Fae be warned. A group with immense power and magic are judge, jury, and executioners for Death—Reapers. They enforce the law and right balance. Be advised, if a Fae discovers a Reaper …
That’s all they had. It infuriated Rhi that they couldn’t finish the message. She wanted to know what would happen if a Fae discovered a Reaper. Rhi was also curious to know if there was more to the message they hadn’t found yet.
Sixty books to find thirty-three words.
“Do you still have someone following you?” Balladyn asked.
Rhi stopped herself from glancing to the side to her watcher just in time. She regretted telling Balladyn about him now. Maybe Rhi was wrong, but she didn’t think her watcher meant her any harm.
“No. I think I was being paranoid.”
Balladyn’s red eyes narrowed as he closed the tome in his hand and gently set it down as he stared at her. “You’ve never been paranoid.”
“True,” she said with a shrug. “Then again, I’ve never left the Queen’s Guard and told Usaeil off either.”
For a long moment Balladyn watched her before he gave a nod. “Perhaps you’re right. As long as you don’t have that same feeling anymore.”
“I don’t.”
“There’s that, at least.” He closed more books and gathered a few in his arms before he walked to the cases and began to shelve them away. “Do you feel better about seeing the passage?”
Rhi sank into the high-backed chair that looked as if it had come right out of the Renaissance period and sighed. “I wish I could say yes.”
“I tried to warn you.”
“How do we find the rest?”
Balladyn glanced at her over his shoulder as he put away the last book in his hand. He turned and walked back to the table and gathered more books. “Did you not hear me when I said my library was more extensive than any Fae’s?”
“I did actually.”
“Then you’ll understand when I say I’ve been through each of my books. Twice. There’s nothing else. Perhaps whoever was leaving the messages was stopped by the Reapers.”
Rhi looked to where her watcher stood. “That’s definitely a possibility.”
“But you don’t think so.” Balladyn gave a little shake of his head and grinned as he returned to putting away the books.
Rhi observed him for a moment. “You do have a nice collection. But is it every book?”
“No one even knows how many books there are. Most of what I acquired was pillaged from the Fae realm after the Light left. Many I couldn’t get to because some Dark destroyed them.”
“I need to find the rest of the message.”
Balladyn paused while shelving a book. He slid it into place and laid the remaining books in his hands on a shelf as he turned to her. “Why? Why is this so important to you?”
“I wish I could explain, but I don’t understand it myself. It’s something I have to do.”
He strode to her, pulling her to her feet. “Don’t. It doesn’t matter what the rest of the message says. It’s enough of the warning at the beginning. Don’t meddle with these Reapers, Rhi.”
“So you admit they’re here.”
He sighed and dropped his arms. “I never said they weren’t.”
“Have you seen one?”
Balladyn looked away, refusing to meet her gaze. That was a cue that he knew something.
Rhi moved into his line of sight and forced him to meet her gaze. “You know something. Spill.”
“Rhi,” he began.
She held up a hand and said, “Eh. Don’t even try. Just tell me what you know.”
“Dammit,” Balladyn muttered and ran a hand over his jaw. He stared at Rhi for a long stretch of silence. Then he said, “There’s been mention of a Fae seen in Edinburgh with white hair.”
“Fae?” she asked. “Are you sure?”
“He has red-rimmed eyes.”
“Ah. That’s definitely a Fae. I’ve never heard of a Dark having such coloring.”
Balladyn crossed his arms over his chest. “Neither have we. It’s bothering Taraeth as well, though he’s trying to hide it. I believe the white-haired Fae could be a Reaper.”
“Maybe we should try and find him.”
“No!” Balladyn shouted.
Rhi jumped, because at the same time she felt her watcher come up behind her. “Okay,” she said, drawing out the word, waiting for both men to calm down.
It took Balladyn longer than her watcher.
“Rhi, I gave you this information because I thought it would stop whatever you were thinking of doing. Don’t use it to do something reckless.”
She smiled at that. “Come with me, then.”
Balladyn’s arms dropped to his sides as he blew out a breath. “I wish I could.”
“You can. Leave all this behind.”
“I can’t. I’m going to rule the Dark.”
Rhi smiled tightly. It hurt that he chose the Dark over her.
“I can do much for the Dark,” Balladyn explained.
Rhi touched his face. “They’re Dark. They’re evil. What is there to do?”
“I’m Dark.”
“You don’t have to be.”
He gave her a confused look. “This is who I am, Rhi. I thought you understood that.”
She certainly did now. “Yeah.”
“Stay,” he urged her when she turned around.