“It’s Quen’s,” she said, her eyes on the swaths of fabric fluttering overhead.

“B-But…” I stammered. Oh, my God. Quen? Suddenly his awkward silences and stiff looks meant something completely different. “Trent never said anything! Neither did Quen. They just stood there and let me believe—”

“It’s not their place to say anything,” Ceri said primly, then set her teacup down with a sharp clink.

The breeze shifted the wispy strands of her hair that had slipped her braid as I realigned my thinking. That’s why Quen had gone behind Trent’s back to ask for my help. That’s why he’d seemed guilty. “But I thought you liked Trent,” I finally managed.

Ceri made a face. On me it would have looked ugly; on her, it looked comely. “I do,” she said sourly. “He is kind with me, and gentle. He is clever with words and quick to follow my thoughts, and we enjoy each other’s company. His bloodline is impeccable…” She hesitated, her eyes going to her fingers, now sitting still in her lap. A deep breath lifted through her and was gone. “And he won’t touch me without fear.”

My brow furrowed in anger.

“It’s the demon smut,” she said distantly, shame in her gaze darting about. “He thinks it’s the bloody kiss of death. That I’m filthy and foul, and that it’s catching.”

I could not believe this. Trent was a murdering drug lord, and he thought Ceri was dirty?

“Well,” she said sourly, as if she’d heard my thoughts, “technically he’s right. I could slough it off on him, but I wouldn’t.” Her eyes came up to find mine, dark with unshed misery. “You believe me, don’t you?”

I thought back to Trent’s reaction to black magic, and my jaw clenched. “Yeah. Yes,” I amended. “He won’t touch you, huh?”

Ceri’s expression went pleading. “Don’t be angry with him. Bartholomew’s balls, Rachel,” she cajoled. “The man has a right to be scared. I’m mean, I’m nasty, overbearing, temper driven, and I’m covered in demon smut. The first time we met, I knocked Quen out with a black charm and then I threatened him.”

“The man was trying to drug me with an illegal charm!” I said. “What were you supposed to do? Ask him to play nice?”

“Quen understands,” she said, her eyes watching her still fingers. “I don’t have to explain myself or my past to him.” Her head came up. “I don’t even know how it happened.”

“Uh,” I murmured, sensing a story coming that I really didn’t want to hear.