The Deadly Fae

Chapter 3

Despite having made the decision to end Lord Fairhaven’s interrogation of her, Sessily had been so rattled when she left Davenport’s estate before Fairhaven could stop her, she hadn’t shielded her departure, which meant she’d left fairy dust easy enough for a tracker to follow. Not that it meant Fairhaven had the ability, but if he did…

Not only that but she’d been in such a rush, she’d thought of the Crystal Falls near her own castle when she targeted a new location. She had planned to appear somewhere far from home, in case the man could track her.

Not about to be thwarted in accomplishing her mission again, she waved her hand to fae travel. This time she ensured she was shielded and no fae dust was left behind, and returned to Davenport’s estate. She appeared in his yew gardens this time, where the night hid her sufficiently. She wished she’d changed clothes, but if anyone found her in the manor house wearing male fae clothes, they truly would think her a thief.

If anyone discovered her, she’d say she was trying to elude the obnoxious Lord Fairhaven and had wished to stay with the Davenports that night as she had said previously and hoped they would believe her. If Lord Davenport was interested in courting her next, she thought he would believe anything she told him. After all, she could mean money to him once his sweet Marguerite was no longer of the living.

Because Sessily had been in his library, she could return there when everyone went to bed. But was Fairhaven still at the manor, or was he off on a wild fae chase, trying to locate her again?

Since he’d already delivered his message to Davenport about the payment of debt, she assumed that he would have been more interested in determining where Sessily had disappeared to and had not planned to linger at the estate.

Fairhaven might be able to locate her trail to the falls, but he’d never guess in a millennium she’d end up back here. Or at least she hoped he wouldn’t. If she truly had been a thief, she wouldn’t be smart to return to the same place she wished to commit her thievery. And Fairhaven had to realize that.

She hid behind the yew hedges in the chilly breeze and waited until the lights in the estate began to wink out. She normally was a very patient person—as would be expected of a master assassin—but after all that had happened with Fairhaven and the worry that he’d find her here, her patience was running out.

Go to bed, she thought, over and over again. Sleep. Get on with it!

So she could get on with her job, too.

Two hours later, when the entire estate was dark, she returned to the library. The room was empty, and she moved to the door that opened into the hall as quietly as she could. The silk gowns she wore swished softly with her movements.

In the hallway outside the library, she noted stairs. Up the stairs undoubtedly she would find the bedchambers. One would be the lord’s chamber, the other, Marguerite’s and most likely several guest chambers. Sessily moved quietly up the stairs, thankful that none of the wooden steps squeaked and that the long carpet padded her footfalls although she was pretty good at moving like the mist, silently no matter where she was.

The lights were all out in the rooms, although candles cast a faint glow illuminating the hallway. Which room was which, though?

She glanced down at the gold and rust hand-woven carpet featuring the hunt, while she looked for telltale signs of fae dust. Although the lord’s fae dust was all over the hallway, the most recent trail led to one door. If he wasn’t visiting his wife tonight, then this room had to be his bedchamber.

Sessily slowly pulled the bedchamber door open and gingerly moved across the floor, taking deep breaths to analyze the scents. Male, Lord Davenport’s mostly.