I sighed heavily and waved a hand at my forehead, muttering, “I feel like I should just plaster a sign on my forehead that states,” I stared hard into dark eyes, letting my eyes glow a bit, “don’t test me. You won’t feel shit. And it rubs the wrong way.” I shook my shoulders a bit, brushing off that feeling. “I’m magically protected. I don’t know how, either. So, you can’t feel my Elemental power.”
Dark eyes moved to Elder Merrick. The man whose gaze felt like a damn lightning bolt against my flesh as he watched me, and I saw his black curls nod the barest bit from the corner of my eye, the truth detector of the room, before Elder Jacobs peered back to me steadily. “And would you care to explain your not-so-existent past, Ms. Farrow?”
My lips twitched. “Not specifically.” I held up a hand when his eyes narrowed the barest bit, his mouth opening. “I will tell you this, though.” I placed my hand back in my lap, taking a sip from my Coke. “I met Kincaid, Fergus, Nelson, and Venclaire recently.” Truth. “And we’ve become,” I shrugged my shoulders, “friends, I guess you could say. I don’t have a lot of those. I’m loyal to anyone I consider a friend. I’m not going at them with an ulterior motive. Only shared companionship, which they appear to enjoy my company as much I enjoy theirs.” I shrugged again. “I mean them no harm.” All truths.
Again dark eyes flicked to Elder Merrick, in which he nodded slightly, his penetrating gaze still on me, then Elder Jacobs leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, asking bluntly, “Who are you really?”
I chuckled quietly, staring down at my Coke can. “No one sent me to hurt them or spy on them, Elder Jacobs. As I said, I’m only their friend.”
There was a minute pause, and I’m sure he was verifying with Elder Merrick while I continued studying my can before he asked bluntly, “You have a criminal’s background, or possibly, someone under MIA”s protection, or even, a spook’s. But, since the database at MIA didn’t pull any information on you for us, which we have complete access to, that eliminates the middle and the latter, leaving only the former. So, what type of criminal are you, Ms. Farrow?”
I sighed heavily, the sound loud in the room as I sat my Coke on the table next to Kincaid’s sweater, peering back into dark eyes. “Not the type to ever harm the Prodigies in any way.” I paused, and then clarified, “Or try to use them to aim at the Kings. I mean no Royals harm.”
Another slight head nod from Elder Merrick when Elder Jacobs glanced at him, then ebony dark fingers tapped lightly on the water bottle as he considered my answers. “And if we brought you in to MIA for questioning? Do you think you might be a bit more forthright in your answers?”
My lips curled the barest bit, and yes, I was baring my teeth a bit. “If you can tell me how I’ve broken the Law, I would be more than happy for you to try to take me in.” I did not do jails. They would definitely try, then fail, to keep me contained when they unsilvered me, since I no longer wore my salvation as removable jewelry.
Thank you, death row and Primal Diamond.
Yellow brows raised boredly, a direct contradiction to his words. “Interesting.” More tapping of his fingers. “Give me something of your background,” he shrugged a shoulder, resting back on the couch, “or I will take you in for a spelled questioning.”
I thought about that one for a moment, deciding if I wanted to play nice with them, tapping my fingers on my Coke for long moments, feeling damn at home in this mixture of political intrigue and criminal bases, but I went with the normal blasé spiel, stating, “I don’t know who my biological parents are, I was raised in multiple shitty foster homes all over the world, the last one was a real bastard, and,” my head teetered back and forth, “my favorite breakfast food is oatmeal.” I smiled sweetly.
Elder Jacobs didn’t even bother glancing at Elder Merrick, stating coolly, “I’m about,” he pinched his fingers together, “this close to taking you in, Ms. Farrow.”
“And, it would be a wasted effort,” I stated evenly, and then sighed when he appeared ticked off. “Look, I’ve allowed you into my home, honestly answered your obtrusive questions more than most would allow anyone, none of them damning answers. If I didn’t make it perfectly clear, I have no malicious intent toward the Prodigies, and now,” I waved a hand about my apartment, “I’d like to clean up before I go to bed.” I stared pointedly. “Without either of you here.”
When Elder Jacobs glanced at Elder Merrick, who made a funny noise in his throat before choking a moment, then stated, gutturally, “Truth, except for that last part.”
I know I froze, realizing what I had said, my cheeks instantly flaming bright pink, mortification filling me the barest bit, and unbelieving Elder Merrick had actually let that out of the damn bag.
Elder Jacobs actually appeared the tiniest bit amused as he stared, his dark gaze roaming my face. “A criminal who blushes. How endearing.” His head cocked. “I’m flattered, Ms. Farrow, but I don’t believe staying the night with you would be wise, currently.”
My face stayed utterly blank, and damn I was proud of myself, gasping, “Shame, that.”
His gaze raked down my frame. “Yes, I do believe it is.” He started to lean forward, as if to stand, and I thought I saw salvation in his actions until he paused, looking thoughtfully at me, and his head cocked slowly just as gradually as he placed his elbows on his knees, a new hardness about him on his refined features. “I believe you have no ill intentions toward the Prodigies at this current time, but what I don’t believe,” he nodded toward me, “is that you are exactly as you claim. A criminal hides who they are, which you do beautifully with words, lifestyle, name, and I’m guessing, also, with your appearance. So give me this one thing, and I won’t take you in for questioning tonight.” He paused, staring me straight in the eyes. “What type of Elemental are you?”
I sat very still, knowing he wanted this information if he ever planned to try to take me in, the most intel making it easiest to capture someone. “The information won’t help with what you seek.”
His lips curled the barest bit, his tone hard. “Endearing, beautiful…and intelligent. I believe I’m falling in love already.” He absently took a drink of his water, those dark eyes staring at me over the bottle before swallowing gradually, and speaking just as slowly, his tone deathly serious. “Answer the question now or I’ll have you in silver in less than three seconds.”
My jaw clenched, the muscle ticking there. “I’ll have both of your words this information stays between the three of us.” My gaze turned just as deadly as his, letting the killing bitch in me come out to play a bit for this power play. “And believe me, I’m doing you kindness right now by answering your question, instead of letting you try to silver me.”
He actually chuckled quietly, his smile cruel. “God, I see why the Prodigies like you so much. So many layers. I wonder what else I would find if I only asked the right question.” His head teetered back and forth, hard dark eyes never leaving mine for a good minute, and finally he nodded, stating, “You have my word, since I’m so curious to see if you can answer a direct question without a spell.”
I didn’t take my eyes off Elder Jacobs, waiting…