The following evening, Sabine pushed open the door and stormed into the dimly lit tavern.

"Dammit. Get Dax. Now," One of Dax's guards ordered.

A man hastened toward the back rooms, but she ignored him as she scanned the seating areas. Her target was in here somewhere. Dax would take a few minutes to arrive, and it might be enough time to get the information she needed without his interference.

"Sabine? Can I get you a drink?"

She didn't respond to the bartender's attempt at distracting her. Instead, she hung up her cloak to allow more freedom of movement. Taking a step down into the main seating area, another one of Dax's men stepped in front of her.

"Sabine, always good to see you. Are you looking for someone?"

She spared the briefest glance at Javyn. "Which one is Riven?"

Javyn frowned and didn't reply right away. Sabine narrowed her eyes on him, dropping her hand to the hilt of her knife. Javyn was the only one of Dax's men who would dare consider challenging her presence, but only up to a point.

Lowering her voice to barely above a whisper, she threatened, "Do not push me on this, Javyn. Point out Riven, and your task is done."

Javyn nodded toward the southernmost table. It was enough for her to pick out a man fitting the description she'd been given. Riven, the man who had sold information about her whereabouts, was drinking with several others at the table. Judging by his animated gestures and loud voice, he was more than a little intoxicated.

She moved quickly to the table and kicked out Riven's chair from underneath him. He fell over backward. Everyone else at the table jumped up, but they immediately backpedaled when they sobered with recognition. None of them made any effort to help their drinking buddy.

Pressing her boot against Riven's throat, she withdrew one of her knives. "I got a message you were looking for me."

His eyes widened in fear. She pressed down a little harder. "Who paid you, Riven?"

He opened his mouth as though trying to speak. Sabine eased up her foot, and he managed, "I-I-I don't know what you're—"

She cut him off by pressing down again with the heel of her boot. Turning the blade in her hand so the light caught the metal, she leaned forward. "Shall I start removing your body parts until your memory returns? We can start with your pretty blue eyes."

His eyes bulged, and he tried to shake his head. She eased up again, and he held up his hands in surrender. "P-please, Sabine. I haven't done anything. I'd never betray Dax. You have the wrong man."

"Is there a problem here?"

Sabine bit back the urge to curse. Dax had arrived a little too quickly.

She took a step away from Riven and turned around to face Dax. He was an intimidating figure with a powerful physique. His intense amber eyes were focused on her, and she returned his gaze evenly. Inclining her head, she gestured to the man on the ground. "I'd say so. It seems your man's been selling information about me, Dax."

His eyes flashed to silver and narrowed on the man at her feet. "Is that so?"

Riven sat up halfway and rubbed his neck. "I swear I'm loyal to you, Dax. I'd never do anything to betray you."

Dax scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Which is it? Are you calling Sabine a liar? Or have you been selling information?"

Sabine leaned against a column as Javyn and Campho moved forward and hauled Riven to his feet. Riven's expression was full of panic now, and he searched the room for anyone who might intervene. The fool. No one would challenge Dax, especially when his eyes were silvered.

"I-I... She must be mistaken. I would never—"

Dax took a step toward him. "Who did you sell information to?"

Sabine waited, feigning boredom as Riven sobbed and denied any involvement. Dax tended to draw these things out, but she couldn't interfere any further with his men watching. It was one thing to handle matters when he wasn't around but another to interrogate one of his people while he was there.

Javyn withdrew his knife and pressed it under Riven's right eye. "Which eye did you want to keep as a trophy, Sabine?"

She tilted her head and pretended to consider it. "I'm partial to the left."

Dax nodded. "Take his eye, Javyn."

"Wait!" Riven shouted, his panicked gaze darting back and forth between them. "It was Terrance. I had no idea he would send someone to ambush Sabine. He said he wanted to talk to her. He swore he wouldn't raise a hand to her."

Dax took a step toward Riven, his gaze murderous. "What did Terrance give you in exchange for this information?"

Riven's chin trembled. "He paid off my debts. I only told him she'd planned to meet with the city clerk's assistant around midnight. That's all. I swear!"

Sabine straightened. Dax wasn't asking about this person named Terrance, so he had to know him. Judging by the hardened glint in Dax's eyes, neither Terrance nor his informant would be breathing much longer. Dax would likely execute both men before she had the chance to question them. Dammit. She couldn't let that happen. She needed to learn more about the man who'd hired Riven.

Putting her hand on Dax's arm, she infused her touch with a trace of magic to catch his attention. "Don't kill him yet, Dax. Who's Terrance?"

Dax narrowed his eyes at her, but she held his gaze, unwilling to back down. Dax would cut her out of this investigation if she let him, and there was too much at stake. Her life was at risk, not his.

