as soon as the accusation fled her tongue. What was left of Cael’s smile disappeared in a faint resemblance of regret. He tore his gaze from hers and scanned the parking lot before he sighed.
“We have a lot to discuss, and the parking lot isn’t a safe place to do so.”
“Now we’re in danger.”
“No.” Cael’s sharp declaration startled her. He lifted his sunglasses and pierced her with the sincerity of his unfamiliar silver gaze. “Not if I have any say in it. Rori, you’ve known me for over a year. Who I am has not changed with my appearance.”
Rori shook a finger at him. “That’s where you’re wrong, because who you are isdefinedby your new appearance. Yesterday, you were a human. Then you morphed into a creature straight from a storybook.”
“Okay, you have a point, but the person I am on theinsidehasn’t changed.” He waved his hand toward the car. “Let’s go somewhere to talk. There’s a lot you need to know. To understand.”
“I’d say.” She reached for her bookbag, but he tilted just out of reach. “I have to decline the invitation. I have work in a little while and need to study.” When she tried for her bag a second time and he stepped back, she huffed a frustrated breath. “Cael, seriously. I need some more time to let this all sink in.”
“And time is not something you have. Not when it comes to this version of Thaddeus.”
“He’s beginning to sound like a case study out of my psych text. As long as your maniacal brother stays the hell away from me and Cassy, there won’t be any issues. There’s nothing you can say that’ll make me interested in anything your brother has to offer.” She pointed to her bookbag. “Can I have my bag please?”
“After we talk, because herein lies the problem, and it’s quite a complicated problem.” He hooked a thumb on the pocket of his jeans. “There’s no way around the fact that you are fully involved, so it would only behoove you to spend a few minutes of your time and hear me out. I can drive. We’ll grab a bite to eat real quick and then I’m out of your hair.”
For today.
The silent implication hung between them, unspoken but understood. Rori eyed him skeptically. Steve. Cael. Handsome human-turned-gorgeous Fae. Cassy’s boyfriend. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe that after a “real quick” bite to eat, Cael would leave her be. She’d be seeing him again, if only to keep Cassy’s inquisition at bay. She’d have to. Her friend would notice her change in behavior and wouldn’t hold back the interrogation.
Besides, questions brewed in her mind, taking her focus off things that required her attention more than pondering the intricacies of magical Fae creatures, murderous monsters, and Faeryland. Maybe a few minutes of Cael’s time would settleher enough to let her proceed in her everyday life with some sense of normalcy.
At last, she nodded. “Okay. Fine. A bite to eat, a conversation. I’d like you to be forthcoming when answering my questions.” She sidled by him and unlocked the doors. “And like hell you’re driving. I’m aware of your driving skills, and they put the fear of God into me.” She raised her brows when Cael chuckled. “You might survive a death-defying ride with your Fae-ness, but I’m still human.”
Rori settled into the cozy table tucked toward the back of the small restaurant, away from other diners. A private little table that would allow her and Cael to converse without having to whisper every word. The server brought out waters and menus, and Cael quickly placed an order for a bunch of appetizers. He slid his menu off to the side once the server left and unfolded his napkin to place over his lap. Rori watched him closely, taking in each nuance of this new version of Steve. The longer she watched him move, go through familiar motions, from rolling his shoulders once he settled into his chair to the relaxed half-grin that loved to play on his mouth, the more she began to accept that this Fae creature was no different in demeanor than the human Steve. Sincerity rolled off him, perhaps more magnified now, and an ease in trusting the man came naturally. He had a way of making people comfortable around him, and regardless of how bad Rori wanted to blame it on magic, she knew in her soul this was the real Cael.
“What exactly are you?”
The bluntness of her question didn’t seem to bother him in the least as he straightened the crooked angle of his forkbeside his plate and sipped his water. He had pulled his hair back to the nape of his neck except for a few rebel strands that brushed his cheeks, showcasing the full shape of his ears and the sharper angles of his face. As he lowered his glass to the table, he tapped his menu.
“The lamb here is spectacular.” He motioned to her untouched menu. She hadn’t bothered to move once she seated herself in the chair. Her muscles were strung tight with uncertainty as she observed her company. “Do you know what you’re getting?”
“Cael.”
“Fae. Seelie, to be more specific. Tuatha de Danann if you want to further narrow it down.”
She blinked. She was right about Fae. “Seelie. Like the different courts and houses and all that?”
“You read those romances, don’t you?” He chuckled quietly, a sound that relaxed her as much has her conscience would allow. “Cassy’s guilty pleasure, too. I find the Fae ones so flamboyant. Actually, we’re a little more boring compared to romantasy novels. Sure, we’ve got a king and courts and politics. We have different races of Fae, just like humans have different races. We have different realms, whereas humans have different countries. We’re notallthat different.” He snapped his fingers in quick succession. “Parallel might be a good word to use.”
“Humans don’t have magic. Sooo,” Rori drew out, trying to piece together her thoughts. “What court are you from?”
“There are no individual courts. Dagda, who is our king, heads the only Court in Faery. It’s comprised of multiple High Fae from different houses based on bloodlines, abilities, and powers. Usually, a member of the High Fae represents a sector, or realm, in a show of unity. Seelie are a unified race,even when it comes to those who may not be pureblooded Fae.”
“Your brother mentioned something about pureblood and keeping your race pure.” Rori’s eyes narrowed. “That’s why he wanted to kill you? Because you and Cassy are dating?”
Cael’s eyes lifted to the ceiling. His body stiffened a little, hands folding over his plate as Rori waited for him to respond. If she understood even the gist of the encounter between the brothers last night, it seemed Cael’s association with Cassy and Rori was cause for Thaddeus’s targeted attack. Two mortal women brought a death sentence to Cael’s doorstep.
As his attention returned to her, he hunched over the edge of the table and lowered his voice for her ears only.
