The Cursed Deal ✓

Chapter 5

Faine hadn't anticipated how long it would take for anyone to speak anything of interest. She tended to all the tables, the guests, listened to flirtatious comments from an extra handsy sinwolf wearing a soft velvet coat, filled drinks, served meals, and most importantly—more than anything—smiled. Her cheeks were definitely aching with the effort to remain pleasant like the rest of the barmaids.

She studied her fellow barmaids carefully and compared them to royalty. They walked with their spines straight, and when they weren't carrying anything at all, held their hands delicately over the front of their bodies, their elbows bent in the perfect angle. It wasn't long before Faine was moving in the same, swift pattern and weaving through the tables became a simple act of moving her hips like the motion of waves past chairs. After she knocked her side against the first, she hadn't done it again.

Becoming as stiff and lifeless as someone without a soul took more practice than she'd initially realized. If she fretfully wanted to play the part of the giggly, smiling barmaid, she needed to do everything to ensure the mortal man wasn't watching her every move with great care. He was a spy, after all. He had every right to study her and discover the obvious faults in her craft.

As long as it had taken for Faine to receive no information, Kaspar finished his meal and was left picking at his dessert. He couldn't sit there and do nothing, the spies would catch on to him possibly listening in on their conversation, so when Faine got the chance, she slipped a book onto the table before him when both spies were looking out the window at a heated argument between a merchant and a buyer.

The mortal man ran a hand through his blue-black hair, curled around his ears and longer on top, styled by running his fingers through it. He displayed his broad smile more than once during a conversation about the fladline's dislike towards anything that was too sweet, despite her kind loving such a flavor. That smile brought to life every feature on his face, the sharp cheekbones, and the overall diamond shape—the smile in itself made him more handsome than when he frowned.

A heartthrob for every mortal woman, for sure. Faine didn't see him as anything more than what he was. Mortal. Mortals were weak and couldn't stand for themselves against Pinedon. Too much magic, too many immortals believing they were better than everyone else. It was in his best interest, and every mortal's, to move onto a different land that didn't involve so much fight.

Faine brought the wine bottle over to refill his glass. Evening was setting in, the sky was turning a soft pink and the clouds, once white, shadowed into a soft orange. It wouldn't be long before night fell and Faine would lose her ability to view their facial expressions. Just as the thought went through her head, a barmaid brought out a stool to reach the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Flame wasn't vivid, but with five chandeliers hanging through the room, it brightened quickly.

"Can I get you anything else?" Faine asked. By refilling his glass without asking, a newbie mistake, she was keeping them at the table longer. The mortal man looked on, uninterested with her presence. "Some dessert, perhaps? The caramel pecan roll is absolutely divine."

The fladline scrunched up her cat nose and her whiskers twitched. "Is it too sweet?" She narrowed her eyes, long lashes brushing against her thin brows. "I hate to eat anything that is too sweet."

"If you wish for something that isn't too sweet, then I suggest the Black Apple Tart. The taste itself is incredible, and if you need help with fertility for the time being, the dessert is a great choice." Faine set the half-empty bottle on the table in hopes it would make them stay longer. They were delaying the inevitable, the meeting that needed to be held. Putting the bottle on the table meant they could serve themselves, and mortals couldn't have a few drinks without losing themselves in the head. Not only had Faine provided her favorite wine, but it was also one of the strongest drinks she knew of. The mortal man's eyes were already heavy-lidded from the wine that fit the expectations of immortals but was safe enough for his kind to drink.