the motion before she turned away.
She composed herself, burying her head in the soft bellies of her beasts and whispering quiet words of love directly into their ears. Tongues licked away her tears. They gave her what I couldn’t: Love. Devotion. Compassion. They held nothing back, and neither did she. It was a bond I could never experience.
It must have pained her beyond measure to give them away.
By my feet, the blades of grass shifted, and a small woman wearing a leaf dress peered up at me. Pointed ears poked out of mossy hair and she smiled, revealing endless rows of dagger-sharp teeth. Where her legs should have been, a trail of smoke billowed beneath her.
A Gyss.
Time itself stopped when she arched her brows. Hello. A feminine drawl sounded in my mind.
She was the answer. The beast who could possibly remove my curse. A chance at connection, at feeling, without condemning anyone to death. My limbs tingled, and I forced myself to remain calm. Steady.
Hello. What’s your name? I thought back, lacing my fingers together.
Fable. Her wide smile stretched further, splitting her face in half. I know what you want.
What I want? I glanced at Leena, but she was absorbed in the comfort her beasts could give her.
The woman hovered above my lap and folded her arms beneath her bust. Yes. It’s obvious, really.
I raised a careful brow. Tell me what I want, then.
Fable giggled. Are you sure you want to hear it?
Absolutely.
She cupped her chin in her hands and gave me her biggest smile. Beg for it.
It was impossible not to roll my eyes. Please, oh magical Gyss, tell me my deepest desire.
That’ll do. She winked. You’re cursed. One of my kind can lift it.
The world slipped out from beneath me, and a dull ringing obscured all sounds. How do you know about that?
She cackled, and Leena’s head snapped to me. Hard expression set, she was impossible to read. “Ignore Fable. Mischievous little thing.” Reaching over, Leena poked Fable right in the tummy. A soft peal of laughter fell from her lips, and she floated out of reach.
“She’s a Gyss, right?”
Leena stiffened. “Yes.”
Fable wiggled her brows. Maybe she’ll consider transferring ownership. My dear master has never asked one wish of me. It’s rather boring.
My gaze met Leena’s. “You’ve never made a wish?”
“No.” She fisted her hands in her lap. “And I don’t ever intend to. We should be heading back.” Her muscles tensed, but she maneuvered around each beast with care.
“What do you have against Gyss?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.” She brushed her hands along her tunic, and I caught a glimpse of her diminishing ink work.
“Leena, I don’t care if it doesn’t meet our agreed-upon requirements. If that’s the beast I want—”
“I said no!” True silence followed in the wake of her shout, and her beasts disappeared in a flurry of movement, save Fable. Her sly smile only deepened. Was she really so dangerous? Even with that cunning glint to her gaze, I couldn’t imagine her inflicting serious pain. Not like Felicks’s bite or Kinana and Kapro’s ice prison. But there was obvious fear coursing through Leena’s eyes. “Noc, the whole reason I’m exiled is because of a Gyss. Because the man I loved wished the Council would only hear lies from my lips instead of truth. I don’t know what his payment was, what he sacrificed to make that wish come true, but clearly my life and love didn’t hold a candle to his ambitions.”
The anger in her voice died as she stared at her Gyss.
“I love Fable. I do, I promise. But Noc, I only sell Gyss to scoundrels with clear-as-day intentions. Fame. Fortune. Prosperity. Because a Gyss’s true strength is tied to its master’s power and drive. Someone who cares only about trivial things, who has weak desires, won’t be able to unleash a Gyss’s true potential. But you?” She turned on me, a sudden uneasy sway to her step. “The truth is, I have no idea what you’re capable of. And that could put me in the line of fire. Again.”
My mouth went dry. I would never dream of using the Gyss against her, but what evidence did she have to the contrary? An active bounty as a bargaining chip?
Knots formed in my gut, and I dropped my gaze to Fable.
She smirked. She may change her mind. But for now, you better take care of her. She’s stayed for too long.
Leena buckled forward, knees crashing against the ground. The ink along the right side of her