The guy looked stricken, lowering the gun as a pink heat flushed his cheeks. “W-who are you? How do you know my father?”
Now that my heart wasn’t in my throat, I stared at him more closely. He looked about thirty years old, with high pointed ears that peeked out of his messy brown hair. On his fingers he wore a ring for each one, all topped with a different colored crystal shard.
Fae… but something else too. I inhaled and the scent of cinnamon and sage hit me.
Fae and warlock? He was mixed.
“I am King Greywolf,” Brayden boomed, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. When he used his power like that, it had an effect on me and everyone around us. It was also sexy as hell.
“Braydon Greywolf? Fallen King?” The guy looked confused. Clearly he was a young fellow in terms of what had been going on. He must actually be thirty years old and not over two hundred like the others.
Brayden nodded. “And I need your help. Your father owed me a debt that falls to you now. Surely he told you?”
Erwin swallowed hard and nodded, but then looked at Morgana with a scowl. “She broke my intruder curse. It took me five hundred dollars in herbs to make the potion for that curse.”
Brayden waved him off. “I will repay you for the herbs.”
Erwin nodded and then turned on his heel, waving us forward. “Might as well come in, then. Doesn’t seem as if I have any choice in the matter.”
Yikes, that wasn’t a great start.
We all filed in after him, making our way up the white-painted porch and inside a small home. The kitchen, living, and dining room were all open concept and within fifteen feet of each other so it was a tight fit once we all got inside.
We watched as Erwin walked over to the kitchen stove, filled a pot of water, then set the pot on the stove and started to boil it.
Probably for tea—all fae were obsessed with tea, I was discovering. I noticed that his kitchen was modified for his height and everything was accessible to him without a stool or having to strain. I felt like a giant peering down at the two-foot high counter.
Finally, Erwin turned to face us. “Alright, what kind of potion do you want? Depending on the complexity, I’ll need to have you return tomorrow so it can brew.” He motioned to the stove.
Oh, that’s what he was boiling water for? He had known we’d need a potion? I guess since he was a potions master that made sense.
Brayden opened his mouth to speak but Erwin cut him off. “And you will pay for the herbs I use. My father might have owed you a debt but I’m not in the business of handouts,” he said curtly.
Dude was grumpy and I wondered what his story was. Why’d he go into hiding? It seemed like he didn’t even know who Brayden was when we’d walked up.
Brayden seemed to read my thoughts.‘His entire family was murdered by a rival fae gang. He saw his mother, father, and ten siblings all die. He lived.’
It was like the air had been snatched from my lungs. I had to bite the inside of my cheeks to keep from whimpering.
Ten siblings. All dead. That was horrific. And he probably had survivor’s guilt. I’d read about that once. My heart instantly softened. I’d be grumpy too if I saw my entire family get murdered.
“We’ll pay you for the supplies of course,” I told Erwin, and Brayden nodded in agreement.
Erwin looked at me more closely now and his nostrils flared. “Interesting,” he said.
A nervous laugh escaped me. “I get that a lot.” He must be smelling my Greywolf magicandmy fae magic now.
“What’s the potion for?” He waved his hand to hurry us along.
Brayden cleared his throat but I stepped forward. “I’m either his top, he met us eye to eye.
“I need a piece of your hair.” He held out a hand.
I looked back at Brayden, who looked to Morgana. She nodded and I plucked one of my hairs, giving it to him. He grasped it between two fingers and placed it between his teeth, chewing on the end.
Disgusting.
But something was clearly happening, because his eyes widened and his mouth went slack.
