Emlyn knocks his cup against mine. He takes a bigger gulp of his, and my stomach lurches just imagining that much of the offensive liquid in my mouth. I set my cup down far, far away, and focus on the food.
The tray contains a variety of fresh fruit, some hard-boiled eggs, and a block of cheese. I go straight for the eggs, savoring their warmth after days of eating nothing but cold nuts and fruit. While we eat, Emlyn swipes the rest of my drink and orders me some water.
He relaxes against the wall, sipping more of the disgusting beverage. “Now we wait for my informant to get here.” He glances at me, his eyebrows cinching together. “It might actually be best if you head back to the inn.”
“Why?”
Emlyn shifts his position. “He has certain… expectations… about how our conversation will go. I’ll have to go along with that to get what I need.”
“What kind of expectations?” I ask warily.
Emlyn’s eyes dart across the room. I follow his gaze to a tall, brown-haired fae heading toward us. He plops down on the other side of Emlyn, diagonally to me.
“Nye,” Emlyn says with a nod.
A shit-eating grin stretches across Nye’s face. “Emlyn, what an unexpected pleasure. Who’s your friend?” My skin crawls as his eyes roam over me.
Emlyn squeezes my leg under the table. “He’s not for you.”
Wait… What?
Nye’s eyebrow curls up. “Oh? Should I be lowering my expectations for the evening?”
“I didn’t say that.” Emlyn leans toward Nye with an extremely familiar smile.
It’s as if I took a giant gulp of fig wine. Before I know it, I’ve pushed myself from the table, stumbling for the door.
The moment I step outside, I double over, gasping for air. Emlyn appears a few seconds later, pulling me up and away from the entrance.
“I did suggest you go back to the inn,” he says.
A blaze roars to life in my chest. “So you could fuck him without me knowing about it?”
His grip on my arm tightens, and he pulls me further away from the tavern. “Quiet down.” He takes a breath. “I didn’t… Look—he’s one of my best sources. I need to find out what he knows.”
I yank free of him. “And how far will you go to get that?”
“As far as I have to. I’m sorry, but this is my job.”
My heart lurches. “What about me? What about us?”
He throws his hands up. “There’s barely an ‘us,’ Reid! You’re too caught up beinga martyr, and I can’t keep waiting around for someone who’s not even willing to try. If you’re gonna be mad at anyone, be mad at yourself. Not me.”
His words hit like a punch. Thoughts—excuses, accusations—tumble through my mind, but none make it past more than a few words. The truth sinks in like a brick in a bowl of jelly.
He’s right.
All this time, I’ve been using Ellie and Caeo as a barrier to keep him at arm’s length. Putting their needs first to keep from looking deeper.
Falling into a relationship with a fae… it would mean throwing the tattered remains of my life away. Everything I ever worked for, my friends, the world I grew up in—I’d be trading it all for him. A man who’s flat out told me not to trust him, yet is the only thing anchoring me in the shitstorm my life’s become.
I can’t meet his eyes.
Emlyn sighs. “Just… go back to the inn.”
He turns away. Gone. Back inside.
Back with Nye.
