Page 53 of The Forbidden Fae King

I stare into the fire, utterly lost in thought, when a large figurejoins me on the mossy log. His weight causes it to roll slightly and I jolt out of my daydream. I whip my head to the side to find Aldrin beside me, shoveling a spiced porridge-like breakfast into his mouth with sweet flatbread.

“Not a monster. Only me.” He says as he practically inhales his food.

“Oh really? And here I was thinking you were one and the same.” I can’t help the smile that creeps onto my face. I get pure joy from taunting the man. It is absolutely different from flirting.

“Well, that hurts.” He half grunts.

“It's hard to lose the association, when my first impression of you was made while you were dripping with black blood and slicing a spriggan in half.”

“You can talk.” He looks up at me with a half grin. What is it about this man that thoroughly breaks down my defenses?

“What?” I snap. “What?”

“Really? You don’t know?” His smile widens at the blank look I give him. “Do you have any idea how many spikes of those vines you pierced me with when we first met? Why do you think we sat around all day yesterday? I had to heal, too.”

I frown at him. The bastard is taunting me. I hit him in the chest, but his smile widens. “You shouldn’t have tied me up in the middle of a damned battlefield! And it still didn’t deter you doing it a second time! You must really like it.”

“Needed to keep innocents out of the battle. I didn’t know you were a seasoned fae killer.” I give him a dark look, knowing he speaks of the Cú Sídhe from last night. If he had any idea of the full truth, he would hate me. Aldrin eyes my coffee. “Where did you get that?”

“Klara made it for me. She also told me I look like shit - her exact words - and asked if a bunch of puka had dragged me around the forest for half the night.” I swallow.

Klara had produced a small mirror, the kind many of the men use to shave on the go, and the woman staring back at me was not one I recognized. There were leaves in my knotted hair, dark rings undermy eyes and tiny scratches on my face. I looked like cats, or puka, had gotten to me.

Aldrin stands, turning to her halfway across the camp. “Hey, Klara! Make me a coffee?”

“Make it yourself, Your Royal Highness,” she throws back. “The kettle is on the fire.”

“Worth a try. I think she likes you better than me.” He winks at me as he sits down.

How did I not see this side of this man? It is dangerous, because it makes my chest flutter when I should be weary of this dangerous man. I will be done with him soon enough.

He searches my face as though he is trying to see into the depth of my soul. “Tell me, how does a human woman have so much magic? I thought it would be bred out of humans by now.”

I choose my words so carefully. “I come from a province where the veil between our realms is thinnest. Entire rifts open up between our realms when the worlds align. Magic leaks through, enriching our soil and water. Sometimes low fae get lost and wander in. There is an underwater river beneath our orchards that flows straight from this realm.” I don’t mention the hunts that prey on low fae or that my grandmother became pregnant to a fae.

“Hhmmm.” Aldrin scratches his chin that is now clean-shaven.

He doesn’t believe me. The story sounds feeble to my own ears.

“The magic has always run deep in my family line,” I venture, but it doesn’t change his expression.

He considers me. “You have no idea how much magic you have. What you are capable of. I can train you, if you like?”

I give him a long look. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I am bored and curious and I hate to see talent wasted. Maybe I feel bad about the way you have been treated here. Let me make it up to you.”

Aldrin wants something from me, but I don’t quite know what. It makes every instinct for caution rear within me. There is so much I can gain in this, so I nod.

“Great. But I have a price.” A smug smirk grows on his face.

I roll my eyes. “Of course. Fae always have a price.”

“I teach you how to better wield your magic,” he raises an eyebrow “in exchange for a kiss.”

I stand, kiss him on the side of the forehead as I would my father and start to walk away, before glancing over my shoulder. “You have your payment in advance.”

The man expected me to squirm or blush like a maiden.

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