A Kiss of Shadow (Court of Starlight and Darkness #2)(4)

“Can we come up?

“Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t let you die back on that miserable chessboard, but that doesn’t mean I want to have coffee with you.”

“How about wine?” Meria held up a bottle. I hadn’t seen her grab it, but it had been a smart move.

Evelyn gave her an appraising look. “Fine. I’m the door on the right.”

We went through the red door and climbed the stairs. The door was already open, and Evelyn stood inside. Her dark hair was pulled up in a messy knot and she wore a ridiculous large T-shirt with a cartoon bird on it. Flock You, it read.

This was how Evelyn dressed in private?

She’d always been so meticulously put together when I’d seen her before.

“What?” She looked down at her shirt. “It’s cool.”

“Yep.” I just nodded. I needed her help, so I didn’t want to piss her off. And anyway, I kind of liked the fact that Evelyn was a weirdo.

“Come on.” She gestured for us to follow her into a kitchen with a round wooden table. The ceiling was painted black, with silver constellations dotting the surface. It was gorgeous.

“Got cups?” Meria asked.

“Yeah.” She retrieved some juice glasses from a cupboard and set them down.

Meria filled the cups with the dark ruby liquid, then passed them around and raised hers, “To surviving the competition.”

We clinked.

“To losing,” Evelyn said.

She didn’t sound upset. “You okay with that?”

She nodded. “Fate said I had to compete. So I did my best. The fact that I didn’t win was meant to happen. My magic grew a bit as a result, and I got this nice apartment, so I’m happy.”

“That’s very…emotionally healthy.”

She grinned. “Yeah. I like to win, so I took it seriously. But now that it’s over, I can get on with my life. You’re the one who has to marry that stone-cold bastard.”

“He is hot, though,” Meria said.

I blew out a breath, not yet ready to talk about Lore with her.

“So, why are you here?” Evelyn asked.

“We need to see the Truth Teller. I heard you know how to get to her.”

She nodded. “She’s the one who told me I had to compete.”

“Can you take us?” I asked.

She sipped her wine. “I’m going to need more info.”

“Why?”

“Because I have to know that you really need to see her. I’m not about to annoy one of the most powerful people in the realm because you want to know what the weather’s going to be on your wedding day.”

I scowled at her.

“You’ve got to trust me if I’m going to trust you,” she said.

Okay, that was fair.

I shared a look with Meria, who nodded. Evelyn was a pain in the ass, but she had honor. Sometimes, you could just tell with a person.

“I’m looking for my parents.”

“It’s more than that.” Evelyn pointed to my ears. “What’s the deal with those? Why are you hiding them?”

“I’m not.”

“Um, yeah, you are.” Annoyance flickered in her gaze. “I can see that they’re rounded.”

“I’m not fae.”

Her eyes widened and her jaw slackened. “You’re not…wait, what?”

“Not fae.”

“Not possible. You were chosen to compete. You won.” She drew in a breath. “We have to have a fae queen. This can’t be right. Maybe you don’t know you’re fae.”

“My magic comes from the stars.”

“Shit.” She whistled out a low breath. “You’re serious.”

“Very.”

She laughed. “I can’t believe I lost to a witch. The king hates witches. Hell, we all hate witches. Ever since the prophecy was laid down.”

“Well, maybe I’m not a witch.” Hope echoed in my voice.

“You’re a witch,” Meria said. “But a good one. There are plenty of good witches, Evelyn.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just not the one who is supposed to arrive and decimate us all.” Understanding dawned on her face. “Maybe that’s why you won. Only a witch could defeat a witch.”

That logic worked for me, though I still had no idea how in hell I was going to win against someone with deathly magic.

“I don’t know much about my magic or who I am,” I said. “But I think my parents might know. I just have to find them.”

“And you want the Truth Teller to locate them for you.”

I nodded. “Pretty much. I’ve been looking for them for years because I wanted to know who they were. But now I have a real reason to find them. I’m hoping they can help me figure out what I am and how I’m supposed to defeat the witch.”

“So you’d be helping us for all the fae,” Meria said. “It doesn’t just benefit us.”

Evelyn nodded. “I’m starting to see that.” She dropped her head back and groaned. “But I can’t believe I know this secret now. By law, I’m supposed to tell the king something like this.”