the nobles do, who have access to raw magic.”
Grimsal tsks with sympathy. “Well, until now… I’m sure you enjoyed getting a tasty sip of blood from a unicorn mare.”
A flush climbs up the male’s waxen cheeks, and he reluctantly nods.
“I’ve sired three offspring with Dehandra in the last five decades. She feels it some, but it’s always worse for the males… though it seems she’s picked a new favorite and isn’t inclined to spare me further thought,” he adds bitterly. “I do understand why the nobles lust for the raw magic in the blood, though. The ache in my gut has eased, despite the fact that the rest of me hurts like a bitch.”
With a sympathetic grunt, Grimsal straightens and glances over at me.
“Well? What’s your decision?” he asks. “Mercy? Maiming? Vengeance killing? I’m game for any, but might I suggest that we lay down tarps or newspaper if you go with the latter two. I would hate for this lovely carpet to get all stained,” he muses.
I huff and work to still the fury roaring within me. The goblin’s cheerful humor helps a little to ease it, but I still want to kill the fairy… but I feel an inexplicable pang of sympathy for the male. It would be far easier just to end his life and be done with the entire matter, but I’m feeling unexpectedly generous toward the male, despite his attempt to steal my ahandral.
I lower a finger in front of his nose, and a tremor spreads over my skin as I meet his eyes.
“You will have only one opportunity to correct what you’ve done here today,” I growl, “and I’m half of the mind that it’s more than what you deserve. You will leave here and, on your oath, never return to this city or come near my mate again. If you break your word to me, I will make sure that you die painfully… Do you understand?”
He jerks his head in a pained, hasty manner but I grunt and move away from him. My sole interest now lies with my mate.
“Leave—now,” I snap as I give him my back and make my way over to Steph’s side.
A pained hiss escapes me as I roll her up into my arms and cradle her close to me. My mate is bruised, but at least the trickle of blood has stopped. I run my hands over her, pushing my magic through her skin to encourage her body’s natural healing and ease her pain. Even though her injuries could have been much worse. The thought chills my blood.
Just behind me I’m aware of the goblin hoisting the fairy to his feet, and his ever-cheerful voice asking if the male would like him to take care of that wing. I wince at the scream that follows the male’s assent as the deadened wing is torn free.
Steph’s brow also puckers, her expression tightening for a moment before her eyes open in narrow slits to peer up at me. She sucks in a gasp and then surges up, wrapping her arms around me.
“You’re here…” she mumbles against my shoulder.
I stroke my hand over her curls and nuzzle my nose into the soft, dark mass.
“I’m here,” I assure her.
Chapter 10
Steph
Sitting at the table with a fresh cup of cocoa in one hand, I scrutinize the male sitting across from me. My other hand has a death grip on the throw blanket that Eliph wrapped around me when I started shivering from shock. Although the tremors have subsided, I have no intentions of leaving my blanket cocoon. Honestly, I’m so shaken that I would prefer to climb back into Eliph’s arms right about now. They made me feel safe. It’s an urge I’m trying to ignore, just as I’m also trying to ignore the fact that my living room floor is splattered with blood, which is currently being cleaned by a rather enterprising goblin who introduced himself as Grimsal. And as if that isn’t weird enough, he’s whistling a jaunty tune as he goes about it.
Apparently, fairy blood and powdered pixie wing have a lucrative exchange rate on the fae black market, not unlike their own interest in my blood. Knowing that there are creatures not only trying to drink blood but also selling each other’s body parts—eating fairy wings to boost one’s magic or consuming powdered pixie corpses as aphrodisiacs, as Grimsal tells it—makes me feel queasy. Personally, I’d rather not think of it. As long as it’s off my floor before