Behind her, the sound of Bane drawing his weapon caught her attention, but Malek held up his hand. “That’s not necessary, Bane. No one will harm Sabine. Levin, put away your weapon too.”
Malek continued to hold her gaze, but he made no effort to stand. “I never intended to deceive you, Sabine. My oath to you still holds true. I won’t harm you.”
Bane snorted behind her, but she ignored him. Having the demon at her back helped give her the strength to remain standing. Otherwise, she’d be running as far and fast as possible. “Why are you here in Akros?”
“May I stand? It’s a little uncomfortable here.”
Sabine hesitated and then inclined her head, watching as he got to his feet. Malek kept his movements slow and deliberate. Her hands flexed outward and then curved into fists again, more to stop the tremors and magic that wanted to be used. It wasn’t wise to admit her increasing fear when surrounded by predators.
A dragon. The man she’d started to fall for was a dragon. He was one of the creatures who had slaughtered thousands of her people, almost to the point of extinction.
Sabine swallowed, her mouth impossibly dry as she thought back to every conversation they’d shared. “Your Fae grandmother. The one who told you the stories. She was a captive, wasn’t she?”
Malek winced and nodded. “Initially, yes. When my grandfather met her, he fell in love with her. I believe she loved him too. At the end, she wasn’t a captive. She chose to remain with him.”
Sabine made a small noise of despair, kicking herself for her foolishness. She’d trusted Malek, but dragons would always be enemies of the Fae. It wasn’t simply a matter of liking the persona Malek had shown her. If it were that simple, it wouldn’t matter what he was. Dragons hoarded power and magic, just like they collected shiny trinkets, gems, and gold. The Fae had suffered for centuries when dragons imprisoned them as part of their hoard.
It was no wonder his “grandmother” hadn’t returned to her people. Even if she wasn’t a captive in the conventional sense, Sabine had never heard of a dragon relinquishing their hold on someone once they fell into their clutches. Then again, Malek had saved her—more than once. She wouldn’t have been able to escape the councilman’s home and gotten back to Dax without his help. He could have taken her back to his ship or done whatever he wanted while she’d been unconscious, but he hadn’t. He’d protected her instead.
A flash of a memory tickled in the back of her mind. She remembered waking up to a pleasant warmth and seeing Malek’s face when she opened her eyes. Lifting her hand, she brushed her fingertips against her lips, recalling a kiss and the taste of his foreign magic. “You kissed me after you brought me back to the tavern. What did you do to me?”
His brow furrowed and then he sighed. “You were dying, Sabine. Your glamour was draining you. I infused you with dragonfire to give you enough power to wake up. Bane did the rest.”
She stared at him in shock, hearing the ring of truth in his words. Dragonfire? Desperate for him to be lying, she looked over at Bane, and he gave her a curt nod, indicating Malek spoke the truth. This had the potential to be disastrous. She’d been little more than a teenager when she’d fled her homeland, and she didn’t have enough training or experience to know how her magic might be affected. She’d need to speak with Balkin at the earliest opportunity to see if he knew what lingering effects dragonfire might have on her.
Unfortunately, there was another matter that now needed to be handled. The heaviness of a debt between them weighed upon her shoulders, demanding repayment. Another debt. This one a life debt… to a dragon.
“There is no debt between us for such a thing,” Malek said quietly, correctly guessing one of the sources of her unease. “You were injured as a result of my request to acquire the chalice. I won’t ask you for more.”
Sabine paused, feeling as though the universe was weighing his release. After a moment, the heaviness lessened and the tight band around her chest eased enough to allow her to take a full breath. Relieved, Sabine nodded in acceptance of his words, but the thought of what could have happened left her disconcerted.
Malek started to take a step toward her. She shook her head in warning and lifted her hand again, wary about allowing him too close just yet. He frowned but remained where he stood.
“Why did you really come to Akros, Malek?”
“For you,” he admitted with a sigh. “But not for the reasons you may think.”
“He needs a Fae,” Bane said beside her.
Malek narrowed his eyes at Bane, but when he answered, he focused only on her. “I heard rumors the leader of the local thieves’ guild had a penchant for finding rare magical artifacts, particularly those of Fae origins. I thought Dax might have a contact who was Fae or he might have an affinity for Fae magic. I never expected to find you.”
Sabine frowned and lowered her hand. “The chalice? Why are you looking for Fae artifacts?”
“Not just any artifacts,” Malek said, rubbing his hands over his face. “I’m looking for the artifacts that were once used to seal the Dragon Portal.”
Sabine stared at him in shock and horror. The portal was a gateway between dimensions. No one knew who had first created it—most likely the gods. It allowed the denizens of this world and others to pass back and forth. As the war for supremacy progressed between the dragons and gods, their world began dying. To battle against the dragons, the gods drew upon the magic of this world to fuel their attack, which ended up crippling and killing the magical races who were dependent upon the magic to survive. Even now, the Fae were still struggling to regain their previous level of power.
