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“For you, I’ll do it.Just ask.”
“Don’t go soft on me now, Sparky.”The put-down lacked her usual venom.She almost smiled, curving the corners of her mouth, but the shaking overtook her attempt.“I’ve spent my whole life running from my past.I need to know.”
“We could ask the book.”
She tightened her hold into what had to be a goblin-strong grip.“I can’t.”
Of course she couldn’t read about one parent murdering another.Stupid suggestion.“Okay.”
“You’ll see what it says for me?”She sounded torn between hoping he would agree and wishing he wouldn’t.
“All right.”He reached for the book and almost fell over onto her.No, not falling.He’d been pulled, barely letting go before he face-planted.“What the—” Pages above fluttered like ruffled paper feathers, and he cut off the curse.“By the friggin’ powers, how can such a little book weigh so much?”
“Magic.”She fired the obvious answer with sarcasm laced in sweetness.“Maybe if we try coaxing instead of force.”She stroked a finger along the book’s spine.“What if I say please?”
For a moment, jealousy speared through Perry.He might do anything she asked if she used that tone on him in this supermodel or her green-skinned goblin form.He had to remember that whatever they had between them was a job, a temporary arrangement, a way to stop a killer.The book floated to lie open in her lap.“Suck up,” he muttered.
“You’re the only one who finds me revolting.”
He didn’t, but he kept his mouth shut.His heart already ached.For what she’d been through, for her grief.Not for her.Or was he lying to himself?He glanced at the page the book had opened to and forgot his own problems—for now anyway.This was terrible.Mitch had been right.
She stretched her fingers wide to cover the words.“My father?He killed her?”
“It doesn’t say that.”
“But it’s what everyone believes?”
“Yeah.They could be wrong.”He didn’t want to hurt her.“Or this is a magically-created version of your realm’s history written in another world.Itcould be wrong.”The book snapped shut on his hand.“Ow.”He snatched his fingers away.
Vori pulled her pet book closer, ignoring Perry’s pain.“You don’t believe that any more than I do.Even you can’t twist this truth, counsel.”
He ignored the sting of the paper cuts and her words.“How can you still go home now?Knowing what happened after you left?”
“Blood vows, remember?Horrific death if I don’t go?I have no choice.”
“There could be something else—something we’re missing.My father might find you a different answer.He’s the best researcher even if he’s a crappy dad.”
“Wanna compete for the world’s worst dad?”Her joke fell flat in a sad little-girl voice.
“There must be more.Your realm thinks you’re dead.Maybe you’re right.Maybe your mom got out too.”
“You think?”Hope brightened her face.
“Sure.We can talk this through—like a case.Let’s start with the facts.Your mom—they called her queen consort?Not a queen?”
“No.We’ve only had one queen, our original ruler.The queen of legend.The one with her witch consort.The one the prophecies said had been born again in me.”Her words rushed out.
Fascinating and all things he’d ask about later.But not helpful in calming her down.“Tell me about your mom.What was she like?”
“Amazing.”
“And your parents’ marriage?”Please don’t let her say it was a fake arrangement like theirs would be.
“Her faerie queen bargained her away to my father.”
“You’re part fae?”he asked.He’d never met one, had never been sure they existed.
“I’m goblin,” she said, as if that explained everything.“Our blood is more than dominant; it’s parasitic and annihilates any other.But my mother, she had fae blood.”
