groups get along. In fact, none of us really like each other much. You’ll have to learn some of the political maneuverings that have kept us well enough to keep from killing each other,” he said, apparently attempting supernatural humor. It was too early in our relationship, and the bottle of wine, for me to even crack a smile. He sighed. “There’s more, but I don’t want to have to help you out of shock a second time tonight. I don’t have the energy for it.”
“Don’t stop,” I whispered. “I want to get the basics out of the way.” Sort of. Not really. My stomach was clenched tight, nausea welling just below my surface of attention.
“Fine. You’ll not age—”
“Say again,” I commanded.
“You will not age,” he said very slowly and with emphatic articulation. He arched a single eyebrow, silently challenging me to panic.
I was going to try not to give in to that fear and prove to him I could handle this.
“So I come out of this the same as I go in. Okay. Go—” I had to stop to clear my throat. “Go on. What about the skills you said I’d inherit, or that I may have already inherited?”
“It’s hard to say, Maddy, but I can tell you what I’ve known of the last two Niteclifs. Your logic skills will improve dramatically, getting better with use, and this will sway how you look at everything. You must have balance there to keep yourself sane.” He looked at me to make sure I was listening. I nodded, and he continued. “You will have a certain innate understanding of investigative procedures, as well as a general knowledge of crime scene protocol.”
He paused, and I nodded again. “Okay. Sounds all right so far.”
“You will find it easier to accept the supernatural world while shunning the human world, walking between both existences. You must work diligently to maintain your humanity and your reality. You can’t afford to lose them or you may not find your way out of this dual existence. But you must be equally active in the world of myth and legend and at the same time always remember that you’re not truly one of our world. It can be dangerous to forget that.”
“Wait. Are you threatening me?” I demanded, setting my napkin on the table and making moves to stand.
He laughed, but it was bitter. “No, Maddy. Sit. But that brings up another point. There are consequences for both failure and success.”
I emulated him by arching a brow.
“Fail to succeed and the High Council can order your execution. Succeed and your enemies can order your assassination.”
I started to laugh and then realized he was serious. “Damned either way, huh?”
“Making it out alive will be the truest measure of success you can have.”
I looked down, resettling my napkin in my lap. I didn’t know what to say. It seemed that to say I was a condemned woman would not have conveyed heavily enough the situation. Bahlin mercifully continued, moving my thoughts on to the next point of consideration.
“You’ll have a basic knowledge of fighting skills, and a sort of sixth sense about things, though you’ll always end up backing that intuition with logic. Listen to your gut because, in my experience, it won’t lead you wrong and your head will get there eventually.” He grinned.
My head was spinning and I hadn’t had enough wine to justify the dizziness yet. I intended to rectify that, especially if Bahlin could resolve a hangover as easily as he could a headache. But wine didn’t seem a fast enough solution. Now a tall glass of whisky—that sounded more promising. I waved my hand in a circle indicating he should continue while I contemplated moving the curtain aside to look for our waiter.
“You’ll be in contact with the High Council on a regular basis, which means—”
“That you should have invited me, old chap.” The curtain parted and Tarrek, First Prince of Faerie, stepped through.
Chapter Four
He was even more luscious in person than he had been in my dream. Tarrek wore all black again, and his eyes gleamed an unnatural green in the low light. I realized the color was eating away at the pupil in his eyes as they filled with some sort of light, glowing softly with strong emotion.
Bahlin seemed unimpressed and looked back at me, essentially dismissing Tarrek. “I didn’t know we needed a chaperone for our evening out, Maddy. My most sincere apologies.”
Tarrek’s eyebrows shot halfway up his brow. “Am I interrupting a