Chapter 19
19
I rolled over in bed, waking as I sensed someone standing over me. I opened my eyes, tensed to spring up if needed.
Gabriel looked down at me. He had my green dress dangling from one finger.
I pulled the sheets up to my chin then reached one arm out to snatch my dress. “Can I help you?”
“I am to tell you Mistral had some business to attend, and I am to offer you breakfast.”
“What business?”
“That’s none of your concern.” He turned away, presumably for me to get dressed.
I spotted my underthings piled on the bedside table, and my boots were on the floor. Still clutching the sheet, I edged my way out of bed, keeping an eye on Gabriel. Awkward was a vast understatement.
I started getting dressed. We had ended up in Mistral’s bathtub instead of the one in the guest chambers, which had been great. It was twice as large. We’d had a very nice time.
But now I was left with too many questions, mostly about how Mistral’s magic had made my own small sliver of magic react. It sure hadn’t felt like a small sliver last night, but now it had settled back down within me. I felt almost normal.
Well, as normal as someone could feel getting dressed in a high goblin’s bed chamber with Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Grumpy sulking in the corner.
Once I was dressed, I cleared my throat.
He turned to reveal that he also had my coat clenched in his other hand. I hadn’t noticed it before. I had been more intent on his face while I was trying to cover up my nakedness.
I walked toward him, and surprisingly he lightly draped the coat around my shoulders. “Are you hungry?”
My stomach growled at the mere thought of food. “Starved. Where’s Ringo?”
“Already having his fill of our cupboards, I imagine.” He opened the door, waiting for me to leave the room.
We walked together down the hall with me already knowing where the dining room was. I was beginning to get the hang of the place, almost feeling comfortable. Which was weird on a whole other level .
“I’m told you’ll be staying with us until your affairs can be sorted,” Gabriel said as we walked.
I frowned. Affairs , he made it sound so simple. Not, until we could figure out how to get people to stop trying to kidnap me .
“I’m not sure. I really don’t want to, but I should speak with Sebastian. He knows more than he’s told me, and maybe he can tell me something to help.”
“He’s just another player in the game.” He opened the door for me, and I walked into the dining room.
Sure enough, Ringo was there digging into a bowl of balled melons. He looked up as he smashed another melon ball in his mouth, then swallowed, licking his lips.
I smirked. “Good morning to you too.” He had taken a big chance coming here to rat me out to Mistral, and I was grateful for it.
I turned back to look at Gabriel, but he was gone, so I went and sat at the table. A few minutes later, he returned with two plates heaped with eggs, bacon, toast, and more melon.
He slid one plate in front of me, then went to the other side of the table and sat with his own plate.
I lifted my brows, surprised that he was going to eat with me, but I didn’t say anything about it.
Instead, I said, “I know about this item that everyone’s looking for now, so don’t worry about keeping Mistral’s secrets. He told me last night. ”
He speared a hunk of scrambled egg with his fork. “I am aware.”
“Then why are you so cranky this morning?”
He ate his food, staring back at me.
“Does this have something to do with whatever Mistral ran off to accomplish so early?”
Ringo had stopped eating his melon to glance warily back and forth between us.
“It has something to do with the devil waiting at our gates,” he said tersely.
I dropped my fork without taking a bite. “What? And Mistral went to meet with him?”
He nodded curtly.
I stood. “Let’s go.”
He stared at me. “I’m not sure what you hope to accomplish.”
“Neither am I, but they clearly dislike each other, and they are my only two allies… Sort of. I would like to make sure they don’t kill each other.”
He set down his fork with a sigh. “At least eat your breakfast.”
I shook my head, remaining standing and staring down at him defiantly.
His shoulders slumped. “Fine. But you’re going to have a hell of a time straddling a saddle in that dress.”
The horse’s hooves thundered toward the gates. Gabriel had one arm wrapped tightly around my waist, keeping me steady. Without my messenger bag, Ringo had nestled into my coat pocket.
Mistral stood on one side of the gates with his horse behind him, and Sebastian stood alone on the other side, outside the boundary.
“See,” Gabriel said into my ear as he slowed the horse. “You could have eaten your breakfast.”
