To Kill a Fae - A Fantasy Romance

Chapter 14

Sabine yawned and stretched, feeling much better than she had the last time she'd awakened. Her magic flowed through her at full strength once again, and she wove a trace of it through her glamour to soften any jagged edges left as a result of her previous and hasty application.

The blankets next to her were disheveled, and she caught a faint trace of Bane's scent on them as though he'd just recently gotten out of bed. Sabine smiled, pleased he'd stayed the night. Even if she'd suffered some unfortunate effects from trying to interrupt the lich ward, at least it had forced Dax and Bane together again under the same roof. Hopefully, they could resolve some of their differences.

She climbed out of bed to find someone had washed and folded her clothing. It had been left neatly on top of the chest, along with her weapons. Eager to feel their welcome weight against her skin, she quickly dressed and equipped her knives. In some ways, she'd felt more vulnerable without her weapons than her magic. It was a testament to how much she'd changed since coming to live here.

Very few of the Fae would ever understand why or how she'd come to care about the people living here. It probably hadn't dawned on them she'd been living in a city surrounded by humans and mixed magical races. It hadn't been something she'd considered, until Balkin had made the choice for her after he helped her escape from Faerie. Humans, for the most part, were viewed as the weakest of the races and one of the most destructive. Her father had once compared them to insects with a propensity for multiplying out of control and ignorant of the magic of their world. Sabine had come to know another side of them, and their strength of spirit and ability to persevere in almost any situation had opened her eyes.

Sliding the last of her knives into the sheath on her thigh, she pushed open the door and headed in the direction of the wonderful aromas that beckoned to her. Sunlight streamed in through the windows of the kitchen, and Martha hummed a wordless tune as she pulled out a batch of freshly baked bread. Martha was an older woman with a rounded figure, a testament to her ability to create mouthwatering delicacies.

The gray-haired woman's mouth curved upward at the sight of Sabine. "Good! You're awake. Have a seat and I'll fix you something too."

Martha gestured to the table where Bane was already sitting. The demon grunted at her, but he was too busy shoveling food into his mouth to respond.

Sabine beamed a smile at Martha. "If it tastes half as delicious as it smells, it promises to be as divine as your stew last night."

Martha laughed and shooed her to the table. A moment later, she placed a plate with some sort of meat and vegetable pie in front of Sabine. "I've missed having both of you here. Taste this and let me know what you think. I'm trying out something new."

Bane was still busy digging into his food, a sure sign of his approval. Sabine grinned and picked up the spoon. The moment the first bite touched her tongue, she closed her eyes and moaned. The flavors exploded in her mouth, the tang of the spiced meat complementing the savory herbs and vegetables Martha had used. Some of these must have come from Esmelle's garden because she could taste the faint trace of pixie magic on her tongue.

"This might be better than your stew last night," Sabine admitted, pulling the plate closer to her. Bane gave another grunt of agreement and took another bite.

"I'm so glad to hear it, dear," Martha said, bringing over a pitcher and pouring each of them a drink. "Balkin should be here any minute, and Dax asked me to prepare something special for him."

Sabine swallowed the bite she'd been chewing and frowned. "I forgot about that. He hasn't arrived yet?"

Bane paused and glanced out the window. "He should have been. We were thinking he'd be here either last night or this morning, but it's already past midday."