Page 59 of By the Horns (Royal Artifactual Guild #2)

“We’re having two beers, four wedges on each, Naiah.” Raptor inclines his head at me. “I believe you know Gwenna.”

Naiah’s eyes narrow and she glares at Raptor so furiously that I’m taken aback. Then she composes herself and gives us both a cheery—if puzzled—smile. “I don’t think I know what you’re talking about. I always give my customers a wedge of onion with their drink.”

“You do. But this customer wants four wedges on each drink.”

She smiles again, but her expression is more forced. “Got it. Afraid I can’t talk for long.” She puts one mug under the barrel spout, filling it with beer even as she gives us a sunny look. “Getting a delivery at the back door. Leave your change on the bar, hmm?”

When both mugs are filled, she garnishes them with the onion wedges—gods, this place loves a damn onion—and then walks away.

I eye Raptor as he steals the garnish from my drink and pops it into his mouth. “Should I even ask?”

“No, but drink up.” He lifts his mug and drains it in one gulp as Naiah heads farther down the bar. She greets a few customers, refills drinks while I sip mine, and beams at everyone. Eventually she heads into the back room behind the bar, the entrance covered by a thick curtain.

I take one last sip of my drink and then hand the remains to Raptor, who downs it in one swig. He winks at me. “Come on.”

I want to ask where we’re going, but I get the impression that the less I ask, the better.

We head out of the tavern, and then immediately Raptor steers me toward the back alley behind the inn itself.

Down the long alley, there are stacks of crates and two barrels.

Outside of a small alcove right behind the inn and next to the well is Naiah, leaning against the inn wall.

There’s a furious expression on her face.

“What the muck do you think you’re doing, Raptor? I should poison your sorry arse for running your mucking mouth.”

“Good to see you, too.” Raptor grins, utterly unbothered by Naiah’s fury. He gently nudges me forward. “Gwenna is my mate. She’s in need of assistance.”

His mate ? He called me that in front of an acquaintance? Goodness, are we telling bloody everyone now? It makes me feel vulnerable, and I’m not sure I like that.

Naiah arches an eyebrow at him, and then studies me more closely. “You got this old dog to settle down, then? That explains why business is drying up.”

“You need more customers,” Raptor tells her.

“Aye, more customers for my secret business that no one is supposed to know about and that my clients swear not to share or else I cut them off.” Naiah gives him a furious look.

“Don’t worry. Gwenna knows all my secrets.” His arm drapes over my shoulders possessively. “Even that one.”

I eye him with amusement. “He told me about the potions, aye, but I don’t know if I buy this. Every village has a wisewoman, and most of the time their concoctions are nothing but kitchen scrapings and lies.”

“That’s because those people are what we call ‘charlatans’ and I’m the real thing,” Naiah says confidently.

“How did you learn how to make potions? Who taught you?” I’m fascinated. “Does it run in your family?”

“Maybe it does. Maybe we’re mancers from ten generations back.

Maybe a star fell from the heavens and granted me magic.

Maybe I bargained with the fae in exchange for power.

Who can say? Certainly not me.” She cocks her head and gives a casual shrug.

“I would never admit to something so terribly illegal.”

Uh-huh. I know a liar when I hear one. “You admit your potions are just herbs and wishful thinking stuffed into a jar.”

“Tell yourself whatever story you need. The truth is that my potions always work. Always.”

I glance over at Raptor. He nods. “They work.”

Naiah just smiles, pleased at his reassurance.

I study her, wondering how she could possibly be the person we need.

She’s youngish, about my age. Her dark hair is cut to her shoulders, letting her thick ringlets frame her face, and her clothing is the same sort of bland, functional dress and bodice I’d wear back at Honori Hold.

If she has coin, she’s not showing it. But then again, perhaps that’s the point.

When I look at her, I don’t think mancer .

I don’t think charlatan , either. “Are they magic? Truly? The potions?”

Naiah shrugs again. “As magic as any artifact.”

“How?”

“I have my secrets, and they’re remaining my secrets.” Her smile is confident. “You want a potion, that’s what’s for sale. Not information.”

“What kind of potion?” I ask.

She arches a brow. “What kind do you need? I can do most everything.”

I cast another uncertain look at Raptor.

If I admit that I have magic, is she going to go to the authorities?

Not unless she wants to destroy her business, I realize.

I suppose if I buy a potion from her, we’re both endangered.

He’s trusting me with the knowledge that he’s purchased from her, too.

Licking my lips, I finally speak up. “Can you…get rid of an ability that someone has? An ability they don’t want? With a potion?”

“What kind of ability are we talking about? Like being able to put an ankle behind your ear?” Her expression is teasing but full of curiosity.

“More like…magic. Magic that you don’t want.” I chew on my lip. “Magic you want to get rid of.”

Naiah’s brows go up, and she glances at Raptor before answering me. “I guess the better question is, why?”

“So you don’t get burned at the stake in the plaza?”

She laughs. “Who’s going to know as long as you’re smart about it? If they ask you to prove that you have magic, just…don’t?”

