Page 27

He only smiled and spun her again.

'You know who I am, so it's only fair.'

He pulled her close. 'My name does not matter.'

'You're Fae'ch?'

'No.'

She faltered. 'You're a Black Hood?'

He looked away. 'Why would you assume that?'

'You are,' she said, the thrill of it overwhelming her senses, excitement stealing her breath. 'I have so many questions.'

The music slowed further, and he pulled her flush against him. 'What do you want to know?' he asked quietly, his lips beside her ear.

She closed her eyes, giddy, almost drunk … all the things he could tell her. If only she could clear her mind … think. Her thoughts zeroed in on the feel of his breath on her skin, his smell … what was that amazing scent? It was like …

'Fyia?' The word was a low growl, and when she met his gaze, his eyes were smokey.

They stopped dancing. 'Do you have a dragon egg?' she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

An almost severe intensity entered his gaze. 'Do you?' he said.

'I asked you first.'

He put a hand on her cheek, then pressed his forehead to hers. She sensed the wild … frozen lands, towering trees, the scent of pine, the sound of running water close by. It was tranquil, but brutal, a harsh place where only the strong could survive.

A strange sensation pinged against her mind, and she panicked, pulling away sharply, breaking the contact. 'What did you do?' she asked, hating the edge of hysteria in her tone.

She didn’t know who this man was … What was he doing? What wasshedoing? Why had she let him get so close? Her wolves howled, and nearby eagles cried in her mind.

The man winced. 'Gods,' he said, staggering back a pace.

A figure dancing next to them turned, catching his arm. 'Cal?' said a woman's voice. 'Cal, are you okay?'

'I'm fine,' he said, pushing the woman away. 'We should go.'

'Wait,' said Fyia. She grabbed the man—Cal—by the arm, but when their skin made contact, an animal's roar filled her mind, so loud, so angry, she released him. She grasped her head with her hands, and eventually it ebbed, but when she looked up, Cal and the woman were gone.Gods damn it.Her one chance to speak with a Black Hood, and it was over before it began, and … what had he done to her?

This was why the Kings had outlawed magic from the Five Kingdoms. Why they’d taken such drastic action to rid their lands of the magical. Cal had successfully reminded her magic was dangerous; those who had no power of their own at the mercy of the magical.

Fyia had magic, and still she'd been vulnerable, with no education other than what she'd been able to teach herself. And what she'd taught herself was how to suppress her magic, so it didn't break free and cause mischief, or hurt someone.

There seemed to be no lasting effects, but still, she'd been stupid; she'd let him get close enough to harm her, when she didn't even know who he was. She'd trusted him, had let him press his forehead to hers … but then, maybe he'd used magic to achieve that too.

Fyia spent the rest of the party hiding in a tree. Not the most noble approach, but one that was sure to result in a favorable outcome. It also provided a good vantage point, not that anything of note happened, only Fae'ch revelry that became increasingly amorous at the night went on.

Fyia ran over the encounter with the Black Hood again and again. What had he done to her? Why had she heard her Cruaxee? Why had she heard a strange animal roar in her mind?

She would tell Edu what happened, and he would give herthatlook … he would be insufferable. She knew she'd been stupid, but the Black Hood had been so compelling, so intriguing, so very much in possession of bottomless brown eyes … he'd taken control, despite knowing who she was … a welcome change, a relief even.

By morning, Fyia was irritable. She breathed a long sigh of relief when the illusion shattered, the hall returning to a cavernous stone space, music ceasing, food disappearing, her own clothes returning.

The magic floated her to the floor, where she landed on her feet. Most of the Fae'ch disappeared in a puff, leaving only a few slumbering revelers, including Edu and Rouel, who were asleep under a table.

Adigos strode towards where she stood, worry written in every movement. He grasped her arms and looked her over. 'Are you alright?' he said, running his hands this way and that, checking for any sign of injury.