To Kill a Fae

by Jamie A. Waters

  The young pixie’s eyes widened in fear. He threw his little body down on Sabine’s palm and begged for forgiveness. Sabine’s mouth twitched in a smile. “I think herding the caterpillars away from Esme’s garden this afternoon should be sufficient. No whipping will be necessary.”

  Barley saluted Sabine. “You heard her, soldier! Let’s go!”

  “I wish they listened to me half as well,” Esmelle muttered as the pixies flew away. “I’m still finding pixie-sized hand and face prints all over my windows.”

  Sabine brushed the ash off her hands. “Put out some sugar water or a honey cake. Tell them they need to clean the windows before they can have any. It’ll get done in record time.”

  “Hmm. I’ll have to try that.”

  Sabine turned toward Malek and gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid I need to take care of something.”

  “So I gathered,” he murmured, wishing he’d had an opportunity to get a look at the message from Dax. “Do you need help with anything?”

  Before Sabine could respond, Javyn interrupted. “Dax would like a word with you, Malek. He sent a message to your ship requesting an audience. I’ll be happy to escort you to him.”

  Malek resisted the urge to curse. The last thing he wanted was to deal with Dax, especially when he’d just had Sabine in his arms. He still didn’t know what Sabine saw in the demon nor did he understand the connection between them. If he didn’t need to worry about offending the master thief, he’d say to hell with Dax. But until he found what he came for, Malek needed to continue this charade.

  Esmelle cleared her throat and picked up the box containing the silver dagger. “I’ll take this inside for you, Sabine. You can pick it up whenever you’re finished… doing whatever it is you need to do. Come on, Javyn. You can wait for Malek in the shop.”

  Javyn scowled and shot Malek a warning look before turning and following Esmelle. His meaning was clear: he wasn’t happy about Malek getting close to Sabine. That was too damn bad.

  Sabine reached out and brushed her fingertips across the mark on his wrist. It flared to life briefly at the contact and then settled down, but he knew she’d infused more of her magic into it. Even now, it coursed through his body in an erotic wave of heat.

  Sabine placed her hand on his chest. “I’m glad you stopped by, Malek. Maybe we can continue this later?”

  He barely resisted the urge to groan. This woman had managed to get under his skin already. One small touch from her was enough to make him want to pin her against the table again. He lowered his gaze to her mouth, tempted to kiss her again, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop. He needed to figure out a way to convince her to trust him, before she learned the truth. It was only a matter of time before he gave up trying to suppress his instincts when it came to her.

  Reaching up, he caressed her face. “You couldn’t keep me away.”

  Her mouth curved upward, and she pressed a light kiss against his lips. “You should go. Dax gets grumpy when he’s kept waiting, but I look forward to seeing you again soon.”

  Sabine watched Malek head back to Esmelle’s shop and leaned against the table for support. She’d never been so drawn to someone before, and it had thrown her completely off balance. Years of lessons with Dax and Bane had taught her critical skills in self-control, especially when it came to her magic, but she’d finally met someone who challenged that foundation. Balkin, the Beastman who’d helped her escape the Fae years ago, was going to be furious if she jeopardized everything.

  Blossom swooped down and perched on her shoulder. “I knew it! You are going to take him as a lover, aren’t you?”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Sabine admitted, even though she thought Blossom was probably right. If Javyn hadn’t interrupted them, it might have happened much sooner than she intended. “Did you pick up on any magic from him? I can’t quite get a read on him.”

  “He’s definitely not fully human, even though he’s pretending like you,” Blossom said, her wings buzzing close to Sabine’s ear. “He was wearing a ward. I couldn’t get close enough to find out. Barley tried too.”

  Sabine frowned. “Yeah. I sensed the ward. I think that’s the reason my mark is breaking down so quickly. I have to keep refreshing it. I wish I knew why he’s holding on to it. I even tried enticing him a little with my magic to get him to lower it, but that didn’t work either.”

