To Kill a Fae (The Dragon Portal, #1)

Chapter 1-2

If necessary, she could kill him later—after she questioned him.

Sabine relaxed the hand holding her weapon, acknowledging curiosity had gotten the better of her. She wouldn’t kill this stranger yet, but whether she’d trust him was a decidedly different matter.

Footsteps pounded on the pavement. Sabine tensed, her hand tightening around the knife again. A short and stout creature approached, his purple eyes widening at the sight of her.

“Oh, hell’s balls. What have you done, Malek?” he croaked hoarsely, the greenish skin of his goblin heritage becoming a sickly hue that was almost the exact shade of regurgitated grass.

Another man, similar in appearance to the one called Malek halted beside him. He frowned at the bodies on the ground before meeting her eyes. He didn’t possess the same magnetism as Malek, but he was also a curiosity. If he were completely human, she’d swallow her knife whole, but he definitely wasn’t full-blooded Fae either. Sabine would bet her last weapon neither one of them were from Akros.

Sabine’s eyes narrowed on the familiar goblin. “Pozgil, are these friends of yours?”

Pozgil swallowed and hastily nodded, shifting nervously from foot to foot. His tongue flicked out again before he responded. “I-I was ordered to collect them from the docks. This is Captain Malek Rish'dan.” Pozgil gestured to the man who had spoken in the language of the Fae before gesturing to the other. “And this is his first mate, Levin Corynth. They’ve just arrived in Akros. I’m escorting them to the tavern to meet with Dax.” The goblin paused for a moment, hunched his shoulders, and hastily added, “Wi-With your permission, of course.”

Sabine blinked at him. The goblin trembled in terror. She was surprised he hadn’t fallen to the ground with the way his knees were knocking together. There wasn’t much she could do about dispelling his fears. In any other situation, she’d simply walk away and leave him to his errand. The attempt on her life had changed things. She couldn’t afford to back down, not now. But she could resolve this entire situation as expediently as possible.

Sabine tucked one of her braids behind her pointed ear, using the gesture to buy a few moments of time while she studied this Captain Malek Rish’dan. He didn’t appear like any ship captain she’d ever met. If he were new to Akros like the goblin claimed, it was unlikely he was involved in the recent attack on her. She wouldn’t write him off completely, but Dax’s goblin messenger would never dream of being involved in a plot against her. Dax was the leader of the local thieves’ guild, and he wasn’t exactly forgiving when it came to those who betrayed him.

She took a deep breath but couldn’t detect any lingering foreign magic in the area. The spell encouraging people to avoid these streets had broken during her power-pull on the earth. She couldn’t sense active magic from Malek or his companion either. But still… his connection to the Fae was troubling and curious at the same time.

If Malek had business with Dax, she'd cross paths with him again. Although, Dax’s involvement might prove to be inconvenient. Dax was unpredictable at times, and Sabine wasn't willing to risk him killing off the ship captain. It might be considered a weakness, but she wanted to know about his ties to the Fae.

A pained wail broke through her thoughts, and she glanced over at the man she'd struck with the poisoned weapon. It wasn't a death blow, which was nearly impossible with a throwing dagger, but the poison had done the job. He was paralyzed, and the poison was working through his system and burning him up from the inside. Considering the damage was irreversible, there was only one solution.

Walking over to the man on the ground, she gripped his hair and jerked his head upright. With the knife still in her hand, she slashed it across his throat, allowing his lifeblood to spill onto the cobblestones below.

Sabine released his hair and collected the dagger she’d used to dispense the poison, making a mental note to add more mandrake next time. Regardless of his attempt on her life, she couldn’t leave anyone to suffer. Leaning down, she wiped her blade on the man’s clothing before slipping it into the sheath on her thigh.

“What in the name of the underworld?” Levin muttered.

Pozgil shushed him and whispered, “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your mouth shut.”

Sabine lifted her head to regard the goblin again. Her reputation wasn’t the best, but the fear emanating from Pozgil was a little excessive. Most goblins enjoyed it when a little blood was spilled; it was considered something of a sport among their kind. Pozgil’s eyes gleamed with a wild hunger, but his fear overshadowed everything else. If Dax’s little minion was so out of sorts that he wasn’t l*****g the blood from the cobblestones, the stories floating around about her were even worse than she’d assumed. Perhaps she’d kept herself more isolated over the past few months than she’d realized.

With a sigh, Sabine gestured to the man she’d executed. “I used an experimental poison. It still needs some adjustment.”

She paused, considering her words. They probably weren’t the most reassuring. She didn’t enjoy killing, but it was sometimes necessary. With a frown, she studied the body and wished she’d had time to craft and dispense an antidote. Now it would be even more difficult to find out who had hired him.

