“Nothing like the hair of the dog that bit you,” he said with a wild grin.
My head throbbed in response. I turned away from him and his own hangover cure. “How can we be fae and still get hangovers?”
I didn’t want to talk about my future. I would much rather talk about our physiology than discuss the prospect of attacking Queen Beryl.
Rhoan leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “If you think this is bad, wait until you’ve had fae wine. Fae food will knock your socks off, Princess.”
My heart skipped an excited beat. I didn’t know why I’d never thought of it, but a whole new world of exploration awaited me in the form of fae fruits and wines. While they had intoxicating properties for those who weren’t fae, those like Rhoan and myself were safe from the effects.
That meant I could make fae fruit preserves laced with flower petals or brew my own wines from sweet fae pomegranates. The idea had me desperate to leap out of my seat and hunt down the next Goblin Market.
Rhoan caught on. “Oh, no. We’re not going anywhere near a vendor stall. It’s going to get you killed. You’ll be a target for every assassin looking to get an easy paycheck.”
I pouted, even if he was right. An idea struck me and pushed me forward. “What if I pay you to go get it for me?”
While I wanted to experience the fabled Goblin Market for myself, I didn’t want to wait to cook with fae food. Besides, once I found a way to make a deal with Beryl, then I would be able to go all by myself. By then, I wouldn’t have Rhoan at my side to guide me, though.
The thought made me hesitate. My heart fumbled. I lifted my gaze up to the dark-haired fae warrior. While I hadn’t known him for long, I wasn’t exactly ready to give him up. The cozy home surrounding us, and the sandwich cooked with care gave me pause. There was so much more to this man than I’d first thought.
I could draw this out and spend more time with him, but the moment I cut a deal with Beryl, he was going to leave. He clearly wanted his court back in power. I didn’t see the point. Both courts did the same thing. They just had different fae behind the steering wheel.
Wasn’t it selfish of him to want his own people in control? Why couldn’t he let it go and move on with his life? Then he would be able to live fully for himself, and not for a cause that had faded years ago.
I bit the tip of my thumb while my mind roiled with thought after thought. On some level, I realized that I was being selfish, too. Which was worse, though? I wanted to avoid a war. He wanted to start one. To me, the answer was obvious.
Audra warned that fae were suffering, though. I wanted to askwhere? On the surface, everything seemed fine.
I had to talk to Beryl. I wouldn’t be able to know anything for sure until I was able to get an audience with her.
Rhoan
I didn’t knowwhat I was going to do with this woman. She sat back in her seat, devious eyes hiding her machinations as she braided her wild curls. There were thoughts going through that head, but she didn’t bother to share any of them with me.
It kept me on my toes. There was no pushing her. If I did, she would strike back. This woman had power. While I had years of training at my disposal, it could only do so much against someone with raw ability and nothing to lose. A fight with her would turn my trailer to rubble, and I couldn’t afford a new place.
“You want me to supply you with fae food,” I guessed.
At first, Cerri seemed startled. Then a smile curled across her lips. The moment of hesitation was enough. I could tell that wasn’t what’d been on her mind. Maybe the thought had occurred to her earlier, but she’d strayed since then.
So, what’d been on her devious little mind? I couldn’t blame her for being overwhelmed with thought. She’d come into a wealth of unexpected information recently. Unfortunately, that information had come with a target on her back. Her life had become running from one danger to another.
I knew what I was going to do, even though I knew it wasn’t going to end well. I couldn’t bear to tell her no. Was it because she was a princess? Was it in the way she looked up at me with excitement sparkling in her sage-colored eyes?
“Fine.” The word came out of me before I could think twice about it. “I’ll get you some fae food, but you need to promise me that you’re going to lay low and stay safe.”
She perked up, suddenly bouncing in her seat. “Deal.”
She wasn’t going to listen to me. I could already tell. She gripped the edge of her seat like she needed the leverage to propel herself out of it and into trouble. I never thought my King and Queen would bring such a wild child into this world, but I had a feeling she was a problem for me and me alone.
I’d seen the way she worked. Her potion station was immaculate. She knew everything there was to know about the herbs carefully labeled in her cupboards. Cerri had a proper demeanor about her, but she became a twister in my presence. She came in like a whirlwind and ripped up everything I thought immovable.
Like my heart.
I shouldn’t have these feelings. I wasn’t supposed to look at her like she was the sun. She was my princess, the person who would send me to my final battle someday. I couldn’t come home to her in the evening and sip sweet fae wine while she rested her head on my chest.
The vision was so real that I swatted at the air to shove it away.
Cerri lifted a confused brow. “Flies?”