Chills skate down my spine. I get the distinct impression he wants to kill me for that unsolicited touch, and it’s enough to terrify me.
I swivel on my stool, which dislodges his hand. Mouth dry and heart jackhammering, I take a deep gulp of my wine for fortification. Pretending the last twenty seconds didn’t happen, I don’t dare look toward Carrick or the man who thought I was flirting with him. Instead, I move on to the next person and focus on their face, hoping I can uncover the Light Fae and be done for the night.
It’s not until I make it all the way around the U-shaped bar that I find him to the left of Carrick. There’s still not a hint of buzzing euphoria, but when I focus, the man’s face easily disappears and in its place is a countenance so beautiful it hurts to look for too long.
The glamour was nothing but an ordinary, nondescript man with sandy-blond hair and a plain face. Beneath is a perfectly designed and proportioned face appearing very human in shape but clearly otherworldly. His eyes are the palest blue I’ve ever seen, almost completely translucent, and his skin is alabaster with a shimmering silver sheen to it. Clearly a fae, because he has no outlined aura that would denote him to be a daemon, so, in essence, I would not have known him to be a Light Fae had Carrick not said he was. As Zaid reminded me, looks can be an indicator, but he warned me Dark Fae could be beautiful, too.
“The man, three seats down from your left,” I mutter to Carrick. Having made my identification, I turn my gaze to my wine. “He’s beautiful.”
He grunts with what sounds like annoyance. “A royal.”
I can barely hide the excitement in my tone, leaning to peek at the Light Fae again.
“Quit being so obvious,” Carrick hisses, causing me to straighten immediately. He lowers his voice. “All fae are dangerous, especially if they know they’ve been outed. Never let them know you can see what they truly are.”
I swallow hard, nodding in understanding. I’d learned how to do that over my years of seeing them, but I sort of lost myself at the word royal.
And that’s when I feel it… that distinct thrumming that seems to vibrate within my veins, giving me a slightly heady feeling. The Light Fae’s vibe—pleasurable and leaving me a little buzzed. I’m wondering why I’m feeling it after having broken through the glamour since I usually feel it first.
“I can feel his vibe now,” I say, but I don’t bother explaining more. I had told Zaid a lot more details about the vibes I get, and I have no doubt he passed every bit of information on to Carrick. “I wonder why I didn’t get it first before seeing through his glamour?”
Carrick seems to ponder it but then shrugs. “Maybe because he’s a royal and is stronger, so his very essence is masked. Maybe some fae or daemons just give off vibes naturally. It could even be that you’re naturally attuned to specific creatures in certain ways. There are so many variables and unknowns, and I fear we’re just at the tip of the iceberg in figuring you out.”
That’s me—just a science experiment to Carrick—but he makes good points.
After taking a sip of his drink, he sets the glass down and offers, “Maybe next time, you should try to reach out for the vibe as well as break the glamour at the same time to see what happens.”
“That’s a good idea,” I agree, a little eager for this new test on my abilities.
“I’m glad you think so.” Carrick gives me a sly smile. “Because there are a few daemons in here, as well as another Light Fae. Locate and describe them to me.”
Taking another sip of wine to shore myself up, I swivel on my stool to scan the restaurant.
Carrick leans in, adding the final warning. “And for fuck’s sake, don’t react when you see them.”
CHAPTER 13
Finley
Carrick and I spent over an hour in the bar area, whereby I surreptitiously looked around the restaurant and honed my skills to identify fantastical creatures.
Eagerly, I took his suggestions. I reached out with my senses, opening my mind up and inviting feeling into my body. It worked like a charm. I could feel a vibe, but I could do no more than tell the general direction it came from. It didn’t shine like a beacon to pinpoint my quarry.
Carrick hypothesized that the farther away I was from a fae or daemon, the harder it would be to use the vibe to identify one. In my past, I’d always been close to someone when I felt the vibe. Regardless, it was good information to have. As usual, Carrick admitted he was puzzled about why I had this ability.