Seven Black Diamonds (Seven Black Diamonds #1)(64)
Zephyr made a choked noise, drawing all gazes to him. Lily felt herself inhaling sharply and realized that she was drawing the air away from Zephyr.
Rhys looked at Lily and then at Creed. “Which of you stole his air?”
Even though he had to know that he wasn’t responsible for stealing Zephyr’s breath, Creed’s voice came from behind the living wall she’d created in front of him. “My affinity is air.”
“I hear the truth in those words, Creed Morrison, as well as the lie,” Rhys commented. He looked at Lily with pride in his eyes. “You have two affinities. Are there more?”
She still wouldn’t open her lips to speak, not to answer, not to deny her guilt. Her whole body was irritated like the touch of moth wings fluttering incessantly over her skin. When Rhys had said that the fae-blood boy would deliver her to Endellion, Lily couldn’t stop her reaction—just as she couldn’t stop the urge to protect both boys when Rhys uttered his threat.
“Stop,” Eilidh ordered. “All of you. Please.”
Lily and Rhys both released the other. The vines retracted from Rhys’ body as the tugging sensation vanished from her body. Her attention was pulled to the boys on either side of her as the walls in front of them sank back into the ground.
When Zephyr was still unable to breathe, Lily realized that Creed had been afraid enough to strike out at one of his best friends. They’d both struck out at Zephyr.
“Creed,” she said softly. “Release him.”
As soon as Creed exhaled, Zephyr coughed. Her guilt at being the reason for this confrontation rose up, but this was not the time for contrition. There were three members of fae society in front of them, and Lily didn’t truly trust any of them. She’d been raised to believe that fae—much like criminal associates—required careful handling. At the time, she’d thought Daidí’s references to dealing with the fae were simply his nod at thoroughness, but he’d known about her, about her mother, about the future that she’d need to face. Being the granddaughter of the queen of all fae was a terrible thing. Humans would want her dead or captured. Fae would want to use or destroy her. The queen herself . . . Lily wasn’t sure what she would want. She honestly didn’t want to find out.
Simultaneously, she reached out to both Zephyr and Creed, taking a hand of each. “Peace between us, please.”
As the air refilled Zephyr’s lungs to the point that he no longer looked like he might faint, he glared at Creed. She debated telling him that Creed alone was not responsible, but she couldn’t say it here in front of the fae observing them intently.
“Lily?” Eilidh prompted.
Lily looked up.
“There’s blood on your face.”
For a moment, Lily was confused, but then she realized that she’d bitten herself hard enough that blood was trickling from her mouth. She reached up to touch her lips and her fingers came away coated in red.
Rhys held out a small embroidered piece of cloth. “You are strong-willed, niece.”
She took the cloth from his hand, looked at it, and said, “You can’t have this back, not with my blood on it.”
Torquil and Eilidh both smiled at her approvingly. Rhys laughed unexpectedly. It was an odd sound from someone so severe.
Then he said, “You are obviously my family, Lilywhite Abernathy. I would not take arms against Eilidh for you, but I would bloody my blade against Calder or Nacton or any other who meant you ill.” He did not mention Endellion, but it was a comfort to know that she was not alone in the face of the others who might mean her harm. “It would be an honor to stand as your guard, niece, as long it does not harm my sister.”
Rhys’ voice was such that Lily couldn’t help but think of truths from a pulpit, of pronouncements from her father’s crime synods. Rhys spoke with the surety of a fae who knows that he cannot lie. He did not include the king or queen in his list of those he would not fight for her safety. That, too, spoke volumes.
“Accepted,” Lily said quickly. “Your vow is accepted.”
He smiled and said approvingly, “Definitely Mother’s descendant.” Then he grew more serious. “Some fae can compel truths of their relatives or those of lesser bloodlines. It is a rare trait, what humans call recessive, I believe. I am the only of the fae who can do so currently. Mother finds it useful.”
“Does it work on humans?”
Rhys didn’t flinch as he said, “It often leaves them unwell, sometimes comatose, but yes.”
“And halflings?”
“The same.”
Lily was the one to look away. Fae weren’t known to be particularly gentle, but he’d just attempted something that could harm her. Something about it prodded at her memory. She stared at him as she thought back to fae vows. “Aren’t you foresworn if you break your vow?”
“If it would hurt you, I wouldn’t have been able to attempt it. Because of my vow, my gift would be ineffective. The vow allowed me to try it. That was the most efficient way to discover if you were fae or simply fae-blood.” He gestured at Zephyr and Creed. “The Sleepers are all what the humans deem halflings. You, Lilywhite, are much more than that.”
twenty-six
ZEPHYR
Zephyr stared at the fae in front of him, trying to make sense of the things he was saying. The facts of the situation didn’t mesh. The fae couldn’t lie without pain. The purer the fae bloodline, the worse the pain. Zephyr could hide the pain of lies when he’d had to do so. He could do it, but it wasn’t easy. Somehow, though, either Zephyr had been lied to before or he was being lied to now. It had to be one or the other, but both were improbable.