Katja is already moving toward his shoulder. When she wrenches open his cloak, he groans and pitches sideways. Deep claw marks have torn through the fabric and left long tatters of his tunic soaked in blood. Pixie dust shines under Lumi’s light as Kat’s hands go to work. Her wings twitch, casting more dust over Lark’s prone form, beginning to heal the scrapes and bruises while she focuses on the worst wound at his shoulder. Her hands glow with the amount of pixie dust she’s pulling to work her healing magic.
Slowly, the bleeding stops, and Lark sits up with a groan of relief. Until Kat straightens his leg and he cries out, cursing theDeep.
“Easy, Doc. Have a little bedside manner,” he chuckles after he recovers.
“Oh,get wet. You’ve been through worse,” she quips right back.
When she rocks onto her heels and gathers more dust, I stop her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Not so fast.”
They both look up.
“You can answer my questions first,” I tell Lark. “You’ve been hiding things from me.”
He drops his gaze, but when he lifts it again, he casts a deliberate glance toward Lumi.
Right. Fine. We’ve both been hiding things, but I have adrowninggood reason!
There’s none of the shocked awe that there was with the kids, but his point is well taken. He’d probably seem more shocked if he weren’t still injured, because it’s clear he knows what Lumi’s presence means.
“Yes, I have a moon companion. This is Lumi, and you can thank her later for finding you.”
If he only knew the rest of my secrets. Then he’d be truly shocked.
But I’m too preoccupied with the understanding that’s been rising from the back of my mind, all thanks to a certain redheaded Hellion.
“First, I want answers. Explain yourself.”
He swallows.
Katja hovers nervously, looking between us.
Lark gives her a nod and takes a breath. “I should have told you. From the beginning…I wanted to, but—”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because it’s dangerous. The way my magic works…it’s not safe for Wilder Fae to have such powerful magic. The stronger our magic is, the more they fear us, and the more they fear us, the more they come after us. I wanted to tell you so many times, but if you knew my magic was strong enough to have a mirror—”
“You attacked the royal caravan on the road! You staged that bandit attack!”
He falls still.
“That terrifying druid was you! You and your illusions!” I’m shouting now, obscene in the quiet night.
Lark regards me slowly. “Oh. That.”
“Yes! That! What did you think I meant?”
“Lumi thinks Valkie should take a deep breath, yes?” the traitor moon interjects.
“Valkie thinks not!” I snap.
“Well, Lumi wonders why Valkie is so angry, ifshe was not there.”
Oh.
That.
