Seven Black Diamonds (Seven Black Diamonds #1)(44)

“No. You’re wrong about me.” She started to pull away from him, the gesture hurting as her knuckles jabbed the cut on his palm. “I’m human, and I know exactly who my parents are.”

Zephyr’s hold on her tightened. “No, you’re not. You only know what they think they know. They don’t know it, but you’re not human.”

When she didn’t reply, Creed said, “Neither are we, Lily. Not fae-bloods, Lily, but fae. True fae. Full-blooded. Born of them, and placed here with a mission.”

Zephyr was grateful for his presence for the first time that night. It wasn’t enough though. Lily snatched her hand back from Zephyr’s and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t argue, didn’t run, simply watched them like she was debating how best to make them suffer. She reminded him of the queen herself.

“You’re not human, Lilywhite. Neither am I. Neither is Creed . . . or the others.” Zephyr watched her as he spoke. “There’s so much you don’t know, but—”

“I know everything I need to know.” Lily met Zephyr’s eyes and told him, “I am Iana and Nicolas Abernathy’s daughter. I am fae-blood, but there’s no way I’m true fae. This is ridiculous.”

“You might be Seelie after all,” he muttered.

“I can assure you that I’m not.”

“I hope not,” Zephyr said. “I’d rather you were Unseelie.” He paused and looked at her before adding, “Like me.”

“I need to leave.”

“I’m sorry,” Zephyr said quietly. “I don’t know why you were left alone before or why you had no handler, but I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you had to go all of these years without the rest of us around to help you. I’m sorry we didn’t realize that you were left to figure it out alone.”

“I figured out that I had an ancestor that was other than human,” Lilywhite said. “That’s it. I have a father, a good father, who made sure I had everything.”

Before Zephyr could try to figure out what to say, Creed shocked him. “What if I knew someone who could prove it?” he asked.

“Who?”

Creed shook his head. “That’s the only catch, Zeph: you can’t ask. I’m in no shape to endure lying right now.”

“You could tell the truth,” Zephyr said. “Novel idea, I know, but you could consider it.”

Creed leaned back into the cushions and kicked his feet out in front of him. “I can help, but it has to be my way. It’ll take a few days, but I can send a message.” He turned to face Lily. “What do you say? Give us a week or so. I’ll bring you proof. You’re like us, Lily. Let me show you.”

Lily studied him before countering, “Fine, but I don’t want anyone else to know about this. Just the three of us.”

“And the mystery guest,” Zephyr snarked.

“Obviously.”

“Outsiders? This isn’t the way we handle things, Creed,” Zephyr started.

“I agreed to it,” Lilywhite said.

Creed remained silent.

“So . . . we have a week for this ‘proof’ to arrive,” she said after a long pause. “Until then, you’ve both offered your friendship, and whatever else is going on, it would be nice to try that as long as we can.”

Both boys glanced at her, exchanged a tense look with each other, but remained silent. Zephyr didn’t want to table anything. He’d been waiting for her for years. This should’ve gone differently. For starters, Creed shouldn’t have been there, and Lilywhite was supposed to look at him with appreciation, not Creed. Zephyr had given up Alkamy. He’d faced the queen. He’d looked after the cell on his own. When Lilywhite arrived, things were supposed to be better. She was to be his salvation.

“You can keep your secrets, and I’ll keep mine,” Lilywhite offered, drawing him out of his thoughts. “One week. A truce between all of us.”

“Done,” Creed said with a nod. “Zeph?”

Zephyr looked at Creed. They’d been closer once, years ago. Creed had been his best friend. It would be nice to have that again, even for a little while. He nodded and said, “A holiday from fighting with you? It seems unlikely, but I’m willing to try.”





nineteen


LILY

After a couple of hours, Lily returned to campus with the boys. Creed’s hoodie was once again hiding her face. Lily stopped at the wall of the garden and the vines shifted for her. Neither boy commented, but she saw them smile. It was an admission of trust of sorts. She’d meant it when she had offered a truce. For the next week, they would be friends. Being friends with fae-bloods—because she refused to believe that they were actually true fae—meant being herself in a way she’d never been able to be. With Erik, she still hid that part of her. With most of the staff, she did too. Hiding in front of Creed and Zephyr, and by extension the rest of the Sleepers, would be unnecessary and a huge sign of mistrust considering what they’d shared with her.

Lily slipped into her suite as quietly as she could, but Alkamy was awake and in the main room. She was wrapped up in a blanket sitting on the sofa and looked worried. “Where were you?”

“The Row House.”