Page 125 of Sky’s Edge

I kept staring at her, but now my heart was beating a fierce tattoo in my chest, because Tanyn told me the same.

“It’s a fated mate thing,” Laura whispered.

I heard Mon’s swift intake of breath.

“Demons don’t have those,” I stated something she knew.

“I know,” she replied. “It’s still…” She looked to Monique, to me, to her wine, back to me. “I don’t know what it is, honey. I don’t even know who to ask about what it is, except maybe a physician.”

I hadn’t thought to question it, just revel in it.

But now I was thinking…

“Do you mind if I tell Tanyn about this?” I asked.

“I need to ask Aleksei, so do you mind if I tell Aleksei about you two?”

“I think you’re both going to have to just share,” Monique entered the conversation. “She can’t ask Tanyn without spilling about Aleksei, and vice versa. And you guys need to ask, because something is up with all of this.” She threw out a hand to indicate Laura and me. “Along with Gayle and Prince Cormac, there’s something deeper at play, even, it would seem, mystically.”

It would seem.

“And now Gayle is going to be holoing in about thirty seconds so top up,” Monique concluded.

We all just managed to top up before the bleeps sounded that shared Gayle was comming.

I accepted the holo, and she appeared, curled up in a rather attractive armchair.

She also looked good, even if she was partially transparent and had a greenish tinge to her. Perhaps not rested, her eyes appeared tired, but she had a cute outfit on, and it was one I’d never seen her wear before, and she certainly seemed chilled out and comfortable in that armchair.

“Oh my gods!” she exclaimed. “I’m so happy to see you guys!”

“And we’re happy to see you,” Laura replied. “You look…good.”

“You look like you’re not sleeping,” Monique filled in what Laura’s hesitation was about.

“That’s because I’m not sleeping all that great,” Gayle confirmed.

“Tell us what’s been happening,” I urged.

Gayle shrugged, reached for her own wineglass, took a sip, then said, “Nothing.”

We were all silent for a long beat before Laura broke it.

“Nothing?”

“I’m here, at the Fleur de Flora Fortress, which is, by the way, absolutely gorgeous. I have the run of the castle, the gardens, the grounds. I can order whatever I want to eat, and they serve it. I have access to a lapcomp, my Palm, my tablet, so I can work and even holo in for meetings. That said, all incoming and outgoing comms are blocked except work, Mom and Dad, and you guys. And I see no one but staff.”

Her comms were blocked?

And she saw no one?

“Blocked?” Laura had my question.

“Yes,” Gayle verified.

I got down to the meat of the matter (or the meat to me).

“Is that a new outfit?”