  Blossom pulled on one of Sabine’s braids, most likely adjusting one of the flowers. “He likes you. Maybe he’s hiding too. Maybe you are meant to be together, like fated lovers from the old days.”

  Sabine sighed. “That doesn’t happen anymore, Blossom. We’ve corrupted too much of the natural magic of this world since the portal closed. It’s nothing more than a faery tale now.”

  Blossom flew off her shoulder and faced Sabine. Putting her hands on her hips, Blossom said, “But you’re helping to bring it back! You’re returning the balance. Maybe he can help you.”

  Sabine shook her head and pushed away from the table. It was a pretty thought, but it was impossible. If he were full-blooded Fae, she would know it. “Dax has another job for me. I need to get some information for him, so I’ll be gone for the rest of the day. I know you’re hoping Malek is special, but I want you to stay away from him. No following or spying. It’s too risky in the city.”

  The pixie’s wings drooped. Sabine automatically held out her hand, allowing Blossom to perch on her palm. Blossom’s bottom lip stuck out in a pout, and the pixie crossed her arms over her chest. “He won’t catch us.”

  “He’s been around pixies before,” Sabine reminded her gently. “You’re very talented, but it’s too dangerous. If it weren’t for all of you, this city would have been unbearable for me to live in. I don’t want to risk losing you.”

  Blossom wrapped her arms around Sabine’s thumb and hugged her. When she finally had to leave Akros, she would miss Blossom and the rest of her family. It was sometimes difficult for pixies to abandon a garden once they’d established roots. Sabine had made it a point to warn them against doing such a thing. This wasn’t a permanent spot for them, and they’d only temporarily claimed it. Pixies lived in large family colonies, and at last count, this garden had forty-three tending it. She knew each one of them by sight, with their own peculiarities and personalities.

  Blossom had been the first to find her, but it hadn’t taken long for other pixies to take up residence. She cared about all of them, but Blossom would always have a special place in her heart. Sabine smiled at the little pixie and sent a wave of her magic over her. Blossom trilled in happiness, and a wave of pixie dust scattered around her.

  “Will you come back later?”

  “Probably not. It’s not safe to stay at Esme’s too many nights in a row. I’ll try to visit tomorrow. Will you collect some mint from the garden tonight? Esme’s getting a little low.”

  Blossom nodded. “It’s a good moon. It should be potent tonight. I’ll have some of my sisters help me.”

  A pixie shrieked somewhere deeper in the garden, and several giggles followed. Sabine grinned as Blossom took off in search of the mischief makers. Plucking the flowers out of her hair, she headed for the shop. It was tempting to leave them in, but it didn’t exactly fit the image she’d cultivated. The pixies seemed to enjoy braiding her hair, so she usually let them do it while she worked in the garden. They frequently got a little carried away.

  She pushed open the door of the shop to find Esmelle busy helping an older woman, so Sabine simply waved to her before grabbing her cloak and heading out into the sunlight. Night was the preferable time to travel, which allowed her to either gather the shadows to help hide her identity or traverse the rooftops. But she couldn’t risk using the thieves’ highway in the daylight. The chances of someone seeing her were too great.

  As she moved through the busy streets, she used glamour to make small changes to her features and mask her appearance. With each step, she darkened her skin, elongated her nos
e, and added a few wrinkles for good measure. She’d spent too long in Akros and was becoming too recognizable. She was reluctant to leave the small family she’d created here, but it might be safer for all of them if she moved on. The thought filled her with regret, but she wasn’t willing to risk endangering any of them if her identity was discovered.

  The city streets were crowded with merchants hawking their wares and trying to solicit prospective patrons. Sabine ignored them and made her way toward the oldest section of the city, relaxing slightly as the crowd thinned. The remnants of ancient power drifted upward through the cracks in the cobblestones lining the street, a residual effect from the time the gods still walked this world. It was rumored the worshipers of a mated pair—Ethos the Keeper of Shadows, and Brymis, Mistress of Twilight—had originally built Akros. They had long since abandoned the world with the rest of the gods, forced into exile during the Dragon War. The touch of their magic still remained, and it was their lingering power that helped Sabine hide in the city.

