Page 119 of Ashes and Lilies
And how could one be expected to choose?
My heart pounded—the answer was already clear.
I couldn’t let them use me to hurt Damen and the others. They’d been so kind to me. I had to protect them at all costs.
I had to make them believe they had only one option.
“W-what are you talking about?” I managed to speak through my dry mouth. “My name is Bianca.”
The group stopped squabbling and looked at me, and Daniel scowled. “You’re Mu,” he said. “The mark on your chest says so.”
“My birthmark?” I tried to blink back my rising fear. “I—I’ve always had that. What’s going on?”
“Mu,” Daniel said. “The Wood Xing.”
“I’m B-Bianca,” I said, my voice trembling. It wasn’t difficult to sound upset—this was a terrifying situation. My cheeks felt hot as my vision wavered. “I’m not sure what all this is. I—I grew up somewhere else.”
They looked at each other, and Michelle pressed her lips together. Her pointed expression made the hair on the back of my arms rise. “Are you saying you have no idea who Mu is?”
“I—I’m Bianca,” I repeated, biting my lip.
She scowled, and she and Daniel exchanged a look.
“The semester has only just begun, and we’ve never heard of her before either,” Daniel shrugged. “It’s possible she might be unaware.”
“But she was with Julian Kohler,” she emphasized again. “She knows Damen Abernathy. She said so herself. Plus, Norman Peterson was there! Bryce Dubois and Matheus Fernandez were in the room when the Unseelie delivered her to us.”
“Would the Unseelie have given her to us, had they known?” Daniel responded.
“D-Damen?” My heart beat wildly as I looked between them. “I—I just met him,” I told her. “He was helping me with a ghost.”
“Fae can’t lie,” Daniel replied. “Stop dragging your feet, and let’s move on. Her ignorance makes our job even easier.”
She ignored him and looked back at me. “Does Damen Abernathy know who you are?”
“No…” My stomach dropped. “We—we’re just friends. They don’t know much about me.”
She narrowed her eyes, and my pulse thrummed.
It was true. How well could any two individuals really know one another? Even in the most intimate of relationships, a sense of mystery must always exist.
“That’s enough,” Daniel interrupted her before she could speak again. “If you’re going to help me, then help me. Otherwise, you can leave until the ritual is complete.”
“Of course, I’m going to help you,” she said, returning her attention to him. “I’m already invested. I liked Dr. Weaver.”
“Are you still sore about that?” Daniel scowled. “It’ll all be worth it in the end.”
I held my breath as the blonde set her jaw in determination.
“Fine, I’ll help,” Michelle said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “But I’m not watching the fairy.” She turned and left the room.
Daniel looked after her, sighing, before he addressed the other men. “I’ll go talk to her,” he told them. “In the meantime, let’s prepare for the ritual.”
He paused, glancing back at me. “One of you stay here, just in case,” he added before he, too, stalked away.
23
Once the others were gone,my jailor paid no attention to me. Instead, he pulled up a chair and lounged with his feet up and his back to the door. His laziness suited me perfectly. The silence gave me time to consider my options, which was a much better way to pass the time than to give in to the panic looming on the edge of my thoughts.
