Page 159 of Flirting with Darkness

“What would happen if I tried to?”

He shrugged and pulled his hair back into a knot. “I haven’t seen the spell on the walls, but at best?” He tied the knot in place with a leather thong. “It would shoot you back inside, probably with some burns and broken bones.”

“Probably” and “at best”—he was hedging. That could be a way of getting around the no lying rule.

I cocked my head at him as I braided my hair over my shoulder. “And at worst?”

Mouth flat, he lowered his chin and gave me a level look. A few strands of hair had already pulled free, falling in his face. “It would kill you.”

No direct lies, and I couldn’t see how that could be an indirect one, so that left only one possibility that had me shivering. It was the truth, and I’d narrowly avoided possible death.

Once we were ready, House showed us through the corridors, moving the carpets, rippling the wall hangings, shuffling the paintings and ornaments to lead us to a dining room.

“Ah, there you are!” Granny beamed at us from the head of a long table and spread her arms wide in welcome. “Come sit, come sit. You’re just in time for breakfast.”

A dozen platters of food appeared, steaming. Toast, muffins, and fruit piled high. Ham, bacon, and sausages. Sautéed mushrooms, steamed spinach, and roasted tomatoes. And eggs, so many different varieties: boiled, scrambled, poached, fried, pickled, omelettes, baked in little earthenware pots, devilled with flecks of vermillion paprika, even little pastry cases that had been filled with beaten eggs before baking.

Amongst the plates sat a large, round pot of tea and a taller pot of something that smelled richer and darker, a little fruity, a little bitter. Its spout steamed, so it was hot, but it wasn’t something I recognised.

Granny watched as we joined her, smile not dimming for a second. “My dear guests. How lovely. Did you sleep well?”

No, butmanners. “Yes, thank you.”

Faolán grunted. Not a lie, I supposed. Notreallyan answer, either.

She leant across the table towards me. “I’m sorry if it seemed I tricked you with my invitation, Rose dear. I’m trapped in this house by a very old curse, you see, and I grow lonely stuck here by my self.”

So she hadn’t come to us on the road—it must’ve been only an image of her sent magically. That explained the odd light and the way she’d floated.

We ate, and I couldn’t help but marvel at the amount Faolán put away. Such a large body required a lot of fuel, but still, it was impressive. He piled his plate high three times and had toast and buttered muffins on a side plate.

I even caught Granny eyeing him as he went in for more toast from a rack that never seemed to empty.

When I asked, she explained the tall pot was coffee. I’d seen the Hawthornes’ cook buying bags of it at market, and there was a coffee shop near Madame Froufrou’s atelier, but it was too expensive for us.

I poured her coffee and one for myself, then tea for Faolán. With a little sugar and a dash of cream, it was… I shook my head after the first sip. Rich. Indulgent. And so many layers of flavour, I couldn’t pick them all out.

Oh, gods, I’d been missing out. Had Ari tried it yet? Was the fae lord treating her well?

A low growl of irritation came from my right, tearing me from my delicious new friend. “Damn tiny bastards.” Faolán glowered at his teacup, pinching the handle between finger and thumb.

When I raised my eyebrows at him, his face screwed up.

“Can’t fit my finger through this stupid hole,andI’d need ten of these to get a decent drink.”

In front of him, a large mug popped into existence—so large, it was more like a vase with a handle than any drinking vessel I’d ever seen.

His eyes widened, and I swore a smile flashed across his face. “That’s more like it.” He scooped up the mug, which fit his hand perfectly, then emptied the teapot into it.

When he returned the teapot to the table, there was a gurgling sound, and steam poured from the spout. Just like the never-empty toast rack, House didn’t let the tea run out, either.

Much as I wasn’t keen on being trapped here for a month with two people I knew so little about, I appreciated House’s attentiveness. Did it need help or did it just make things happen as effortlessly as they appeared? Did it think like a person? Did itfeel?

I nudged Faolán. “Say thank you, then.”

Mug an inch from his lips, he gave me a sidelong look and raised one eyebrow. “I’m not thanking a house.”

“Why not? It did that for you. It’s been very kind, in fact.” I tugged on his sleeve and he immediately smoothed the crease. “All these clothes in your size.”

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