Page 3 of Buzz Kill (Smoke & Mirrors Tavern #7)
Chapter three
DECLAN
My eyes opened to a smooth expanse of flawless pale skin. Alwin’s night shirt gaped open and tugged up revealing perfect abs and a strong, lean chest. At some point in the night I’d pressed myself up against him, but our hands were still twined between us.
Al slept soundly, probably exhausted after he fought all night. The first few encounters had been the worst of it. After that, he’d held on too tightly to be separated and killed the star of every nightmare before it even got started. Toward the end, the demon had taken some artistic license and tried to bring back the dead in my memories, resurrecting my father or whatever monster Alwin killed to finish their part, but at that point it was truly just a nightmare and no longer a memory. It didn’t have the same hold over me and Alwin just cut them down again and again. As many times as it took.
In my entire life, no one had ever stood up for me the way he did last night. Gods how I’d prayed for someone like him to step in and save me when I was young. I’d prayed until I stopped believing that any of the gods truly exist. Or if they did, I no longer believed anyone was listening.
Alwin was years too late to save me, but he was the only person who’d ever stayed.
Ugh, why was I getting so emotional first thing in the morning? I pried my hand free from Al’s finding pink fingermarks along the back of my hand where he’d held on to me so tightly. It was only then, as I stared at the marks layered over my tattoos, that I remembered I could have thrown him out of my dreams at any time had I just activated the deflecting spells on my hands. Though knowing Al, he would have jumped right back in holding on to my arm instead of my hand. My father had already spelled out the way around my defenses for him, after all.
I wiped my sweaty palm on my boxers and stood, a little surprised to find myself steady on my feet. I’d woken up with a hangover every day this week and the lack of a pounding headache was a little odd. For a second I considered walking over to Sacred Grounds, the witch run cafe in the town center, but Alwin would probably give me that look again. The one where his expression didn’t actually change, but somehow the disappointment came through loud and clear.
After last night, I was finding it hard to put him out any more than I already had. Hopefully it was a temporary condition. I wasn’t in any position to be putting other people’s feelings above my own.
Alwin’s coffee maker took some figuring out. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t the kind with the little plastic pods that I actually knew how to use. Like most fae, elves had a connection to nature and things like disposable plastic one-use cups wouldn’t exist in their world. Coffee was a fairly widely imported product and there were even varieties grown in other worlds, but unlike our world where you stuck a cup in a machine and pushed a button, they preferred something more like the French press. I was familiar with the concept, but I’d never tried to use one.
Three tries later, I had something resembling coffee. It was on the strong side, but drinkable and I poured a second cup for Alwin who wandered downstairs a few minutes later while I was still sitting on the counter in my boxers.
“There are chairs.”
“The counter was closer,” I said, handing him the second mug.
He accepted it and took a sip but froze the second the coffee hit his tongue. I laughed as he choked it down with a cough.
“Too strong?”
“It’s fine, thank you.”
He carried his coffee to the table and took a seat, forcing down another sip.
“I won’t be offended if you dump it out. Want me to try again?”
“No need. Are you going to notify Elliot and Ollie that you’re leaving?”
I snorted. “I think you overestimate our relationship.”
“Elliot did say he barely remembers you. And even then, it was more as someone mentioned by the family rather than anyone he ever interacted with.”
There was a question in that statement and I wasn’t sure where he was going with it, but he was treading a little too close to a truth I didn’t intend to expose.
“Do you believe Elliot knew what your family was doing to you?”
That was not the question I was expecting and it took me a second to respond.
“Are you asking if I think Elliot is lying about not remembering me because he knew and never did anything?”
“You two are close in age and lived in the same manor for years. It seems unlikely that he doesn’t even remember you.”
“We did live in the main house, but you might be underestimating the size of Prescott Manor. It’s essentially a castle with smaller buildings scattered over the property. The immediate family would never leave the main estate because it would be like ceding power to the others, but my uncle and his family lived in the opposite wing of the estate and they were like separate residences within the house. We interacted a few times when we were very young at parties and events where the whole family had to make an appearance, but eventually they stopped bringing me to those.”
“I’m familiar with Prescott Manor. Even so, it seems strange that you remember him, but he has almost no memory of you.”
I swallowed down the rest of my coffee and hopped down to rinse the mug. Turning my back on Alwin to face the sink, I brushed off his concerns.
“I’m sure it’s just because I was a little older, it’s not like I remember much more than he does. I don’t think he’s lying. And even if he did know what was happening, there would have been nothing he could have done. Elliot had his own problems to deal with.”
It was a partial truth at best, but it was all I was willing to say. Alwin let it go without another word, but his eyes followed me as I headed back upstairs for another shower.
“Renna will lead Sage back to the gate, she’s a skilled fighter who knows the area well,” Alwin explained as if I was worried about the witch’s safety.
The kid had been impressive though, I didn’t think he had it in him, but he’d gotten more out of those hunters than we’d expected. And now Al expected me to go on a suicide mission to help him find the hunter’s headquarters. Something I had every intention of talking him out of. But first, he had to deal with his own problems.
