magic work? Can anyone do it?” I was incredibly curious. More than that, I wanted to know how I could use it to my advantage. “Can I do it, as a changeling?”
He shook his head and reached inside the neck of his tunic, pulling out a necklace with two small stones hanging from it. “Because I am sworn to serve Finian, he gave me these. This one calls Finian.” He held up a blue stone. Then he lifted a pebble-sized garnet with some sort of rune carved into it. “This one is a portal stone. I can lock or open any portal using it. I have to give it back once my vow is completed.”
“So why did he give you that one? Where do you need to open a portal to?”
“Home, if I so wish.” He shrugged. “Or need assistance. I won’t, but it’s available to me. Also to ensure that you remain where I want you at all times.”
That sent a chill down my spine. “Like you did this morning?”
“Aye.” He picked up another sandwich.
“So basically, you can imprison me whenever you want to?”
Hugh ignored my question.
“That’s not a no,” I pointed out tartly. “I don’t like this little situation one bit.”
“It’s not for you to like or dislike, little changeling. It simply is. There is no sense in fighting it.”
That bleak desperation curled in my stomach again. “Please help me, Hugh. You know what he has intended for me.”
“I do.” His voice was flat with dislike. He didn’t look me in the eye.
“Then don’t deliver me to him,” I begged. “Let me go. Or better yet, help me figure out how to break my curse. Please. You know about changelings. You can help me. I’ll pay you.”
He shook his head. “You know I cannot break my vow with Finian. No matter how many times you ask.”
My shoulders drooped. “This vow must be pretty compelling for you to callously sell me out.”
Hugh hesitated, then tossed his burger down on the table as if his appetite was gone, too. “If you must know, it is the thing my people desire most.”
It was clear from Hugh’s attitude that he didn’t like the fae prince. So Finian had clearly offered something pretty dang amazing.
And that made me curious. It was time to try a different tactic.
I wiped my hands off and stood up, determined to change topics. “So tell me how this portal magic works. You said you can go home?”
Hugh gave me a skeptical look. “I am not leaving you, female. Get that thought out of your mind.”
“I didn’t say you should,” I told him in my sweetest voice, the one I used on our most irascible clients. “I’ll go with you. I want to see these primordials for myself.”
“No,” Hugh said flatly.
That wasn’t a good enough answer for me. “Why not?” I fluttered my lashes at him, then sat down a bit closer, leaning in because men always seemed to appreciate that sort of thing. And I gave him my most fascinated, intense expression. “I want to learn all about you, Hugh. Is that so wrong?”
He blinked at me a few times, and I watched his nostrils flare out—a sure sign that he was taking in my scent. He looked a bit . . . dazed at the turn in my mood.
I’d been handling Hugh all wrong.
He’d driven me so crazy with his high-handed ways and bossiness that he’d made me forget my best weapon—flirting.
I put my hand on his sleeve. “Please?” I made my voice soft, sweet, and girlish.
“It is forbidden to show outsiders the primordial lands,” he said, but his gaze went to my hand—small, pink, manicured. Dainty on his big arm. I had to resist the urge to feel his bulging muscles, because he definitely was bulging.
“What’s it going to harm?” I asked him softly. “I’m going to be at your side for the next month, and then I’m leaving with Finian. When will I have a chance to tell an outsider anything?” I leaned even closer. “I just . . . want to understand. That’s all.”
Hugh’s gaze went to my mouth. He said nothing, just stared at my mouth.
I licked my lips deliberately. It
He shook his head and reached inside the neck of his tunic, pulling out a necklace with two small stones hanging from it. “Because I am sworn to serve Finian, he gave me these. This one calls Finian.” He held up a blue stone. Then he lifted a pebble-sized garnet with some sort of rune carved into it. “This one is a portal stone. I can lock or open any portal using it. I have to give it back once my vow is completed.”
“So why did he give you that one? Where do you need to open a portal to?”
“Home, if I so wish.” He shrugged. “Or need assistance. I won’t, but it’s available to me. Also to ensure that you remain where I want you at all times.”
That sent a chill down my spine. “Like you did this morning?”
“Aye.” He picked up another sandwich.
“So basically, you can imprison me whenever you want to?”
Hugh ignored my question.
“That’s not a no,” I pointed out tartly. “I don’t like this little situation one bit.”
“It’s not for you to like or dislike, little changeling. It simply is. There is no sense in fighting it.”
That bleak desperation curled in my stomach again. “Please help me, Hugh. You know what he has intended for me.”
“I do.” His voice was flat with dislike. He didn’t look me in the eye.
“Then don’t deliver me to him,” I begged. “Let me go. Or better yet, help me figure out how to break my curse. Please. You know about changelings. You can help me. I’ll pay you.”
He shook his head. “You know I cannot break my vow with Finian. No matter how many times you ask.”
My shoulders drooped. “This vow must be pretty compelling for you to callously sell me out.”
Hugh hesitated, then tossed his burger down on the table as if his appetite was gone, too. “If you must know, it is the thing my people desire most.”
It was clear from Hugh’s attitude that he didn’t like the fae prince. So Finian had clearly offered something pretty dang amazing.
And that made me curious. It was time to try a different tactic.
I wiped my hands off and stood up, determined to change topics. “So tell me how this portal magic works. You said you can go home?”
Hugh gave me a skeptical look. “I am not leaving you, female. Get that thought out of your mind.”
“I didn’t say you should,” I told him in my sweetest voice, the one I used on our most irascible clients. “I’ll go with you. I want to see these primordials for myself.”
“No,” Hugh said flatly.
That wasn’t a good enough answer for me. “Why not?” I fluttered my lashes at him, then sat down a bit closer, leaning in because men always seemed to appreciate that sort of thing. And I gave him my most fascinated, intense expression. “I want to learn all about you, Hugh. Is that so wrong?”
He blinked at me a few times, and I watched his nostrils flare out—a sure sign that he was taking in my scent. He looked a bit . . . dazed at the turn in my mood.
I’d been handling Hugh all wrong.
He’d driven me so crazy with his high-handed ways and bossiness that he’d made me forget my best weapon—flirting.
I put my hand on his sleeve. “Please?” I made my voice soft, sweet, and girlish.
“It is forbidden to show outsiders the primordial lands,” he said, but his gaze went to my hand—small, pink, manicured. Dainty on his big arm. I had to resist the urge to feel his bulging muscles, because he definitely was bulging.
“What’s it going to harm?” I asked him softly. “I’m going to be at your side for the next month, and then I’m leaving with Finian. When will I have a chance to tell an outsider anything?” I leaned even closer. “I just . . . want to understand. That’s all.”
Hugh’s gaze went to my mouth. He said nothing, just stared at my mouth.
I licked my lips deliberately. It
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