Page 74 of Beauty

“Me.” I’m not sure how it happened, but I know it’s true.It’s right there, that invisible thread I always thought of as an inward signof my own insanity. I never saw it for what it truly is—the bond between mates.And not any mates. Symbiotic twins. I bridge them, giving them access to theother half of their soul. And apparently give them powers. “Shim is a FireLord.”

The wolf woman nods. “I think I heard the word pyromancerused. And necromancer for Lachlan.”

Lord of the Dead. Heat and Cold. Two halves of a whole, andI felt both powers skimming through my system. “Why are you here? Where isDante? Where are my brothers for that matter?”

My family. I need my family. They will help me sorteverything out. They’ll talk to me and make things right. Oh, I long to see mybrothers once more.

“Dante is back in the village. I followed you because Ithought you might need some time to think about everything that has happened. Iwas told you were given the fire drug. I know how it feels. It is terrible, andyet there was something wonderful about that first night with my Dante.”

Terrible and wonderful. That’s a good way to put it. Ialready forgot the pain, but not the rolling need that threatened to boil over.I can still remember how it feels to be one with them. To have Lach deep insideand Shim’s mind binding to mine as he feeds. In those moments, I wasn’t alone.I was loved and whole, and it was a lie.

“What’s your name?” If she’s telling the truth, then I’mbeing terribly rude.

The woman straightens up, her chin raised in a politegreeting. “Kaja. I am Kaja Dellacourt. I am your cousin, and I would like to beyour friend.”

I can’t help but flush a bit. Kaja’s breasts are thrust outas she makes her greeting. “And you are very comfortable being naked.”

The woman laughs, a sweet sound. “Megan thinks it is odd,too, but I cannot wear clothes in my wolf state, so I have none on when Ichange. Now, can we talk about all the reasons you should come back to thevillage with me?”

And back to Shim and Lachlan and Gillian, who want me barefootand pregnant in the Unseelie kingdom? No way. I resume getting dressed, pullingout my most comfortable shoes, a pair of boots Gillian traded the last of herjewelry for.

Kaja doesn’t seem to notice my silence. She continues on. “Ido not like that man downstairs. He might not be a bad man, but he seems tohave plans he intends to see through with you or without you.”

“That seems to be the order of the day, doesn’t it? Everyonewants a piece of me.” Including Torin.

“But your family wants to protect you,” Kaja insists. “Idon’t think that man down there will do much in the way of protecting you. Hewill protect his plan, perhaps, but his care for you will only go so far asseeing his plan come to fruition. Of course, you could simply wait until your husbandscatch up to you, and then they will kill him.” Her eyes light up. “And theywill let me eat him. Yes. I very much like your husbands.”

“Then why are you here with me and not off telling themwhere I am?”

Kaja seems to think about that for a moment. “Because Meghas taught me much. There are many rules on the Fae planes, but the one that isthe most important is the Girl Power rule. The queen explained it to me. Girlsmust stick together because men are all idiots who oftentimes think only withtheir man parts, and man parts are not smart. Females must show loyalty to oneanother in the face of man part foolishness. If you are determined to followthis man, who is not your husband or your kin and will likely lead you intosomething terrible, then I will be forced to follow you because you are my kin,and I cannot leave you to something terrible. And besides, there might besnacks along the way.”

I stare at my new cousin, unable to keep the smile off myface. Snacks? Dante, it seems, keeps his bride on a short leash. “I don’t thinkI can go back. Do you understand that they want to take me to their plane andpretend like nothing is happening here in my home? What would you do if theplace of your birth was being destroyed?”

“I would warm myself by the fire and pray it took several ofthe wolves of my pack, but if my new family was being harmed, then nothingcould keep me away.” She studies me for a moment. “And I can understand where agood princess would see her people as her family. You could try talking toLachlan and Shim.”

“I don’t think they want to talk,” I point out.

“I have found that my husband will agree to many things whenhis man parts are in my mouth. You see, Meg is right because many times Danteshould not have agreed to such things, but he did agree so I would continue.”

I stare at my cousin. “I don’t think I wanted to know thatabout Dante.”

Kaja sighs. “Megan also told me I must use a thing calledtact. I struggle with tact. So we’re going to this Sir Giles’s home?”

It probably isn’t a good idea to take my new cousin along.“You don’t have to come with me.”

Kaja gets off the bed and shakes out her hair. “I do. Icannot break the sacred code of chicks before dicks. Dante will understand. Orhe will not and he will spank me. The good news is we are no longer on hisplane, and it was so sad that someone forgot to pack the torture device thatmakes my poor asshole burn.”

I gasp. “Goddess, Kaja!”

Kaja’s brown hair shakes. “Yes, see. Tact. I do not have it.But I was smart enough to leave that thing behind.”

I’m about to explain the meaning of the word discretion toKaja when I hear an odd cracking sound. I go to the window and see a huge, darkcloud approaching the village. It moves swiftly and with great purpose.

“What is that? A storm?” Kaja stands beside me, her eyes onthe cloud as it stops over what I would bet my life is the town square.

“It’s not a storm.” A sick feeling hits my gut as the cloudhovers and begins to rain down. But it isn’t raindrops cascading to the ground.It’s soldiers. “It’s an eddy wind. Fae who are skilled at magic can ride themand take others along. It’s a way to get large groups of people somewhere veryquickly. We need to get to the village.”

I turn, satisfied when Kaja changes from woman to wolf in aneasy shift that happens so fast I barely notice it. One moment Kaja is a womanand then next a graceful wolf following behind me. The wolf looks up at me withquestioning eyes.