Page 38 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

When the woman turned, deep purple eyes found me. There was a delicate softness there, in contrast to the hardness of her demeanor. And that uniform—aye, I had a type. I thought surely I was in love. She approached, staring at me with a hefty amount of skepticism, but something caught her tongue. She appraised me head to toe, as much as she could see, but when I lifted my head, the shadows moved away, giving her a peak at my face. Her luscious lips parted, and she cleared her throat, adjusting her posture.

“You’re the leprechaun who can get me anything I need?” she asked, standing across from where I sat at my table.

“That’s an interesting way to introduce yourself,” I said, puffing on my pipe. I gestured to the empty chair.

Her jaw tightened. “Are you, or aren’t you?”

“Depends on who’s asking. You see, lass, I don’t do business with strangers. It’s gotten me in trouble a few times before.” I angled my head toward her shoulder. “And those stripes there? They sure seem like something that could cause me a bit of trouble. So I say again, my answerdepends on who’s asking. Is it you, High Commander of the Royal Guard, King Vareck himself, or someone else?”

She raised her brows. “You know I’m High Commander?”

“I can read a military uniform, love.”

It looked as if she wanted to smile, but she remained stoic. “Yet you aren’t afraid of me.”

I shrugged, knowing damn well Meera and Amelia wouldn’t have ratted me out. The guard didn’t know about my involvement with the prince. She wouldn’t be alone if she did, and I’d have already been captured and dragged back to Faerie in chains. “What’s there to be afraid of? I’ve done nothing wrong.” I tapped some of the ash from my pipe. “If I had, you wouldn’t be trying to chat me up. Isn’t that right, Frank?”

He snorted in confirmation.

“Are you going to sit or not?” I asked, glancing at the chair in front of me.

The guard’s gaze flitted between me and the orc at my side. “I’ll stand, thank you.”

“Suit yourself.” I laughed, rubbing a finger under my nose. A smirk curled at my lips. “Something tells me you’re not at home here, lass.”

“I go where duty leads me,” she replied.

“How noble. Well then, let’s try again. I’m Lucian.” I leaned across the table, holding out my hand.

She hesitated before taking it. “Kaia.”

I pulled her in, pressing my lips to the back of her glove, inhaling her scent. “Leather finger tab on your dominant hand. We have an archer in our presence, Frank.”

Her breath caught, and she yanked her hand away, glaring at me before regaining her composure. I suppressed the desire to laugh at her indignation.

“Well, Lady Kaia, what can I do for you?”

“For starters, I’m not a Lady. It’s just Kaia. And the barkeep said your name was Lou.”

“Lucian to my friends,” I said with a wink. My eyes trailed down her form, admiring the nice curve to her hips, especially in that tight-fitting black leather armor. She stared at me flatly. My angel did not find me charming. Nothing like a challenge.

Kaia tilted her head, then took a deep breath, finally taking a seat in the chair across from me. “Amelia said you were the man I’ve been looking for. She said you could help me.”

I poured her a small drink into my empty glass, nudging it across the table. “The witch has a pure heart for all the darkness that surrounds her. My biggest weakness, that. A beautiful woman. Never could say no to a pretty face.”

“Mine or hers?” she asked, taking the whiskey in one gulp and slamming the glass down.

“Yes,” I answered vaguely, and a smirk tugged at my lips. “What exactly are you looking for?”

“I’m on a bit of a dual mission to find a what and a who,” she said, placing her hand on the table and drumming her fingers.

“I’m listening.” She watched as I tapped out the tobacco ashes into the tray, setting the pipe down to cool off. I laced my fingers together, setting my hands in front of me.

“I need to find Prince Damon,” she said softly, meeting my gaze.

I chuckled. “I doubt you need me for that. I’d reckon the prince is in a brothel in Faerie.”

“Normally, I would agree with you.” Kaia’s lips pressed into a thin line. “But we know he was taken. Brought back to earth through the public portal.”

---