Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
Ihastily wrapped the air around me but had little time to do anything more than right myself. I hit the ground, bounced, and was flung into a wall so hard my air bubble burst and a jagged strip of stone scraped the left side of my face.
I dropped the remaining few inches to the ground and swore, long and hard. From deeper within the darkness that lay ahead of me came another laugh.
“Do not come after me, young pixie, or I will entomb you.”
His voice was soft, earthy, but held a brash edge that spoke of youth.
“And you, young Myrkálfar, have a lot to learn about us pixies and orders.”
I charged after him, using the fierce lightning emanating from the blade to light my way, but had barely gone a dozen yards when the ground under my feet began to shift, shudder, move.
Oh, fuck...
I turned and ran, as hard as I could, back toward the hole, which was already beginning to close over.
I swore again, wrapped a leash of wind around my wrist and gripped it tight as I ordered it to haul me out.
It obeyed so damn fast my head spun. As I broke back into the storm, I glanced down.
.. just in time to see the earth lunge at me, a darkly liquid serpent desperate to drag me back.
Then it fell away, and the hole closed over.
I released my leash and dropped back to the ground, staggering a few feet forward before catching my balance.
“I thought you promised to be careful,” came a rather dry comment.
I looked up and saw Mathi and his father striding toward me. “Well, no, I promised I wouldn’t go far. I never responded to the whole ‘be careful’ suggestion.”
He stopped in front of me, tugged a crisply ironed handkerchief from his pocket, and handed it to me.
“What happened?” Ruadhán asked.
I gently pressed the handkerchief against the wound. It stung like blazes, but it obviously wasn’t too bad, otherwise Mathi would have insisted I be taken to the fae hospital. “Our thief was watching from that pathway. When I shoved through the gate he started disappearing, then ran.”
“And you, of course, chased after him rather than call for backup,” Mathi commented.
“I would have lost him completely if I’d done that.”
“It would appear you have lost him anyway.” Ruadhán’s voice held the slightest edge of contempt. Which, for him, was showing extreme control.
“Yeah, but I discovered two things. One, his vapor form is not immune to being knifed. And two, he’s definitely a Myrkálfar, and a youngish one at that, if his voice is anything to go by.”
Ruadhán’s eyebrows rose. “You spoke to him?”
“He told me not to follow him. I told him he has a lot to learn about us pixies.”
“Or at the very least,” Mathi murmured, “this pixie.”
I glanced at him. His expression dared me to disagree. I didn’t. Couldn’t, really, though it was a family trait rather than just mine.
“Just to confirm, you did wound him?” Ruadhán said, dragging my attention back to him.
I nodded. “Left shoulder blade.”
“Then I shall contact the Myrkálfar immediately. If he is one of theirs, they will find and hand him over.”
I wasn’t so damn sure about that, because from the little I’d learned about them from Cynwrig, they had their own, rather gruesome, methods of dealing with those who betrayed them. But Ruadhán undoubtedly knew that better than me, so I didn’t say anything.
I watched him walk away then glanced at Mathi. “What did he take this time?”
“They’re not sure yet.” He stepped to one side and motioned me forward. “The place was ransacked, and the owner wasn’t home. They’re currently trying to contact her.”
“I wonder how this event is connected to the bank robbery?” I went through the gate, then stepped to the side as a number of officers rushed past us and headed up the slope. What Ruadhán expected them to find, I had no idea.
“It might not be.”
“You don’t believe that any more than I do.” I watched the officers for a moment, then added, “He’s obviously searching for something specific, so do we know if there was a safe or lockbox in the cottage?”
“They haven’t found either as yet.”
I wrinkled my nose. “He’s obviously got a plan, but going from a bank to a cottage is rather... odd.”
“I daresay when we uncover who he is, we will also uncover his intent.”
I glanced at him. “That’s a big leap of logic right there, because one does not by necessity lead to the other.”
“In my experience, it often does.”
