Shoving the ice to the corner of my mouth, I raised a brow. “Really?” That came out far too indignant. Lowering my voice, I rolled my shoulders and tried again. “Really?”
“Yeah. I take it you’ve already met her?” Finneas eyed the uneaten cupcake I’d rested on the table.
Scratching my chin through my beard, I jiggled the glass holding the ice. “Briefly.”
“And you haven’t taken so much as a bite from that cake?” Finneas scoffed. “Sylvie makes the best sweet treats in the Cove. She laces them with magic and everything.”
Inconveniently, my spine straightened with curiosity. “Yes, she mentioned that.” Lifting the cupcake, I tilted it left to right. “Do you know what kind of magic?”
“Not sure her kind of magic has a label, but she has this way of reading people. Maybe you’re having a cruddy day and could use a pick-me-up, or maybe you’re nervous for some big job interview coming up. She twinkles her fingers—” Finneas mimicked the actions over the cupcake. “—and poof. You got a temporary fix in the form of a delectable dessert.”
While interesting, it also seemed a bit—intrusive. How could she possibly know what everyone in town wanted? Maybe they wanted those nerves at the interview to keep them humble and not come across as overly confident.
Risking it, I nonchalantly swiped my finger into the cake’s icing, bringing it to my lips. “How long has she been here? In the Cove, I mean?”
Finneas sighed and leaned one hand on his knee. “I can’t say I keep track of when everyone moved in. I’ve been here for damn near a century, but I try to keep out of everyone’s businessmostof the time.”
The points of my ears perked, and when the icing touched my tongue, it seemed to cool my body for a fraction of a second. “You run a place that serves alcohol. Surely it’s impossible not to overhear things.”
Finneas shrugged and continued to stare down my cupcake like he intended to steal it. “My drinks are for the flavor. Only place magical beings can get a buzz is at Bacchus.”
Curling a protective arm around the cupcake and relishing Finneas’ frown, I finished my whiskey in one gulp. “Why’s that?”
“The owner, Dion, mixes in ambrosia wine. As far as I know, it’s the only actual alcohol that affects the likes of us.” Finneas thumped a broad, furry hand on his chest.
Smirking, I traced a finger around the empty glass’s rim. “Fae have one other source,” I whispered, ignoring him when he squinted from not hearing me. “I noticed she has a pointed ear.” I pointed to one of my own. “But she seems to hide them?”
Finneas fanned his palms at me like I’d crossed a boundary. Depending on Sylvie’s reasons, which, clearly now, therewasa reason, maybe I had. “Listen, I don’t knoweverythingabout her. Considering how personal that is, sounds like something you should ask her yourself.”
Methodically nodding, I tossed several more ice cubes into my mouth. “I appreciate all the information.”
“That it? You don’t want to know anything else about her?” Finneas blanched, spreading his hooves wide and leaning on his knee.
Taking a full bite of the cupcake now, I audibly sighed as the chilly current glided down my throat and settled into my chest. It made the sweltering fire nearby tolerable. “I think you’re right. Anything else I wish to know, I’ll ask her.”
“Suit yourself.” Finneas grunted as he pushed on the table to stand, making the glass of ice vibrate. “See ya around.”
“Yeah,” I distantly replied, using the tip of my thumb to wipe excess icing from the corner of my mouth. Rising, I tossed back another ice cube and shoved the rest of the cupcake in my mouth before heading for the door.
Nanok would surely be pissed at me for making him wander this long without knowing if we were staying here. I bolted for the forest, a new coolness swirling in my stomach and chest from the ice cube and cupcake magic. It was almost as invigorating as swimming naked in frozen waters. A light snow had begun, collecting on the branches and spreading a thin layer over thegrass. I tilted my chin, sniffing the air, but couldn’t detect my bear. Calling to my magic, I whistled a unique melody only Nanok could hear. When he responded with his song, I followed it, finding him clawing at what little fish remained in the river.
“Listening to your animal instincts, are you, old friend?” Shoving my hands in my pockets, I leaned on a tree, watching him.
Nanok grunted and jerked excitedly when a fish the size of my foot landed on the bank, and he hurriedly ate it.
“I think we hit a dead end here, Nanok. Normally, I’d be all about sticking around and joining in whatever festivities this place does for the holidays, but Sylvie, she just—” I made a fist with one hand, my jaw tensing. “You know?”
Nanok’s jaw rotated as he ate. He stared at me with big, rounded, brown eyes and tilted his head to one side.
“Don’t give me that look. You didn’t meet her.” I pointed at my bear and tossed magic at the branch above me, forming ice down its length. “She hides her ears as if she’s ashamed of them. Not to mention she’s so overly—” Pausing, I twirled my fingers, searching for the correct word to describe it. “—nice. A queen has to have some form of godsdamned backbone.”
Nanok’s shoulders bounced, a bout of snorting following—his version of a laugh. I narrowed my eyes and kicked a fallen piece of bark with my boot. “Taking her side? Really?”
Nanok finished his fish and marched over to me, using one massive paw to shove my shoulder.
“Hey, what the freezing hells was that for?” Rubbing my shoulder, I pushed him back.
Nanok growled and stomped both paws to the ground, snorting and demanding my attention.
