Page 112 of Welcome to Fae Cafe
“It tells me you’ve more thanthoughtabout doing something crazy. It tells me you have plans to do something if I can’t figure out a way to change the bargain. It tells me you perhaps care more than I thought. And that’s dangerous.”
Kate became aware of the popping logs in the fireplace.
“We should enjoy our last day together. Your brother’s loud human friends tell me it’s supposed to bethe most wonderful time of the year.” Cress closed the computer. He inhaled like he was about to say something else but singing erupted outside, lifting through the café with muted harmonies.
A small crowd was gathered past the café door with open songbooks. Shayne came bounding down the apartment stairs and flung the front door open, letting the music of a dozen carollers fill the space. Kate jogged over to watch, too.
Shayne grinned as the carollers broke out into slightly pitchy harmonies. He tried to snap along, missing a few beats.
Cress didn’t hide his repulsed face as he joined them at the door. “Must we stand here and listen to this?” he whispered to Kate.
“It’s kind of a common courtesy to stay and listen until they’re finished,” she said back.
“How horrifying,” he mumbled, eyeing a man at the back singing louder than the rest. “That human should lose his tongue.”
“Shh.” Kate closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder to listen. A moment later, his arm wrapped around her, blocking out the cold night air. “This brings back good memories,” she said. “I used to sing in a choir when I was young. I bet you didn’t know I can sing.”
Cress released a soft grunt. “Your singing has haunted me since I came here, pesky Human. I bet you didn’t knowthat.”
The carollers finished their song, and Kate felt Cress breathe a sigh of relief. He barely turned away before one of the carollers started a new song and the rest burst into harmony again.
Cress’s jaw tightened, and he glanced at the sky like he was trying to keep from rolling his eyes. “What in the faeborn-cursed human world is wrong with these people?” he said loudly.
“I like it,” Shayne said with a shrug.
Cress grunted. “Of course you would, you tone-deaf fool.”
Christmas Eve morning came too fast, chasing away a humid mist that rolled in through the night. The temperature dropped with the sunrise, and everything froze to ice, blanketing Kate’s bedroom window in frost. Fresh white flurries skated past.
Cress was standing by Kate’s bed when she awoke. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, realizing she was in her own apartment. She’d planned to spend the night at Lily’s.
“Did I fall asleep downstairs?” she guessed.
“You’ve been sleeping terribly,” he said, “so I ensured you’d have a restful slumber. Lily Baker unleashed dull human insults when I told her I was sneaking sleep remedies into your tea and keeping you here with me through the night. She called me a‘creep’and warned me to‘keep my hands to myself’before she left.”
Kate raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, waking up to find you watching me isn’t creepy at all.” She wasn’t sure if he picked up on her sarcasm. She hid a smirk and rolled back over.
“My presence helps you sleep. It’s a forever mate thing.” He mumbled the last part.
Cress walked around the bed and crouched to put his face before hers. “This is our last day together, Katherine,” he said. “I plan to make today the most fun of your boring human life.”
Kate’s fingers tightened around her bedsheets.
The last day.
“Cress—”
“Don’t do anything foolish,” he added, and Kate’s eyes widened when he pulled her phone out of his pocket. The photo of the fae names from theFairy Book ofRules and Masteriesfilled the screen. “I’m holding onto your magic mirror so you don’t use it. Human fool,” he said with a slight growl. “Don’t you know that the Dark don’t have the same real names as those from the North? These won’t work.”
Kate watched the phone until he slid it away.
Cress glided his arms beneath her and lifted her out of bed. “Coffee first,” he said, carrying her from the bedroom to the kitchenette. None of the other assassins were around, but Kate’s laptop sat open on the counter with her novel filling the screen. Cress plunked her onto one of the barstools.
As he puttered around to brew the coffee, Kate pulled her computer over to read.
“How late were you up working on this?” she asked, scrolling to the bottom of the file.
“I finished it,” he said. The coffee maker began to chug.
