Flight from Mayhem by Yasmine Galenorn

Author:Yasmine Galenorn
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2016-07-14T17:17:44+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Alex and Ralph stared at the coins. Tonya was focused on the girl’s face.

“You want them, don’t you?” the Elder Fae asked. “You see my coins and you’re like all the others. You want them.” She sounded angry and defeated.

Alex shook his head. “I don’t need treasure. Neither does Ralph. But I’ve never seen . . . What are you, if I may ask? I know you’re one of the Elder Fae.”

Quick as a cat, she moved past him and sat on the bed, crossing her legs. “I’m known as Gerta, the Golden Frog. Mortals have chased me for my tears since I can first remember.”

“Stone Weaver . . .”

“He kept me around for my tears. I didn’t want to stay, but there was always the hope he might return my feelings. That he might want me for more than my wealth.” Her voice was wistful and I realized she was very young, as far as the Elder Fae went. I found myself tearing up, empathizing with the loneliness in her voice.

“You don’t have many friends, do you?” Before I could stop myself, I was by her side kneeling down. I reached out to touch her arm, but she jerked out of my reach.

“Don’t touch me or you’ll hurt yourself.” The words were hoarse, and she gave me a wide-eyed look that told me she had been hurt one too many times.

I stayed my hand. “How so?”

“My skin . . . it oozes a poison that can paralyze and stop the heart.”

“I’m a dragon. I’m immune to most poisons.”

“I’m one of the Elder Fae. I wouldn’t count yourself clear of my dangers so easily.” She held up her arm. “Look closely.”

I leaned in for a better look. Sure enough, there were pale drops—tiny, the size of pinheads, welling up on her skin. The opaque liquid was murky, and I caught the faint hint of something acrid. “Do you always have that sheen on you?”

She nodded. “Always. There are some who can touch me, who are immune to the poison. Stone Weaver was. He was one of the few who could take my hand.”

“Will you tell us what you know? We’re trying to catch the . . .” I paused. She hadn’t mentioned the word doppelgänger yet and I wasn’t sure if we should tell her. “Killer. She’s killed more than once and we’re trying to stop her before she finds another victim.”

Alex pulled up a chair. “We don’t want your tears, we don’t want to hurt you. All we want is to find the . . .” He glanced at me and seemed to come to the same conclusion I had. “We are looking for Stone’s murderer. You can help us find her.” He glanced at Ralph and Tonya. “Make certain the front door is locked. We don’t want anybody surprising us while we’re in here.”

They headed out of the room. I pulled a second chair over next to Alex. “Please help us, Gerta.”

The Elder Fae thought for a moment, then said, “All right.

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