Page 15 of The Lord of the Labyrinth

Kate, still clutching the dagger to her chest, stared at the creature. “Um, hi.” She considered hiding the dagger, but it was too late for that. The creature would’ve seen it. But she didn’tseemhostile. If anything, she was friendly. Maybe she should try to befriend her.

“I’m Kate.” She held out a hand. “What’s your name?”

The goblin-like thing shook her hand with a happy smile. “Babbitt, mistress. I’m Babbitt.”

“Babbitt. Um, please don’t be offended, but... what are you?”

Babbitt blinked her golden eyes. “I’m a brownie, mistress.”

“A brownie? Like a fairy?”

Babbitt nodded eagerly. “Yes, mistress.”

“So this really is the land of the Fae?” she asked the brownie.

“Yes, mistress. Are you hungry?” Babbitt asked.

Kate put a hand to her stomach as it rumbled. “Actually, yes, I’m starving.” No longer feeling threatened, she set the dagger down on top of the chest of drawers. “I could also use some better clothes. I’m still in my PJs.”

“Peejayss?” Babbitt echoed uncertainly.

“Pajamas—you know, clothes that you sleep in?” Kate added.

“Lord Arun does not wear clothes to bed,” Babbitt supplied.

Lord Arun... that was Roan. Kate rememberedArunamong the slew of names and titles that he’d tossed out when she’d stared at him naked in the bath.

Kate tried not to picture the tall, dominating, bossy Fae king who’d kidnapped her sleeping naked in that huge bed... and failed. The mental image was too irresistible to avoid.

What is wrong with me? I’ve never been fixated on boys before.

But Roan wasn’t really a boy, was he? He was all man, in a way that Kate had never really considered before. But seeing the hard planes of his bare chest, feeling the heat of his skin when she’d touched him, it had all lit a fire inside her that she didn’t know could burn.

“Mistress?” Babbitt interrupted Kate’s dangerously wandering thoughts.

“Right, pajamas. Listen, Babbitt, I can’t walk around the palace wearing these.”

Babbitt nodded, then snapped her fingers. A tray of food materialized on the enormous bed in front of Kate.

“Eat up, mistress. I will make you suitable clothing.”

“Oh, really, I don’t want you to go to any extra trouble?—”

“No trouble, mistress. I love to help.” Kate had a vague memory of her mother telling her that brownies loved to clean things and care for homes with happy families in them. If this was a dream, it was the most elaborate and coherent one she’d ever had. Usually by now, the dream would have shifted entirely into something else.

“Eat up. There’s more where that came from if you like it, mistress.” The brownie nudged Kate toward the bed and pointed at the food.

Kate sat down on the bed and pulled the silver tray toward her. There were slender slices of bread drizzled with what looked like powdered sugar and honey on one gold-and-silver plate. Next to it was a goblet of sparkling blue liquid with small petals floating in it. A soft sort of smoke drifted up from it, but when she touched the goblet it was cold, not hot.

“What kind of food is this?” she asked the brownie, who was busy folding the long blanket at the foot of the bed.

“Ambrosia bread with lavender-infused honey, and moonflower juice with stardaisy petals.”

Kate lifted one of the slices of bread and took a small nibble. The taste exploded on her tongue—sweetness first, then the tartness of a lemon, before it settled into the soothing flavor of the lavender honey.

This was incredible. She reached for the goblet next and took a sip. It tasted like sweet, sparkling water and made her tongue feel warm.

Suddenly, the sweet taste soured in her mouth. She felt a chill as she remembered the tales her mother used to read to her. Eating food or taking drink in the fairy realm meant you were trapped there. Forever.

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