I clear my throat. “It’s . . . nice to meet you all.”
Jalek grunts. “She’s a terrible liar. You’re sure she can dupe the prince?”
“Hush, you,” Pretha says. “Abriella is the best chance Finn’s court has.”
I arch a brow. Finn’s court. “You’re not Unseelie?” I blurt.
She grimaces and exchanges a look with Tynan. “Not by birth.” Sighing, she adds, “I was born one of the Wild Fae, but I pledged my allegiance to Finn long ago.”
I look to the others. “And you three?”
“Unseelie born and bred,” Kane says, pounding his fist against his chest.
“But don’t worry,” Tynan says. “Not all Unseelie are as ugly as that one.”
Kane gives Tynan a vulgar gesture, and Jalek bites back a smile.
Pretha ignores them all. “Tynan is Wild Fae, like me. And Jalek is Seelie by birth. Many years ago he was a courtier for the golden queen’s father.”
“Old ass,” Kane mutters.
“I’d rather be old and wise than young and dumb,” Jalek says, but his eyes remain on me, studying my reaction to this information.
I try not to gape. I was always under the impression that the fae were strictly loyal to the court they were born into, but Finn seems to have assembled a little band of misfits. “And you all work for Finn?”
“We work for the greater good for all of Faerie,” Pretha says, pulling her long hair over one shoulder and beginning to braid it. “And since Finn is leading that charge, yes, we work for him. We work with him.”
Jalek narrows those vivid green eyes at me. “Have you spent much time with Queen Arya at the palace?”
I shake my head. I haven’t laid eyes on the queen since the day I went before her to pretend I wanted to marry her son. “No. She’s not around much.”
Jalek and Tynan exchange a look, and Kane mumbles something I can’t hear.
“I think you all have somewhere you’re supposed to be this morning,” Pretha says pointedly, and instead of bristling at a female ordering them around, the three males nod and head toward the library’s double doors. Females so rarely have any meaningful power in Elora, and I can’t help but respect Pretha a little more.
Tynan is the last to leave. He stops in the doorway before turning back to Pretha. “Misha and Amira have requested a meeting with Finn. Amira specifically asked for you to attend. I thought you might want to prepare yourself.”
Pretha’s smile falters, but she quickly pastes it back in place and nods. “Thank you for letting me know.”
He turns away and lets the doors swing closed behind him.
“Who are Misha and Amira?” I ask.
“King and queen of the Wild Fae. They’ve been essential in our mission over the last two decades.”
If they’ve been so essential, why does Pretha look shell-shocked at the news that she’ll have to meet with them?
She draws in a deep breath and rolls back her shoulders. “How’s your search for the mirror coming? Have you asked the young prince yet?”
I nod. “He’s working on it.”
Pretha gives me a tight smile. “Good. Now, let’s work on your training, shall we?”
Chapter Fourteen
“AGAIN,” PRETHA SAYS.
Five hours into my third full day of training, and I am so bloody sick of that word I could spit. Except for a brief break for lunch, we spend the entire day in this library with her pushing me to create darkness. We started with drops at my fingertips and moved to a ball of it held steady in the palm of my hand. Bottom line? Despite Pretha’s endless patience, I can make it appear, but I’m hopeless when it comes to commanding it, maintaining it, or generally doing anything useful with it.
I draw in a deep breath and focus on the palm of my hand, willing that darkness to appear. The moment I form a ball of shadow, it grows too big too fast and overflows, spilling like sand from between my fingers and then disappearing.
“Sloppy,” Finn growls behind me.
I spin around, shocked at his sudden presence. Aside from my brief meeting with the three males that first day Pretha brought me to this library, it’s just been Pretha and me during my training. Apparently Finn’s decided to bless me with his presence today. “What did you say?” I ask.
“Finn,” Pretha says. “How lovely of you to—”
He cuts her off with a sharp shake of his head. “Not today, Pretha. Leave us.”
Pretha gives me an apologetic smile. “Don’t let him push you around,” she says softly.