She watched for his reaction, and he didn’t disappoint, frowning his grave, serious face again.
“I can assure you, your potential distress is very real to me.”
Becka reached the row of roses before the windows and rounded on him. “Seriously? You can drop the act.”
“Your twin was murdered, Becka. Please, be cautious and accept my help.” His earnest expression begged her to listen.
Becka nibbled her lower lip. “And how do I know you’re not here to investigate my family for other crimes?”
His startled expression was something Becka hadn’t expected, and under her present hot-sauce induced euphoric state, it swayed her perhaps more than it should.
“I swear to you, seeking out unrelated transgressions is not my assignment.”
“Okay, I’ll believe you,” Becka replied. “I know how guild intrigue can be, and I have no intention of getting caught up in it. Here’s my offer. I’ll do what I can to listen and help you out with Tesse’s death, but in return, you have to share with me what you know about what happened to my sister.”
Just then a shifting movement came from the rose bushes next to them followed by an angry, screeching flash of brown and gold. Quinn slipped in front of her, moving between Becka and the emerging danger, taking the full force of the impact.
Chapter 8
“Yowllll!” Came a plaintive cry from the feline as Quinn held the large tabby up in the air by the scruff of the neck.
“Oriani!” Becka cried out, reaching for the cat.
Quinn eagerly handed Oriani over to her. “You know this cantankerous bundle of claws?”
“Yes, of course.” Becka curled the cat against her chest and nuzzled the grouchy feline who continued to complain loudly. Holding Tesse’s cat made the loss of her sister all the more real. She held Oriani tight, her tears landing on his fur. “This is Tesse’s cat. She’s had him since he was a kitten. Poor thing, I bet he’s been looking for her ever since...”
“Are you all right?” He looked to her arm. “Did I hurt you?”
Becka shook her head. “I’m fine.” Being manhandled was a new experience for Becka. As firm and swift as Quinn had moved her, he’d also been gentle about it.
Quinn caught Oriani’s tail between his fingers, eliciting a pained yowl. “It looks like he’s been injured. Is this black part of his normal coloring?”
Becka frowned, inspecting the cat’s tail, which was blackened in the last four inches. “Not at all. The tip of his tail used to be orange with a white tip, just like his paws.”
“Most curious, the blackened fur is rough and brittle,” Quinn replied.
Becka ran her fingers down the length of the tail to see for herself. As she touched the blackened fur it sloughed off, leaving bare patches of pink skin exposed.
Quinn watched her with rapt attention. “I’m no cat expert, but that doesn’t seem normal.”
“Sorry, Oriani,” Becka said, speaking in the coddling voice all pet owners use, “I didn’t realize your damaged hair was so fragile. At least it doesn’t appear to hurt you when the hairs fall off.” She ran her fingers along his tail again, and even more hair fell off and onto the floor.
Quinn, frowning, reached out to inspect Oriani’s tail again. No additional fur fell. “I guess you knocked it all loose.”
Oriani squirmed at the attention, whining to be let down. Becka let him slide out of her arms down to the floor.
“I wonder if it happened recently?” she asked.
“Tesse had some blackened marks on her. It’s possible he was with her in the gardens and also encountered her killer.”
The cat sat imperiously, grooming his fur and the newly naked patches on his tail. For now he appeared oblivious to their attention.
Becka shivered, crossing her arms across her stomach. “What could have done that to Oriani?”
“Perhaps some youth was irresponsible with their magic? Or perhaps he ran into someone’s spell and caught them unaware? Cats have a way of being persistently underfoot when you least need them.” Quinn replied. “It’s difficult to know, but the cat definitely got his tail into something he should not have.”
Becka shook her head, reminding herself to stay on target. “So, will you fill me in on the investigation progress in return for my assistance?”
Quinn rubbed a hand through his hair. “What’s the alternative?”
“Well, I could be difficult.”
He raised a brow, the hitch in his heated smile conjuring all manner of potential welcome possibilities.
Becka laughed, trying to shake off her hot pepper-enthralled imagination. “I could insist on staying in this room until the funerary rites are completed. Or leave and return home. Or even better, I could go to one of Rowan’s retreat cabins for the remainder of my stay. That would be allowed. I’d be present as required for fae propriety, and yet in private meditative practice and no one would be allowed to disturb me. But, that would hamper your investigation.”
“I am appalled that you would even consider leaving. The shame on your family for your poor behavior at this delicate time…”
“I’m an outcast, they aren’t really my family anymore. When I leave here, I doubt I’ll ever come back. I’m here now for Tesse; she’s all I care about. Well, my sister and my history research.”
Quinn’s gaze held hers, and Becka hoped her plea had convinced him.
“Okay, we will give it a go. Partner?” He held out his hand.
Becka recognized the symbolism as more than just a passing agreement. Between fae-touched, a handshake was not just their word, but a form of social contract. To break the agreement would bring shame on both of them.
“I’m an outcast, so it’s not like the honor of my house is on the line.”
“I’ll accept the risk.”
She shook his hand, an electric thrill running up her arm at his touch. As an outcast, she had nothing to lose working