“The head of The Botanical Court has agreed to meet with me here and should arrive shortly. You can remain here while I speak with them. Just let Thalen know if you need anything.”
He gestured to his butler or assistant or whoever the main human that followed him around was, and then he promptly ditched me. I looked around the library he’d left me in and frowned.
“Thalen, was it? You said this meeting was a mating request? Does Alwin get those often?”
“Indeed. The Midnight Court is small, but Lord Aldowin has proven his strength many times over. As a result, we are now rarely attacked even by the larger courts and smaller courts seek to combine with ours. The Botanical Court is one of the most impressive offers he’s received. They are considerably larger than our court and Lord Aldowin would gain a significant reputation just from the betrothal.”
“I see.”
I don’t know what look was on my face, but Thalen’s lips twitched. “Come with me.”
“Uh, didn’t Al say to wait here?”
“He also told me to get you anything you need, I believe this may be something you need to see.”
Thalen pushed a bookshelf aside and led me through a narrow hallway until voices could be heard. On one wall, a screen allowed a view into a meeting room where Alwin stood to greet his visitors and I realized we were watching through a painting.
“Aldowin Lythanil,” a tall, regal elf greeted as he swept into the room.
Whatever he said next was lost on me because he was speaking in their native language. It was flowing and beautiful, but I didn’t speak elvish. I knew a few words in some of the lower fae languages from the servants at Prescott Manor, but the only elves that could ever be considered servants were half elves and they rarely made it out of Faerie. The only exposure I’d had to the language was when we’d visited during my childhood, which was not enough to pick up anything beyond simple greetings.
The male elf was accompanied by a beautiful woman with pale blonde hair, green eyes and pointed ears decorated with delicate silver jewelry. She was as reserved as any elf, but her expression was more demure than cold. I immediately decided she was a bad match for Alwin. He would clearly be bored to tears with someone so meek. Surely, he saw that too.
Alwin and the woman exchanged a respectful greeting, bowing slightly to each other and I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes at the subtle smile she gave Al as they straightened. Hm . Not so meek after all.
I huffed. “This is a waste of time, she clearly can’t be trusted. One minute she’s shy and unassuming, the next she’s practically throwing herself at him.”
Thalen gave me a rather calculating side-eye, but I pretended not to notice, watching intently as a handful of servants silently filed in and stood against the wall.
“He says it’s an honor and is thanking him for speaking with him on short notice,” Thalen whispered. “Lord Aldowin returned the greeting and is getting the formalities out of the way a little too quickly to be considered polite.” Thalen frowned as Al sat and one of his own servants appeared to pour tea and place a plate of flowery cookie things on the table.
Al barely waited until the tea was poured before he started talking. Thalen didn’t translate right away, but his heavy sigh made me curious.
“What’s he saying?”
“It seems Lord Aldowin is getting right to business. He’s asked that they discuss any and all matters swiftly so the Botanical court does not have reason to bother his people in the future.”
“That probably explains the less than pleasant look on that guy’s face.”
“Indeed,” Thalen agreed. “The Botanical Court is significantly larger than ours, they likely expected us to be quite grateful for the offer. A banquet would have been more proper to discuss the combining of the households, but Lord Aldowin insisted he didn’t have the time for such things.
“The Botanical Court is insisting that the matter cannot be rushed. There is much to discuss and they are willing to accept an extended engagement of one century to allow Aldowin to complete his obligations before the mating takes place. That would allow him to resolve his other business and return home to sire heirs.”
I grimaced. “They really do plan out having kids like a business contract, huh?” Not that sorcerers were any different, but I couldn’t shake the irritation that came with that thought. It really felt like it didn’t suit Alwin to handle things this way. Not that it was my place to comment on elven traditions.
Thalen hummed. “It’s a very good offer. In a century Lord Aldowin’s affairs in the human world will surely be resolved and he can return to Faerie permanently. Most engagements are no more than a quarter century, so they are showing significant respect for our court with this gesture.”
The visitor snapped his fingers and a young human servant scurried forward to present a gift to Alwin, but as he approached, he bumped the table and the delicate teacups rattled. Alwin discreetly steadied the table before reaching out to accept the gift without comment, but the other elf stood, his cold glare settling on the servant who cowered even as he returned to accept his punishment.
“He’s that pissed over bumping a table?” I snapped.
I tried to remember a time when any of the Prescott servants made such an error but none came to mind. Lower fae knew how to disappear when they weren’t needed, and we didn’t typically employ anyone so young. The only servants I could remember that suffered my father’s punishments had made the mistake of taking pity on me. And he was sure to make an example of them so it didn’t happen again.
Thalen shook his head a little sadly. “It was not the impression The Botanical Court hoped to make, and humans are barely more than animals here. The child will be punished.”
“Do you resent Alwin for keeping you here?” I asked.
It was hard to go into another world and not judge their ways against your own world, but it wasn’t like sorcerers were any better. I couldn’t guess at how many lower fae servants my family kept to maintain the manor. They freely used anyone they could to get what they wanted.
