That sneaky vampire thinks he can sneak away from telling me the truth! No, I won't let him off the hook so easily.
After an exchange of a few foul words, Cam steps aside and allows my mom through the gate of guards fencing the castle.
"I'm sorry, but you told me to protect her at all cost," Cam apologizes as my mom brushes past him.
She shoots him a dirty look. "Protect her from everyone but me from now on." She steps forward, then stops. "And Rhyland."
"Man, Rhyland's got her wrapped around his little finger." I grimace as my mom hikes across the field that's glistening red from the glow of at least a hundred blood fireflies.
"Who does?" my mom asks as she stops in front of me.
"I … No one. Never mind." I plaster a smile on my face. "I'm so glad you're here. You just missed the meeting of the fey king and queen."
She momentarily tenses. "I've met them before." She pets Aeribella. "A long time ago. And I must say, you must've impressed her if she gave you a lilywolf tiger."
"Actually, Rhyland gave her a favor in exchange for one."
"Really?" She appears impressed.
"Yeah, he said they're good protectors." I shrug. "And that I've always wanted one. How he knew that is beyond me."
The starry sky waterfalls light across my mom's smile. "I think he might like you," she says.
I roll my eyes. "He doesn't like me. He's just trying to win me over so this whole king and queen thing will work out."
My mom sighs. "Oh, Raven, you have no idea."
"No, I don't," I tell her. "I have no idea about anything anymore, and no one seems to want to tell me stuff."
Another sigh, and then she loops her arm through mine and starts up the stairway. "Come on; let's go inside, and then we can talk more."
I hope by talk she means explain to me why everyone acts like they're keeping secrets from me.
Almost the instant we step foot inside the doors and into the lit-up castle, I open my mouth to bombard her with questions. But I don't get a single word out as her face pales and her eyes widen, her gaze falling to my neck.
"What happened?" she whispers in horror.
I peer down to find that the dragon's fire burn has returned in full form, the skin molting away, charred flesh fluttering to the ground like dying snowfall. "You didn't hear what happened with Gabe?"
"No, I heard. I just didn't realize … " She hurries down the hallway without finishing.
I rush after her. "Mom, what's going on?"
She continues powerwalking. "Did Rhyland see those burns?"
"Yeah." I struggle to keep up with her empress super speed. "He said he was going to find some dragon's fire on the black market. That it would cure it."
"He must not realize … " She quickens her strides, zipping down the hallway and breezing through a set of open doors.
I dash after her, arriving several star rises later, and find her standing in front of a colossal fireplace, talking heatedly with Rhyland. Neither of them notice me enter, and following a strange instinct, I duck behind a bookshelf to listen.
"And you didn't think to take her to a vampire witch and get an exact diagnosis?" The crackling fire casts light across her hardened features.
"I figured it was too dangerous." Rhyland stabs the fire with an iron stick. "And I know what Gabe is, so I didn't think my diagnosis was incorrect."
"How very arrogant of you," she hisses. "Always thinking you know everything. It's part of the reason we're here."
He turns to her, his face a shadow against the orange spark of the fire. "I don't think I know everything. I just didn't know what to do." He stabs the fire again with the iron stick. "We're in new territory … What happened on the street with Gabe … that's never happened before."
My mom's face turns even paler. "I know."
The cackling of the fire fills up the silence that stretches between them.
"What do you think that means?" Rhyland whispers, gripping the iron stick.
"I don't know." Firelight reflects in my mom's wide eyes.
"What're you doing?" Kingsley asks from right behind me.
I let out a scream that would put wild Banshees to shame, and Aeribella lets out a high-pitched roar.
I whirl around. "Fuck, you scared me." I pet Aeribella to try to calm her down.
His brow rises. "Yeah, I got that." His gaze wanders over my shoulder then centers back on me. "Why're you so jumpy?"