Fire Weaver (Fall of the Fey #1)

Chapter 19

Faux had to smile, Carmel was the funniest when she was drinking. Her pale orange skin turned a bright pink in her cheeks and her eyes glowed with her inner fire. He slung his arm over the back of her chair as she enthusiastically told the waitress about a made-up childhood adventure. When he laughed along it wasn't because it was funny, but because he found it hilarious that Carmel could lie through her teeth. The Fey-beast was full of surprises.

He had told her one of his darkest secrets, how he got his wife killed and she didn't even blink. She looked at him the way she always did, as though he wasn't a monster. Faux would suspect she was crazy if it weren't that she had been that way with everyone she's come across. She even liked Deadly, who had killed so many people it's ridiculous. Maybe Carmel was insane. Then he remembered the way sadness clung to her when she talked about the fire. Faux wondered if it was more because she could understand accidentally killing someone and if she wasn't as innocent as she appeared.

Within minutes Carmel had the waitress, whose name was Terease, eating out of her hand and that was how they found out the name they had forgotten. Faux doubted they would have gotten the waitress to talk to them if Carmel hadn't been so friendly.

'We were actually looking for a place to stay and work.' Carmel reminded the waitress a smile still playing on her lips from the last laugh they shared.

'Oh, well, you can't go past Ms Marelda. She takes in everyone as long as they don't mind working.' Terease said, she had sat down at their table because they were the only people in the Bar & Grill. 'And you don't have to worry about your magic, this town is very discrete.'

'What do you mean?' Carmel asked, her laugh lines smoothing out into a serious expression.

Terease, too, lost her carefree air and her face became hard, her lips thin, 'you chose the wrong time to come to this country. The king is going through every town and weeding out all of the 'gifted' people. This is a mining village. most of the people here are, or have some form of relationship with someone who is, more than human.'

'What are they?' Faux asked he wondered what type of beings there were in Obikwa that they may have to fight.

'You'll forgive me if I don't answer that.' Terease said. 'I like you enough but I'm not risking the people of this town because I decided to be a trusting fool.'

'Fair enough.' Faux responded.

Carmel suddenly looked like she wanted to cry. Faux winced, hoping that she wouldn't have a melt down. 'It's horrible that you don't feel safe to be yourself.'

Terease smiled wistfully, 'you would have loved this town before all this happened.'

'I suppose we should be going to see this Ms Marelda,' Faux said and took the last sip of the amber liquid in his glass. 'You ready to go, Sis?'

'Yeah, I suppose so.' Carmel shoulders were slumped. Faux, likewise, was starting to get the picture of the impossible task they had decided to undertake.

He rolled his eyes and dragged her out of her seat, 'don't worry you'll see Terease again.'

'It was nice to meet you.' Carmel told her.

Terease smiled indulgently, 'same to you. Feel free to come back anytime.'

Carmel clung to Faux as she stumbled into the light of the bright day.

'Gods, it's bright here.' She groused holding her free hand to her forehead to shade her eyes. The light usually wouldn't have bothered her but the alcohol had made her eyes sensitive to the change from the gloomy bar to the morning sun.