capable of and what I did to Nicholas. The guilt spreads through me like venom and my stomach churns as I visualize him being chained to the ball. However, I can’t fall apart right now. I’m on a mission. An unknown mission at the moment, but I’ll figure it out once I get my answer.
Taking a deep breath, I shove the guilt away. I’m here to find out about the Cornu Lepore, not to cry over something I did to the half-Faerie. I lift my gaze up from the table and meet Nalina’s horrified gaze.
“I’m not proud of it or anything that I did while I was under the influence of Helena, but I still feel responsible. I can’t do anything about it right now, though.” I lower my hands onto the table and splay my palms across the wood. “There are too many other things I have to do first and then I’ll fix what I did.”
Nalina studies me intently as she grasps the handle of the cup holding her tea. “You’re a real mystery to me. The last time I saw you, you were a terrified little girl and now you just seem cold, sad, and confused.”
I feel cold, sad, and confused . “I think that’s the case for most people who meet me.” I decide it’s time to get down to business and get the answers I need. I reach into my pocket, retrieve out the Cornu Lepore, and drop it down on the table between us. Even in the dim lighting the gold chain shimmers like magic.
Nalina sucks in a sharp breath as she stares at it with her jaw hanging open, then she quickly shoves her chair back and rises to her feet without saying a word. She picks up the cup of tea and carries it to the sink. She keeps her back to me as she pours the tea down the drain. “Why did you bring that here?” she asks, turning the faucet on, and then rinses out the cup.
“I need to know what it’s for,” I tell her, getting to my feet. “Why did Helena take it from you? What does it do?”
“What makes you think it does anything?” she asks nonchalantly as she sets the cup inside the sink, then she slowly turns around and leans against the counter. “The Cornu Lepore is the pendant for royalty of the Fey. That’s it. There’s nothing spectacular about it.”
“I know what it is,” I say, struggling to keep my cool as I wind around the table. “But why did you have it? And what does it do? Because most things like this,” I lean over and snatch the necklace off the table. “Do something.” I thrust the necklace in her direction
“I have—or had it anyway—because I have royal Fey blood in me,” she says easily as she pretends the necklace isn’t in my hand, avoiding looking at it. “Just like you have Royal Fey blood inside you.”
I look at her skeptically. It’s still hard for me to accept the fact that I’m part Fey. But Royal Fey? Really?
“I don’t believe you,” I tell her, frowning as my arm falls to my side. “There’s no way.”
“Well you can believe it or not,” she retorts. “But it is true.”
“Okay, if it’s true, then explain to me how it is?” I cross my arms and narrow my gaze at her. “I mean, who was the royal Fey in our family?”
Her gaze is locked on the pendant dangling from my fingers and her eyes glaze over, as if she is being hypnotized from it. Interesting. I toss the pendant back down onto the table and she blinks her eyes, clearing her throat as she elevates her gaze to mine.
“Your grandmother—my mother—Nalini Lucas was Fey,” she answers with a sigh.
“Crap!” I don’t mean to say it out loud, but it slips out.
“What, you thought I was really lying?”
“No, but hoping… being Fey is the last thing that I need right now.”
“No one ever needs to be Fey, but, unfortunately, some of us are.”
“Yeah… like Nicholas,” I mutter and then swallow hard.
Silence builds between us as she stares at the teardrop pendant on the table. The Cornu Lepore. If it’s not important at all, then
Taking a deep breath, I shove the guilt away. I’m here to find out about the Cornu Lepore, not to cry over something I did to the half-Faerie. I lift my gaze up from the table and meet Nalina’s horrified gaze.
“I’m not proud of it or anything that I did while I was under the influence of Helena, but I still feel responsible. I can’t do anything about it right now, though.” I lower my hands onto the table and splay my palms across the wood. “There are too many other things I have to do first and then I’ll fix what I did.”
Nalina studies me intently as she grasps the handle of the cup holding her tea. “You’re a real mystery to me. The last time I saw you, you were a terrified little girl and now you just seem cold, sad, and confused.”
I feel cold, sad, and confused . “I think that’s the case for most people who meet me.” I decide it’s time to get down to business and get the answers I need. I reach into my pocket, retrieve out the Cornu Lepore, and drop it down on the table between us. Even in the dim lighting the gold chain shimmers like magic.
Nalina sucks in a sharp breath as she stares at it with her jaw hanging open, then she quickly shoves her chair back and rises to her feet without saying a word. She picks up the cup of tea and carries it to the sink. She keeps her back to me as she pours the tea down the drain. “Why did you bring that here?” she asks, turning the faucet on, and then rinses out the cup.
“I need to know what it’s for,” I tell her, getting to my feet. “Why did Helena take it from you? What does it do?”
“What makes you think it does anything?” she asks nonchalantly as she sets the cup inside the sink, then she slowly turns around and leans against the counter. “The Cornu Lepore is the pendant for royalty of the Fey. That’s it. There’s nothing spectacular about it.”
“I know what it is,” I say, struggling to keep my cool as I wind around the table. “But why did you have it? And what does it do? Because most things like this,” I lean over and snatch the necklace off the table. “Do something.” I thrust the necklace in her direction
“I have—or had it anyway—because I have royal Fey blood in me,” she says easily as she pretends the necklace isn’t in my hand, avoiding looking at it. “Just like you have Royal Fey blood inside you.”
I look at her skeptically. It’s still hard for me to accept the fact that I’m part Fey. But Royal Fey? Really?
“I don’t believe you,” I tell her, frowning as my arm falls to my side. “There’s no way.”
“Well you can believe it or not,” she retorts. “But it is true.”
“Okay, if it’s true, then explain to me how it is?” I cross my arms and narrow my gaze at her. “I mean, who was the royal Fey in our family?”
Her gaze is locked on the pendant dangling from my fingers and her eyes glaze over, as if she is being hypnotized from it. Interesting. I toss the pendant back down onto the table and she blinks her eyes, clearing her throat as she elevates her gaze to mine.
“Your grandmother—my mother—Nalini Lucas was Fey,” she answers with a sigh.
“Crap!” I don’t mean to say it out loud, but it slips out.
“What, you thought I was really lying?”
“No, but hoping… being Fey is the last thing that I need right now.”
“No one ever needs to be Fey, but, unfortunately, some of us are.”
“Yeah… like Nicholas,” I mutter and then swallow hard.
Silence builds between us as she stares at the teardrop pendant on the table. The Cornu Lepore. If it’s not important at all, then
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