Chapter 15
15
The next morning I opened my eyes to find Gabriel standing over me, looking down at me with mild distaste. I was pretty sure I had locked the door, and yet, I wasn’t surprised that he was in my room.
I remained lying comfortably on my pillow looking up at him. “Where is his Lordship ?”
Gabriel glowered. “Were you expecting breakfast in bed?”
I tossed the covers back, glad I’d slept in my jeans. “Hardly. That would take far too much time, and I have things to do.” My movements woke Ringo, who scurried closer to me, away from Gabriel.
“I’m sure you do, spy.”
Shaking my head, I reached for my boots on the floor. My first order of business would be to call Braxton and make sure he was still alright. Then I would find my own breakfast, and head to the Silver Quarter .
I could feel Sebastian’s calling card that had slipped down to the sole of my boot beneath my foot, but I was not about to pull it out in front of Gabriel. So despite my discomfort, I left it there, laced my boots, then stood. “Is there any faster way to get out of here than walking? Not that our last stroll wasn’t lovely…”
His arms remained crossed as he looked me up and down. “Are you hoping for a magic portal?”
“Well, that would be convenient.”
He scoffed, then turned away. “Come.”
I stopped to pull my messenger bag over my shoulder, then opened it for Ringo to hop inside.
Gabriel was already waiting outside the door expectantly.
“I need to use the bathroom first,” I realized.
He continued to stare.
Shaking my head, I left Ringo in my bag on the bed and went into the adjoining bathroom. I was anxious to be on my way, but I took a little longer than was necessary just to irritate Gabriel. I couldn’t help myself.
When I was done, I went out to find him waiting in exactly the same place, with exactly the same expression.
Keeping my amusement to myself, I fetched Ringo then followed Gabriel through the halls, seeing no sign of Mistral, but I’d be damned if I was going to ask about him again.
Eventually, we reached the ground floor and went outside where two horses waited. One was massive with a gleaming black coat, and the smaller one was white. They both stood perfectly obedient, their reins not tethered to anything. A low gate stood open beyond shrubs left to their own devices, growing wild and twisted.
I looked down at Ringo peeking out of my bag, then over at Gabriel as he situated the reins on the larger horse.“Ringo doesn’t exactly need his own horse,” I said.
Gabriel looked back over his shoulder, rolling his eyes at me. “You could get lost inside a shoebox. I’ll show you out.”
I wasn’t going to argue, because he was probably right. I would very likely get lost.
Gabriel mounted his horse, then looked down at me expectantly.
I cast a wary glance at the white horse. It seemed tame enough, but, “That thing isn’t going to buck me off, is it?”
“You’ve never ridden.” His voice was deadpan.
I lifted a hand, palm out. “Guilty as charged.”
Rolling his eyes again, he sidled his horse toward me, then grabbed my hand. Suddenly I was airborne. He not so gracefully plopped me onto the saddle right in front of him.
“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind.” I situated the bag with Ringo inside on my lap, feeling the press of Gabriel’s warm body against my back.
“Just shut up. You’ll be of no use to any of us if you break your head open on a rock.” His arm went around my waist, pulling me more firmly against him just as he kicked the horse into motion, and there was no more arguing. We rode through the open gate, leaving the other horse behind.
I desperately sought something to hold onto, but the smooth, rustic saddle didn’t offer much, and I thought the horse might object to me tugging on its flowing mane. I ended up gripping Gabriel’s arm around me, relaxing at the feel of his corded muscles. If he could lift me with one arm, he could probably keep me from falling off a horse.
With the wind kissing my cheeks and flowing through my hair, I took it all in. The goblin lands passed by, hues of rich green and yellow streaking across my vision. It was still too damp and muddy, but from horseback, it wasn’t the most unpleasant sight. Occasional bright bursts of color from flowers and berries caught my eye as we passed them, and the chill morning air coated my bare skin with dew, making the goblin behind me seem even warmer.
It was exhilarating, riding so freely, feeling almost weightless since Gabriel was doing the work of keeping me in the saddle. I could almost pretend that we were in another time, and another place. Some far off realm where riding horses across lush open fields was the norm.