"If you won't tell me, then give me ten minutes with Riven. Call it compensation for your man selling information about me."

Riven's eyes widened. She started to move toward Riven to question him, but Dax grabbed her arm. She wasn't surprised. He'd never let her interrogate one of his men once he was involved. Demons were impossibly controlling, and Dax was no exception.

In one smooth movement, she withdrew her knife and tried to move forward. Dax yanked her backward and she started to spin away, but he wouldn't relinquish his grip. Stepping hard onto his foot, she tried to sidestep. He pushed her up against the column, using his heavier body mass to trap her. It was nothing more than she'd expected. Dax had been training her in fighting techniques and weapons for the past several years. Fortunately, she'd learned to anticipate some of his moves. They'd done this particular dance many times, and she wasn't above being sneaky.

Sabine pressed her knife against his abdomen and smiled sweetly. "We can play later, Dax. I need answers first."

He gave her a wicked grin, his eyes flashing with the thrill of the hunt and the challenge she offered. "Haven't I told you never to draw your weapon unless you intend to use it? From you, this is the equivalent of foreplay."

Despite herself, she laughed and relaxed her grip on the knife. Dax trailed his hand down her arm and encircled her waist. He leaned in close and whispered, "Don't run away until I'm finished here, beautiful. Otherwise, I will hunt you down, and you know how much I love the chase."

She didn't reply, and he chuckled before turning back to Riven. Dax's comment wasn't exactly an agreement to share information, but he knew she wouldn't remain here for long if he wasn't forthcoming.

Dax walked over to the man on the ground. "You disappoint me, Riven."

Riven's chin trembled. "I swear, I didn't know what Terrance had planned. I never would have betrayed you. Terrance said he needed to talk to her without you knowing about it."

Sabine winced. That was the wrong thing to say. Apparently, Dax agreed.

He stormed toward Riven and grabbed the man around the throat. Yanking him up, Dax shoved him against the wall and snarled, "That is betrayal."

Riven started thrashing, trying to escape Dax's ironclad grip. Sabine turned away, not willing to watch any further. Riven screamed, but Sabine knew his night was just beginning. Dax would probably keep him alive for a few days to make an example of him. It would be some time before anyone else considered betraying Dax again. Unfortunately, that meant any information she needed would have to be elicited from Dax himself. He'd never let her anywhere near Riven now, even if she insisted. For all his flaws, Dax took his oath to protect her seriously. They just disagreed on what that entailed. But it wasn't an oath to her, so her opinion apparently didn't matter—or so the old argument went.

Sabine walked over to the bar and slid onto an empty stool. A loud crack sounded behind her, and from the piercing scream that followed, she guessed Dax had broken something. She blew out a breath, debating whether to slip away. Sometimes Dax enjoyed torture a little too much, but she suspected he'd meant what he said. Dax would come after her if she left. He wouldn't hurt her when he found her, but he'd take out his anger on everyone else around him. If she remained, she'd at least have a chance to diffuse the worst of it.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"Take him downstairs and chain him up," Dax ordered, and Riven's screams became garbled whimpers as though he'd been gagged or was in more pain than the human body could handle. "Find out what else he knows, but keep him alive. I'll see to him later."

She didn't turn around to look. Henry, the bartender, had gone pale as he stared over her shoulder, presumably at Dax. Henry had seen a great deal over the years, so she had to assume it was particularly bad.

Sabine drummed her fingers on the top of the bar. "What do you have to drink tonight?"

Henry blinked at her, and she nodded toward the bottles behind the counter. He needed to snap out of it before Dax got over here.

Henry swallowed. "Ah, sorry about that. We have—"

"Get her some of the wine we just received. There's a bottle behind the bar," Dax ordered from behind her and pressed his hand against her back.

She started to turn toward him, but she caught sight of the ship captain, Malek, sitting at the end of the bar. She stared at him for a second before forcing herself to turn away. It wouldn't be a good idea to show any interest in Malek while Dax was in a foul mood.

It was hard to resist not taking another peek. The magnetism between them undeniable, but something wasn't right. She'd marked Malek. She should have sensed his presence before now. There were rumors about items that could interfere with a mark or bond, but she'd never experienced anything like that before.

Dax trailed his hand down her back. Her eyes narrowed on the demon in warning, but he simply grinned and sat on the stool beside her. The bartender put a silver goblet in front of her. She picked it up, inhaling deeply and breathing in the heady scent of the fruits and forest. Her eyes widened in surprise. Faerie wine was difficult to come by, and the price very dear. That Dax was willing to go to such lengths made her wary of his motivations. He wasn't usually known for his generosity. Knowing Dax had procured it for her made her feelings toward him soften a bit. Perhaps that had been his intention.

