Page 29 of Kissing Potions and Elves

My heart gives a little flip, warmth flooding my chest at the quiet certainty in his voice.

Biting back a smile, I nudge his arm. “So… you don’t mind being seen with a lowly human?”

He stops and turns to me. “The High Elf King Caelen took a human woman—Queen Lyana of Eryadon—as his bondmate not that long ago. So the idea of a human and an Elf together should not be an entirely new concept.”

I’d heard these rumors about the High Elf King, but I wasn’t sure they were true. Until now. And Lyrion doesn’t seem averse to the idea. A spark of hope ignites in my chest.

We continue walking again, and I can’t help but prod a bit more. “I always thought you didn’t really like humans all that much.” His head snaps to mine. “Or anyone else for that matter.”

He frowns. “Why did you think this?”

“Well, some of your comments about humans, for one.” A hint of sarcasm laces my tone. “And”—I shrug—“you always sort of looked grumpy when you came into the café.”

He stills.

Worried that I’ve said more than I should, I start to backtrack. “What I mean is—”

“No, you’re right. I apologize. Some of the things I’ve said, I realize now, were very wrong,” he says, his expression full of remorse. “And I’m sorry.”

Warmth blooms in my chest at his earnest admission. “Thank you.”

“As for the rest”—the corners of his mouth twitch upward, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement—“grumpiness is a natural state for High Elves. Didn’t you know?”

“I suspected.” Laughter bubbles up in my throat. “But it’s nice having confirmation.”

As we pass the blacksmith’s shop, Brakkus is locking up for the evening, his tabby cat—Ember—perched on a tree stump beside him.

He turns and waves at us. “Did you hear about my good fortune today?”

“No. What happened?”

“A Fox Shifter came through here.” He grins widely, his pointed Orc tusks gleaming in the lamplight. “He gifted me a bit of his Fox luck to help me find my fated mate.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Brakkus is a good person. I hope it helps him. “I’m so happy for you.”

“And I also left some honey and sweet cakes for the Sprites on the windowsill, like you suggested,” he adds.

I smile. “That should definitely do the trick.”

He crosses his fingers and grins. “I think so too. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

As Brakkus walks away, Lyrion turns to me with a frown. “Fox luck? Sprites? Please, tell me you don’t really believe all of that superstitious nonsense.”

“Youdon’t?”

“Of course not.” He gives me an incredulous look. “In fact, I’m of the firm mind that such superstitions were invented by Fox Shifters and Sprites to trick people into—”

“Shhh.” I press a finger to his lips, silencing him. He blinks in confusion as I glance nervously around us and drop my voice to a low whisper. “Don’t say anything bad about the Sprites or they might hear you.”

“And if they do?” He mumbles around my finger, arching a skeptical brow. “What then?”

“Trust me. Youdon’twant to know.”

Lyrion purses his lips and I can tell he’s not entirely convinced. But that’s alright. I’ll make sure they don’t curse him. I really don’t want him to suffer from bad luck for an entire year.

“Don’t worry,” I whisper. “I’ll leave an offering on the windowsill tonight to appease the Sprites in case they heard you.”

“Thank you, but I’m sure that won’t be necessary.”