And he had a whole lot more experience than me when it came to dealing with unsavory types. “Are we going to be allowed inside the cottage to have a look around?”
“No. My father has the description of the items taken at the bank, and for the moment would rather forensics be given the time and space to do their thing.”
I resisted the urge to say “I told you so.” “I’m betting he didn’t exactly use that wording.”
“Well, no, but the sentiment is the same.”
Henrick stepped out of the car as we approached and held the rear passenger door open. I scooted across to the other side so Mathi could get in and poor Henrick didn’t have to be in the rain any longer than necessary.
He had, goddess love him, purchased a tea and coffee for us both and placed them in the center console. Beside the tea was a small tube of numbing antiseptic gel—though how he’d known it would be necessary, I had no idea.
I thanked him profusely and dabbed on the gel, then picked up the tea, wrapping two hands around the container to warm them up.
“Are you going to have a chat to the godly library sometime today or tomorrow?” Mathi asked as the privacy screen went up and we got underway.
I nodded. “I have some paperwork that needs to be done, but I’ve nothing on tonight, so I’ll do it then.”
“Let me know what you discover, and we can plot our next move.”
“I shall.” I took a sip of tea. “You out with another of the prospects tonight?”
“I am indeed.”
“And when are you intending to let me in on this secret plan you have?”
“Once I’ve dated all three several times and have formed an opinion on them all.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stop being so secretive—just tell me where I come into it.”
His smile flashed, bright and amused. “I want you to have dinner with each of them. And me, of course.”
“To what end?”
“To help me choose the most suitable prospect.”
I just about choked on my tea. “You want me to help you choose your wife? Mathi, that’s insane.”
“No, it is in fact brilliant, even if I say so myself.”
“I don’t think—”
“Then perhaps you should.” His eyes gleamed with warmth, but deep in those blue depths, seriousness lurked.
“You are my best friend, Bethany, and we highborn Ljósálfar elves are very rarely gifted such a thing. It is important to me that the woman I choose gets along with you, because I do not intend to ever lose our friendship. If that means stepping away from a contract that is very beneficial to my family, then so be it.”
I reached out and briefly caught his hand, squeezing it lightly. “Thank you.”
Surprise flitted briefly through his expression. “For what?”
“For saying all that. For being in my life. For trusting me to help with such an important decision.”
“Then you will help?”
“Of course.” I couldn’t help my sudden grin. “But you are aware that I am by nature somewhat chaotic and will likely choose the least suitable candidate.”
He laughed. “Yes, I am well aware of that factor, which is why all three are being screened beforehand. I want to ensure suitability and compatibility no matter who you choose.”
“Then let me know when you’re ready.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“Welcome—though I dare say you had better not mention this deal to your father. He’s unlikely to be pleased.”
“That would be a very definite understatement.”
We cruised back over the river and wound our way back to St Werburgh Street, where Henrick parked as close as he could to the rear lane.
I jumped out and, as they drove away drive away, ran down the lane, tossing the now empty takeaway cup in the nearby dumpster before punching in the door code and dripping into the back corridor.
Once I’d stripped off my coat and boots, I padded down the corridor, listening to the building’s song and finding nothing untoward.
After checking that everything was fine in the kitchen, I quickly headed upstairs to the bathroom to check my face.
I’d been expecting a minor scrape, but the wound basically stretched from the side of my cheek to my chin, and while it wasn’t particularly deep, it did look rather ugly.
Thank goddess for Henrick’s numbing gel, because I rather suspected it’d be a painful mess without it.
I searched the first-aid kit for a similar tube, then carefully cleaned away all the bits of grit and stone that were lodged in my skin before carefully reapplying more numbing salve.
The end result was a wound that at least looked less red and sore.
With that done, I made myself a cup of tea then headed back down to the office. After shoving my feet into the spare pair of runners I kept under the desk, I booted up the computer to do the few bits and pieces Ingrid couldn’t.