Blood And Breath

17

Chapter Seven FENODREE I had cursed my ever-putrid luck when I opened the door to reveal Cat standing alone. Judging by her timid nature, I had doubted she would have the confidence to visit without Rebecca present. Not only had Cat come alone, but I had been surprised to find our conversation … intriguing. I was not often wrong, but I begrudgingly admitted that there may have been more substance to the young woman than appearances would have suggested. When I asked about what she knew of hate, I had not expected more than inconsequential musings. How was I to know there was a brotherhood of humans who not only knew about the Fae but were also united in their hatred of our kind? In my time, it was common for the Fae to view humans as inferior for their lack of magic, but the human race was ignorant of our existence and could not form a reciprocal opinion. A man may think flies are annoying, but the fly hardly has any opinion regarding the man. Since my exile, so many things had changed, including human knowledge of the Fae. This sect of people had kept their knowledge to themselves. Would that always be the case? Was Guin truly ambivalent about this race of people? What kind of intolerance had Cat witnessed from her family that made her willing to walk away from them? Did she fully comprehend what she was risking? Could anyone truly grasp such concepts until after facing the consequences of such actions? I did not get the impression that Cat was simply a rebelling child seeking to test her boundaries. She recognized a fundamental flaw in how she had been raised and had the fortitude to reject those teachings. That took uncommon strength and self-awareness. However, the true test of character would lie in how she handled her family’s response to her rejection. “Tell me, how is it you discovered that Rebecca was Fae?” Interested in learning more, I sat in the chair opposite her and continued our conversation. “At first, I thought she was like me—human with the ability to see through a Fae glamour. Becca and I were at a pub when we witnessed a Leannan-sidhe luring a human man out to feed on him. When I looked at Rebecca’s face, I could tell she had seen through the creature’s glamour and was just as scared as I was. She explained that her necklace enabled her to see the Fae as they were, and I had no reason to doubt her statement. It wasn’t until sometime later that my people discovered there was more to her power than a simple necklace.” “And your people—how can you see through a glamour?” She chewed at her lower lip as she waged a silent internal debate. Her decision made, she slowly turned in her chair and lifted her long red curls to expose the back of her slender neck. On the delicate area just below her hairline was a small symbol inked into her ivory skin. “Much of what my ancestors were taught was the use of rune magic. This symbol, the truth rune, gives us the sight and enables us to see through glamours. We certainly aren’t immune to all magic, but this helps us at least know what we’re dealing with. It’s hard to protect yourself in a world of magic if you can’t see the dangers around you.” I had unknowingly leaned toward her in my examination of the rune. When she dropped her hair and turned around, our faces were mere inches apart. Her eyes widened, and the movement of her lips parting drew my eyes down to her mouth. A lick of lust trickled down my spine and caused the briefest skip in my nearly reptilian heartbeat. It was a sensation I hadn’t felt in a very, very long time. Something I hadn’t thought to ever feel again. As much as I wanted to cling to the sensation and savor every invigorating drop, I worried if I relinquished myself to the need, I might lose all control. Cat was too innocent. Too pure to handle the kind of repressed desire I might unleash. I quickly withdrew, pulling myself back into my chair and clearing my throat. “I had no idea such a pocket of people existed,” I said, my voice now coarse and uneven. “You are almost a hybrid—humanity and Fae magic combined.” She smiled shyly and pulled her knees back into her chest, hugging her legs. “I don’t know about that. I’ve heard what the Fae can do; our powers don’t compare.” “During my years in the Shadow Lands, I learned some rune magic; however, most of what I acquired was dark magic that is too dangerous to toy with when not absolutely necessary. You said the queen taught her handmaids their knowledge of magic. Have you any idea where the form of rune magic was originally derived?” Again, she looked at me with uncertainty before her features set in determination. “I don’t know where the magic comes from, just that it was taught to the Druids by the Fae.” “Druids? How is it that people in hiding were given a name?” “The name was given before they went into hiding. Those who had learned magic used their knowledge to help their villages. If a well went dry, everyone knew that the local Druid would be able to find the best place to dig a new one. They became revered in their communities, often considered spiritual leaders, and the term ‘Druid’ evolved for such a person. For the most part, they were of benefit to the people they served and continued to help even after they went into hiding from the Hunt. A few of the power-hungry Druids fell into using blood magic, and rumors began to spread that the Druids condoned human sacrifices. There are always troublemakers in every group, and that small sect’s clamor for more power tainted our image. Because of that, the Druids, who had already been secretive, withdrew even further until it appeared that they had faded from existence entirely. Up until now, we’ve led private lives and regard secrecy above all else.” She finished with a hint of a frown, uncertainty clouding her gaze. “And now?” Her piercing eyes lifted to mine. “Everything’s changing. There’s discord among the elders—some want things to stay as they have been, while others want us to remain a secret to the human population but ally with the Fae. Yet others want us to out our abilities completely. Those individuals see us as a chosen people, better than other humans.”