Page 94 of A Thief Among Fae

Several seconds pass. Wariness flares in his teal eyes. “Be careful.”

Before I can ask to what end, he sips his brandy and his frown fades. I doubt he’d be candid even if I did ask, if the way he danced around his suspicions of the fae was any indication. So I nod, then leave his office.

Four days pass, and with each, I heal. Nikolai has returned from his visit with his family to go over his next assignment with Rune. Right now, the two of us are in the guild’s kitchen. The room is stiflingly warm from the lit wood-fired oven. Nikolai watches me pinch the crust of my tart de bry against the baking pan.

“That looks delicious already,” Nikolai says.

“I hope it tastes delicious. It’s been at least a year since my sister and I made this, and I’m working from memory.”

“Your sister?”

Shit.

I avoid Nikolai’s questioning gaze as I pour the egg and brie batter over the crust. No one here has shown me anything but kindness, so I’m not sure why I’m still hesitating to open up to them. Maybe it’s time to start.

“She makes the best tarts,” I quietly say. “We pick berries every summer and save up to buy flour from the village miller.”

Nikolai smiles at me. It’s warm and affable, the opposite of someone who might plot against my family. “I have a sister too. My parents would never admit that Nina is the favorite, but she is the one who didn’t fall victim to a thief’s perilous life.” He winks.

I slide the pan into the oven. I didn’t expect to have a conversation about our families, but I surprisingly feel at ease. “What are your daughters like?”

“Lucy has to be bribed with lollies to sit still. Lora is shy, always following Lucy like a shadow.” His gaze unfocuses as if he’s recalling a memory. “They’re the best kids in the world.” Then he perks up. “You’ll have to let me know how your tart de bry tastes when it’s finished.”

“You mean you’ll have to let me know how it tastes. I baked it for everyone.” My throat is tight with guilt as I meet Nikolai’s gaze. “It’s an apology gift. For getting us caught on the heist.”

“They’ll love it,” he assures me, as if sensing that I’m nervous. “We all make blunders on our early jobs, Cyn. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. The others told me you unlocked the vault when Finnian’s Gift couldn’t. You also found the map. I’d say the heist was a success.”

My cheeks flush from his praise. “Thank you. But nothing changes that Finnian was hurt.”

He hums. “Well, Finnian is fond of cheese.”

That’s good news. It felt wrong to not apologize to him outright, even if it’s rude to the fae. So I decided that I wanted to do something for him. Something for everyone.

I fidget with my apron, letting my hopeful smile warm me. “I hope he likes it. It’ll be ready in twenty minutes.”

Then we chat until the tart is ready, and I’m glad for Nikolai’s company. As I pull it out of the oven, the filling is golden, crisp, and raised to a perfect puff.

The second the tart is off the heat, the puff deflates with a flatulent wheeze.

Nikolai laughs. Something about the whole thing has me breaking into laughter too, and we giggle until our sides hurt.

“What happened to your poor tart?” Nikolai chortles.

“I overbaked it. Sorry.” I wince as I prod the crust. “I hope it still tastes alright.”

Nikolai claps my shoulder. “I’m sure it will. You know, you haven’t joined in on a midnight game yet. Someone needs to dethrone Maeve, and it might as well be our new recruit!”

From anyone else, I would think it was just a courtesy. His earnestness warms me even more than the invitation itself. Yet there’s no way they’d want me there after what happened on the heist.

“I shouldn’t,” I tell him, even though it hurts.

“Nonsense.” He waggles his finger. “You’ll meet us in the game room just before midnight, or I’ll drag you there.”

“You mean the training room?”

He laughs so hard it shakes his whole body. “Boy, they really do uphold the code with an iron fist. No, the game room is a sanctuary for guild members; no visitors or clients allowed. I suppose that’s why you haven’t been shown it yet. You haven’t taken the pledge.”

Pledge? Oh, no. That’s not happening. I shake my head. “When the tomb raid is over, I’m going back home.” Surely, out of everyone, he’d understand.