Page 39 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

“That’s a unique situation.” I kept my heartbeat steady. A leprechaun was skilled with a great many tricks and could read through them just the same. She wasn’t fishing for what I knew. I wasn’t even a suspect. She genuinely wanted my help. It could pose a problem, but nothing I couldn’t handle. “If it’s a prince I’m after, I hope your pockets are as deep as your status.”

“They are.”

“Well that answers the who. Now the ‘what.’”

Kaia looked to her side, checking behind her. Amelia was cleaning and working behind the bar, and still no other patrons were in our vicinity.. Returning her attention to me, she lowered her voice further, stretching forward as if to tell me a juicy secret. “I need a potion, or an artifact.”

“I know a great deal about both. What kind do you seek?”

The guard rubbed her fingers together in what looked like a nervous gesture before placing her hands in her lap. “Something that can cancel a high fae’s powers—specifically persuasion.Notpermanent, just long-term.”

The right dark witch could make a potion—still hard to find—but an artifact that could cancel another’s powers? Lucky for her, I already had what she desired. She needed more than something as simple as a ring of nullification. With a single prick from the gem’s barbed prongs, it would cancel out another’s power for about an hour. Perfect for shaking hands or a close encounter. But something like this? That was trickier. And thanks to a fiery ginger, it was in my possession, ready to be sold . . . For the right price.

I let out a low whistle, sitting back. “Do you hear that, Frank? A rare request indeed…” My bodyguard nodded silently while I watched Kaia intensely, having measured her every movement. The way she’d lowered her voicefurther. The motion of her hands and moving them under the table. When she spoke of the prince, her posture was professional. Rigid. All business. But this? This was important to her in a different way. The secretive request. The curve of her spine as she leaned in closer. A smile curled up my lips. This was the ticket I’d been waiting for.

“Does something like that exist?” she pressed.

I nodded, grabbing the bottle of whiskey and pouring myself another three fingers before taking a long sip. The heat of it traveled down my throat, and I exhaled harshly, breathing out the spicy burn. “It does.”

“Can you acquire it?”

“Already have it, love.”

“What is it?”

I smiled at her, admiring the shape of her mouth and the way her eyes focused on me. “A necklace.”

She frowned. “Can I see it?”

I laughed, shaking my head, tracing my finger over the rim of the glass. “You’re truly lovely, Lady Kaia, but you’re out of your element, aren’t you?”

She stiffened in response, her jaw clenching as she gritted her teeth, but she didn’t deny it. “You said you hoped my pockets are deep, leprechaun?—”

“Lucian,” I interjected, smiling even though she was clearly irritated with me.

She hummed in annoyance. “I understand everything comes at a high price but explain to me how I’m just supposed to trust you. Better yet, just tell me why I should.”

I shrugged. “Do or don’t. There’s a reason I’m in business and I’m still alive, Kaia, High Commander of the Royal Guard. Going around and making enemies by taking money and not completing my side of the bargain is bad for the brand, you see? I have what you need. The rest is up to you.”

“That’s . . . fair enough.” Kaia twisted her lips. “What’s the cost?”

“Simple. I want to return to Faerie.”

She sighed, sitting back and crossing her arms. “I had a feeling you’d want your exile lifted.”

This time, it was me who’d been caught off guard. “You knew?”

Kaia nodded. “It’s my job to know. It’s been about, what, twelve years since you were exiled?”

“Thirteen,” I corrected, grazing my hands down the side of my short beard. I chuckled. “Such an ominous number, people seem to think. Not me. No, I find it rather lucky.”

Kaia considered my request for a moment. “I’ll look into having your exile lifted.”

“Just look into it?” I frowned, tutting while I shook my head. “I guess I misunderstood your level of authority. C’mon, Frank. The city calls us.” I proceeded to put my hands on the table, indicating I was going to get up and leave.

“Stop,” she said firmly, her eyes narrowing before she inclined her chin once in agreement. “The price will be paid.”

“That’s a lass.” I smirked, keeping my seat and holding my glass. “Midday tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

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