  She approached the abandoned temple that had once been a great place of gathering and community. After the exile of the gods more than a thousand years earlier, countless sacrifices had been made in an attempt to recall them to this plane of existence. Even now, Sabine could detect the echoes of spilled sacrificial blood as she walked across the cobblestones. She released her modified glamour and surrounded herself with the shadows, using them to ward against the strongest lingering emotions. Even those without much sensitivity to magic could feel the effects, which was why this part of the city was mostly abandoned. It could be unsettling, if someone didn’t know how to ward against it.

  Sabine pushed open the creaking gate to the large grassy courtyard of the temple. Ivy and other foliage had begun to reclaim the building, but the magic of this place had prevented it from fully taking it over. That might happen one day, but it wouldn’t be for a long time yet. The gods had protected this place well, and most of their magical protections still worked.

  Turning away from the temple, Sabine headed toward the rear of the building where the burial stones and crypt remained. The burial stones were large obelisks carved with runes. Some were traced with protections, while others detailed the names and feats of those who were buried within the crypts. The language was old, from a time before the humans had come to the city. To her knowledge, no one except the oldest magical races could read the language or access the magic of the stones. This was the greatest source of power within the city, but only if you knew how to properly tap into it.

  A young boy emerged from behind one of the burial stones, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her. Sabine gave him a warm smile. “Good afternoon, Toby. Any problems today?”

  He shook his head and grinned, revealing a gap where he’d lost another tooth. Toby had been a fairly recent addition to Edvar’s little band of rebels, but he appeared to be thriving. There were too many orphaned or abandoned children in the city. It broke her heart a little, but it was impossible to help them all.

  Sabine approached one of the largest crypts and traced a pattern on the door, using the surrounding magic to unlock it. She’d originally intended to make this her own private getaway to escape from Dax and Bane when they irritated her, but she’d quickly seen others had more pressing needs. With so much lingering power, she’d been able to teach the human children how to manipulate some of the magical doorways in this area. It offered them a measure of protection and a place where they could live safely without fear.

  The rune glowed in acknowledgement of the power she offered, and the door slid open with a groan. Stepping into the dark hallway, she formed a light in her hand—one of the earliest magics she’d learned as a child. It was bright enough to chase away the darkest of the shadows, but not enough to eliminate them completely. After all, the shadows were what gave this place its power. They could be used but never destroyed without creating an imbalance.

  At the bottom of the stairs, Sabine traced another rune onto the wall. A hidden door opened, and she released her summoned light source before stepping inside the old stone building. It was part of the crypt but couldn’t be easily accessed if one didn’t know the path to walk or the correct combination of runes. Deeper within the building, she heard laughter and other voices.

  Sabine paused for a moment to listen. It always warmed her heart that these children could still find reasons to smile when life had been so cruel to them. She’d once laughed that way too, but it had been stolen from her a long time ago. It had been years before she’d learned how to smile again, but some semblance of safety had to be achieved before she could embrace those emotions. She still wasn’t safe and probably wouldn’t ever be, but she’d come to terms with that.

  She wasn’t sure if these children felt the same way or if they’d released their earlier burdens when they embraced the sanctuary of the crypt. Either way, every time she came here and saw them, her soul lightened. Dax didn’t understand why she bothered with these forgotten children, and even Bane had been somewhat perplexed. Esmelle, on the other hand, seemed to sympathize with their plight. The witch regularly asked after them and left small sacks filled with children-sized clothing and other items on Sabine’s bed for her to take to them.

  A teenage girl, maybe a dozen years younger than Sabine, stepped out from one of the rooms. Her eyes widened and a broad smile crossed her face. “Hey, Sabine! I heard the door and thought Toby might have been coming in.”

  Sabine smiled at Talia. “No, he’s still outside. How are you feeling?”

