Page 37 of Deadly Little Games
My jaw fell open.
“I told you this would happen,” Marcie accused.
I glared at her. “No one else knew about this meeting.I’mnot the one who led them here.”
Her breath hissed through her clenched teeth. “I’ll admit, I’ve drawn some unwanted attention. But it’s not me they’re after. It’syou.” She gave me a dark look. “You share her blood, Evelyn. Without you, only another celestial could find her. Butwithyou,” she stood, even with her less than impressive height managing to loom over me, “with you, they could bring her right back down to earth.”
“Hence our need to depart,” Gabriel growled.
Marcie sighed. “I will distract them as long as I can.” She shook her head. “But it’s obviously already worse than I thought. I hoped no one would figure it out.” She met my eyes. “You need to hide, Evelyn. Behind a boundary where no one can reach you. Butnotwith the elves.”
“Wait—”
But she was already turning away.
Gabriel grabbed my arm, gently hauling me to my feet before grabbing Ringo in the messenger bag with his other hand. “The fae live beyond a boundary too. I will not let them take you where I cannot reach you.”
“What did she mean? How can they use me to bring my mother down to earth?”
“I do not know. We’ll figure it out once you’re safe.”
He tugged me toward the door, only to have the waiter block our path. He lifted his little order pad, waving it expectantly because we hadn’t paid for our drinks.
One glare from Gabriel though, and he was stepping out of our path. We went for the door, stepping out into the sun. And that was when all hell broke loose.
“This way.”Gladiola intercepted us as soon as we exited the diner.
Gabriel followed her, glancing around for the fae. But they could be anywhere. Fae could easily hide in plain sight. With their glamours they could be anyone or anything. They could be—
I tugged against Gabriel’s grip on my arm as Gladiola led us into an alleyway behind the diner.
Gladiola stopped ahead of us, her silver hair sweeping away from her purple tinted face as she looked back at us expectantly.
“Eva, we must—” Gabriel began.
“That’s not Gladiola.” I tugged back again. She looked exactly like her, but she felt wrong. I couldn’t sense her goblin magic. “It’s a glamour.”
Gabriel cursed under his breath, shoving me behind him as Gladiola’s face started to transform. In mere seconds another woman stood before us. She was smaller than Gladiola, with vibrant crimson hair. Her eyes were the same shocking red, the irises larger than a human’s. Some humans liked to wear lenses to make their eyes look more fae, but this woman was the real deal.
She smiled at us, but didn’t make a move, and a moment later we learned why.
Gabriel pulled me close, stepping against the wall as three more fae closed in behind us, two men and one woman, all in their true forms. They didn’t all have vibrant hair like the first woman, but the eyes, the eyes would always give them away unless they changed their shape.
The first woman gave me a brilliant smile, revealing slightly pointed teeth. “Ivan sends his regards.”
I inhaled sharply. I really should have tried pushing Ivan off the roof the night we rescued Braxton. “I have the protection ofthe elf king. Ivan would never go against Elizabeta.” Or at least that’s what Elena and Sebastian both thought.
“Of course not, that’s why we are here.” The fae closed in around us as the woman continued to speak. “We do not fear the elves. Their king stays locked away in his palace.”
Gabriel had slowly maneuvered me between his back and the wall, handing me my bag with Ringo huddled inside. “You need to shift, Eva. Don’t worry about me.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Where in the hells were the other goblins? It wasn’t like we had come without backup.
“It is not me they’re after.”
I held onto him. I didn’t need to sense magic to know the fae’s dark intent. Even if I managed to shift and leave him behind, I might not see Gabriel alive again.
The crimson-haired fae drew near, her stunning eyes on Gabriel. “Leave the girl to us, and you may still be able to help the one whose face I stole.” She flashed him a manic smile. “Or would you choose some half-blood celestial over one of your own people?”