Page 58 of Shadows of Nightshade
“Does that mean we’re not humans?” I asked.
He’d stopped stroking my hair and brought his hands to my shoulders so he could peer into my face. “Being supernatural doesn’t make anyone less human,” Damen explained. “We’re just differenttypesof humans.”
That didn’t answer my question, and he knew it. His gaze hadn’t moved from my own.
“But to answer your question,” he enunciated every word. “Someone with your abilities is fae.”
“Fae…” But the fairies were tiny, glowing, flying magical beings. Not me. “That can’t be.”
Damen shook his head. “Usually the fae live in their own space within the human realm and the underworld. They are the messengers, leaders, and guardians of spirits who have not passed through the veil. But in recent years, as the world has expanded, more fae have decided to live within this realm.”
“I’m not a fairy.” Who was he fooling?
“Yes, you are,” Titus interrupted. I glanced at him as he crossed his arms. “There’s no need to give me that look, princess.” I blinked. My heart was thundering under his weighty stare. “I knew the first instant I saw you. Why do you think I wouldn’t leave you alone?”
“Erm…” Honestly, I thought it was because he was a predator, but I really couldn’t say that out loud. “I thought you were a stalker.”
There, that was a much kinder way of expressing my concerns.
“I knew it!” Miles pointed at Titus, who frowned. Although I wasn’t sure why Miles seemed so thrilled about my confession, as he’d also been with Titus in the vigil outside of my professor’s house.
The witch was just as guilty.
In either case, I wasn’t sure why my being ‘fae’ had anything to do with Titus imposing himself on my daily activities. This was still so confusing.
“I still don’t know what that means,” I exhaled. From their own admission, not even my four new friends were like me. I needed to talk to a professional.
There needed to be someone who could give me proper answers, right from the source. If these men were the experts in their fields, I needed to find the one in mine. An advisor.
“Where’s the fae Xing?” I asked.
The mood dulled, and an uneasy air moved through the room. A low warning began to hum in the back of my head. I’d grown too comfortable, too quickly, and with my unmeasured question, I’d crossed into forbidden territory.
Damen’s breath was tight, and my chest grew hot as he responded, “He died.” He was no longer looking at me but toward the low-burning fireplace.
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure what else to say, but from the short history they shared, they must have been close to this individual. “I’m sorry.” I could feel the other three watching me, and I shifted my weight, trying to ignore the growing knot in my stomach.
This conversation had begun to take an unsettling tone. I’d brought up their long-lost friend; of course it made them sad. Ireached out before I could second-guess myself, allowing myself to follow instinct instead of the voice in my head whispering that this was a terrible idea.
It was obvious that in this world that I’d only just been introduced to, they far outranked me. A friendship between us was probably something to which not many people were privy. I should stay away from them.
So, why couldn’t I?
My heart thundered in my ears, and Damen’s pained expression choked me. He wasn’t only grieving—he was worried. Scared.
But why?
I twisted his shirt into my tight fist. “It’ll be okay.”
“What?” The tired lines fell from his face.
A warmth soaring through me made my fingers and toes tingle, and—in a move entirely unlike me—I grabbed his hands. I wasn’t sure how this conversation had turned from him comforting me, but this felt right.
“It’ll be okay.” I never would have been so forward normally, and I wasn’t sure where my sudden courage was coming from, but I couldn’t ignore this feeling. “So don’t give up hope yet.”
He stared at me for what seemed like forever—or at least long enough to make butterflies flutter about in my stomach—before he blinked and pulled himself out of his thoughts.
“In any case—” He began to mutter words in a nervous ramble. There was only part I could decipher from his statements.