Understanding their world would be doomed if the war continued, one of the gods met in secret with representatives from some magical races and gifted them with the knowledge on how to end it. Several artifacts were created and then used to seal the portal, thus ending the war. Unfortunately, it also trapped everyone where they happened to be—including some humans, dragons, and other creatures not native to this world. No one knew if the battle continued in other dimensions or if any of the magical races from this world were still trapped on others.
The closing of the portal may have ended the war and prevented this world from dying, but it had come at a great cost. Some races had disappeared completely. The Fae and those closely related to them still hadn’t fully recovered. With the magic of the gods suddenly disappearing from the world, they might never return to their former glory.
Sabine didn’t know all the details about the artifacts or how they worked. Most of what she knew had been passed down in stories, with the Keepers of Knowledge protecting the precious tomes that detailed the Fae’s history. Supposedly, the artifacts had been hidden after they’d been used to seal the portal. She didn’t know where or even what they looked like.
From what she could recall of the stories she’d heard, the artifacts Malek mentioned could be used to remove the enchantment on the portal. That was why they’d been split up and hidden. If the seals on the portal were removed, it would allow the war between the dragons and gods to resume. Only this time, the dragons would have the upper hand since the gods wouldn’t be expecting the attack. If that happened and the last of the magic faded from this world, everyone tied to it would die, especially her people. The Fae were the caretakers of this world, and they wouldn’t survive its loss.
Her nails dug into the palms of her hand, and she shook her head. “I won’t help you kill the gods.”
“I’m not asking for that,” he said quickly, lifting his hands in a peaceable gesture. “The portal seals are failing, Sabine. Everyone in the Sky Cities feels it. The magic from the other realms is beginning to filter through. I came here to find the items that were used to close it so we can ensure another war never happens again.”
Bane snorted. “You can’t be suggesting the dragons want the portal to stay sealed.”
“Not all, no,” Malek admitted. “Many of my brethren are eager at the opportunity to once again take
to the skies and leave this dimension. I don’t believe we can risk another war. For good or ill, we’re part of this world. We need to protect it. Allowing the portal to open again will cause widespread destruction.”
Sabine frowned. “You would turn against your people?”
Malek shook his head. “Not exactly. I’m not alone in my thinking. In addition to my family, several other dragon clans believe the same thing. We’re a minority, which is why I left the Sky Cities in secret and have been masquerading as a smuggler while I conduct my search.”
Bane crossed his arms over his chest. “Have you discovered any of the artifacts yet?”
“Not for certain, but I believe the chalice may have been one of the artifacts entrusted to the Fae for safekeeping. I won’t know until Dax turns it over to me.”
Sabine frowned. The chalice was old enough to be from that time, but she couldn’t say whether it had been used to seal the portal. All she knew was that it was an object of power.
Malek focused on her again. “Sabine, I can’t imagine what you must be thinking right now. I apologize for not telling you sooner. I never expected to find a Fae here, only someone with trace amounts of power or someone with Fae ancestry. I wasn’t sure that would be enough, but I needed to start somewhere. Then I met you, and I held off telling you the truth because I wanted to get to you know you better.”
His words had the resonance of truth, but she wasn’t sure she could trust him. He was still a dragon, and all the stories she knew were of terrible creatures who’d unleashed death and destruction upon their world. She didn’t want him harmed, but he knew her identity and that knowledge was dangerous.
“If Dax agrees to give you the chalice, will you leave Akros?”
Malek hesitated. Her heart thundered in her chest, waiting for his response. He held her gaze and took a cautious step toward her, keeping his hands at his side where she could see them. She wanted to trust him, but she was still wary of his intentions. He was taking great pains to make himself appear nonthreatening, which helped a bit.
“If necessary, yes. But I’d like your help to locate the remaining objects. The information I’ve gathered over the last year indicates only a Fae who possesses the magic of the gods can wield the objects. Someone from each of the original magical races will be needed to work the actual spell to reseal the portal, but you’re the only one who can locate them. I’ve compiled years of research that detail my findings and found a few old scraps of notes that allude to it, but I’m afraid I haven’t been able to sort out everything yet. I can show you what I’ve learned, if you’re willing to consider it.”
Sabine didn’t answer right away. She was tempted to refuse, but part of her was curious. She might want to believe Malek, but he was right; everything had changed between them. Trusting a dragon, especially one as likeable as Malek, would require careful consideration.
“I’m willing to review your notes and take another look at the chalice. Beyond that, I won’t commit to anything more right now.”
Malek nodded and his shoulders relaxed as though a weight had lifted from him. Apparently, her agreement had given him a great deal of hope. “If you plan to return to the tavern, I can bring them over shortly. Or I can deliver them to Esme’s shop.”
“The tavern will be fine.”
Bane put his hand on her back. “We should get back. Balkin brought more news he needs to discuss with you.”
She nodded but didn’t make any move to leave. Instead, she searched Malek’s expression. Nothing in his face or body language indicated he was being anything less than truthful. He hadn’t harmed her, even when she’d used her magic against him. Instead, he’d protected her—not once, but several times. The only flaw was the fact he’d hidden his identity from her. It was impossible to fault him for that.
If she’d been in Malek’s shoes, she probably would have done the same thing. Only a few people in the city knew her real identity, so it wasn’t fair of her to be angry at Malek for hiding himself. Dragons weren’t trusted anywhere in the southern cities. And he tried to tell her the truth before allowing things between them to become even more entangled.
