Page 33 of How To Tame A Trickster Fae

“Me too. Don’t be a stranger, or I’ll be forced to come visit you when you’re rolling out of bed or all set to read a book with a cup of tea.”

I snort. “I love a little light threatening in the morning.” I give a slight wave, headed for the door and to my next stop.

“Go under her light,” Ruby calls out as I leave, the common witch phrase settling something deep and restless in my soul.

I might still be new in Wild Oak Woods, but I’ve never been alone.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CAELAN

Dwarves. So many dwarves.

They’ve taken over the entire front room of Long Leaf Brews, ordering the strongest black tea by the pot, and it’s a damned good thing I inventoried it earlier this week because I know exactly how much we have to sell.

Lila and Druze flit amongst the tables, looking like giants in the crowd.

The entire café is abuzz with them.

With dwarves, and with the rumor of why they’re here.

“Dragon sapphire,” the table nearest me roars, slamming their mugs on the table. “May we find it, may we mine it, and may we grow rich and fat.”

The dwarves all roar their approval.

I raise an eyebrow.

So far, it seems all they’re going to do is drink all the black tea we have, but who am I to judge?

I’m uniquely qualified to judge, actually, and it’s one of my favorite pastimes, but at least these dwarves have a goal.

Meanwhile, I’m just serving tea and picking up gossip.

“What is dragon sapphire?” Lila asks Druze quietly.

Not quietly enough, because the entire room goes silent as soon as she utters the question.

“What is dragon sapphire?!” a rowdy dwarf yells. His bright orange hair is braided into his grey-spattered beard. The dwarves erupt into raucous exclamations of disbelief.

Druze sighs heavily, and Lila’s cheeks indent as she bites them.

Smirking, I drop off another fresh-brewed pot of tea at the ginger dwarf’s table, half-listening and half-daydreaming of Wren again.

Wren, who haunts my dreams and my waking thoughts, the little witch’s scent tickling my nose even more after spending time with her last night.

Wren of the quiet laughter and clever words, with strange tastes in food and stranger tastes in hair styles… or lack thereof.

I’m not sure if I’m worse off for spending time with her or happier now that I have.

Ga’Rek and Kieran were both asleep by the time I returned to our rented rooms, Ga’Rek snoring so loud that it’s a wonder the prince was able to sleep at all.

“Dragon sapphire is only the best stone to hold enchantments, though the witch or wizard who tries to do so must be talented beyond compare.”

“Dead tricky to work with,” another dwarf chimes in, hefting his axe.

Druze puts a green hand on the top of the ax and flatly pushes it down. The dwarf blushes crimson as he stows it away in its sheath on his back.

“For enchantments,” I repeat, delight ricocheting through me like a stone skipped on a lake. “This stone is used for enchanting? This one, the dragon sapphire you say you’ve found near here?”

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