Eventually we neared the gates, and I found myself almost disappointed. Maybe I was a fan of horseback riding after all.
Gabriel halted the horse, then slid to the ground. Without asking he put his hands around my waist, lifting me off before setting me lightly on my feet. I stood still for a moment, a little wobbly from the ride.
“I would say we would find you when we are ready,” Gabriel grumbled, his hands still lightly around my waist, “but something tells me you’ll be seeking sanctuary soon again.”
“Trust me,” I said sweetly, and a little breathlessly. “True sanctuary would not include you .”
He scoffed, then released me to turn back to the horse, but I could feel him watching me as I walked toward the gate with Ringo peeking out of my bag.
“We’ll have more fried potatoes?” Ringo whispered.
I was thinking more about eggs and bacon, but I imagined a side of fries could happen. “Sure. More fries.”
I pushed open the gate, then shifted over the boundary, catching one last glimpse of Gabriel still watching me leave.
I broke the yolk on my sunny side up eggs with a triangle of toast, swirling it around to coat the bread. The waitress had looked at me a little funny when I ordered a side of fries with my breakfast, but the happy munching sounds from my bag were worth it. I had already talked to Braxton, he was fine. No one had bothered him after he went home .
I couldn’t help but wonder if it was Lilith’s doing. I would have to seek her out again, but in a more covert way.
I felt a pulse of magic from the card in my boot, then suddenly Sebastian was sitting across from me. He wore a crimson button up that made him look absolutely devilish with his black hair and sculpted features. He put his elbows on the table, leaning his chin against his hands. No one else in the small diner seemed to notice his appearance.
“You know, you are a terrible spy.”
I stabbed another piece of toast into my eggs. “I’m not a spy.”
“Is a private investigator not a spy?”
I stuck the toast into my mouth and chewed, glaring at him. I swallowed, then took a sip of my coffee. “I’m not a private investigator either. I’m a night runner. And what the hell did you send me into? Why were those vampires after me?”
“It’s none of your concern.” He lifted a finger, catching the waitress’ attention.
She blinked at him a few times as if only just seeing him, then headed our way.
I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “They were trying to apprehend me, maybe kill me. It is most certainly my business.”
“What did you learn from Lilith?”
The waitress reached us, and he ordered black coffee, no cream or sugar. Figured.
Once the waitress walked away, I shook my head. “Not very much. She just told me to stay away from the angelics.” I eyed him suspiciously. “Angelics who never cared about me until I met you .”
He shrugged, leaning back against the vinyl cushion of the booth. “I have nothing to do with their interest in you.”
“Maybe not, but you do know something about it.”
He shrugged again. “Where did you stay while you were in the Bogs?”
That was right, as soon as I was out of sight of the gates, he would’ve had no idea what I was doing. “I slept on a hill with Ringo. Thanks a lot for your help last night, by the way.”
He lifted those dark eyes to my face. “I did not know what happened until after you were in the Bogs.”
I sincerely doubted it with the way he could easily pop up. He wouldn’t have just trusted me to do his bidding blindly. “Well either way, I did your job. Pay me and get out.”
We fell silent as the waitress returned with his coffee. He picked up the mug, cradling it in his hands. “But you didn’t learn anything.”
“Yeah, and I almost got killed for my efforts. You may have saved my life once, but endangering it repeatedly kind of cancels it out.”
He had been about to take a sip of his coffee, but he lowered it from his lips instead. “You cannot escape our bargain so easily. ”
I waved him off. “Yeah, yeah. I guess I’ll see you next time you want to get me killed.”
He finally sipped his coffee, drawing out the moment. Steam curled around his face, then he lowered the mug. “I have need of you now.”
My brows knit together. I looked down at my clothing. “It’s going to have to wait until I’ve had a shower and a nap. And you still have to pay me for last night. A deal is a deal.”
He smiled. “Then it’s a deal. And you have plenty of time to ready yourself. We won’t go out until nightfall.”
I studied him, curious. The money was nice, but I needed to figure out what in the hells was going on. That, far more than the money, convinced me to cooperate with him. I would do whatever this next job was, then go from there.
I lifted a finger to summon the waitress. “Fine, but you’re also buying dessert.”