“Pay no attention to Colonel Cumberbatch. They’re very harmless creatures.” Birkin’s eyes are like burning embers, and he himself has a catlike demeanor that I can’t seem to look away from. He drapes himself into the nearest tiny chair, his legs crossing as he leans forward. “What can I do for the legendary Wild Hunt?”
I keep my lips sealed, taking in the details of the room and the odd man before me. It’s something I started doing when my father sent me away. It’s easier to just listen, to collect the details of life for a later time.
“This.” Nollix pauses as his eyes shift to Cameron. The three hunters refused the small chairs Birkin offered them.
The impolite bastards.
They stand with intimidating postures near the door. Shining onyx-colored swords hang from their belts, and I know they wouldn’t hesitate to use the magically infused weapons.
“This Witch accidentally got her soul tied to our friend here.” Nollix stares hard at the side of Cameron’s face.
Hisfriend. We’re friends in the sense that I don’t have a choice in the matter. Friends who push each other into danger just to pass the time.
The best of friends.
“Sorry to seem repetitive, but what can I do about it?” Birkin tips his head up to look at Nollix.
A long sigh parts Nollix’s lips.
“I want you to sever the bond.” An irritated tone clings to his words.
Cameron shifts against my side. I’m just starting to realize how quiet she’s been, for the entire day, actually.
Suspiciously quiet.
Birkin’s warm gaze pulls slowly toward Cameron, his eyes flickering between the two of us.
“I—I can’t.”
A light clattering sound accompanies his teacup as he sets it carefully upon its saucer on the table between us.
“And why the fuck not?” Jeriko takes a single step closer to the three of us.
Birkin’s curious attention drifts toward the aggressive Fae. He studies the three of them, letting the seconds tick.
His palm pushes down the length of his pastel tie. He smooths the fabric of his crisp white shirt.
“Because I cannot alter the magic of another.”
Jeriko’s jaw tics severely, and I stand at the feel of her rising anger. It’s a feeling that shifts through all of us. We’re in tune with one another. A sparking feeling floods my senses, and I know she’s about to do something stupid.
“What does that mean?” I cross the room. The white carpet pads my steps until I’m standing between the three and Birkin.
“He means,” Cameron studies the depth of the dark tea she holds in her small hands, “his magic can’t change my magic.”
Jeriko’s frustration mingles with my own now fueling those churning emotions inside of us.
“What magic?” My eyes narrow on the thieving Witch. “How is this not reversible?”
She looks like a giant on the ridiculous, child-sized furniture. She clears her throat, still not meeting my eyes. The power within me begins to pick up speed, swirling around my veins with a vengeance.
“You didn’t just find me in that alley. You didn’t stumble into me by chance.” Cameron’s voice is steady, and her words seem well thought out. A single, quiet step closer to her is taken as I start to consider everything I know about this stranger. “They upped the security after I broke in. I wanted a pawn to lead me back into the palace.”
Another deliberate step brings me closer as my lips purse tightly together. How could I be so stupid? How could I not have seen this coming?
“I knew the king’s daughter was in the Wild Hunt. I knew you would take me to him.” Her trusting eyes finally meet mine, and a hot shiver rips through me.
Her next statement is so quiet, it’s barely heard.
