Reluctant Fae by Margo Ryerkerk & Holly Hook

Author:Margo Ryerkerk & Holly Hook [Ryerkerk, Margo & Hook, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-29T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

A knock on my bedroom door roused me the next morning, shooting terror down my spine. With my magic, I’d be part of the peace negotiation meeting between Onyx and King Peter, and I dreaded discovering what the king would expect of me.

After dressing in a simple lilac dress and crossing the apartment, I found not Amanda or Pierre at the door, but Nathan himself. My heart leapt into my throat at his serious expression.

“May I come in?”

Unable to decline, I simply stood aside. Nathan did not look at me as he entered. He took a seat on the wicker chair next to the bookshelf and indicated for me to sit opposite him. Even in my apartment, he wanted to be in charge. All the progress we’d made had gone backwards since last night.

“This is my apartment,” I reminded him, throat dry.

“I am sorry.” He stood, but I motioned for him to sit back down and leaned against the wall, waiting for him to speak.

“Blythe worked with you on your ability to influence, didn’t she?”

“Yes.” I forced the work out. So my suspicions were correct.

Nathan nodded. “Good. I was thinking about how we’re going to deal with the Winter Court. King Peter would value your services, as Onyx and the Winter Court likely do not know of your abilities.”

Even though I had feared something like this, I still couldn’t agree without putting up a fight first. “Why would he need me? Didn’t you say that King Peter can use telepathy with all of his Summer Court subjects?” The thought of being forced to manipulate Onyx turned my stomach. How could I do such a thing after she stood up for me at the Wild Hunt?

“The king can communicate his commands via his mind to us, but he cannot receive communication back from us. We don’t have any mind readers at the court, but the Kallans have always hired the Everstons for support in negotiations.”

“I see,” I said. So the mighty king was not as powerful as I had believed.

“We discussed Onyx’s half-fae status last night.” Nathan let his words hang, and I wondered if one of the Kallan siblings or a vampire had given that information to King Peter. “It complicates everything as it allows her to lie.”

I nodded, hoping against better judgement that he wouldn’t ask me to influence Onyx to betray herself or her new court. “The king could demand that her warriors back up anything she says. They cannot lie as purebloods.”

Nathan rubbed his forehead and blinked. “They cannot lie intentionally, but fae can speak lies if we believe them to be true. That’s part of the trickery we have used so well over the ages. Or we can simply omit the truth or mean something with our words that the listener does not hear. That’s why tonight, Virgie, you must convince Onyx to lay bare the truth. I am sorry you are being pressured like this so early in your career.”

Our gazes met. Nathan’s eyes softened for a moment, but then he stood, concluding this meeting.

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