Our gazes remained locked for a long moment in time before the being nodded. “I know you very well, Mera Callahan, of the Torma shifters.”

A tear escaped from me, and I sucked in a shuddering breath, trying to get myself under control, lest I fall down and cry on this poor guy.

The creature smiled at me, a crooked curve of thin lips that strangely calmed me. “And before you ask, my name is Gaster. I’m a goblin of the demi-fae of Faerie, and I identify as male, in what you would understand gender to be.”

I swallowed hard. “How did you know I had all of those questions running through my mind…? Wait a fucking minute. Did you just say ‘Faerie?’”

His smile grew. “You have not changed, my girl. With or without your memories, you’ll always need labels.”

The smoke cloud drifted closer, wrapping around Gaster. I leaned away, unsure if it was going to attack or not. Gaster laughed, a rough, grating sound. “Ah, yes, I should have known Inky would find you.”

I looked between him and… Inky?

“The smoke cloud has a name?” I asked, my aching brain trying to piece it all together.

“You gave it the name,” Gaster told me. “It stuck.”

I shook my head. “I don’t remember,” I breathed. “I don’t remember any of this and when I try, my head feels like it’s being pummeled in a knife fight.”

Gaster pulled himself to his feet, needing only a little help from me. “I have the answers you seek,” he said softly. “Just give me a moment to restore my energy.”

Answers! He had freaking answers.

My gut had been right, and I owed Samantha Rowland a fucking house on the beach for her help today. Speaking of… “Are you okay?” I asked, noting how pale she looked.

Her throat moved as she swallowed roughly. “I’m not sure. Who is this being you’ve found?”

I tilted my head. “He said his name is Gaster, a goblin of the demi-fae.”

She stared at me. “And you speak demi-fae?”

It was at that point I finally understood why she looked so pale and confused. Gaster didn’t speak English, and apparently, I spoke whatever language he did. Just like with the Japanese alpha back in Torma.

Gaster cleared his throat and I looked down to meet his eyes. “The universal translator on the library has been destroyed, along with the Solaris System doorways. We’re in deep trouble, and I’m afraid you might be the only one who can help us fix this mess.”

“Holy shit,” I breathed. “Even speaking demi-fae, I only understood about half the context for what you just said. Maybe you can start at the beginning and tell me everything.”