I can see by their expressions that I’m right. There’s no other way but forward.
‘Bryn,’ Morgan says quietly, taking my hand across the table. ‘We’re so?—’
'It's not your fault,' I say. ‘I made the deal.’
'Our cunt of a friend is here,' Morgan snarls, his head turning as he changes the subject. 'I can smell him. He's close by, likely enjoying his favored pastimeof watchingour female.'
Realizing he’s talking about Locke, and glad the fae male is being referred to as a friend, at least in some sense, I glance around. I locate him lingering in the shadows across the road and I stand.
‘He saved me,’ I murmur quietly. ‘That counts for something.’
'Where are you going?' Jak asks.
'I'm sorry about what Locke has done,' I say instead of answering.
I squeeze his hand across the table.
'And I'm sorry that Varrik did such horrible things. But Locke is notVarrik. Granted, he keeps secrets. I hope with time he will trust us enough to be open in all things, but that won't happen if we don't give him the chance.'
Jak's eyes find Locke, who is beginning to walk away now that he's been spotted.
'Fine,' he mutters. 'For you, Bryn. After all, we are bound together. But I swear to every god in existence, if he ever lies to me again, I don't know what I'll do.'
‘I understand.’
I give Jak a small nod and leave the table, making my way across the road and catching up with Locke. I take his hand and draw him to a stop.
'I was just ensuring that you were safe,' he says, not looking at me.
'Come,' I say. 'You don't have to do that from the shadows.'
He shakes his head. 'No. They don't want me there, and I understand. But what's done is done. I found you, and I can't say I'm sorry for that. At the end of the day, we all had to go a separate direction. Did I know that there was more of a chance of me finding you? Yes. But I didn't know exactly where you'd be, and I definitely didn't send the others another way to fail.' His eyes bore into mine. ‘And I’dneverwork a conjure upon you to trick you into my bed.’
'I know that,' I say. 'On all counts. Come. Please.'
I urge him back toward the table and he reluctantly comes with me.
I sit him down next to me and the other two glower at him. I kick them both under the table.
'Behave,' I hiss. 'I have something to tell you. It’s…'
Three sets of eyes look my way, Jak’s more knowing than the others.
'It’s something about the Breach,' he says.
He sees my surprise.
'I saw that you were acting differently when we came through. What happened? More whispers and screaming?'
'No,' I say. 'I think…I spoke to my father.'
'Inside the Breach?’ Morgan sits up straighter, his perpetual frown deepening. ‘How? No onestays inside the Breach.'
'I can hardly fathom it myself, but he…he told me that a mage killed my mother and took me when I was very young. He was imprisoned in the ether. He said that he’s been trying to speak to me, but I couldn’t hear him before because I wasn't strong enough. I've been having dreams of him for weeks now… Almost since we left The Barrack.'
'Why didn't you tell us?' Locke asks.
I shrug. 'There was nothing to say. They were just dreams, I thought. I didn't think they had any true meaning, and the last time I went through the Breach, I didn't really hear or see anything. But today was different.'
