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Bleddyn grabbed his bag and left the room. Holding the door, he said, “Let us continue our conversation over breakfast.”
Together, we descended the stairs. Once we were seated at a table in the corner, a woman brought mugs of a steaming liquid that smelled faintly of apples. Then she placed two bowls in front of us. I sniffed at what looked like gruel.
When I lifted my spoon out of the liquid, it oozed off it like primordial soup. I was supposed to eat that? It looked anything but appetizing. But my stomach grumbled, and I sighed. I was starving and needed nourishment.
Before I could stick the gloop into my mouth, Bleddyn murmured, “Drink a little after each spoonful. It will slip down easier.”
Grateful for his advice, I grimaced and plopped the mash between my teeth. To my relief, it didn’t taste nearly as bad as I’d expected. The texture was still gross and slimy, but the flavor was grainy with a hint of fermentation. It was not sweetened, though. I swallowed and pulled another face as the mass slipped down my throat.
Bleddyn pushed the mug toward me. “Drink.”
To my surprise, the hot liquid was delicious. The heated apple drink tasted of cinnamon, and the natural sweetness made my tastebuds sing. Under it all was something else I couldn’t define. The moment the cider hit my stomach, it exploded into a ball of heat that spread through my entire body.
It was so good, I didn’t mind the spoonfuls of gruel, as long as I could wash it down with the warm apple juice. I felt like a little sun was glowing in my middle. It had to be some kind of magic. I’d had cider before, and never had it had that effect on me.
When we were finished, Bleddyn left some aurints on the table. The woman who’d served us scooped up the copper coins. “Thank you, milord. Please, honor us again with your presence.”
She spoke only to him and ignored me completely. I was okay with that, although I was glad to leave this place where everybody seemed to think I was Bleddyn’s hoe.
Chapter seven
Outside,Itookadeep breath. My situation had improved over the last twenty-four hours. I still didn’t trust Bleddyn fully, but he had saved me last night and not taken advantage of me. Big bonus points for the guy.
And yet… Why would somebody be so altruistic? In my experience, people rarely did you favors without expecting something in return.
The Fae had walked a few steps before realizing I was still standing next to the tavern. “Come on. Let us purchase garments for you. They will help you blend in as well as be more comfortable.”
My jeans, T-shirt, and jacket were plenty comfortable, but he was right about drawing attention. Everybody who passed me scanned me from head to toe.
Some Fae grimaced as if they’d swallowed vinegar. One guy spat on the ground as his eyes roamed over my body, briefly pausing at my chest. Then he looked up at Bleddyn’s face with its thunderous expression. He paled and rushed away down a side alley.
Shivering despite the mild temperature, I pulled my jacket tightly around me and hurried to catch up with Bleddyn. Like it or not, he was protecting me in this weird place. I wasn’t standing out as a human except for my hair, but my clothes were tighter than the women's in the street.
Maybe tight jeans spelled “prostitute,” or maybe male Fae were as disgusting as some human males. Either way, I’d feel a lot happier if they stopped staring, undressing me with their gaze.
“Stay by my side, and you will be fine,” Bleddyn said curtly as I walked next to him.
“Aye aye, captain,” I muttered.
He glanced at me in confusion, but didn’t say anything. Soon, merchant carts lined the street either side, and the throng of shoppers thickened. Each one of the traders sold clothes, from roughly woven tunics to fabric as fine as spider webs.
Bleddyn ignored all of them and hurried toward a destination he didn’t share with me. The crowd that would have swallowed me parted in front of him and closed behind us.
His expression was fearsome, pissed, and haughty at the same time. He carried himself with his shoulders squared and his hands ready to draw his weapon if necessary. His bag was in front of his body so nobody could come near without him noticing. I recognized it as the standard procedure to deter pickpockets. Good thing then I had nothing to steal.
Bleddyn veered toward the left, and for a moment, I fell behind. The crowd closed behind him, and he disappeared from my view. Suddenly I was surrounded by Fae that were several feet taller than me. I wasn’t the tallest back home, but here, I felt like a child, looking at chests rather than faces.
A hand goosed me, and I jumped. But with so many people surrounding me, I couldn’t turn around. There were no women at all, only males.
Where was Bleddyn? I tried to push through, but I might as well have moved boulders. And then there were more hands on me, pinching my arms, grabbing my breasts roughly, squeezing my butt.
What the hell was going on? I slapped at them, but it only made the Fae chuckle. Somebody said, “Thebutainwould fetch a fair price.”
I flashed back to last night’s assault, and panic rose until it threatened to crash over my head. My heart beat madly in my chest, and my mouth was so dry I couldn’t even scream.
The whole thing only went on for a few seconds before a roaring Bleddyn tore through the mob. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to safety while threatening the men with the short sword he carried in his belt.
Once we were clear, he pushed me against a wall between two carts, blocking me from the gaze of the crowd. His expression was furious as he growled into my face.
