I froze. Sister? Could he mean that literally? “W-what?”
“There’s no way you’re really brother and sister,” Zoe argued, leaning closer to the wedding planner so she could study his fluted drink. “Is that a mimosa? Isn’t it a bit early?”
“It’s never too early to relax.” His eyes never left my face. “You’re one of the chosen, not just a sister.”
I had no idea what I was supposed to say. “Um ...”
“Sit down.” Zoe’s tone was so authoritative I immediately acquiesced, landing on the lounger beside her feet. Suddenly my head felt too heavy and the emotions zinging through me were overwhelming to the point I risked toppling over. “Don’t give her grief, Pemberley. She doesn’t know anything about what she is. That’s why we’re here.”
“Seriously?” He turned sympathetic. “How did that happen? How did you get separated from your people?”
My mouth was unusually dry. “I don’t know. I was left in the middle of the night as a child, abandoned. I have no memory of them.”
“No?” He leaned forward and stared directly into my eyes, as if somehow burrowing in and peeling back the layers of my soul. “No, your memories are still in there. They’ve been suppressed, though. That’s interesting.” His eyes lit with amusement and he sipped his drink.
“I’m pretty sure she doesn’t find it amusing,” Zoe countered, clearly annoyed. “She’s supposedly one of the Children of the Stars. Paris has done some research. She says that means Scout is a hybrid, part fairy and part witch.”
“On a very basic level, that’s correct.”
“She also says that you’ve contributed to paranormal papers — and who knew that was even a thing? — on the subject. That’s why we’re here.”
“And I thought you were visiting because you missed me,” Pemberley teased. “That explains why the little one isn’t with you. That makes me sad. I always found her to be ... charming.”
“Well, she’s fourteen now and pretty far from charming,” said Zoe. “She’s with Aric, and not all that far away. We’re dealing with a situation. Right now, I feel as if you can give me information on a different situation ... and that’s why we came to see you.”
Pemberley pursed his lips for a long beat. “I don’t know what to tell you,” he said, shifting so he could raise a leg. It was only then that I realized he was naked under the robe.
My mouth dropped open.
“Oh, geez!” Zoe said. “Tuck that thing away, will you?”
Pemberley chuckled and readjusted his robe. “Since when did you turn into such a prude?”
“Since now. That thing is freaky, like an albino snake or something.”
“On my plane, it’s normal to walk around naked,” he informed us. “As much as I love your world, the food and music especially, that is one thing I miss about my own.”
That statement snapped me back to reality. “You can walk between planes?”
He nodded. “As can you.”
“But ... I don’t think I can. I did it a few months ago, but a local witch had to help me.”
“That’s likely because you don’t know how to harness your power.” Pemberley’s tone was kind. “It’s unusual for Children of the Stars to abandon one of their own. Something terrible must’ve happened for you to be left behind. The thing is, I doubt the decision was made lightly. I need you to tell me about your origins, anything you do know.”
It was a reasonable request but I balked all the same. “I barely know you.”
“Yet you trust this one.” He jerked his thumb toward Zoe. “She trusts me.”
“That’s not what she said during the drive,” I persisted. “She said she thought of you as an ally but there were different shades of gray to consider when dealing with you.”
Rather than be offended, Pemberley snickered in delight. “That is such a you thing to say, mage.” He clucked his tongue and shook his head. “You always were a prickly thing.”
Zoe smiled. “I happen to know a whole bunch of people who find me delightful.”
“You do inspire loyalty,” he agreed. “I’m betting you do, too.” His gaze drifted to me. “As for trusting me, you sought me out. What possible reason do I have to hurt you? I don’t even know if I can give you the answers that you seek. However, I would like to help if I can.”
I licked my lips, not quite ready to give in. “Why would you freely offer your help to a stranger?”
“Because, believe it or not, I like to think of myself as a good guy. On top of that, there aren’t many of us on this plane, my dear. Most of our kind were chased off thousands of years ago.”
Zoe stirred. “Why is that?”
“You already think you know, don’t you?” Pemberley looked legitimately amused. “Go ahead and give me your opinion. I’ll tell you if you’re right or wrong.”
“Fair enough.” Zoe scratched the side of her nose. “Thousands of years ago, good and evil waged a war. I guarantee one side didn’t think of themselves as evil, but that’s the basic gist of it. At the time, mages were created to monitor both sides. They weren’t supposed to interfere, only make sure neither side managed to completely eradicate the other.”
Pemberley beamed at her. “And to think I believed you to be an idiot when we first met. Continue.”
“The fairies would’ve landed on one side of the equation, tilting the balance,” Zoe went on. “They would’ve allowed one side to claim victory. The mages couldn’t let that happen, so they chased off the fairies, and they escaped to different planes but never truly stopped watching.”
He narrowed his eyes. “That’s pretty good. How did you figure that out?”
“Bits and pieces here and there. My parents have told me stories. I’ve done some reading. Also, Sami is a child of two
