Page 186 of A Touch of Poison
But my mind was my own.
Kaliban had touched it, but only when I’d been thinking so loudly it projected out or when I’d given him permission to remove troubling memories. I’d learned to keep my thoughts much quieter—this fae had gone digging to find them.
“That was a violation.” My leather gloves creaked as I fisted my hands tighter and tighter. Now I knew, I pulled tight and made my thoughts spiky—a thorny plant impossible to swallow.
And stay out.
Wincing, he rubbed his forehead and shared a glance with Sura.
She leant forward, interlacing her fingers. “I needed to know if you were open to the truth about my mother or as closed as the Serpent.”
“You could’ve asked,” I gritted out.
“And you’d have told me, would you?” She laughed.
Never reveal your heart.
“Probably not. Why?”
“There is something he needs to know. Something he’s not ready to hear, but he will be one day—he has to be. I need to plant that information close for when he’s ready.”
“You want to… tell me something so I can tell him?” It couldn’t be that simple.
“It’s vital this doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. I need to tell you but then lock the memory.” She exchanged a look with the tattooed man. “You won’t have access to it until certain conditions are met.”
I laughed. “You want me to let him poke around in my mind again?” This wasn’t the same as Kaliban taking memories I didn’t want. I’d helped him when he was at his most vulnerable. He’d worked with my memories tomybenefit, only asking for errands in return. Over the past months, I’d grown to know him and even like him, despite his gruffness. He had never delved where he wasn’t welcome.
Jaw tightening, I stood. “I want breakfast back in my room. We’re done here.”
She let me reach the door, no doubt feeling safe thanks to our bargain.
“It will save his life.”
I stopped, about to turn the handle. “What do you mean?”
“You must know I can’t tell you the specifics. But this knowledge… when he has it, it will save his life. And if the wrong people find out, it will end it. That’s why I can’t risk you revealing it to anyone until the right time… but I also can’t risk him never finding out.”
I tried to swallow down the thick feeling in my throat like someone’s hand was around it. I turned and eyed her a long while. “You’re saying he’ll die if I don’t accept?”
She spread her hands. “I can’t know for sure, but it’s highly likely.”
Shit. She had to know I couldn’t risk that.
“And I get to name my terms for this bargain?”
“Within reason.”
Right now, there were three things I needed that she could help with. I raised one finger. “You let us go today, unharmed with all our belongings. Two, you give me some charm or object that contains iron.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “To block your… interesting power?” She nodded at my gloved hands. When I clenched my jaw and didn’t reply, she rolled her eyes. “I need to know, because if that’s your purpose, it needs to fit close to the skin, even if the iron doesn’t touch you directly, or else it won’t work.”
I couldn’t always keep my cards close to my chest. I nodded.
“I can get something made, but it won’t be ready until tomorrow.”
“Fine. We leave then. And”—I raised a third finger—“you give me the guard’s insignia patch when she comes back in.” I shot the tattooed man a glare.Stay out. Stay out. Stay out.
He winced and looked away, giving me space to think.