Unwilling to leave things so unsettled between them, Sabine slowly approached Malek. He didn’t move, but he seemed surprised as she continued to move closer. She probably wouldn’t have been so brave if Bane hadn’t been standing at her back. Reaching down, she took Malek’s hand in hers. Without the medallion around his neck, his power flared against hers. She jerked her head up to meet his gaze.
“You have nothing to fear from me, Sabine,” he said gently but made no other move toward her. “It’s been difficult wearing the medallion when you’re around. Your power calls to mine and has from the moment you first touched me. That’s what you’re feeling now.”
She didn’t respond, too busy focusing on the nuances of his magic. It was stronger than she expected, even more potent than some Fae magic. Like he said, his power called to hers too, and she had a moment to wonder what it would be like between them without the medallion in the way. Tracing her fingertips over the mark on his wrist, she infused her magic into it, feeling it seal properly this time. Liquid fire heated her skin in the same location of his mark, but it was a small price to pay.
Malek placed his hand over hers and squeezed it gently. “Does this mean I still get to have that dinner with you?”
“As long as I’m not the main course,” she said, only halfway kidding.
Malek chuckled and lifted her hand, placing a soft kiss against it. “I promise.”
She offered him a small smile before withdrawing her hand and turning away. If Malek was typical of dragons, maybe her people had made a mistake. Perhaps they weren’t as evil as the Fae believed. For now, she’d withhold final judgment. But she’d still remain cautious.
Without saying another word, she walked past Levin and off the ship with Bane following behind her.
Chapter Fifteen
Sabine walked back into the tavern’s meeting room with Bane. Dax and Balkin were sitting at a table someone must have found and brought downstairs. The splinters and pieces from the old table had been removed, leaving no hint Dax had thrown a fit earlier. The chalice was on the table in front of them, and they were both studying it but neither of them touched it.
Balkin looked up when she entered. “Good. You’ve returned. Your protector informed me you’ve been communing with dragons.”
“It would have been nice if someone had shared that with me earlier,” Sabine grumbled and slid into a seat. “But yes. He’s sworn a blood oath not to harm me, but he’s a subject best discussed another day.”
“A dragon as an ally may give you an advantage in dealing with the Fae,” Balkin suggested, his golden eyes gleaming.
Sabine frowned. “Only if the dragon decides to eat them. They’ll be more inclined to double their efforts in killing me if they think I’m friendly with the enemy.”
Bane chuckled and placed a glass of wine on the table in front of her. “You were kinder to him than I expected, although I did enjoy watching you toss him into the side of his ship.”
Dax’s mouth curved into a satisfied smile. Before he could say anything, Sabine pinned him with a glare. “Don’t start.”
Balkin’s whiskers twitched, and he gestured to the chalice in front of them. “Tell me your impressions when you first touched it, my darling kitten.”
She sighed and picked up the wine Bane had poured for her. Taking a sip, she studied the chalice sitting in the center of the table. It was pretty enough and valuable on its own merit, but now she had to wonder if it was truly one of the artifacts Malek was hunting.
“It all happened very quickly. Dax picked it up first, and it was obvious he’d been caught in a trap. There were layers of magic wrapped around it, and I could see the power trying to bind him. I’d only seen a lich ward once before when Elder Thoma’vertina demonstrated it. The binding on the chalice was similar.”
Balkin nodded and gestured
for her to continue.
She tilted her head, considering the artifact and trying to piece together her memories. “I believe the lich ward was the last magic applied, and Dax was its intended target. I was able to transfer the lich ward to myself by using the pact you formed between us. From there, I was able to neutralize it with my blood like Elder Thoma’vertina had shown me. But when I did, it… the chalice somehow recognized me.” She shook her head, not sure how to explain. “It’s different, Balkin. It’s neither Seelie nor Unseelie, but both somehow. I think it recognized my magic as being similar. I was hoping you might know more about it.”
“Malek believes it’s one of the artifacts used to seal the Dragon Portal,” Bane said, dropping into one of the empty chairs.
“Interesting,” Balkin murmured, his tone a little too mild. “What do you believe, my darling kitten? Was this object crafted before the portal was sealed?”
Sabine took a sip of the wine. It was from another bottle of Faerie wine, but this one had a gold cap, indicating it had more substantial power in it. Bane had likely poured it so she could compare the magic within it to the power in the chalice. There was no comparison. The wine was Seelie magic and nothing more.
“I think it’s possible. Before the portal was closed, the Fae were one people—neither Seelie nor Unseelie. I don’t know how different Fae magic was back then, but it was much closer to the true magic of the gods. I sensed something similar from the chalice when I picked it up.”
Balkin nodded and leaned back. “One of the artifacts was rumored to be a chalice.”
Sabine’s eyes widened, and she studied it again in a new light. “My mother told me stories about the artifacts of power, but she never told me what they were. If this is the same one from legend, why would it have been hidden in a human city? I assumed it would have been kept with our Keepers of Knowledge.”
To Kill a Fae Page 24
