Page 4 of Wicked Little Tricks
And that only left one thing. A devil. But what was he doing here? I shook my head. Not my business.
Steeling myself for any more strange encounters, I went for the other door. I almost turned the knob, but this time I thought better of it. I knocked on the hardsurface, glancing behind me a few times at the other door.
After a moment, the door opened, though no one was standing just inside. And it wasn’t another high roller room, but an opulent sitting room, completely out of place in the Circus.
At the far end of the room two men in white suits sat at a small round table. Cream curtains covered the window behind them, though I wasn’t sure where the window would lead since there should just be a wall on the other side. Their wings weren’t currently visible, but I could tell what they were. Angelics.
I rarely dealt with angelics. Like the elves, they mostly kept away from us lowly mortals.
Both men turned to face me as one. The man with golden hair smiled, showcasing deep dimples on either side of his face. The other man had dark brown skin and his mouth remained in a grim line.
At least now I knew what all the secrecy was about. Angelics weren’t better than the rest of us, but they did try to uphold a reputation that said otherwise. Whatever was in the parcel was likely something the angelics wouldn’t want to be caught with. And that explained the gargoyle as their go-between. Even though they were closely related to angelics, gargoyles didn’t give a damn about their reputations.
Both men wore white suits, so I wasn’t sure who was expecting the delivery. I’d just put it on the table and get out as quickly as I could. Still, as I walked across theroom, I couldn’t help but wonder why no one locked their doors around here. And even stranger, why was no one else happening upon these two men?
The one with golden hair continued smiling as I reached the table.
“Only certain people can see these doors,” he explained.
“I wasn’t wondering,” I muttered.
His smile broadened. “Of course not. You would have sensed the barrier you crossed coming back here.”
So that was it. I had crossed a barrier without even realizing. Usually it took a little more concentration.
I glanced between the two men. “So can I consider this delivery completed?”
The blond man smiled again. I was already starting to hate that smile. It reminded me too much of the devil’s from the other room.
He tilted his head. “Perhaps before you go, you can settle a wager for us.”
I wiped my hands on my jeans and took a step back. “Wagers aren’t part of my job description.”
A little bit of the sparkle left his eyes, leaving behind something cold and unearthly. “Humor us.”
What was with these guys? Not wanting unnecessary trouble, I crossed my arms and waited to hear the wager.
The sparkle returned to his eyes. “We were just discussing others of your kind. We are wondering if there are any barriers too strong for you to cross.”
Gods I hated dealing with beings like angelics. We were just entertainment to them. “It depends on the amount of celestial blood. Some can go more places than others.”
He smoothed his hands across the table, drawing my eye to a gold ring around one of his fingers. “And you? Are there any placesyoucan’t go?”
“I can go as many places as most,” I said vaguely, taking another step back.
He gave me an oddly knowing smile, but waved me off.
My shoulders relaxed. Couple of weirdos.Richweirdos. The worst kind. I hurried out of the room, slumping with relief as I shut the door behind me. That was the thing about working freelance—I never knew what I was walking into. At least the agency vetted their clients. Sometimes the job still got me into trouble, but I usually wasn’t put into situations like this.
Casting all thoughts of devils and angelics behind me, I hurried back down the hall. I relaxed once I was on the ground floor of the casino amidst the raucous laughter and pungent smell of alcohol. I wove my way through the tables and mingling people in glittering clothing. The same wraith as before caught my eye when I was almost at the door. He lifted his fingers and gave me a little salute.
With my attention snagged on him, I bumped into someone’s back. Someone tall and wearing a dark suit.
My heart climbed into my throat. Had the devilfollowed me out here? But then the man turned. This man was taller, and with a crooked smile. “Join me at a table?”
I put my head down, shook it, then hurried out the door. The balmy night air was a relief, though it made me sweat under my leather jacket. I hurried through the vendors, hesitating at the cotton candy stand. Why not?
The old woman manning the stand had a froth of curly silver hair around her face, along with a few missing teeth. “Flavor?” Her eyes looked me up and down.