“It’s awful. Why would you give me this?” she asks, genuinely curious, and I toss her a sceptical look.
“You’re askingmethat 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…Doesshe 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’sdefinitelyleft 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.
WhydidI 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.Thatisthe reason why I saved her, so I could get my grubby hands on her pretty necklace.
