Page 77 of Daughter of Garnet

I want to be able to prod him, to see if he's convinced himself that the pieces of my beast he saw were a trick of his eye. What if he mentions it to someone? Nothing bad has happened so far, but that doesn't mean it won't.

The more people who know, the higher the likelihood that something will slip, and whoever Ilota doesn't want to know I exist will find out.

It's been a while since I attempted to speak to Ilota directly. After so many times of not being answered, I gave up, figuring she'd come to me when she could. Ray and Cliff have moved on, talking about a sport that Ray played in university. They won't notice if I tune out for a moment.

"Is it the Archon that can't find out my secret?"

By the time I've finished my glass of wine, I assume she's not going to answer.

"Yes."

The single word, whispered into my mind, startles me so much that I drop my glass trying to refill it. It shatters on the floor at my feet, and Ray is beside me in a blink.

"Did you cut yourself? Are you okay? Don't move, I don't want you to step on glass." He wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me, carrying me across the room and dropping me onto the couch. "Stay here, let me get that cleaned up."

In the commotion, I almost forgot that Ilota spoke to me.

"That may be a problem, considering his son is my scent match and knows."

Her response is immediate, a groan that rattles me from the inside out. "Do you trust him?"

I think back to the times he's hurt me, bullied me, and the disdain he looks at me with.

I'd be a fool to trust him, right?

"I don't know."

"You'd better hope you can. If Theodore Bradly finds out you exist…" Her sharp inhale has me mirroring her breath. "If he finds out you exist, you won't for long."

CHAPTER 37

Zoe

After Ilota told me that if Dominic tells his dad what I am, he'll kill me, in not so many words, I hit the sauce a little too hard.

"Good morning, Zoe." Cliff's voice ghosts across the back of my neck.

Cliff is in my bed? Shit. This is the first time we've ever spent the night together, and I was too drunk to enjoy it.

My head is killing me, and the morning light coming in my window makes it worse, so I squeeze my eyes closed again. "How'd we get back here?"

My body bounces against his as he chuckles. "You blacked out, huh?"

"Don't make fun of me," I whine.

He kisses up the side of my neck. "Never. I got worried after you started mumbling about the Archon that you'd spill some secrets, so I brought you back here. You wouldn't let me leave, but I promise, I was a total gentleman."

"I have no doubt you were." I trust Cliff with my life at this point. Literally, since one word to the Archon could get me killed.

I need to stop thinking about that.

He rolls me over and pulls me against his chest. "Did you have fun, at least?"

"From what I can remember. You?"

"Actually, yeah. I wasn't expecting to, since Ray was such an asshole to you in the beginning, but he's growing on me."

I snuggle into Cliff's beefy arms and bury my face in his neck. I can't remember the last time I felt so comfortable, despite the splitting headache. "Me too. He apologized for it and is going out of his way to make it up to me."