She shook her head. “I was raised by them, though, by Maeve.”
“Why did they raise you, anyway?”
“There was no one else to do it. I was lucky.” This last she said with defiance, obviously guessing that he’d challenge her on it.
“Your parents?”
“Died.” Her gaze slid away again and her frown deepened. “At least, that’s what I was told.” She flicked a look at him, and he saw that she was considering the ring that was now on his finger. Was it a family piece? “I’d like that back, please.”
“You know what I’m going to say.”
“Over your cold, dead body.” She lifted a brow. “That can be arranged.”
“So I hear. But your parents must be dead by now, even if they weren’t in the first place. It’s been a thousand years later—assuming at least one of them was mortal,” Hadrian said. She nodded slowly, gaze locked on the ring.
She had doubts.
Interesting.
Why?
“How long do swan shifters live?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only ever met one before and he didn’t tell me.”
“But they’re mortal?”
She nodded.
“But you say there was no one to raise you except the Dark Queen.” Hadrian put his hands on his hips to survey her and call her bluff. “I’m skeptical. There have been hundreds of thousands of orphaned children over the history of time, and I’ve never heard of another one being raised by the Fae. Is there some kind of charity program going on in that realm that the rest of us missed?”
She shook her head and her hair shone in the firestorm’s light. “I was the only one.”
“So, you’re special. How? Why?”
She exhaled and glared at him. “It doesn’t matter.”
Hadrian thought it probably did. “Maybe because you were useful,” he said and saw her eyes widen. “Why blacksmiths?” he asked again.
“You’re relentless.” There was humor in her tone, though, and a sparkle in her eye, as if she found him amusing.
“I’m motivated.”
“You’re stalling.”
“I want to know about you. You’re my destined mate, after all.”
She spoke crisply then, closing the distance between them, the blade leading. It was a beautiful kesir and Hadrian openly ogled it. “I was shackled once. I’ll never forget it or forgive it.”
Hadrian met her gaze in astonishment. She’d spoken without inflection and her expression was impassive. He guessed this was important.
Really important.
He kept his tone casual. “Why didn’t you just vanish?”
“I couldn’t then. I was injured, and he pretended to help me, and then he trapped me.” She spoke coolly, her gaze averted.
“What happened? I mean, how were you injured?”
She frowned a little. “It was my first assignment. A polar bear shifter. He was bigger and stronger than I’d expected.”
“Impervious to the kiss of death?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t have that power then. He’s the reason I got it, actually, to make me more effective in future. The second time we met, he wasn’t nearly so lucky.” She shook her head. “But the first time, we fought and he ripped my gut before I escaped from him. I only managed that because he couldn’t fly.” She touched her stomach. “I still have a scar.”
Hadrian nodded because he’d noticed it.
“But I lost a lot of blood and ultimately passed out before reaching home. When I woke up, I was shackled by the ankle by some crazy loner on the tundra. He tended my injuries but intended to keep me captive forever. I remained in my swan form. He never knew I was a shifter.” She met his gaze. “People keep swans, you know. Trim their wing feathers so they can’t fly. Put metal bands on their ankles.” She shuddered and dropped her gaze again.
“But you escaped?”
She smiled a little and raised her hands. “Obviously. He wasn’t going to release me.”
“What happened to him?”
“He died tragically some time after my escape.” Her tone was hard and she held Hadrian’s gaze steadily. “Maeve gave me both the kiss of death and the ability to manifest elsewhere by will, to ensure I was never injured or trapped like that again. She took care of me.”
Hadrian was astonished by the story but had to keep her talking. “Because she’s kind of your foster mother.”
“No ‘kind of’ about it. She raised me.”
Hadrian wondered why. “Do you remember your mother?”
“I never knew her. She died right after I was born.”
“Your father?”
“I know Maeve,” his mate insisted. “She provided for me. She’s always been there.”
“But what about the brothers you’re trying to save?”
“I’m not trying to save them. I will save them. What about them?”