His fingers stroked the thin material of her shirt as she took a sip of the wine. Her eyes unwittingly fluttered closed as the taste of home settled on her tongue. It was rich with earthy undertones, and the memories of the forest and laughter flashed through her mind. There was something else under the surface, lurking at the edge of the memory.

Before she could focus on it too much, Dax leaned in close to her and whispered, "I'm tempted to take you and that bottle downstairs. I bet I could make you forget about everything, more than any glass of wine."

Sabine blinked up at Dax, not terribly surprised the threat of torturing Riven had incited some of his other appetites. Even if she rebuked his invitation, he'd shrug it off and find someone else to share his bed. It wouldn't require much effort either. The tavern was currently full of women who would happily accept any invitation he made to them.

They had a complicated understanding between them, so he wouldn't care either way. On some level, she did care about him, but their relationship was built out of necessity, not from any tender feelings. Most people didn't understand their arrangement and assumed they meant more to each other than they did. Then again, most of those people were more human than Other. Humans had some bizarre notions about intimacy and sex that hadn't dissipated even though they'd come to this world through the portal thousands of years ago.

Sabine swirled the wine in her glass while deciding on an appropriate response. "Maybe if you tell me what you know about Terrance, I'll be more inclined to consider your offer."

"Ah." Dax settled back in his seat and motioned for Henry to get him a drink. "Terrance is recently new to the city. He's only been here a few months, but he's been busy making a name for himself."

She frowned and took another sip of her wine. The effect was immediate—both calming and relaxing. It was probably why Dax had wanted her to drink it. She wouldn't put it past him to use the wine to lower her defenses, and this was an excellent way to accomplish his goals. Sadly, Faerie wine was still a rarity here and she wasn't about to abandon her glass. It tasted different than she remembered, but it had been a long time since she'd been able to enjoy such a delicacy. Each winemaker had their own special flavor of magic, so some variations were expected.

"I haven't heard of him. Where can I find him?"

Henry put Dax's glass in front of him. Judging by the greenish color of the bubbling liquid, it contained his preferred beverage distilled with hops and the sweat of goblins. That might be part of the reason Pozgil was always so terrified of him. Dax wasn't picky about where the goblin sweat came from.

Dax didn't answer right away and instead took a long drink. Her gaze fell upon Malek again, and she idly took another sip of her wine. He watched her too and wasn't making any effort to mask his interest. His mouth curved upward, and heat pooled in the center of her belly. It was both intriguing and worrying that only a look elicited such a strong reaction in her.

Sabine lifted her glass again, drinking more deeply this time. Sharing wine with the fascinating ship captain might be interesting. Malek possessed magic, of that she was certain. She just didn't know what kind or how much. Part of her wondered if the memories contained within the magic of the wine would be hers alone or if he could walk the path with her. She was tempted to find out.

Dax put down his glass. "I understand you met Malek yesterday."

Sabine didn't reply right away. Dax had obviously caught her interest and wasn't particularly pleased about it. Like most demons, Dax was possessive, and it probably rankled that she'd decided to mark Malek. Dax had been trying to incite her into marking him permanently for years, but she'd managed to avoid it. She wasn't inclined to give him more leverage over her than he already had.

At least her temporary mark on Malek's wrist had kept him alive so far. Dax wouldn't dare harm the ship captain while it was present.

Sabine swirled the wine in her glass again. "Avoiding my question, Dax? I thought you were going to tell me about Terrance and where to find him."

His eyes narrowed on her, and he lifted one of her many braids. He trailed his fingers down it and murmured, "Shall we talk about avoidance, Sabine?"

She stiffened, something in his tone making her uneasy. "What do you want in exchange for information about Terrance?"

Dax's mouth curved in a wicked smile. "Many things, but I doubt you'll pay the price I want. Not for one such as him anyway."

Sabine was quiet for a long time before picking up her wine again. Dax was intentionally trying to keep her off guard for some reason, but she didn't know his game. She peered at him over the rim of her goblet. "I might not object to your price."

Dax's face became unreadable, and Sabine realized she'd made a mistake. Underneath his teasing and flirting, he was truly angry. It couldn't only be because of Riven's betrayal. There had to be something else—most likely related to her.

His jaw hardened. "How badly were you hurt last night, Sabine?"

She swallowed, the wine on her tongue almost sour as the pleasant memory it offered fell away. Dax must have spies reporting back to him. She darted an unobtrusive glance at Malek sitting at the end of the bar. It was unlikely he'd been the one to give any information to Dax. He hadn't seen her injuries. She'd made sure of it.

Swirling what was left of the wine in her glass, she didn't reply. Until she had confirmation of what Dax had learned, it was better to keep her mouth shut.

Dax held her gaze, his eyes narrowing. It usually wasn't a good idea to piss off a demon, but Dax wouldn't hurt her—too much. He leaned forward and growled, "Don't fuck with me, Sabine. Why did you go to him last night?"

