Fire and Bone (Otherborn #1)(59)

“What?” I step away and cradle my arm.

“You fed off Faelan last night, and it seems to agree with you. You’re a little less praying mantis and more grasshopper.”

I look down at my body. Faelan did this?

“But now we may have a bit of a problem,” she says. She leans on the vanity and frowns at me.

“What—why?”

“I can glamour you to an extent, but Kieran will see right through it. After what he did to you, and you staying under without healing for so long, you should be pretty dead. But here you’ll be. All supple—well, near enough—and wide-eyed. He’ll know you have enough power to resist death, and he’ll be even more determined to demand his ancient rights to you.” She blows at her bangs. “But that’s all nonsense, and I’m totally sure the Cast will never give that a thumbs-up. I mean, do we really want to relive the thrills of the Dark Ages? I think not.”

I can’t even ask any of the questions screaming in my head, because I’m too confused. I touch the scar on my neck, running my fingers along the thin rise of flesh. “I’m marked by that raven freak, aren’t I?”

“Not the scar, no,” Aelia says. “If only. No, the mark of a demi is done with an energy merge, and it’s impossible to hide. I put a glamour on your scar this morning, so my girls wouldn’t notice it. But I couldn’t hide the smell of whoever scent-stamped you.”

“It wasn’t the raven guy?”

She shrugs. “Maybe, but I doubt it.” She leans forward conspiratorially. “My money’s on Faelan, but it could’ve been my dad.”

“Ew!”

“It’s not for sex, perv. It’s a protection. To keep the other demis from getting any ideas about messing with you. I mean, the mark only works if you accept it, so this is sorta on you. Except I can tell you’re clueless about it by the fact that you look about to vom.” She sighs. “Gods’ bones, what did I do to earn you?”

She’s right. I’m going to barf. I focus on breathing and ask, “How did they put the mark on me?” It feels like a violation, an invasion, whatever she says about me being a part of it.

“It’s subtle, a touch. And don’t worry, it’ll wear off if you reject it.” She takes me into the closet and begins hunting for something.

I stand in the middle of the walk-in, feeling powerless. “So it could be your dad who did it, or . . .”

“Faelan.” She smirks. “Is it so tough to imagine?” She turns and grabs something off a hanger. “You hate the guy that much?”

“I don’t hate him, I . . .”

“Oh, come on, admit it.” She nudges my shoulder playfully. “The guy is sex on an untouchable stick.” She holds up a dress in front of me. “And he kisses like thunder rumbling through your body.” She closes her eyes, like she’s pulling up a memory. “I so wish I’d pushed that further. An eternal regret.”

My chest stings. “You’ve kissed Faelan?”

She laughs, hanging the dress back up and taking out another one. “I know, I stooped. But he’s poison, that one. And that celibacy vow makes him all the more yum.”

She kissed him. And it sounds like it was mutual. Which is weird since Faelan acts more annoyed with Aelia than anything. And what does she mean, celibacy vow? Is the guy a secret monk or something? But if he is, why was he sleeping in the nude with Niamh? The memory of him in Marius’s office, looking away from the half-naked woman, comes back to me. And how he seems to go distant when we get remotely close to connecting on any deeper level—wait! Hold on. I’m getting distracted.

“So, it wears off,” I blurt out, trying to stop my brain from going further down the Faelan rabbit hole. “The mark, I mean?”

“Oh yeah, no biggie. I’d be way more concerned about Kieran tonight.” When she sees the panicked look on my face, she adds, “Not that you should be concerned, that’s not what I meant. It’ll be fine. This is just an introduction to some of the interested parties. You’ll let them all look at you, you’ll choose your protector, then it’s done.” She holds up a second dress and smiles wickedly. “And if I have anything to say about it, you’ll look fabulous doing it.”

Just the idea of being in the same space as that raven guy terrifies me. Why would I put myself back in his orbit after what he did to me? I mean, the guy killed me. Not dead dead, but that was just a happy coincidence. And the fact that he nearly succeeded seems not to be even a blip on anyone’s radar.

“So people get punished in this world, right?” I ask.

Aelia starts grabbing lacy things from a drawer. “It depends, why?”

“Well, Kieran did almost kill me, so—”

She snorts, interrupting me. “Nothing will happen to our favored prince for a vague accident, trust me—I mean, he wasn’t technically trying to kill you. Plus, his sister totally has the Cast in her pocket and enough equity with the other Penta that no one would mess with her brother. Maybe if you’d actually died, but . . . well, you’re an all-powerful demi and whatnot. No one is going to feel sorry for you.”

Her flippant words soak into me, and I’m filled with the urge to run from it all, but I have to stay focused. I need to learn to control this thing. Then maybe I’ll be able to reclaim my freedom. In the meantime, with the dark prince’s unpredictability, I should probably learn how to defend myself while I’m here.