“Fine. And no more dealings with the Fae.”
“Unless we need our coats repaired,” I counter. “Then we come back here and have Lace fix them.”
“Agreed. No more dealings with Fae of any kind, except Lace.”
With that settled, we guide our horses along the alley and join the flow of the main street, heading out of Belgate.
As we ride, I repeat the words to myself like a reassuring mantra.
No more dealings with the Fae.
19
SIX MONTHS LATER
“Ravager.”
At the sound of the deep voice, I startle off the couch I was napping on, and papers go flying. They flutter like seagulls in the afternoon sunbeams slanting through the window of the oceanside house I share with Devilry.
I rub my eyes, unable to fully grasp what I’m seeing. It still takes me time to wake up, especially when I’ve been jolted out of a sound sleep.
White curtains billow through the open doors leading from the balcony—a much larger one than I had back in Belgate. There’s a tall man standing among the flowing curtains. He looks familiar, but I can’t quite place him. He’s tanned, with silver eyes and black hair.
“Sorry, I’m having trouble recalling your name.” I draw a knife from between the couch cushions. “Have I stolen something from you lately? Also, how did you get in here?”
“For the god-stars’ sake—” He sighs, and his appearance shifts. His ears sharpen to points, his skin turns pale green, and his hair turns a vivid emerald. “Does that help your memory?”
“Nocturis. As I live and breathe.” I toss the knife aside; it’s useless against someone of his power. “How have you been, you green motherfucker?”
He tilts his head. “You seem even less intelligent than when we last spoke.”
“That’s because you woke me up.” I start gathering the errant papers into a stack. They’re diagrams of a vault that Devilry and I are planning to crack in the near future. “What do you want? I hope you haven’t come here after Devilry, because she’s mine. We’re living our best life, and we don’t want any interference from you. No more magic, no more artifacts, no more fortresses, and no more portals or bargains, thank you.”
“This is a personal matter,” he replies. “And it involves Devilry, but indirectly. I wanted to inquire how you… how you proceeded with winning her. What methods did you find most effective?”
My jaw drops. “You want advice for seducing a woman?”
“Is that what you call it?”
“You call it seduction if you want sex. If you want more, I suppose you might call it courting.”
“Courting,” he repeats. “Yes, that sounds right. I believe those terms are used by the Fae as well. It has been so long since I was one of them… since I was alive in that way…” His voice trails off.
“So the woman you’re planning to court… she’s human?”
“More or less.”
“More or less?” I run a hand over my face, exasperated. “Look, you have to give me something. I can’t help you without information.”
“I simply need to know how you won Devilry’s heart.”
With a raw chuckle, I lean back on the couch. “Well… I tried to kill her.”
“There must have been more to it than that.”
“I beat her up a lot. Bruises, pain—I wouldn’t recommend it. Ours was a special case.”
“I suppose so.” Nocturis frowns. “I’ve watched these entanglements occur—I’ve encouraged them, facilitated them, taken delight in their consummation—”
