Chapter 12 Tegwyn #2
I wave him off. “She’ll be fine.” I throw her a cursory glance, checking if she really is fine. She’s still pissed that I’ve abandoned her, and her disappointment in me is almost palpable.
I point at Stannog next, mimicking a gabbing mouth with my hand, and she shakes her head. Another one who’s not a fan of sarcasm, and I return my attention to Stannog. “Am I right in assuming that Bannog has contacts inside the king’s court?”
King Corvis has many glamoured Fae at his court. It’s how he makes himself and his courtiers appear human to the rest of the kingdom.
“Aye. That he does.”
The ogre seems proud of that fact. Most Fae respect and follow the king. After all, he managed to trick a whole nation of gullible humans into believing that he was human, too.
Well, there’s some truth to the lie. King Corvis was the illegitimate child of the former king, borne of a Fae mother, and his rise to power is an admirable tale—faerie bards will be singing about his exploits for years to come.
I can still feel Ivy’s gaze. Something akin to shame flushes down my neck and spine, but I push the sensation aside, looking the ogre straight in the eye.
It must be done. If Ivy won’t tell me what happened to her, then I’ll find out through other means.
“I’m looking for information. About an event that happened in a place called Charstown.” I read Ivy’s letter when I first brought her to the mountain. The one written by her dear mother.
It seemed she didn’t leave by her own choice after all. Something happened to her back at home, and I bet it has to do with the king.
Stannog nods his head at Ivy. “It got anything to do with the girl?”
My words turn to ash in my mouth, and I lose my silver tongue.
I think I’ve just tossed Ivy to the wolves. If word gets out that she’s hiding with me, then she’s dead.
King Corvis is a merciless despot.
Stannog heaves a gritty sigh. “I won’t say nothin.’”
Well, then, in that case, “No. It has nothing to do with her whatsoever.”
The ogre sees through the lie, one that will cost me my soul, no doubt. I’ve known him for five years; he would sooner stab you in the front than the back, but I won’t take any chances.
Ivy’s secrets die with me.
I return to the table, and all the tension leaves her body the moment I rejoin her side.
“Thank goodness. I was starting to wonder if you would ever return. I want to go back to the mountain. Everyone is staring at me. That winged creature won’t stop licking his teeth at me.”
Confused, I peer over my shoulder, growling when I spot the puca. His tattered bat wings drag across the floor like worn leather, and when he regards Ivy like she’s something good to eat, I bare my fangs, making sure my eyes glow with bloodlust.
If he so much as breathes her air, then I will tear his wings from his spine and use them as tarp for my next camping trip.
How I hate puca.
Nasty faeries...
That white fluff that grows on wild berries? The puca did that. They taint everything with their filth.
Well, he won’t be tainting Ivy tonight.
The winged faerie takes the hint and returns to his deck of cards, gambling with a redcap—another bloodthirsty heathen.
Ivy eyes the tankard warily when I slide it across the table. “Is it safe?”
“Yes. Merry birthday!”
She shakes her head, skin pale. “N-no…”
I roll my eyes. “It’s fine. It’s not poison, I promise.”
Ivy crosses her arms. “Well, if it’s safe, then you drink it.”
I narrow my eyes. Is that a wager on her tongue?
All right. I guess this is just me living up to my end of the bargain. She paid for my protection, and that means protecting her from faerie beverages, too. Though her plan is quite flawed, since the spiked ale wouldn’t have any effect on me.
I pick up her tankard, downing Stannog’s gnat’s piss in one gulp. The most repulsive taste fills my mouth, yet I still swallow every last drop to prove my point.
Fuck, it’s disgusting…
Ivy presses her hand to her mouth, and she’s laughing at me, the swine.
“Are you all right there?” she teases gently.
My head swirls as it appears I drank a little too quickly. “N-never better…”
She leans closer, and her honeysuckle scent fills my nose. “Are you sure? You’re sweating.”
I chuckle, pushing the other tankard towards her. “Ha, good one. Now it’s your turn, princess. You won’t regret it.”
Oh, I’m sure she will.
The human bites her bottom lip, and her teeth leave indentations in the plump, red flesh.
Finally, she grabs her drink and swills it down her throat, and I see the moment it goes to her head.
She hiccups, palming her mouth. “That tastes…”
“Like gnat’s piss.”
The poor thing looks like she’s about to vomit. I hear several titters around the bar, but Ivy isn’t here for their amusement.
If there’s one thing faeries love, then that’s the sight of a drunken human making a fool of herself.
“It’s awful. Why would you give me this?” she asks, genuinely curious, and I toss her a sceptical look.
“You’re asking me that question? The faerie who tricked you into trading your necklace for a room in his mountain?”
She gives me a deadpan expression, and it looks like I took it too far again. One day, maybe we can look back on that exchange and laugh.
Honestly, this is the most time we’ve spent together—things are pretty tense between us most of the time.
We still act like strangers, and I’m quite certain she loathes my entire being.
But sometimes, her eyes wander, and I wonder…
Does she like me? Humans are naturally drawn to Fae, and the feelings are certainly mutual.
After all, human females are ephemeral. So, they fascinate us Fae males.
Their beauty will fade one day, as it only reminds us of how short and precious life can be.
I, myself, have a long life in store, and truth be told, the sheer weight of it disturbs me. All that life, and for what?
She smiles sweetly, stroking her finger around the rim of her tankard as she whispers, “Room? Try cave.”
Now she’s just toying with me, speaking to me in a voice like dripping honey.
Well, two can play at that game. I slip my finger beneath my shirt, and her eyes flicker when she sees the necklace.
“A cave it may be, princess, but it still cost you greatly…”
Ivy presses her lips into a line, keeping her emotions in check. But I know she’s resisting the urge to slap me.
She chooses her next words wisely. “You may have won the battle, but you haven’t won the war.”
Wow.
Did she come up with that all by herself?
I snicker. “Well, it’s a good thing I have plenty of fight in me.”
Ivy smirks, batting her eyelashes, and the sight of her deviant smile goes straight to my cock. It seems this budding beauty has finally discovered her greatest weapon, and I really am no match.
She just won all the wars.
“Me too.”
We stare at each other for some time, and I’m not sure what is happening. The air between us is thick with electricity, making my hair rise on end, and I keep stealing glances at her lush, red lips.
Losing the war…
“Tegwyn?”
My eyes travel upwards again, and I take note of the way her eyes shine. “Yeah?”
She sucks in a breath. “Why…why did you save me? Back then…”
It takes me a moment to realise what she’s talking about.
She’s talking about the time I saved her from the kelpie. Now she’s definitely left me tongue-tied.
It’s as if she robs me of my ability to speak, and I keep finding that I’m not quite so silver-tongued when I’m with her.
She waves me off. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. I was just…curious.”
I can’t tear my gaze away from her. The whole tavern seems to vanish, and now it’s just the two of us.
Why did I save her? I’m no white knight; I don’t even possess a sword. But I shot an arrow right through that kelpie’s skull. I killed one of my own, but truth be told, I would do it again and again if it kept her alive.
My palms sweat, and thank goddess she can’t see beneath the gloves.
“Thank you, anyway. Even though you saved me only to trick me later, I’m still grateful.”
Yes. That is the reason why I saved her, so I could get my grubby hands on her pretty necklace.
Let’s leave it at that.
Before I can open my mouth to respond, a shadow looms over our table, and then the awful stench of blood and death finds us.
And I thought the puca was the most vicious creature in this tavern tonight.
In the end, nothing could compare to the monster that has just graced us with its presence.