"You would bore a hole in your hand if you keep staring at it," Andre said to Islinda.
Islinda sighed, letting her hand fall to her side. She had freshened her breath and changed into a new tunic altogether. Now she was seated on Andre’s bed, the sa bed that the assassin had attempted to kill her on. While she had been in the bathroom refreshing, Andre took the opportunity to clean up the ss in his room.
It turned out that the assassin had knocked out the guards, but other than that, they were alive. Now Andre took a seat close to her bedside since she couldn’t sleep alone. Islinda feared that the witch might realize she was alive and co back to finish her work. She just couldn’t sleep.
"Here," he extended his palm towards her with sothing hidden in it.
"What?" Islinda was curious as she accepted it, her eyes widening when she realized that it was the protection necklace. She glanced up at Andre in awe, "How....?"
"I found it while I was cleaning up."
Islinda stroked the gemstone with longing, wondering how Aldric was doing before she glanced up, her eyes locking with Andre’s. She straightened up, pushing away the emotions that had been displaying on her face monts ago. She cleared her throat.
"Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you."
She lifted her hair to one side and was about to put it on, only for Andre to say, "I don’t think that serves any real function."
Islinda halted, "What?"
Andre said, "I don’t feel any magic coming off of that. It just feels like an ordinary accessory, not an amulet."
Islinda frowned at him, "Aldric gave this, he said it would protect from any—"
"That’s not the gemstone Aldric gave you."
"What?"
"I danced with you at the ball, rember? I could feel the magic coming off at that mont but now, though it looks the sa, there’s not a single ounce of magic coming off that necklace."
Islinda was dumbfounded and she slowly lowered the necklace. She began to study the gemstone as if she would see sothing different about it. But there was nothing. The necklace looked the sa, kind of. However, concentrating with her eyes closed, Islinda realized she no longer felt the familiar tingle and that made her eyes open with a deep furrow between her brows.
Andre saw the disturbance in her eyes and pointed out, "You’ve felt it before, haven’t you?"
Islinda breathed, describing the feeling, "It’s strange, but there was this tingle that washed over whenever I used chard items in the past. I didn’t think much about it earlier, but now it feels like there’s no life in it at all."
"It’s nice to point out that no ordinary human is able to feel that tingle of magic you just ntioned, Islinda. You’ve always been able to sense magic, but didn’t realize it. There has never been anything simple about you. Who knows, perhaps you were destined to co into this realm?" Andre told her, his eyes lighting up like soone who just realized the secret of the universe.
Islinda groaned, "You have got to be kidding ."
"No, I an it. Sure, it’s not the best of circumstances that you got entangled with Aldric. But if my theories about you are right, then you were probably destined for this realm and one way or another, you would have co here, probably after the glamour wears off. You said it yourself, the human realm is no ho for half-breeds. Have you ever thought about it? Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise that you got involved with the princes because I bet you, Islinda, you wouldn’t have survived in the Fae realm on your own as a half-breed."
Islinda froze at once, seemingly taking his words in. She said timidly, "I never thought about it. So, are you saying this necklace is fake?" Islinda lifted the gemstone, checking it.
"I’m a hundred percent sure that Aldric gave you the real deal since he would call in a huge favor to protect you. It’s your ti to think. Perhaps you got careless and the gemstone got replaced or sothing?" Andre answered.
"I was not careless," Islinda trailed off as it hit her, "Fuck." She buried her face in her palm, "I’m so stupid."
"What happened?"
Islinda opened up to Andre about how the servants earlier that morning had convinced her to take off the protection necklace and put on the chard accessory that would make her ears pointed.
"I’m a foolish woman."
"No, you’re not. That was a targeted move and they were determined to fool you. The aim was probably to leave you defenseless," Andre chuckled, "Although it’s quite hilarious sotis the way you curse yourself. I’m curious though, why didn’t you suspect of swapping the necklace?"
Islinda looked at him, surprised as if she hadn’t even thought of the possibility of that happening.
She shrugged, "You have been protecting . I trust you."
Andre gave a twisted smile, his tone gravelly as he said, "Haven’t anyone told you not to trust a Fae?"
Islinda raised a brow, "You promised Aldric you’d keep safe, you cannot go against it."
"Alright, I’ll give you that one. However..." His eyes turned serious, "You should never trust a Fae."
"Is that why you don’t want to tell how to retrieve my stolen mories?" Islinda said, only for Andre to freeze.
She sighed, "Thought as much." Islinda lifted her face, "What would it take?"
"It’s a risky procedure."
"I can do it."
"So mories are sealed away for a reason and shouldn’t be opened until the appointed ti."
"I don’t care."
"Your mind could break!" Andre said, and that gave Islinda pause.
He continued, "It requires a witch to get into your mind and unweave the spell on your mind. Unfortunately, I do not have any access to a witch that doesn’t belong to the palace or doesn’t want to cut off my balls for breaking their heart, but Valerie does. Perhaps Aldric as well. He has his own network of acquaintances with his convincing ’prowess’. Perhaps you can tell them what you are—"
"No!" Islinda shouted.
"What?"
"You cannot tell anybody that I’m not human," Islinda insisted.
Andre scrutinized her intensely, trying to understand her reasons for keeping her identity a secret. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, "Let’s make a deal."
"What?" Islinda’s head jerked up.
"Let’s make a trade, Islinda. I’ll keep your secret and help you uncover who you are, but in return, you would owe a favor that I can collect at any ti."
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