Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

WREN

M y hands shake as I set the blueberry and spiced walnut scone (with required cheeriness spell) out on the nicest piece of china I have. Gilt-edged, a pink wreath of flowers and vines around the outside and so thin I'm afraid my trembling hands will be the end of it.

A teacup full of milk and a sugar cube follows, because if I'm going to entice the brownie to stay, then I'm going to do my damndest to make sure they want to be here.

Once I'm done setting out the sugary feast, I retreat to my room and collapse face first onto my bed.

"What a day," I moan, the words muffled by soft bedding.

I set out to find more people in town to network with, and I checked that off the list early, basically overwhelming my social barometer right off the bat. Then I worked on new enchantments and the physical work of goldsmithing.

Then I got into an argument with a dwarf.

Then I bound an Unseelie fae to do my bidding until we bring home the dragon sapphire or die trying.

I flop onto my back, my feet hanging off the edge of the bed. A few nudges of my toes and the brownie-crafted green leather shoes topple to the floor.

I bound an Unseelie fae to me.

Now he has to do my bidding, until I see fit to unbind him.

I would feel terribly guilty about it, if he hadn't been such a complete asshole as soon as he appeared in that bubble.

What happened to the clever, funny, and kind man I walked around town with last night?

I should feel guilty.

It's worrisome that I only feel irritated and out of sorts about the whole thing.

The bed squeaks as Fenn hops onto the mattress, padding silently across the yellow quilt until he reaches my chest. A rough paw pats my cheek, and I crane my neck to look at him.

"I think I might have made a mistake," I tell him somberly.

His amber eyes regard me seriously, and then he curls up at my shoulder in his cinnamon bun fashion, a cozy fur against my skin and his comforting heartbeat in my ear.

My jaw pops as I heave a massive yawn, and I stare up at a growing water stain on the ceiling from what must be a leak in the roof.

Another expense I can't afford. Without business, I won't be able to even keep this place, no matter how I came into it.

I need the damned dragon sapphires, and I need the guild to back me, and I don't give a damn if I hurt Caelan's feelings by binding him to my task.

Well, maybe I do give a damn… but at least this way I can guarantee myself a future here in Wild Oak Woods.

I don't want to leave.

I suck in a breath through my nose as the realization hits me full force.

I want this place to be home. I want to make it one.

I have a plan, and I'm damn sure I'm going to make it happen, because no one else can do it for me.