Page 125 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

Only a thousand.

“What’s a Brownie?”

His gaze snaps back to mine. “Pardon?”

“A Brownie.” I shove back my instinct to be secretive.

This isn’t Verdanthia. Magic isn’t forbidden, and Fae are openly discussed. There’s no punishment waiting for me.

“My adoptive mother… Someone once referred to her as a Brownie.”

“Ah. The prince, I assume?”

The marks on my arm constrict, and my throat tightens.

“Excuse me?” I choke out.

Surely he doesn’t know Rian is really the⁠—

“Relax.” Anders cuts off the thought, his smile tight. “I’m aware of who Rian is. We’ve been acquainted for a long time.”

My heart thrums wildly in my chest.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to deny whatever Anders is about to say. For all I know, this could be a trap.

He could be lulling me into compliance with this tale about King Korrin. He could be using my thirst for knowledge to get close so he can learn more about the males who brought me to Virendrell.

I curl my hands, bracing myself for whatever comes out of his mouth next.

“A Brownie is a creature known for their loyalty,” he answers.

My fists relax. “A creature?”

Many men have referred to Juniper as such thanks to her no-nonsense, tenacious nature. But not in the way Anders means.

“The Fae Realm is littered with many kinds of sentient beings,” Anders says. “They haven’t reached our shores because, well, travel is hard to come by. But once, Fae coexisted harmoniously with all sorts of beings in Eranthia.”

I can’t imagine Fae coexisting with anyone. All I know is their intolerance. Their destruction.

That’s not true.

Rian and his cadre have helped me more than once since we’ve met, albeit with mostly abrasive attitudes.

Anders continues, “Brownies are a race of creatures prone to serve Fae noble houses for generations, often only venturing out on their own when there is no one left to serve.”

He looks meaningfully at the diary.

My stomach drops. “You think my adoptive mother served Calla’s family?”

“It’s very likely,” he says, eyes resting on the thin leather book placed on the edge of the table. “I can’t think of another reason she’d possess that diary.”

Me either.

I take a deep breath.

Could it be possible? Is Juniper a being from beyond the Veil?

She didn’t react to the Shadow Fae or their glamour. And she wasn't shocked by Anton’s secret identity.