Page 97 of By the Moonbeam and the Mist
Trying not to tremble, I unfolded the piece of parchment and found another, smaller piece of paper inside, which I read first:
To Stanley Gleekle – CONFIDENTIAL
The conquered has insisted he has a right to claim her as his own, and unfortunately, he is right. The oath dictates that I must uphold my end of the bargain in that regard. Therefore, you shall give her his requested power when she arrives.
But, Stanley, I am warning you—no one must know who she is until the time is right. You must call her by her lesser name, and if you so much as look her in the eyes for too long, I will skin you alive and rip the meat off your weak human bones.
Sincerely,
DR
Now my wholebodywas trembling as I lifted this paper to read the thicker, more formal ink beneath it:
Subject: #580,945
Status: Alive
Birth Year: 482 AF
Home Village: Alderwick
Power TBG: Wild Whispering
Name: Rayna Reeve
“After I found it, I tried to get into Mr. Gleekle’s mind,” Steeler was whispering, “but every bit of information regarding you appeared to be locked up tight by another Mind Manipulator.”
I wasn’t listening. A numb sort of buzzing had started to twist around my bones at the sight of that last name.
It wasn’t possible. I was Rayna Drey. I’d always been Rayna Drey and I always would be. Fabian Drey was my father by blood. He—
My blockade must have slipped, because Steeler said gently, almost cautiously, “In Sorronia, the females pass their surnames down, not the males.”
I curled my fingernails into my palms in an attempt to pierce through the numbness rising to the surface of my skin. There was so much I didn’t know about Sorronia and why Dyonisia had left it.
If only I could strangle the information out of Steeler’s throat, since I obviously didn’t have the ability to navigate his maze yet.
At that thought, Steeler’s eyes flashed with a spark of something darker and grittier than amusement.
“No need to strangle it out of me, little hurricane. I’ll just tell you … after you come inside and eat something for me, that is. You need the nourishment, and Felicity will be pissed if we skip dinner.”
“Felicity’s as bossy as you are,” I muttered before pushing the papers back to him. I didn’t want to touch those words any longer than I had to. They felt like poison leaking onto my fingerprints.
I watched Steeler pocket them carefully again, then turned on a heel to march my way back to the lighthouse.
Back to whatever answers I was finally going to get.
Sure enough, Felicity jumped up from where she appeared to have been pestering Garvis, Terrin, and Dazmine with napkins, trying to tuck them into their shirts like bibs, as soon as Steeler and I made it through the front cottage door.
“Coco!Raynie! What took you so long?The food’s getting cold!”
“Sorry.” I sat down before an immense platter of dumplings in the center of the table, golden brown and perfectly crimpedat the edges. I ignored Dazmine’s raised eyebrows, Garvis’s inquisitive glance, and Terrin’s muffled chuckle. “Steeler was about to start telling me a story.”
Just as I’d planned, Felicity clapped her hands together, the irritation on her face widening into a sharp-toothed smile.
“Ooh, I love a good story! Tell Coco to start from the beginning.”
Steeler was lowering himself slowly into a chair opposite of me, every one of his muscles on edge as he realized what trap I’d set for him.
