Page 69 of Prince of Darkness and Deceit

The shadows on my arm tingle.

Rosie reappears and sets a cup of mead in front of me.

I drag my attention from Rian long enough to give her a strained smile. “Thanks, Rosie.”

She nods but lingers, hands wringing, eyes flicking nervously between me and the Fae. “That will, um… That will be one copper.”

I lift the mead and gesture toward Rian. “Put it on his tab.”

Rosie pales.

Rian exhales a low, amused sound. “That’s fine, Rosie. Thank you.”

I arch a brow at his sudden politeness but say nothing, sipping instead.

The mead slides smoothly and sweetly over my tongue, floral and honeyed. I hum, licking the taste from my lips before taking another slow swallow.

“Good?”

I meet Rian’s gaze. His stormy expression is unreadable, but no less intimidating.

“Very,” I clip out, making the conscious decision not to thank him.

Thanks hints at debt. And it doesn’t seem like a good idea to be in debt to Fae for anything. Anything else, that is.

I smirk and say, “I bet Fae have magical wine that makes them immune to hangovers.”

A low chuckle escapes him—brief, unexpected, rough-edged. I feel it more than hear it. Like the brush of fingers down my spine.

I ignore the way my stomach tightens and take another sip.

“No,” he says, voice dropping a little. “But it does heighten our senses to tantalizing degrees.”

I raise a brow. “Tantalizing?”

He nods. “All experiences are amplified.”

I shouldn’t ask. The meaningful look he levels on me tells me I shouldn’t.

But curiosity gets the better of me. “Experiences?”

His gaze slides over me, slower now, shadowed but with a sharp glint. “Sexual experiences.”

I choke on my drink, coughing as heat rushes up my neck. This time, Rian’s laughter echoes off the tavern walls—dark, smooth, effortless.

It’s…beautiful. And I hate it.

“What’s so funny?” Jaxon leans around his friend, eyes glittering with mischief.

Anton shifts closer, stepping into the loose circle we've somehow formed.

“Humans,” Rian says, still chuckling. “They’re all so predictable.”

Indignation flares, even as heat creeps higher up my neck. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Instead of answering, Rian lifts his drink to his lips. And damn it all, I can’t look away from his mouth.

I grit my teeth and force my gaze away—and freeze.