right now.”
Her face was a strange mix of melancholy and anger. I wasn’t sure what to say. And for the first time since she and Culley arrived, I felt a twinge of concern for Ryann’s well-being around our emissaries. I didn’t want them saying anything to hurt her feelings or make her feel self-conscious about her part-human heritage.
“That must be very difficult,” I said, probing. “It would be understandable if you harbored some very bad feelings toward humans.”
She straightened and gave me a half-smile. “I don’t—not really. I know the crime of that one guy is not the fault of their whole race. Mother is a different story, though. She hates them all. Not only for taking her bond-mate’s life but for leaving us without support. My father had no life insurance. We’re immortal, after all—I guess he wasn’t expecting to die. Unlike Nox’s and Vancia’s parents, my father wasn’t a celebrity. He made a good salary as an entertainment lawyer with Audun’s firm, but he wasn’t rich.”
“There was no money set aside for the future?”
“No. Apparently Mother spent every penny Father brought home. When he was gone—so was the money. For the first few years we scraped by on charity from Audun. Now we survive on what I make from modeling.”
Still unfamiliar with the ins and outs of Dark Elven life, I was surprised at her statement. I’d had the impression they were all quite well-off due to their Sway over humans. “Would your mother’s glamour not allow her to easily obtain money?”
“Well…” She hesitated, her face flushing red. “The kind of glamour Mother has isn’t exactly useful after one has already found a permanent mate. At least—it can’t earn money. Well, it might, but she’s too proud to use it that way.”
“I see,” I said, though I didn’t really. Reading her discomfort, I didn’t pursue the subject. “I’m sorry to hear of your family’s struggles. Is there some way I can help? We don’t use money, but we have plenty of everything here to share.”
Ava gave me a funny look, as if she’d stumbled upon some previously undiscovered species in the rainforest. “You really do have good manners, don’t you? I had no idea the Light Court was so generous. To listen to our High Council, you’re all a bunch of decrepit old fuddy duddys burrowed into your little hidey hole like cowardly ticks.”
I laughed at the unflattering description of my people. Ava’s spirited, happy laugh joined mine. She slipped a hand around my arm and pulled me along as she began to walk.
“You haven’t told me your glamour—what is it?” I asked, trying to turn the conversation to lighter topics.
Her face instantly flushed a deep red. “I’d uh… rather not talk about it if that’s okay.” She stared fixedly at the ground, fighting for composure. “It’s… embarrassing. I try not to use it when I have a choice.”
Okay… so not a better topic. Her refusal to discuss her glamour concerned me a little. Then I thought about what she’d said. It’s embarrassing . Perhaps she had a glamour that was unfit for polite conversation, like Nox’s. At least she wasn’t flaunting it as he had.
“Ready to see more of our decrepit hidey hole?” I asked.
“Oh yes. I can’t wait to see what new wonders you have to show me. As if you haven’t impressed me enough already.”
Ava’s words were innocuous enough, but then she followed them up by batting her eyelashes at me and grinning in a way I could only describe as provocative. Having spent so little time around Dark Elves, I wasn’t sure how to interpret it. If only I had Ryann’s glamour. Maybe Ava did have sexual glamour and the body language was unintentional.
Just in case, I decided to nip the
Frankie Blue
john thompson
Alaina Stanford
Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright
C.W. Gortner
Helena Newbury
Jessica Jarman
Shanna Clayton
Barbara Elsborg
James Howard Kunstler