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“I would never harm you, Beth. Never. I understand why you would not trust me after what I have told you. But believe me. There are scores of us who would rather die than live at the expense of sacrificing children. It is not right, and the goddess will punish us when she calls us home.”
Maybe it was wishful thinking, but there was something else in his gaze. Something that heated my core and slithered lower while he continued looking at me, waiting for me to say something.
On the table next to us, a child dropped his spoon to the ground and wailed. A harsh voice said something in a language I didn’t understand, but it didn’t matter. As far as I was concerned, Bleddyn and I were in our own bubble, removed from the general hubbub.
My nipples tightened and connected with the current in my lower belly. I took a deep breath, pushing away the thoughts of Bleddyn kissing me, touching me.Stop.I rubbed my hand over my face to give myself something else to focus on.
Then I said, “Look. I hear you. Not all the Fae are on board. But so many are. And you work for the king who sits on top of the pile. Why do you stay loyal to him?”
A hint of irritation passed across his handsome face. “I swore an oath to him and the realm. I cannot break it.”
I waited for him to continue, to explain, but he didn’t say anything else. As if his words had already covered everything I needed to know.
When I couldn’t bear the silence any longer, I whispered, “Not even if that man isn’t worthy of your loyalty?”
A look of panic crossed his face as he glanced sideways to make sure nobody had heard me. He hissed, “Keep your mouth shut. Your words are treason.”
I glared at him defiantly. “Well, I guess you’ll have to kill me then.”
Bleddyn wasn’t the eye-rolling guy, but he came close. Then the corner of his mouth ticked up. “You taunt me on purpose, do you not? I understand. You wish to distract me. Fine. Let us eat. The draught will give you strength, and the food will give you pleasure.”
His lips curled around the last word, ending the sentence on an exhale. I nearly swooned and had to pull myself together to banish the stars from my eyes. The guy was giving me whiplash. One moment, I was ready to leave him in the dust as I ran, the next, I wanted to fall into his arms if he’d offered to catch me.
Maybe there was something in that magical elixir? Amber had told me about the mad monkey sex she’d had with her Quint when she’d been dowsed with Fae potion.
Just then, the waitress placed two tankards and more bowls with meat and salad on the table. I still wasn’t keen on the smell of the sweet stew, so I pushed it aside to make space for the more familiar food.
“What brings you to these parts, stranger?” she asked. She was an older woman, maybe in her sixties, but still strong. It was the first time somebody had addressed me instead of Bleddyn.
“Ehm, sightseeing?” I replied, caught off guard.
Bleddyn grinned, but didn’t say anything. He picked up his tankard and took a sip.
The waitress was in no hurry to move away. “Seeing the sights of our beautiful city? That is a noble endeavor.”
I nodded, waiting for her to leave. Instead, she continued staring at me, her eyebrows pulling together in concentration. Bleddyn tensed, putting his drink down slowly.
She said, “Forgive my curiosity. You look familiar. Your face, your eyes. Are you of royal lineage?”
I laughed at that. “No, definitely not. Why do you ask?
“I’m old enough to remember our lost princess, Arwen. You look so much alike her, you could be her daughter.”
Chapter eleven
Lostprincess?What?My jaw dropped at her words. Was she serious? “No, I’m no lost princess or whatever. I’m from—”
I caught myself in time, covering my mistake with a chuckle. Bleddyn had immediately known I was part-human, but dressed as I was now, she would have thought I was Fae.
Lamely, I finished my sentence, smiling broadly. “I was born a long way from here. My parents were simple people.”
Nope, nothing to see here, nosy lady.
Bleddyn’s mouth tightened into a thin line. He looked as if the woman’s words hadn’t surprised him. But why didn’t he laugh at her thinking I was royalty?
Like a king cobra, my suspicion rose again, crawling up my throat and restricting my breathing. What was it with that guy? Did he know more about my heritage than I did? No, that was ludicrous. My mom had been no princess.
But then, I didn’t remember her. My dad had been killed shortly after, stunning me with the revelation that I was half-Fae. So who in this world had the clout to send a professional killer after him and later me? It had probably cost a lot of money.
