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KADE COULD HAVE PUNCHED the elf when he’d called out to him. He’d been on the verge of learning who the beautiful blonde woman was. But the moment had been ruined and she was fleeing from him yet again. Her illusions were good enough to fool everyone except him, it seemed. If the elf had been able to see her true face, he wouldn’t have dismissed her existence so easily.
The warlock nodded as the elf gave him instructions on where to deliver the parcel to, but he was only half listening. Most of his attention was on the enchanting witch. She cast a look back at the elf, then switched her attention to him. Her expression was conflicted and he wished he knew what was going through her mind. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a mind reading spell to use on her. She turned the corner and he had no choice but to pay attention to the higher ranking guildmember. “Yes, sir,” he said as the elf finished giving him the instructions.
“Make it snappy!” the fae being said, then hurried back to the Magic Guildhall.
“I need a copy of the instructions the elf just gave me,” Kade murmured as he stepped around the corner where it was less busy. A sheet of paper and a quill appeared in front of him and the instructions were written down by magic. The quill vanished when the note was completed and he took the piece of paper and read it. He was to deliver the package to a mansion in the Fae District and give a verbal message to the master of the house. The elf wanted a meeting with his colleague later tonight. Apparently, his colleague would know where and when the meeting was to take place.
Kade wasn’t particularly intrigued by the secrecy. Plots were hatched every night among magic users. So far, none of them had come to the notice of their rulers, so their schemes were most likely on a small scale. They hadn’t done anything worthy of sending Xiara Evora to execute them for. A chill made him shiver at the thought of the Immortal Triumvirate learning about the triad he’d formed. If they learned about their three powerful enemies who were hell bent on their destruction, they would order the Guardian of Nox to eliminate them.
Xiara had told Kade and his allies that they would need to kill her before they could take her masters down. Once the Immortal Triumvirate were dead, the magic of Nox would probably vanish with them. The Guardian of Nox wouldn’t be resurrected the next night this time. The Night Cursed and the entire city would most likely cease to exist.
Musing about the problems that would arise with the deaths of his enemies, Kade headed towards the Fae District on foot. A carriage stopped to pick him up and he climbed inside. He asked the skeleton to drive him around for a couple of hours. When he’d killed enough time, he asked it to stop a block away from his destination. He walked the rest of the way and knocked on the door of the mansion.
A servant opened the door and reached out to take the package from him. “I have a message for the master of the house,” Kade said before the human witch could take it. It wasn’t that surprising to see some of his weaker colleagues working for the elite. At least they would be given a meal for their night’s work.
“What’s the message?” the witch asked in a dull tone without meeting his eyes. She was barely a decade older than him, but lines were already being carved onto her forehead and around her eyes. Life was getting harsher in Nox with each year that passed.
“I’m to give it to him in person,” the warlock said.
“I’ll go and let him know,” the servant said and took the parcel from him. She returned after a few minutes and beckoned for him to follow her. “The master will see you in his study,” she said dejectedly. From the red handprint on her cheek, her master wasn’t happy about being disturbed.
Kade had to swallow down his anger at seeing one of his colleagues being abused. He said nothing as he followed her upstairs to the fairy’s study. The master of the house was strong enough to still have his wings. So did the delicately beautiful young woman sitting on a chair next to the fireplace. The fairy maiden glanced up at him and gave him a cold stare. He could sense she was strong, but her icy glare ruled her out as a suitable candidate. To her, a half breed like him was less than nothing. He didn’t want to become bonded to someone who looked at others with such disdain.
“What is the message you have for me?” the master of the house snapped. He was probably the young maiden’s father, but it was hard to tell his age. All fairies looked ageless once they reached eighteen or so.
“It’s private, sir,” Kade said and glanced at the servant and his daughter.
“Get out,” the fairy barked at the witch. “You should leave, too, my dear,” he said in a far kinder tone to his daughter. The witch scurried out of the room while the young fairy took her time to stand up. She stretched, showing off her delicate wings while watching Kade’s reaction from the corner of her eye. Her hair was blonde, but not the golden shade of the woman who was lodged in his mind. Despite being a full-blood fairy, she wasn’t as gorgeous as the mystery witch who tried so hard to hide her identity.
Pouting that the courier barely reacted to her beauty, the young fairy stomped out and slammed the door behind her. “So?” the master of the house asked. “What is the message you have for me?” Kade dutifully relayed the information he’d been given. No names were mentioned, but the fairy knew exactly who he was talking about. “Finally!” he said, rubbing his hands together in glee. “You’ve done well,” he added magnanimously and held out his hand. He used his reserves of magic to conjure up an apple and tossed it to Kade. “Be on your way, servant,” he ordered with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Kade caught the apple and tucked it into his pocket, then bowed in a show of gratitude. Curiosity got the better of him and he flicked a listening spell at the fairy. It became attached to his collar and he didn’t even notice it. He left the study and strode past the simpering young fairy without a second glance. She sniffed in offended derision, then strode back into the study. His spell relayed her words to him without the witch hearing them. “What was the message that lowly courier gave you, daddy?” she asked.
“An old friend wants me to meet with him,” he replied.
“Can I go with you?” she asked in a spoiled, whiney tone.
“Not this time, princess,” he said indulgently. Kade gave the apple to the witch as he exited from the house. She gave him a startled look, then nodded her thanks and stuffed it into her pocket.
Instead of heading back to the Magic Guildhall, Kade decided to follow the male fairy. He had a feeling he was going to witness something important tonight after all. His hunches usually amounted to something, so he cloaked himself in shadows between two houses across the street to wait.
