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“I don’t get it—how can you know so much about everythingexceptfor the mystery surrounding the Thief of Souls?” I ask.

Des glances down at my folded arms. Reaching out, he trails his fingers over the exposed skin. “In order to answer that question, I’d have to tell you how I know so many secrets in the first place.”

My brows furrow. “You bargain for them.”

“Not … exactly,” Des says evasively.

But I thought that was how he’d built a name for himself.

“I built a name for myself through my deals and my brutality.”

Right. That too.

He continues to stroke the skin of my arm.

He’s not going to tell me.

Des’s fingers stop. He takes a deep breath. “I’ll tell you—Iwantto tell you. It’s just …”

His eyes flick to mine. “The shadows speak to me.”

I give him an incredulous look.

The shadows … cantalk?

And Des can hear them?

“Seriously?”

He taps my skin. “Mhm.”

Mind is officially blown.

I mean, I knew fairies could spin cloth out of moonlight, and wear stars in their hair, so this is technically nothing crazier than what I’ve already seen for myself, but still.

“That is so fuckingcool.”

A laugh slips out of Des and his shoulders relax. Apparently he was nervous about telling me.

“Cherub, I’m never nervous.”

Okay, this freaking liquor is really starting to piss me off.

Hate being this transparent.

“Tell me more,” I say.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything! I just learned that shadowstalk! That’s so creepy-slash-awesome. What do they sound like? Does my shadow talk? Does yours? What do they say? Do they have personalities? I could keep going.”

Des moves a wet strand of hair from my eyes. “They sound about how you’d imagine shadows to sound—like whispers—though their voices vary just like human and fae voices do. Your shadow talks. Mine, not so much. They don’t really have distinct personalities, but they do have moods. And they say all sorts of things, provided they want to talk to you.”

“Wow,” I say.

I still can’t get over the fact that my shadow has talked to Des.

“She’s told me a lot over the years.”