Page 145 of A Legacy of the Light

I pull away and noisily wipe my nose on the back of my hand, making Reyne giggle. She hands me a cup and I wrap my hands around the china and take a sip. The smooth chocolate explodes on my tongue and lessens some of the ache forming behind my eyebrows.

“Thank you,” I whisper quietly.

“For what?” Reyne replies.

“Making me talk. I don’t do it often. Not about this.”

I have opened up more to her and Tavish than I have to anyone. Perhaps my subconscious knows that if I continue on this path of not talking about it and burying my feelings, it will destroy me.

Reyne reaches across and takes one of my hands in hers. “You never have to thank me for being your friend, Elsie. You can trust me. I will not abandon you.”

Reyne didn’t know about my other friends back home, how they have done exactly that—abandoned me when I needed them the most. All except for Rachel.

I search her face, her kind eyes and the patience that sits there, waiting for me to open my heart to her. The words bubble up on my tongue.

“I’m Seelie,” I whisper, so quietly that I think she might not have heard me if not for her mouth dropping open.

“What?” she asks on a whoosh of breath.

“I’m Seelie. I found out a few weeks ago.”

“I . . . I . . . what?” she repeats.

“You cannot tell anyone. Not a word. Not to your parents or Eòghann. Anyone. Promise me, Reyne?” I start to panic. I didn’t mean to tell her, the words escaped before I could stop them.

Sensing my fear, Reyne puts down her mug and takes mine from me. Gripping my hands tightly, she says, “I swear this will not leave this room.”

I sigh and nod.

“How?” she asks.

“I don’t know. My Granny was a part of the court and fled when the Dorche first attacked. She went to the human world and has been hiding ever since.”

“Who was your father?”

“I don’t know. I never knew him, but he was Seelie. Finneus confirmed I’m full-blooded. He’s the only other person who knows.”

“Well . . . fuck,” she huffs.

Stopping the small smile at the corners of my mouth is impossible, and she leans back in her chair, letting go of my hands.

I take a few more sips of the hot chocolate. A small burden feels as though it’s been lifted off my shoulders for sharing this with her. My friend.

“I wondered why you got so good at training that quickly. I should have known.”

“How would you have?” I prompt. “As far as you know, I’m a human. As far as everyone knows, I’m human. And it needs to stay that way.”

She mimics zipping her mouth and throwing the key over her shoulder, making me smile again.

“Will you go home?” she asks after a minute of silence as I let her process this information.

“Yes. I need to. I can’t leave my Grandpa.”

She nods, looking around the room and taking her mug of chocolate. “Wait. Can you wield?” she asks.

I roll my eyes. “No. Not yet, at least. Finneus has been training me in secret, but I haven’t been able to do even the simplest forms of magic.” I’m dejected in my response.

She places a comforting hand on my arm. “Not every Seelie can wield, lass. Look at me. I do just fine with what I have.”