Page 16 of Hidden

She mounted the stairs and turned her steps toward her brother’s room. As soon as the doorway came into view, she stopped. Her mother stood just outside, speaking to one of the two hooded servants. Judging by Galeeta’s gestures, she was giving instructions. Lila hung back, a sense of foreboding creeping down her back. It wasn’t unusual for lesser fae—pixies, bogles, and the like—to serve their noble masters, but she would recognize their kind. She certainly wouldn’t fear them.

This silent, looming servant wasn’t any more reassuring in daylight than it had been last night. A moment later, the figure turned and strode away in the opposite direction from where Lila stood, the robes billowing around its feet. Were those talons? The thing moved too fast to be sure.

Her mother looked up, then beckoned Lila to approach.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lila complied. “What are those creatures?”

“Gargoyles,” Galeeta replied with a dismissive shrug. “A special breed of the species. They’ve proven themselves invaluable.”

“They’re terrifying. Why not use your regular staff?”

“These two don’t gossip.”

“About what?”

Her mother’s silence said that was all the answer Lila would get. For now, Lila thought to herself. Strategic was better than stubborn where her mother was concerned. Lila had played that game often enough.

She changed the topic. “How is Ademar?”

“He sleeps, which is the best thing for him.” Her mother closed the bedroom door, leaving them standing in the hallway. The spark in her eyes had dimmed with fatigue, and tendrils of hair had slipped from their pins. “I want to hear what you learned from the wolf. Follow me. You need to eat.”

Lila tried to remember the last time her mother had suggested something as mundane as food. It had been her father who never turned down a good meal and far preferred wine and old books to the political games and derring-do that were his wife’s breath and blood. It was no surprise that he wasn’t in the thick of the action, but still…

“Did you have a chance to reach Father?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Galeeta put her hand on Lila’s shoulder, the light touch lasting but a second. “I wish to speak of him, among other things.”

Curiosity sparked, but so did apprehension. Something in Galeeta’s tone promised nothing good.

They came to the same room where Lila had found Ademar waiting in the dark last night. With the blinds drawn, the room remained plunged in shadows. Lila hesitated on the threshold, seized by a sudden urge to return to brighter light. Galeeta gave Lila a gentle push and then followed her inside.

Someone—presumably the mysterious servants—had laid out food. Tall white candles flickered on the coffee table, framing a tray of cut fruit, soft cheeses, jams, and pastries. A carafe of hot water and a selection of herbal teas stood next to a stack of fine china cups. The rich array of food jarred her senses after the night’s bloodshed. And yet, her stomach grumbled a complaint.

“Please, help yourself.” Her mother sat in the armchair closest to the window, releasing a sigh of fatigue. “I’ll fetch some tea for myself in a moment.”

Lila, used to being around humans and their vices, wished for strong, black coffee. Again, an image of her father crossed her mind, leaving an ache behind. He’d love the city’s cafés, but had never found time to visit once she’d moved there.

Forcing her shoulders to relax, she crossed the room and picked up a plate, filling it with morsels of everything. “I have a lot of questions.”

“Then ask them.”

Her first impulse was to ask again about her father, but she stopped herself. Galeeta rarely offered information, and this might be her one chance. She had to pose her questions in a logical order and keep them brief. “I know I’m out of touch with the family, and I’m sorry about that.”

“You haven’t been back to a fae territory since you left,” Galeeta replied. “It’s been two years.”

“Well, I’m sorry to be so blunt, but I need to catch up now. First question: Is Ademar in some kind of trouble?”

“Whatever gives you that idea?” Galeeta countered.

“Sala sent me to check on him. Apparently, vampires went to her place, looking for Ademar. She was alarmed.”

Galeeta couldn’t quite hide the slight widening of her eyes—a tell that she was far more upset by that news than she was letting on. “Is that all?”

“There was the captain of the guard who broke in waving a sword.” Lila replied, putting a final wisp of pastry on a plate and handing it to her mother, along with a cup of Galeeta’s favorite tea. “Here. You need to eat as much as I do.”

“Thank you.” Her mother took the refreshments gratefully. “But tea doesn’t erase the fact that sarcasm is unbecoming in a daughter.”

Lila served herself and settled into the chair across from where her mother sat. A ball of anxiety lodged in her stomach. “Forget decorum. It’s time we spoke frankly. I can’t help if I don’t understand what’s going on.”

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