Page 38 of How to Claim A Shadow King

Strange, I forget how little she knows of the magic all around, even the small magics most other species wield without thinking. What a travesty to have been raised only around others of her kind. One of many failures of her parents.

The elf notices me staring at Aveline, and when I catch her eye, she gives me a knowing nod and surprises me by wrapping her long, slender fingers around my wrist.

"You must take care of her, my Lord," the elf says in a low voice, that smell of burnt cinnamon filling the air again. Dust motes sparkle around us in the sunlight, and I hear her voice again in my head. “You must take care of the light bringer,” the elf says again, her voice echoing in my mind.

Finally, she lets go, and time snaps back to normal, the sparkle of the dust in the air vanishing as her elf-magic unwinds its grip from us.

"I will," I tell her out loud.

"Thank you," Aveline grins, delighted. She steps slightly back onto the cobblestone street, a beautiful smile on her face. "I won't forget your kindness," Aveline tells her, then reaches for me.

I tuck her hand inside my elbow and marvel at the warmth of it, and what's more, at the way that she reached for me. The way she wanted me to hold on to.

“Protect her,” the elf's voice says.

And when I look back, the little elf has gone back inside the store, and all I can think is that I would have to be an utter idiot to let any harm come to my Aveline.

14

AVELINE

I'm shocked by how much fun I'm having.

Truly and utterly shocked.

We stop by the cobbler next, a dusty, green-skinned little man who must be a goblin, but I can't bring myself to ask, even though the question sits at the tip of my tongue every time I go to speak. Wiry white hair protrudes from his ears and all along the top of his head, and though he seems grumpy and put out by the fact we're asking for his services, his fingers are deft, and there's no doubting his skill in his craft. As he selects a variety of beautifully tanned leathers and soft fabrics, Malakai even insists on a pair of winter boots—the likes of which I've never worn—with fur the goblin cobbler insists has been donated from a griffin's nest, and laces, he claims, are made from unicorn tails.

"Have you seen a unicorn?" I ask the cobbler.

"Of course I have," he says, looking at me as though I've grown a third head. "Have you not?"

"I would love to see a unicorn," I say, and I mean it. I can't imagine anything better. "I love horses," I tell the cobbler.

My stomach growls again, and Malakai puts a stack of gold coins on the cobbler's table.

"I must feed my bride-to-be," he says imperious as ever.

But the man doesn't seem quite put out at all by Malakai's brusqueness and instead scooches his spectacles down his nose to take a better look at the gold coins. “It will be taken care of.” The coins disappear, and the old creature scratches his nose as we turn to leave.

"I've never seen any coins like those," I tell Malakai as we walk towards the end of the cobbled road where everyone said we would find Longleaf Brews, the tea house owned by someone named Lila.

"I suspect you haven't," Malakai says. "They're ancient tender. But gold is gold, and the goblin knows that just as well as anyone. He's been around just as long as you and I."

My nose wrinkles.

"Thank you for buying me so many things, and I don't mean to be rude, but..." I pause as we turn slightly to avoid running into a large cart full of vegetables.

A leathery-skinned older man swats at the oversized horse in front of the cart. The horse stamps its foot, clearly refusing to go one more inch. Its nostrils blow, foam along its mouth and hindquarters, and when the beast’s eyes roll in blatant distress, it’s more than I can bear.

I stop, anger boiling deep inside me.

"Is there a problem?" Malakai asks, his voice a growl.

I cut my gaze to him. He sounds, for all intents and purposes, completely calm, but he's not fooling me. A muscle in his jaw ticks with anger, and I can feel the beginnings of a ferocious power gathering inside of him. My own palms tingle and I clasp them to my thighs. I don't understand what's happening, but I don't like it.

"You old nag... Are we in your way, my Lord and Lady?" the man says, giving me an evil grin.

I swallow hard and step slightly behind Malakai, who puts a hand around my waist. The touch of his fingers against my bodice sends a thrill through me.