Page 129 of A Thief Among Fae

He debates it, sitting so very still as if one twitch might startle me. “You promise.”

“Of course.” Unlike him, I can lie through my teeth. “And since you know how stubborn I am, you’ll give up arguing now.”

We break apart. He lies atop his bedroll, eyeing me with a mistrustful frown. I lie down beside him, and we stare up at the stars.

“Want to hear a bedtime story?” I murmur.

Desmond sputters in disbelief. “After what just happened?”

“This one helped Evie sleep.” I tap my knuckles against his, then grab his hand before he can pull away. “She had nightmares too.”

His body tenses at the touch like I’m holding a knife to his throat. “What about?”

“Fae. You know, the usual tales about kidnapped maidens and unseelies who suck the marrow from the bones of human children.”

A short laugh escapes him. “I can’t say that either of those is untrue.” He pauses, then says, “Let’s hear the story.”

A star shoots above us, its pale light streaking through the inky black. The moon is waxing, a warning that we’re ever closer to Desmond’s deadline for the tomb raid.

“Once upon a time,” I begin, “there was a fair maiden who outwitted a fae prince. She was not cunning or cruel like the folk, but was a woman warm of heart and soft of tongue. One day she disobeyed her village elders, walking too far into the forest where many faery doors were said to be hidden amidst the aroma of honey and pine. She followed a trail of perfectly round red toadstools, picking each to cook into a lethal poison.”

“Poison?” Desmond murmurs. Absently, he adds, “I haven’t slept beside someone since before⁠—”

I pinch him. “Don’t interrupt.” I won’t let him linger on the past. “At the end of the trail, she reached for the final toadstool, but instead found herself grasping a cloak made of sunlight. . .”

And I tell him the story as his breaths grow languid and his eyes flutter closed. His fingers curl around mine, and a gentle smile warms his lips.

Even when his body relaxes into the trance of long-needed sleep, I still tell him every word, all the way to the end.

Chapter 37

The next morning, I wake before Desmond. It’s for the best. He needs the extra rest, and I don’t want him to realize I lied.

As I enter the inn, Auri looks me over, lips pursed. Once she confirms I’m unharmed, she returns to her breakfast: goat stew. Again. I already miss Nog’s cooking.

The innkeeper tells us that off the road, the landscape is too difficult for the carriage to traverse. We decide to leave the carriage and Enbarr behind. Fortunately, we’d already prepared to continue on foot as a contingency, and I have the enchanted pack to hold supplies and the treasure we find. We’ve dropped the folded bridge into it, too.

We’re also told some unsettling news. Four days ago, strange individuals passed through Vekhara. They kept their faces covered, but they were much taller than even the humans that occasionally visit. They ventured south—toward Olin’s tomb.

The fomorians are waiting for us there, courtesy of the guild’s traitor.

Min, Auri, Finnian, and I head outside and find Desmond waiting at the carriage. His gaze lingers on me while we grab what we need, but he says nothing about last night. Neither do I. The others don’t leave us alone long enough.

Auri crosses her arms once we finish. “So the fomorians reached the tomb first.”

Desmond nods once, unsurprised. “There may also be rival tomb raiders, if they survive Gashil.” He puts on a pair of leather gloves. “Auri, wear yours too. We can’t afford burns from their iron.”

Finnian already has his gloves on, hiding his scars. He forces an optimistic smile. “Do you think they’ll bring a house-warming gift?”

“Their swords,” Auri says, tying her braids back with a leather cord.

Min tilts her head. “Their disposal of the rival raiders could be considered a housewarming gift. However, can they warm a house that they do not own? The tomb is occupied only by the⁠—”

“It was a joke,” Finnian blurts, then claps her on the back. His hand lingers, briefly combing through her long, black hair before he pulls away. “Just trying to lighten the mood.”

“Then some more jokes may be required,” she replies.

“Please, no more jokes,” Auri complains. “Really, Min. Don’t encourage him.”