“Hey you.” I announced myself into the large room and she smiled.
“I was lost in thought. Good thing you showed up or I might have been here for hours.” She placed a book in a selected spot and hopped down off her three-step ladder. Her landing made no sound, exactly what I’d expect from an owl Fae. Quiet and gentle.
“Did you need something? Find out more to the many mysteries we have?” Dris would be a good detective, always looking for clues or solving a mystery. A Sherlock Holmes of the Fae world.
“Nothing yet. I wasn’t ready for bed. I thought maybe we could go down to the market and get something to eat together. I don’t have any money but this woman who owns a little bakery said I could come eat something as long as I did the dishes. I totally do that.” Even though my night would end with more cleaning, I hoped Dris would be enticed to go with me if I dangled bakery treats in the deal.
“Oh yes! That sounds wonderful. I’ll get my coat. You might want to get one, too. I’ll walk with you to your room, then we can go together.” She vibrated with excitement, and I smiled from the happiness she stirred inside me. Pushing all thoughts of guilt and turmoil out of my mind, I decided to enjoy this outing with her.
She covered up in a light blue jacket, then we went up to my small quarters where I grabbed a hooded cape to keep the night chill away.
“I haven’t had a friend to go out with in ages. Most people find me odd. Always more interested in books than parties or boys. Who has time for those, anyways? I much prefer going on epic adventures with the characters I read about.” Dris slipped her arm around mine, and we walked together out of the palace and down to the market, arms linked like the best of friends.
“Well, I find you awesome, book nerd and all.” I winked and pointed toward the bakery that had scents of sweet cinnamon and bread dancing in the wind, calling to us like a siren to her captain.
Laura, the baker, greeted me with a large hug that enveloped Dris as well between those big arms.
“You came back! And you brought a friend!” she exclaimed in our ears. Dris looked over at me with a nervous grin on her face. Poor librarian was probably not used to being hugged like this. Me? I soaked it in, having missed being embraced by someone who cared.
Laura was a kind soul, who donated her spare time to helping the young Fae by teaching them how to cook with free classes. When my destiny was accomplished, I was going to take one of those classes and learn how to make all the neat treats she had on display.
“All right, what would you girls like? I pulled some cinnamon buns out of the oven. Come, come, look around.” Laura led us into her store to peruse, telling us about each treat with mouthwatering details. I wanted to tell her I’d take a bite of everything, but even after looking at all the treats on display, I kept going back to the cheese pastry with red cherries on top.
I didn’t even have to mutter that I’d chosen the dessert before one appeared on a green plate in front of me.
“I had a feeling you were a cherry girl.” Laura held the plate out for me to take, which I did like it was a gift on that holiday Mariam always tried to celebrate . . . Christmas or something jolly like that.
“Thank you.” My soft voice was enough to satisfy the baker as she rushed off to get Dris a pastry called a bear claw.
We sat outside under a torch and nibbled on our treats, while people watched.
“I’ve never had anything like this in my life!” Dris moaned over her bear claw, and I nodded in agreement. This cherry pastry wasn’t like anything I’d ever tasted.
“That’s ’cause you’ve never tasted me, darling.”
My moan turned into a groan as a familiar man pulled back the only open seat at our café table, then plopped his leather-clad backside in it.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Emrys. What do I owe the pleasure?” I refused to let him spoil my night out with Dris. “Dris, this is Emrys.” I waved between them in introduction. Emrys’s hand touched Dris’s and brought it to his pierced lip for a gentleman’s kiss.
Her half-sneer was comical.
“Two ladies out for a late-night pastry. It’s obvious you are either scheming or gossiping. I am game for both.” He pulled a chocolate cookie out from underneath the little table like it appeared by magic although he had stolen it.
“I hope you’re going to pay her for that somehow.” He grinned while bringing the cookie to his lips slowly and savored it with an actor’s flair of enjoying the morsel.
“I’ll pay her however you were going to,” he said, somehow knowing I was without money.
“How do you know so much about me?” I raised my eyebrow in curiosity.
“I’m a spider.” He shrugged.
Dris lifted her chin slightly as she whipped out the definition from that big brain of hers. “Spider, also known as a spy. They can get into places that others cannot, they hear things that people prefer they not, they have sticky fingers, and are usually loyal to themselves. He is also a goat Fae, which is a very mischievous creature. But they are honorable, curious, and fearless.”
My walking library did not disappoint.
“And she’s smart, too. You are the perfect package of smart and sexy.” He winked at Dris and she rolled her eyes, not impressed by this so-called spider.
