Page 149 of Of Sins and Sacrifice

“What do you mean worse?” He frowns.

I purse my lips.

“That…is a faery. And a bargain with a faery is a bad,badidea.”

TWENTY

“Leave the pin.We’ll find another object,” Mine whispers in my ear.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. I’ve already touched it.”

“So?”

“So she will not let us go until we agree to a bargain.”

“The goddess is correct,” the voice says as it finally materializes before us.

She has long white hair that’s framing a heart-shaped pale face. Her pointy ears peek through her hair, adorned by golden jewelry. She’s wearing a long emerald green silk dress. A thick gold necklace is wrapped around her neck, and a thin chain falls from it, turning into a golden mesh corset that emphasizes her small waist. Her arms, too, are fully adorned with golden bracelets.

She’s stunning like her wretched kind usually is. But as the thought crosses my mind, I immediately look at Mine. He better not think that.

To his credit, he’s regarding her with narrowed eyes accompanied by wariness and distrust.

Good male.

He is a decent judge of character. Of course he must be if he’s chosen to court me and I took pity on him and allowed to do so.

The faery’s glance moves toward Mine, and I note a glimmer of interest.

“He will do,” she states, taking a step forward.

Immediately, I put myself in front of him.

“He is off-limits.”

She smirks and regards me curiously.

“It is him that I want for this bargain to be fulfilled.”

“And I am telling you that you can’t have it.” Glancing back at Mine, I elbow him in the ribs and mutter, “Say something.”

“I am not available,” he adds in an amused voice.

I glare at him.

He doesn’t realize the danger we’re in, does he? The mere fact that I tried to siphon energy from an object belonging to a faery entitles her to payment, and from what I have heard, faeries drive hard bargains. They see what one prizes the most and they demand that in return.

I don’t dwell on the fact that Mine might be my prized possession. That sort of mental gymnastics is better left for another day when we’re not facing a powerful faery while I am currently powerless.

Even if you were not powerless, you would still have to play by her rules,my inner voice notes drily.

The faery race was created by the Flora Primordial and it’s almost as old as Aperion itself. The faeries were her prized offspring and she was always particular to them, going as far as to make them guardians of all plants. Before the Primordials disappeared, Flora wanted to ensure that her children would not be taken advantage of, so she bestowed on them a gift—nothing would be taken from them without something returned. But it was up to the faery enforcing the bargain to approve the item returned.

Just like the vows to the Source are unbreakable, so are the bargains between a faery and any other race—Aperites included. That is one of the reasons why Aperites hate faeries, since they can wield a power over them no one else can. It is also why we are taught from childhood to sense if something belongs to a faery and avoid it altogether.

Damn it. Yet another thing that could have been avoided if only I had my spiritual energy.

“I require a groom for my granddaughter. He is a fine male.” She points straight at Mine, her eyes moving up and down his body, assessing him as one would cattle.

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