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“These are amazing,” Shailyn proclaimed. “You have a gift.” She handed Draya back the notebook.
Draya shrugged and focused back on me. “My gifts won’t matter if I’m dead. Do you know what you’re going to do with me, Your Highness?”
I moved closer to her. “That depends. How are you at telling the truth?”
She shrugged again. “Okay, I guess. I mean, if my life depends on it, I’ll do what I have to do.”
“Good. Because we’re about to test that theory.” I waved a hand at my cousin. “This is Shailyn. Princess of the Summer Court and one of my cousins. She’s a truth seeker, among other things. She’s going to help me get the information I need.”
Draya nodded. “What do I have to do?”
Shailyn reached for her hand and held it. “Just tell the truth.” Then she turned to me. “Go ahead, Ella. I’m ready.”
I stepped closer to Draya, and I could see the nervousness on her face. “I went to Kai’s cabin disguised as you last night.”
Draya’s eyes widened. “What happened?”
“Besides my desire to kill all your friends, nothing. However, your leader mentioned that they’re waiting for me to come to them. But then, Ridge talked about a previous plan. I want to know what that plan is.”
Draya’s expression fell and she shook her head, frantically glancing back and forth from me to Shailyn. “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”
Shailyn turned to me. “She’s telling the truth.”
Clenching my teeth, I looked away. That was not what I wanted to hear.
“All I know is that Kai wants revenge on your family and everyone else who took part in his father’s death,” Draya explained. I faced her and she continued. “I wasn’t exactly privy to all the inside information. That was only for the other Shadow fae.”
“How many are there?” I asked.
Draya shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not too sure. Your people killed Dorian and many of the others over a year ago. The only ones working with Kai are his three brothers. His sister, Piper, was a part of the group, but she left town the other day.”
I narrowed my gaze and looked right into her eyes. “Is it going to bother you if I kill all of them?”
Her face crumbled as if I’d slapped her across the face. “Yes,” she answered.
Shailyn sighed. “Truth.”
“Why?” I growled. “Their father invaded my home and killed thousands of my kind, including my mother. Thankfully, I was able to restore her life. In what world does that earn your sympathy?”
Tears fell down Draya’s cheeks. “It doesn’t. I don’t give a rat’s ass what you do to Kai’s brothers. But his sister is a good person. She left because she disagreed with what was going on. I talked to her on the phone not long before you kidnapped me. She’s staying with two of her sisters in Virginia. They don’t deserve your wrath.”
Shailyn nodded again, signaling it was the truth. It was hard to think of any of the Shadow fae as good people.
“Why did you stay and not go with her?” I questioned.
Draya averted her gaze, and I could see the sadness weighing her down. Then, finally, she closed her eyes and more tears fell. “I had a reason to stay.”
And I knew exactly what that reason was.Kai.When he kissed me last night, he was seeing her. A spark of jealousy ignited in my gut, and it only pissed me off more. I wasn’t mad at her, but at myself.
“Is it Kai?” I asked her.
Swiftly, she wiped her tears away and lifted her head. “It’s stupid, I know. You met him yesterday, so you know how he is. It’s just . . .” She locked eyes with me. “He changed. Over time, he became crueler and angrier. He wasn’t like that in the beginning.” Her lips trembled. “Guess you can say I thought I could change him back to the person he used to be. Obviously, I failed.”
Shailyn’s eyes misted over when she focused on me. Draya’s feelings must be pretty powerful to elicit that kind of response from her. Draya stared at me, her body trembling, patiently waiting for me to decide her fate. Of course, in all reality, it wasn’t my choice. But I knew what I had to do, what I needed to do.
“Draya, if you had the opportunity to kill me or any of the people I love, would you do it?”
“No,” she answered adamantly. “Even after you threw me in that ice-cold cell in your dungeon, I still didn’t want to kill you.”