Resisting the urge to curse, she put down her glass. "Is Bane aware you have people watching him?"

"I don't give a fuck what he knows. If you want me to kill him, keep pulling these little stunts. I warned you what would happen if you went to him again," Dax threatened, the sudden flash of anger shifting his eyes from amber to a sharp silver.

She couldn't stop the small shiver that went through her at the sight. If she pushed him much more, he'd turn completely, and nothing less than violence would assuage his instincts. No one in the bar would be safe if that happened. She didn't like backing down, but she wouldn't risk anyone being harmed as a result of her issues with Dax.

Pushing away her wine, Sabine jumped off the stool and yanked up her shirt to show where she'd been stabbed. Dax's gaze gravitated downward, and as she knew he would, he trailed his fingers over the slight mark she'd embedded into her glamour. His touch on her skin was disconcerting, but she ignored it and continued to glare at him. The mark would fade soon enough, at the same time as the real one, but the evidence of Bane's magic on her skin would linger for a while longer. It was Bane's residual magic, and hers, that Dax was siphoning off her skin.

She tossed back her braided hair and let her temper shine through her eyes. Dropping her shirt again, she poked Dax in the chest. "It was necessary. Don't you dare drag me into your argument. I won't choose sides. If you kill your brother, that's on you."

Dax grabbed her finger and yanked her close. "If I thought killing him would get me what I want, he wouldn't survive the night."

She wouldn't rise to his bait. Instead, she demanded, "Tell me about Terrance."

Dax's mouth curved upward, and he released her. He picked up his glass and took another drink. She eyed him warily and slid back onto the stool. He was up to something. She tentatively lifted her wine and took a sip. The flavors exploded on her tongue once more, and she debated stealing the rest of the bottle so she could enjoy it at her leisure.

"As I mentioned, Terrance is new to the city, which is why you haven't heard about him," Dax said, putting his mug back down. "He opened a fairly profitable gambling hall about two months ago. I've been keeping an eye on it, but our relationship until now has been mutually beneficial."

Sabine frowned. "He's been paying you?"

"Yes. I'll likely install one of my men to head his operation now. In the interim, I'll send some of my men to pick him up and bring him back here for questioning."

"I'm going with them," Sabine declared, pushing away her glass again and trying to shake off the fuzziness plaguing her. The wine affected her more strongly than she remembered, and she needed to try to keep a clear head.

"I think not."

Her jaw clenched, and she glared at him. "I didn't ask for your permission."

Dax grinned. "You're not going anywhere. Especially not now."

Her face paled, and her gaze flew to the almost empty wine glass. She'd detected something strange, but Dax had kept distracting her before she could fully analyze it. He'd drugged her, knowing she couldn't resist Faerie wine and the reminder of home.

"You bastard," she whispered, betrayal coursing through her as she drew her knife.

Pressing down on the poison depressor, she shoved it into Dax's stomach. He roared and jumped back, flinging her to the side. She hit the floor, and the world started to spin—whether from her fall or the wine, she wasn't sure. She tried to push herself up, but Dax grabbed her and hauled her back to her feet. His eyes had turned to pure silver, and she felt a flash of fear rush through her. He wouldn't kill her, but he might kill everyone else in his rage.

"Release her!" Malek shouted, leaping toward them and unsheathing his weapon.

"Stay back!" Sabine held up her hand to stop Malek's approach as Dax's silvered gaze narrowed on the ship captain. Panic flooded through her, understanding the malicious intent in Dax's eyes. It took everything Sabine had to focus on stopping Dax before he lost control completely. Wrapping her hands around his wrist, she poured her magic into him, searing him with her touch.

A strangled scream ripped through him, and he shoved her away again. Malek caught her this time, pulling her close and away from Dax.

"I've got you." Malek angled himself between her and Dax.

She struggled to lift her head against the effects of the drug, but Dax had chosen well. It was subtle but potent, and it grew more difficult to resist the call of the darkness. At least Dax's eyes had turned back to their normal amber color, and he was in control once again. But Malek's interference between her and Dax had put the ship captain in a great deal of danger. She touched Malek's mark on his wrist and infused it with a secondary protection enchantment. Her wrist burned as she accepted the pain of the debt marker, as though the original mark hadn't taken to him quite right.

"Malek is under my protection until the mark fades. You will not hurt him," she managed, speaking in the language of Faerie and infusing her words with power.

Dax's eyes flashed with temper at her order, but it was enough. He'd have to obey and keep to the oath he swore years ago to protect her. Harming Malek would hurt her, leaving the debt between them unresolved. Leaning heavily against Malek, Sabine stopped fighting the effects of the drug and slipped into unconsciousness.