She makes it sound so easy. Just ignore your magic. Just pretend like it’s not there. Easy for her to say. “It bothers me every time I go into the Everbelow. That isn’t ideal for someone trying to become an artificer.”

“Ah.” Naiah taps a finger on her lips. “I can definitely see how that would be a problem. Let me see what I can come up with. Give me a couple of days and check the usual spot. It won’t be cheap, so be prepared.”

With that, she gives us a smile and then opens the door, stepping back inside the tavern.

I look over at Raptor. “I can’t believe I might resort to magic to fight magic. It feels…wrong.”

He pulls me in against him, holding me close and rubbing my back.

“I know. But when things are different, we need to think differently, too. I was having trouble concentrating on anything while in training as a fledgling, because all I could think about was sex. There’s a belief that a Taurian with a knot is in rut, so if you have a knot constantly…

well, they’re not wrong. You do think of sex a lot.

You’re not crazed and willing to fuck anything with a hole, but you’re definitely very focused on sex.

I had to think of a solution, and it was one of the sex workers who suggested a potion broker.

I started asking around and ran into more than a few charlatans… and then I met Naiah.”

“I can only imagine how annoying the knot is,” I say, even though part of me wants to reach down and rub it proprietarily, even now. “How does anyone with one get anything done?”

“You’re expected to become a priest, actually. Lots of Taurian women go to the priests of Old Garesh when they don’t have a mate or don’t want to wait the five years for the next Conquest Moon. A priest-breeder can help Taurian women with that.”

That makes me want to hold on to him harder. “I’m glad you didn’t become a priest.”

He chuckles, his hand trailing over my back. “Aye, me too.”

“Can I kiss you right now?”

“You have to ask?”

“Well, yes. You’re twice the bloody size of me. I can’t just reach over and put my mouth on yours.”

Raptor throws his head back and laughs. Immediately, he puts both hands on my waist and lifts me up into the air so our faces are even. My feet dangle several handspans away from the ground. “This better?” he asks.

“It’ll do.” I lean in and gently press a kiss to his nose. We’ll have to figure out how to do the mouth-to-mouth part, but that’s for a more private moment when we have all the time in the world. I just rub my nose against his much bigger one instead. “Thank you for always helping me.”

“Of course.”

“Did you mean what you said? About me being your mate? Even after everything that’s happened?”

His expression gets a little cagey as he sets me down. “Hmm?”

“You called me your mate.” I flick a finger in the direction Naiah left. “In front of her.”

“I wanted her to help you and to not ask questions.”

“So I’m not your mate.”

“Do you want to be?”

“I want to know how you feel.”

We eye each other.

“I mean…I don’t hate the idea,” he muses.

“You’re killing me with flattery here,” I say dryly. “Please, stop. A woman can only take so many compliments at once.”

Raptor chuckles and drags me in close again, swallowing me into his embrace once more.

“Fine, you want the truth? I’m obsessed with you, Gwenna.

I want to attack anyone who even thinks of looking at you twice.

I want to hug the shit out of you every time I see you.

I want to flip your skirts up and lick your cunt until you squeal my name in that perfect way you do.

I want to smile at you first thing every morning and be wrapped in your arms every night.

I want you to be the most amazing artificer ever because I want your success.

I don’t care if you’re a mancer or a maid or an artificer.

I just want to be near you, breathing in the same air and hoping for a smile.

If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

So aye, you’re my mate…but you don’t have to be.

If it’s not what you want, I’ll back off. ”

I stare up at him.

His ears twitch, his expression uncomfortable. “What?”

“I’m just wondering how long it’s going to take you to pick me up again so I can kiss you for saying that, or if I’m going to have to stay down here by your kneecaps.”

Raptor laughs, lifting me up and settling my backside in the crook of his arm.

I hold on to his closer horn and then lean in to kiss the side of his muzzle.

“You sweet, ridiculous male. Of course I want to be your mate. I just didn’t know how you felt after everything.

The last time you called me your mate, I blurted out Hemmen’s name. ”

“Hearing that was not my favorite, aye.” His ears twitch again, and I realize he’s embarrassed. “But nothing’s changed. Not for me. Not ever. I just didn’t want you to feel pressured—”

I put a hand over his mouth to stop his words and kiss his cheek again. “Let’s go home so I can show you just how I feel about the situation.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“You can set me down now.”

“Nah, I like carrying you. You’re practically pocket-sized.” He starts heading down the street, me still in his arms.

I snort, because we both know I am not even close to pocket-sized. More like barrel-sized, but I’ll take the flattery. “What happens to us now?”

“We wait for Rooster to decide how he wants to proceed. Or we wait for Naiah to produce a potion. Or we wait for the killer to show themselves. Or for Master Jay to file that we’re disqualified. Basically…we wait.”

I don’t know if I like that. We wait for someone else to make a move? “I feel like we should do something more.”

“Aye, we probably should. But unfortunately, we’re not the ones in charge.”