“I know!” She stopped and covered her face with her hands. “What else was I supposed to do? You know how badly I want to know where I come from. I wassocurious about him, and you didn’t hear him talking about prisons and how his whole life is a lie and asking me for help.”
Maddy raised delicate eyebrows and grinned.
Assigned as Anna’s guardian the moment she’d stumbled through the mist, Maddy had practically been forced to become her best friend. Back then, the whispers of the pixie with mortal blood, who’d arrived knowing nothing about her magical history, had captivated the realm. At first, they’d wondered whether she was part of the Sidera line, but that rumor was quickly put to rest by Kywyn. No, she was just some random pixie-mortal hybrid unlike anything the realm had ever seen. Cathaire had taken her under his wing at once, and although most didn’t receive a personally assigned guardian, he’d felt her case was special and demanded “one of the best” watch over her.
Luckily “one of the best” was also the warmest, most supportive woman Anna had ever met. Madlyn Vaelora, like most Luxorians, had lived in the realm from birth. Twenty years the guardian’s junior, Anna had first assumed they’d have nothing in common. She was quickly proven wrong. They clicked like puzzle pieces, and Anna now trusted this woman more than she trusted herself.
Maddy’s dark blond hair was wet from her post-training shower, dyeing the cloud blue of her dress to navy around her shoulders. She hadn’t been to the infirmary yet, so her wrist was wrapped. As a guardian, she took a lot of injuries.
“No, I didn’t see him whining,” Maddy said, “but Ihaveseen him. Scary magic notwithstanding, he’s the kind of pretty that makes a girl question her morals.”
Anna ignored that—rather standard comment as far as Madlyn went. “He’s the heir of Manae. Was I allowed to say no?”
Maddy shrugged. “So now you’re stuck training with the light-shadow twins and have private study lessons with heir of Manae in your spare time?”
Anna fell facedown onto the opposite couch, groaning. “I just want to live in anonymity. It’s bad enough that I’m thepixie with mortal blood. Now I’m in the path of two uncrowned Sovereigns, which means extended amounts of time with Autumn Farraday.”
Her friend sucked in a breath. “Yikes.”
Anna popped up to her elbows. “She can read minds!”
“I know. What do you think they’ll call you when word gets out you’re a pixieanda child of Morgan?”
“Exiled,” Anna said. “They’ll call me exiled.”
“Psh. Cathaire won’t let them exile you. He’s too proud of his favorite Apprentice.”
“HisonlyApprentice.”
“Not anymore. Besides, if you get in good with Caden Sidera, he can keep the Council from doing something crazy.”
“Like exiling me.”
Maddy moved to Anna’s sofa and forced her upright. “Look at the bright side. Our four noble families just casually entered your world. You could become friends with them, Anna. They serve in the Seelie Court. Think about the influence you could have, the protections you could get.”
“If people find out I have Morgan’s magic, that’s exactly what they’ll fear. My influence.”
“Maybe they won’t find out.”
Anna thought of the jagged edges of David’s intuitive green eyes, the only part of him that wasn’t gold. Those eyes could see straight through her. Even without magically compelling it out of her, she feared he’d deduce the truth by instinct alone.
Or maybe she hoped for it.
“Yeah,” she said on a long exhale. “Maybe they won’t.”
But they would.
They definitely would.
CHAPTER 15
DAVID
Abonfire, according to David’s inherited memories, wasn’t exactly what its name would suggest. When he plucked at Galadaine’s recollection of such nights, intoxicated images of fire, music, and sex spilled forth. Not really his scene, but Autumn wasn’t giving him a choice.
“You have to come,” she called from her bedroom, where she’d somehow accumulated more clothes and was tossing them about like a mini tornado. “You will be expected.”
Sitting on the edge of his neat bed, David rolled his eyes, knowing she’d sense it in his thoughts. “I don’thaveto do anything.”