Bending down, she went through his clothing with the hope of finding some clue to his identity or employer. Other than a small pouch of coins at his waist, there was nothing else. She scooped up the pouch and whistled sharply. Tentative footsteps sounded a second later, emerging out of the darkness. Sabine tossed the pouch in the air and caught it, gauging the weight of the coins within. Good. It would be enough.

Walking over to the young boy who stood at the foot of the alley, Sabine dangled the bag in front of him. “For your warning.”

His eyes widened as a lock of dark, sooty hair fell over his forehead. He was underweight and filthy, like many of the street urchins. He gripped the bag tightly but didn’t turn away. Sabine had noticed him shortly after she’d left her informant, but this young boy had dared quite a bit by trailing behind her attackers. Only someone with strong spirit and intent could have broken past the witch’s avoidance spell. He’d taken the extra measure to use an owl’s warning call to alert her about the threat. He had potential, and she owed him a debt—Sabine always paid her debts.

Keeping her voice and expression neutral, Sabine nodded toward the pouch. “That’s enough coin to feed you for a week.”

The boy stared at the bag, but he made no move to leave. She arched her brow at him and waited. In her experience, people had to want something badly enough to do what was necessary to make it happen. If this boy couldn’t bring himself to ask the question, he wasn’t ready.

After a long moment, the boy lifted his head and held out the bag. “I’d like to trade for a wooden coin.”

Sabine tilted her head and idly tapped the hilt of her knife with her fingers. The boy’s eyes widened, and he swallowed. His nervousness was obvious, but she was more curious about whether he was willing to fight through his fears to accomplish his goals.

Unwilling to make it easy on him, she frowned at him. “That’s a lot of coin to exchange for a piece of wood. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

His hand clutching the bag trembled, but he nodded. The determination in his eyes was enough to erase any lingering doubt.

“Very well,” she agreed and took away the purse. Opening it, she slipped out a coin and infused a bit of magic into it. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Malek’s sudden interest as he took a step toward her, presumably to get a better look.

Hmm. As she had suspected, the captain was sensitive to magic. That must have been what caused him to come down the street in the first place.

His magical sensitivity might be a problem, but it also made her question his origins. Anyone who was wholly human wouldn’t have felt the magic she’d pulled from the ground, especially while they were hidden behind the witch’s avoidance spell. Forcing herself to ignore the intriguing stranger, she focused again on the boy in front of her. “What do they call you?”

“Johnny,” he said, straightening his thin body. He couldn’t be older than nine or ten, but he had the world-weary gaze of someone who had been on the streets for most of their life.

“Do you know who I am, Johnny?”

A trace of fear came back into his eyes, but he nodded. Sabine kept her expression neutral, not allowing him to see the sadness that filled her. He may know the name she went by here and the persona she’d carefully crafted, but only a select few knew her true identity. Just like the shadows hid her from view most of the time, so did the surrounding rumors.

Holding out the wooden coin she’d transmuted, she placed it in Johnny’s hand and traced her fingernail over its surface. “Choices surround you and dictate possible paths to your future. A baker at the south end of town needs an assistant. He grows older and has no children, but he would gladly pass along his knowledge to one who is eager to learn and serve.”

The boy stared in wonder at the loaf of bread now etched into the coin. It was little more than a parlor trick. Anyone with an ounce of magical ability could perform such a thing.

“But there is always another choice.” Sabine paused and flipped the coin over before tracing her finger over it again. “If someone is smart, quick, and lucky, they may survive what the future holds. It would be a life of danger, but one with great rewards and greater risk. How much of each depends solely on you. There are no guarantees in either choice, just a chance to unlock a different path than the one you currently walk.”

Johnny’s eyes lit up, and he opened his mouth to make his choice. She gave him a curt shake of her head, and he froze, clamping his mouth shut. Sabine withdrew her hand, leaving the impression of a knife on the wooden coin in his hand. “No, Johnny. You will think upon your choice for at least one full night. After that, you can make your decision. As long as the coin remains in your possession, the choice is yours and yours alone.”

He lifted his head again and closed his fist over the coin, gripping it tightly. “I won’t let anyone take it from me.”

She inclined her head in acknowledgment of his words. Based on his demeanor, that small piece of wood had just become the most important thing in his life. “You have a fortnight to make your choice. If you wish to become an apprentice, you will take the coin to Bjorn, the proprietor of Batter’s Edge. In exchange, he will provide you with a bed, food, and a chance for something more—but only if you’re willing to prove yourself. Do you know where his shop is located?”

“Yes.”

She nodded. “If you wish to have a chance to learn the craft of those who live in the darkness and dance on the edge of a blade, you will take your coin to Copper’s Crossing and find Edvar. Do you know him?”

Johnny nodded eagerly. Sabine resisted the urge to snort. Everyone seemed to know Edvar, a former street rat who had his hands in all sorts of pies. Edvar was going to have to start staying in the shadows. He was incredibly talented but a little reckless at times.