I rolled my eyes. “Enough with the breakfast already.”
He slid down from the horse, then wrapped his hands around my waist, lifting me off just as he had done before. He set me lightly on the ground.
“Thanks,” I said, then turned to walk toward the gates.
Both men had ceased whatever discussion they had been having to watch my approach.
Suddenly I felt incredibly awkward walking down the broken cobblestone path in my little boots and dress.
I wrapped my coat tightly around myself, prompting Ringo to stick his head out of the pocket.
I reached Mistral’s side, then turned my attention to Sebastian. “What do you want?”
He furrowed his brow. “Our bargain is far from complete, Eva.”
“Oh, so you’d like to try to get me killed again today?”
He frowned. “Actually, I was thinking I would take you to that diner you seem to adore, so I could explain things to you properly.”
I crossed my arms and jutted out my hip. “Yeah, in return for what?”
“In return for you helping me win this game.”
I stiffened. “I thought I was supposed to help you collect a debt.”
“You are, a debt owed to me by your mother. The bounty on her head should suffice to pay it off.”
My eyes flew wide. “You really want me to turn in my own mother?”
“You really still feel allegiance toward her?”
I glowered, glancing at Mistral. He knew the full truth now, but I wasn’t sure how much Sebastian knew. If he had known my mother, maybe he did realize she had stolen my memories. I wanted to find her to get them back, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to turn her in to whoever wanted her.
Sebastian stuck his hands into his black coat pockets. “The angelics may no longer wish your demise, but the vampires will continue attempting to apprehend you despite our bargain. My protection can only extend so far.”
“Which is why Eva is safer here,” Mistral finally cut in.
Sebastian’s eyes held a flicker of fire as he shifted them to Mistral. “You believe she would like to live in the Bogs forever? ”
“Only until the problem can be solved,” Mistral replied.
“Which you will need my help with,” Sebastian pressed.
“Yes, help that you have willingly offered.”
I lifted a brow, turning back to Sebastian.
His jaw twitched. “I will finish things one way or another.” He looked me up and down. “But if I have judged you correctly, I’m assuming you would like to help in solving your own problem.”
I didn’t need to point out again that he’d been the one to drag me into the problem, because his interest in me had also saved my life. My mom might not have ever learned who I was, and the angelics would still be trying to kill me to keep anyone else from using me to get to her. And as much as I had enjoyed myself with Mistral, Sebastian was right. I liked to solve my own problems.
“I want pie.”
He lifted a brow.
“At breakfast. I also want pie.”
The corners of his lips curled, and he nodded. “Very well.”
I turned to Mistral. “Thank you for everything, but he’s right. Everyone believes I can reach my mother for a reason. Maybe I actually can. And as for the bounty…” I met his eyes silently, hoping he would understand. If he really just wanted to go home, and I could help him with the use of a mythical sword that I wasn’t sure I believed in, I would .
Reading my expression, he nodded.
Gabriel had left his horse behind to join us. “This is a foolish plan. The devil is no match for all of Ivan’s vampires.”
There was that name again, Ivan. I imagined he was the short man I had briefly interacted with outside Crimson Kisses. “Worried about me?” I asked.
Gabriel glared. “Hardly.”
I gave him a sweet smile. “Yeah, you’re worried about me.”
He abruptly turned away and walked back toward his horse.
I could feel Sebastian’s eyes on us as Mistral lifted my hand, then kissed the back of my knuckles. “I’ll be awaiting word from you.”
The magic inside me flared again at his touch, making everything tingle. I was a little breathless as I answered, “I’ll come back when I can.”
He released my hand with a knowing look, and I turned as Sebastian opened the gate.
I shifted slightly to step over the boundary, then looked back at the two goblins.
They both watched me, clearly conflicted as Sebastian took my arm, then turned me away to start walking down the winding path toward the street.
“There’s something different about you,” he muttered as we walked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.
“You most certainly do.” But he let it go after that .
Frowning, I didn’t comment further. But he was right, something felt different. Something about my night with Mistral had changed the spark of magic inside me, and Sebastian could sense it.
Unfortunately, the only person who might know something about it was my mother.
Yet another question I’d have to ask when I finally found her.