  “Much better! The tonic you sent over from Esme worked great. Edvar’s even sending me on a job tomorrow.” The dark-haired girl grinned and tucked one of her braids behind her ear. She’d started trying to wear her hair in a similar style to Sabine’s several months ago. One of these days, Sabine might try to bring Talia to visit the pixies. They’d enjoy meeting her.

  Sabine nodded. “Good. I’m looking for Edvar. Do you know where he is?”

  “He was in the dining hall a few minutes ago. Do you want me to let him know you’re here?”

  Sabine shook her head. “That’s all right. I’ll find him.”

  Ignoring Talia’s curious look, Sabine headed down the hallway in the direction of the voices. Talia’s surprise wasn’t unusual; Sabine didn’t interact with most of the residents on a regular basis. They all knew who she was, and she’d recruited a few of them. It was better if she kept her distance. The more relationships she developed here, the harder it would be when she finally had to leave. As it was, Edvar and Talia had come to mean a great deal to her. Her departure would affect them the most, but she’d warned them it was inevitable.

  Sabine entered the dining area, which had previously been empty and abandoned for generations. Edvar and the other children had spent months trying to return it to some semblance of its former glory. They’d done a remarkable job with their limited resources. The walls were stone, and the table itself was a heavily carved piece of wood that was ancient in origin. The magic of this place had prevented it from falling in complete disrepair, but the enthusiasm of the children had brought it back to life.

  Unwilling to interrupt, Sabine leaned against the wall and watched as Edvar doled out tomorrow’s assignments to everyone in the dining area. He was older than the children who lived here, and she guessed he was somewhere in his late teens or early twenties. His operation wasn’t as large or as profitable as Dax’s, but it served as a feeder group to Dax’s crew. Sabine once thought Edvar would have wanted to join Dax’s crew, but he’d insisted on remaining here instead. That suited her fine; she couldn’t afford to be more entwined in this operation than she already was. Between Edvar and Talia, they had everything well in hand.

  Edvar pushed his dark-blond hair out of his eyes and handed a rolled-up document to a young girl no more than nine or ten. She gave him a wide smile and darted out of the room. Edvar looked up and met Sabine’s gaze. She nodded at him in greeting, and his eyes warmed.

  He wal
ked over to her, and she noted he wore some of the clothes she’d dropped off for him a few weeks earlier. He was almost as tall as Dax now, and his shoulders were almost as broad. Only a faint trace of his former youthfulness remained. She’d met him when she was still fairly new to the city. One of the city guards had been a little too rough after he’d been caught pickpocketing. He’d managed to escape to this part of the city, which was where Sabine had found him, bleeding and on the verge of death.

  Sabine had taken him to Esmelle’s shop, and the two of them had nursed Edvar back to health. Once he recovered, she showed him how to navigate the crypts and helped him set up his operation. Talia had been the next to join them, and the other children followed after that.

  Edvar shoved his hands into his pockets. “We weren’t expecting you until later tonight, but I’m glad you’re here. That vendor with those cakes you like set up his cart not too far from here. I think Talia’s on her way out to pick some up.”

  She smiled, touched by his thoughtfulness. “I just ran into her. If she gets back before I have to leave, I might steal one to take with me.”

  “It’s not stealing if she’s going out specifically for you,” Edvar said with a grin. “Oh, I got your message yesterday. The kids have started looking for Terrance, but they haven’t had any luck yet. They’re supposed to check in with me again later tonight.”

  “I’m actually here on another matter.” She glanced at the younger children. “It would be better to discuss it privately.”

  “Of course.” Edvar motioned for her to follow him. Edvar’s bedroom was down the hallway, right next to the room she used when she spent the night. That wasn’t often, but she tried to mix up the places she stayed. One of these days, it would be nice to have a more permanent place to call her own.

  She swept her gaze over the room as Edvar hastily picked up clothes from the floor and tossed them into a corner. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Maybe later. Unfortunately, I can’t stay for long.” Sabine walked over to some papers scattered on the desk and picked up a hand-drawn picture of Talia. The likeness was uncanny. He’d managed to capture Talia’s inquisitive nature perfectly. “This is wonderful, Edvar.”