Lore’s teapot rested on a stovetop with a full mug beside it, but she was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t even know her, but I wished she’d come back so Soren and I wouldn’t be alone.
He took a clean glass from the shelf and poured water from the pitcher.
After the day I’d had, my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.
I drank the whole thing.
Lowering the glass, I paused. Both fiction and nonfiction books mentioned avoiding fae wine. Did that apply to water too?
I’d been too thirsty to ask.
Too late now.
“Refreshed?” he asked when I quietly handed the glass back.
I nodded. I had to admit I was.
Part of me expected to sprout wings or grow a tail, but I felt fine. Better even.
He left the glass on the counter, leading us into a connected dining room with a long wooden table. I took in the unlit fireplace, an archway that led to another tunnel, andtenchairs. How many rooms did his burrow have? Or maybe more importantly, how many fae?
Pulling out a chair for me, Soren brought me back to the present. His polite behavior set me more on edge. He was trying to soften me up so I wouldn’t see the twists in his deal.
Sitting, I wiggled my fingers nervously beneath the table, steeling myself for some magical dealmaking. I could do this. For Dad, Mom, and my sisters, I had to.
In fact, I should take charge to make sure this went in my favor. I felt confident for once, because I’d thought of nothing else for the last week.
“Here are my terms: If you take me to my family, I’ll give you my timeafterI get them out of here.” This was the one thing I’d determined back home. I could give the fae whatever they wanted, no matter how bad, as long as I’d saved my family first.
He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, invading my space slightly. “Unfortunately, I don’t know exactly where yourfamilyis.” He emphasized the word to point out I’d slipped again, though as far as I was concerned, it didn’t matter anymore. It wasn’t like he’d forget anytime soon. “Nor do I know how long it will take you to go about ‘getting them out,’ as you put it.”
He tapped a finger on his chin, drawing my attention to his mouth. “I will counter your terms with this: I’ll tell you everything I know about your family since they arrived here. In return, you’ll help me with something that takes place at seven o’clock tonight, less than two hours from now. Once that’s completed, you’re free to go. However”—he grew serious—“if you try to get out of our bargain before you hold up your end, you’ll turn into a toad.”
My eyes widened despite my best efforts.
Nodding, he leaned back in his chair. “It’d be difficult to rescue your family in that form, I’d think.” Though his serious expression didn’t change, if he’d been anyone else, I would’ve sworn he was teasing. “How does that sound for incentive?”
I turned each word over carefully.
“Everything you know?” I repeated, trying to keep from gripping the arms of the chair. That was the trap. “Do you actually knowanything?”
“I can promise you that I do.”
I snorted and sat back, crossing my arms. “Your word doesn’t mean a whole lot.”
“If I cannot tell you anything worthwhile, I forfeit my claim to your time.”
That grabbed my attention. I met his sharp blue eyes, studying him. “No toad turning for you?”
“That,” he replied with another unexpected grin, “would require skills you don’t have.”
“Hmm...” I folded my hands on the table with the sense that no matter what I said, I’d somehow already lost. “When you said you need my help at seven, I noticed you didn’t include an end time. That wouldn’t be one of those loopholes where I end up serving for life, would it?”
He had the audacity to laugh. “I like you,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s rare for a human to catch that.” Still grinning, he shook his head, adding like it was nothing, “Yes, technically, I could’ve kept you forever. Always determine the parameters when making a deal.”
Why is he giving me advice?
He didn’t give me a chance to ask. “In this case, we’ll say two hours of service, starting when the bells chime seven times. That should do the trick.”
