Free Ruffle My Feathers (The Seven - Book 2) by Ciana Stone

woman raised one hand. "Please, you must be thirsty or hunger. I've had brunch prepared."
    "I'm not either." It was a lie but Neveah wasn't inclined to eat or drink anything given to her by someone who had jabbed a needle in her neck and abducted her. "Answer my questions or get out of my way."
    "I shall certainly do both, Nevaeh. I mean you no harm. In fact, I only acted to protect you."
    "Oh yeah, right, how stupid of me. People who drug you and take you … wherever we are, are usually looking out for you."
    "Sarcasm isn't necessary, although I completely understand your mistrust. If you will but give me ten minutes of your time I can explain."
    "Then get to it." Nevaeh folded her arms across her chest.
    "Of course." The woman turned on her heel and walked away.
    Nevaeh stared after her for a few moments and then a few more. Finally, she went to the door and looked out. The room beyond was spacious, a living area. She could see through sliding glass doors on the opposite side. A table laden with covered dishes sat on a terrace, overlooking a cityscape that seemed to stretch out for miles.
    The woman was standing at the sliding glass door, waiting.
    Nevaeh hesitated for a moment then crossed the room to the woman. The woman smiled and gestured for Neveah to precede her onto the terrace but Nevaeh shook her head. "Thanks all the same, but after you. If anyone's getting pushed off the terrace it's not going to be me."
    The woman laughed and walked out onto the terrace. She took a seat with her back to the city, leaving the chair closest to the terrace door for Nevaeh.
    "Juice?" She lifted a glass pitcher of what looked like orange juice.
    "No, thanks."
    "Bottled water perhaps?"
    "Yes, thanks." Nevaeh accepted the sealed bottle of water, twisted off the top and chugged down half of it. "Okay, so time for answers."
    "Ah, yes." The woman poured herself a glass of juice and took a sip. As she lifted lids from dishes, she spoke.
    "My name is Elysia and I am of the Fae."
    "And you drugged me and brought me here because?"
    "To protect you."
    Nevaeh snorted. "Yeah, right. From what?"
    "From those who would seek to exploit what you can do for their own gain."
    "Stage makeup? I doubt that's going to prove to be of enormous benefit to anyone."
    Elysia laughed. "We both know that's not of what I speak but if it comforts you to hear me say it, I refer to you temporal abilities."
    "My what?"
    "Your ability to slow or stop time."
    "Lady you're crazy."
    "And you are naïve."
    "Screw you."
    Elysia waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "So, you can say to me, in honestly, that no one mentioned your abilities?"
    Nevaeh wanted to be able to say no, but the truth was, Gabriel and Augustus both knew, as did Layla. Not that they'd try to exploit her for her. In fact, they hadn't asked anything of her.
    Well, aside from letting Augustus bite her.
    "Ah, I see on your face that you do have cause to doubt."
    "You're wrong. Dead wrong."
    "I wish I were, Nevaeh, but sadly I am not. Let's look at this another way, shall we? You obviously lent assistance during the fiasco at the estate of Asha Iltani. There was a temporal distortion and I suspect you are to be credited with that.
    "And from what I have gleaned, Augustus asked that you give and take blood with him, making you linked with the Prince of the Vampire."
    Nevaeh refused to acknowledge, but wondered where Elysia got her information.
    "So, you helped Augustus and in appreciation he … what?"
    It purely annoyed Nevaeh that Elysia spoke in such a supercilious tone. "For your information, Augustus and Layla are my friends. Why they even volunteered to pay for my dad's medical care. So here's what you can do with your bullshit about them not being my friends."
    "Ah yes, people with the wealth of Midas offered money to help with care. Naturally they did not make any offer to a cure or heal."
    "Well it's not like they could if they wanted to. He's in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's."
    "Still within