Thalen didn’t answer the question. Instead, we watched as Al pulled the servant back to his side before the other elf could strike. Alwin spoke quickly, bowing his head to the other man in deference. For some reason, I hated seeing Al make such a gesture, but it looked a lot like he was asking the man to go easy on the servant. If I was right about that, Al was not acting like an elf at all. Which would explain why the other elf seemed to be at a loss.
The visiting elf responded, and while neither Alwin nor his guest had revealed an ounce of emotion this entire time, it almost seemed like they were at odds. The back and forth carried on for a few minutes and eventually the female elf rose from her seat to speak with Alwin as he subtly nudged the young human servant behind him.
He was much more careful with the way he behaved toward the woman this time. He took her offered hand and dipped his head respectfully, but after a few words she returned to her seat seeming less than satisfied.
Thalen sighed again and I couldn’t take it anymore. “What is happening?” I hissed.
“I’d hoped Lord Aldowin would give their proposal a bit more consideration, but it seems he is simply too busy to consider marriage at this time. He asked that they revisit this discussion in a century if both parties are still available and interested at that time.”
“What? You wanted him to combine his house with those assholes?”
“Not necessarily. I merely wish to see Lord Aldowin happy.” He gestured to the elves leaving the room and I noted the small human servant remained at Al’s side. “To answer your earlier question, I do not resent our master. He saved me the same way he did that boy. Every servant in this court was purchased from houses that mistreated them. In addition to the purchase price for the servant, Lord Aldowin has pledged his aid if the Botanical court is ever attacked. A rather generous trade.”
“Don’t you want to go back to the human world?”
“Before Lord Aldowin found me, it was all I could think about. Escaping and returning to some world where humans ruled. He gave each of us a choice and some took him up on the offer, but I’ve been in this world for as long as I can remember and now that I’ve found a place to belong, I no longer feel the need to escape.”
Must be nice.
“Come, he will be looking for us.”
Thalen and I returned to the library a moment before Alwin walked in with the young servant in tow. I was sure he knew we’d been watching but he said nothing, merely introduced the kid to Thalen and then me in elvish. While it seemed like everyone in Al’s house knew the English language, that clearly wasn’t true of the other courts. Thalen said a few things to the kid before leading him off and leaving me with Alwin.
“My business here is settled,” Al said. “Let’s discuss the plan for visiting Prescott Manor.”
I flopped down on one of the fancy chairs. “My plan is the same as always, we don’t go anywhere near that place, and we tell Ollie and the others that the information is gone.”
Alwin took the chair next to mine. “I understand your hesitation, but I will keep you safe.”
“You don’t understand, Al. Nothing is safe inside those walls.”
Alwin leaned forward and looped a woven metal pendant over my head, a moment later the magic rushed over my skin and I pulled up my phone camera to get a look at what he’d done. The face of my father stared back at me and I nearly threw my phone before I got myself under control. I stuffed my phone back in my pocket, not wanting to look at that face for another second.
“There’s no guarantee that’ll work.”
“Your voice is similar enough that you’ll be able to imitate him and no one will be able to see through this glamour. We should be able to slip through the estate without being questioned.”
“This is a terrible idea. You’ve seen what they’re willing to do to their own family.”
“I understand. If you will draw me a map of the manor and where the information we need may be hidden, I will use the glamour and go on my own.”
“That’s an even worse idea! You can’t go in there alone, are you nuts?”
“We need this information. I understand why you are hesitant to return, but I must complete this mission and find the head of The Origin Order.”
Alwin didn’t say so out loud, but he was a protective guy. Fiercely loyal to those he considered his. And he needed to complete this mission because Eastbend was where his little brother and his soon to be niece or nephew lived. There was probably no talking him out of it. But I was still going to try.
I huffed. “Look, I get that dealing with the hunters has been no picnic, but that’s nothing compared to what will happen if we get caught and turn the Prescotts against us.”
“It’s a chance we have to take. I already offered a large sum of money for the information under an identity I use for business. Even with the connections I’ve built over several decades, no one, including the Prescotts, claimed to have such information. The closest we got was an agency willing to obtain the information, but the amount of time that would take is time we don’t have. It is only after exhausting all other options that I regretfully still have to ask for your help. Though, I now believe it will be safest if you remain here while I handle the mission.”
I dropped my head into my hands. Why was I being so stupid about this? Why couldn’t I just let Al go do his thing and hope he made it out alive? He was using me. They all were, and they weren’t even hiding it. Sure, I was using them too, but that was all the more reason I shouldn’t even be considering this. Since when did I worry about anyone but myself? That damn town was getting to me.
“Fuck, fine! I’ll do this, but I can’t take you in there with me.”
“I cannot agree to that, I promised to keep you safe.”
A headache was forming at the back of my skull and even talking about this made me want to reach for the liquid painkillers. Knowing Alwin wouldn’t indulge me at a time like this, I didn’t bother asking where he was stashing the fae wine. Probably for the best, since it would be a dead giveaway. Dear old dad didn’t drink. If I was going to do this, it was going to have to be with a clear head. And it was going to have to be alone.
“They won’t kill me,” I grimaced, the words were bitter on my tongue. “But they wouldn’t hesitate to end you.”