The Faceless Woman by Emma Hamm (i love reading .txt) 📕

“Quietly now, Aisling. We can’t afford anyone discovering we’re here.”

She patted his arm as she walked by. “You’re learning. For once, you actually told me that I need to be quiet.”

Bran grinned, then ran a finger across his lips.

She’d keep her mouth shut if that’s what it took to get them through this safely. He was getting a little better at keeping her informed. She knew that noise would alert his sisters, although she didn’t know why that was a bad thing.

One would think a family reunion would only help them. He could waltz into the grand hall, or whatever it was the Unseelie called it, ask for a small vial of liquid, and then the curse would break.

Seemed easy enough.

She couldn’t figure out if he was making this difficult because he had to, or if it was because Unseelie Fae loved to see chaos unravel. There would always be a part of him that wanted to create as much mischief as possible.

Aisling carefully watched her steps on the slippery stairs and decided she didn’t mind the mischief overly much. It certainly made life interesting.

As they reached the top of the stairwell, Bran tapped a finger on her shoulder. She paused and let him step ahead of her. When he slid his hands over the slick stone wall, runes glowed crimson under his touch.

Blood magic. She’d never seen such an ancient spell before. They were created in a time of war or hardship and were rarely removed. Most people would hastily leave a place tainted by magic like this.

Bran hissed out a breath and wiped a bloody palm on his pants. With the price paid, the stone wall faded out of existence, allowing them to step into a cave system deep inside the Unseelie castle.

Liquid dripped from the ceiling, pinging quiet sounds that covered the echo of their footsteps. Faint white mist glowed at the floor, but even the dim light wasn’t enough to cast a shadow. They relied on their hands pressed against the walls to guide them.

Aisling stepped where Bran did, every turn opened up to more tunnels, the options unlimited. The air felt charged with electricity, magic pulsing in her veins and making the tips of her fingers burn.

Bran held up a finger and pressed it against his lips.

She wasn’t making any noise. Pursing her lips, she gestured in a silent way to declare that she was following the rules.

He glared and pointed at her, then exaggerated a deep inhalation and exhale.

Was he saying she was breathing too loud?

Aisling wanted to reach out and smack him. She knew how to be quiet, and if her breath was a little louder than he wanted it to be, then he would need to knock her over the head to quiet her down. She glowered at him as he raced forward on silent feet and pressed himself against the wall.

Bran didn’t look at her. Instead, he simply lifted a hand and gestured for her to move forward.

Aisling glanced around the cave. There was no glimmer of magic in the air suggesting a spell hid someone from their view. They were in a cave system of tunnels, and no one was here.

She sighed and walked toward him. And though her footsteps were quiet, they weren’t nearly as silent as his had been.

His expression darkened. He waited for her to get close before he grabbed her arm, shoved her against the wall, and blanketed her body with his. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against her ear.

“What did I say about being quiet?” he hissed.

“There’s no one here.”

“It’s the Unseelie castle. You can’t know that for certain.”

“I can see there is no one standing there staring at us. We’re in a tunnel system, Bran. Of all places to worry about someone being hidden, I can see down both ends, and there is no one else but us.”

“We have to be quiet.”

She huffed out a breath and growled in his ear, “It’s one thing to be careful when we need to be, but you just look foolish.”

Her words were like the slash of a sword through the heat between them. He stepped back a few times, storm clouds thundering in his gaze.

Aisling knew she had a way of throwing him off. She watched with amusement as he crossed his arms, then untangled himself and stuck his hands on his hips, then shook his head with frustration and tossed his hands in the air. “They changed the spell. I’m walking blind here. All the halls are different.”

“If you can’t figure it out, then let me walk normally when there is no one here.”

“Fine,” he whispered. “Go your own way. See how that works out for you.”

“I will.”

“I said that was fine.”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of, Unseelie. You’ve already told me where the waters are. I don’t need you.”

He lunged forward and stuck a finger in her face. “You need me to break the binding curse.”

“I don’t.”

“I have the other ingredients.”

He had her there. She would need the rest of the spell to complete it, and he wasn’t likely to hand it over to her.

Aisling huffed out a frustrated breath. “Fine. Then we meet back here.”

“You foolish woman!” He ran a hand over his feathers, clearly struggling. He couldn’t protect her if he was going to shout at her the whole time. Finally, he pointed at her again. “You keep yourself out of trouble and come right back here when you find anything. Otherwise, I’m coming for you and the entire Unseelie army couldn’t stop me.”

She reached forward and patted his cheek. “I love how cocky you are.”

They both froze with her hand pressed against him. Good gods, had she admitted to loving him? No. She’d admitting to loving a part of his personality. It meant nothing. He had to understand that.

His gaze heated, and all the stars in his eyes burst to life. They whispered promises of long nights, velvet sheets, and a man who blended in