keep that hand?â
Oh, no. She was not going to take that tone with me. âI need to talk to you.â
âCome back in four hours.â
âI canât wait that long.â I jiggled the door handle, but it was locked. Not that it would hold against my Were strength. âIâm coming in. You can either let me in or Iâll let myself in.â
âYouâre going to regret it.â The faint rustle of sheets carried through the door along with a lot of what I assumed were fey curses.
âI already regret the need for it.â I leaned against the wall as I waited. âDo you think Iâd be here this early if it wasnât important?â
The door swung open. Cosette stood in a sheer white robe that didnât quite hit her at mid-thigh. Her tiny, pale blue nightgown peeked from underneath and I shot Dastien a look. Donât even go there.
I wouldnât dare, he said through the bond as he stared at the ceiling.
I elbowed him and then pushed past Cosette.
The rooms up here were all the same. Small single beds in simple frames made with crisp white sheets and comforters. Each one had a small wooden table with a lamp and a full bathroom. With so little inside, the rooms were usually pretty tidy.
Not Cosetteâs. Clothes were strewn all over the floor. I wasnât sure if they were all dirty or if some were clean. I tried to watch where I was putting my feet, but it was no easy task. âGlad to see youâve made yourself at home.â
Cosette crossed her arms. God. Sheâd just rolled out of bed, but her hair fell around her face in perfect blonde-brown ringlets. That had to be something to do with being fey, because it definitely wasnât human. âIf you woke me up to criticize my housekeeping, weâre going to have a problem.â
âNo. Sorry. Iâ¦â I swallowed as the fear came back two-fold. âI wanted to talk to you about visions.â
Cosette shook her head, making her curls bounce. âHardly anything I know applies to your type of magic. Youâd be better off talking to Yvonne or Elsa.â
I sat down on the edge of her bed. Dastien leaned against the doorway, hands shoved into the pockets of his faded and battered jeans. He gave me the slightest nod.
I met Cosetteâs brown gaze with my own. âI donât know them well enough to know if theyâd lie to me.â I hoped they wouldnât, but they might try to soften the reality. I needed brutal honesty. Cosette was the girl for that. âI know youâll tell me the truth, even if itâs seriously sucky.â
âThatâs true.â She straightened. âWhat did you see thatâs got you so worked up?â
I told her the basicsâleaving out the part about the fey dude for nowâand then asked my million-dollar question. âCan I change what I saw? Or is it set in stone? I need to know if thereâs hope.â I tried to keep the desperation out of my voice, but failed miserably. Holding my breath, I waited.
Cosette tilted her head from side to side as she thought about it. âI donât know.â
Not exactly what I wanted to hear. âBut it could change?â
âMaybe. Maybe not.â She twirled the belt of her robe around a finger, her eyes out of focus and distant. âBut is that the best question to be asking?â
Was she kidding? âWhat other question is there?â If I couldnât change the futureâ¦
I didnât even want to think about that.
âDonât worry about possible. Worry what to do with the information you have.â Cosette leaned forward, peering at me so intently I almost leaned back. âKnowing what you know, will you still fight Luciana? Even if costs your life?â She gestured toward Dastien. âHis life? Thatâs what Iâd be asking.â
Dastien seemed calm enough, leaning against the doorframe, but a trace of fear mixed in with his