Page 4 of Deadly Little Games

I sulked as I sipped my latte. “All the better for me to get the meeting over with.”

“Indeed,” Sebastian agreed. “Learn what information you may, and tell them as little as possible.”

I lifted my coffee cup in agreement, though he had no matching vessel to cheers me with. Not that I felt guilty about that. He could have bought his own damn coffee.

I noticed Ringo peeking out of my slightly ajar door. I leaned forward, pulling out a pastry filled with purple sweet potato from the bag. I dangled it in the air, and he rushed out of the room and hopped onto my knee, holding his little paws out for the pastry. I gave it to him and he started munching away, leaving crumbs all over my jeans.

Sebastian watched Ringo with thinly-veiled disgust. “Do you plan on keeping that thing forever?”

I pulled the pastry bag next to me on the sofa and searched until I found the cherry turnover I had chosen. “Well, I like him a lot better than I likeyou.”

Smirking, he snatched a blueberry danish from the bag, then leaned back against the sofa to eat it.

I watched him, realizing it was the first time I had actually seen him eat. Maybe he wasn’t so different from me and Braxton after all.

Sebastian noticed Ringo also watching him and a flash of fire shone in his eyes, making Ringo tremble.

Scratch that. He was still a devil. Even if we were sort of on the same side now, I couldn’t let my guard down around him. He was using me, and I would use him too.

Of course, when it came to playing games with devils, they always came out on top.

3

My watch buzzedon my way to Emerald Heights. I lifted my wrist to see Dawn’s number flashing at me. I had left a message for her the previous night, wondering if she could find out about Lucas, or the celestial woman who had been with him at the Circus.

“Well,” Dawn said without greeting as soon as I accepted the call, “I haven’t heard a single mutter about a full blooded celestial in the city, nor anything about the angelic, Lucas. But Ihaveheard some other interesting tidbits.”

I hopped over a crack in the sidewalk. “Go on.” Greengate Park had come into view. There was a path through the park that led directly to the boundary of Emerald Heights.

“What will you give me in return?”

I shook my head, though she couldn’t see it. “My half of the gossip, of course.” Internally I thought, thebare minimumof the gossip. Dawn was a colleague, and maybe sometimes a friend, but she would use any of the information against me if she could. Mostly to get me to return to work for her.

Dawn laughed, oblivious to my internal thoughts. “Word on the street is that there’s a bounty on a celestial. Wouldn’t happen to be the one you’re looking for?”

I wanted to rub it in that Dawn was late on the gossip, but I also didn’t want her thinking I knew too much about it. “I’ve heard whispers, but no. I think this woman might know my mom.”

“You should really give that up, Eva.”

“You should really mind your own business, Dawn.”

“Me not minding my business is what makes me such a wellspring of information.”

I rolled my eyes as I reached the green grass of the park. “My apologies. What else?”

“There’s word a night runner named Eva Nix possesses important information on the bounty. And just this morning, the elves have claimed her as their own. Anyone who touches her will face retribution.”

I stopped walking abruptly, catching odd glances from two humans with enough elf blood to give them pointed ears sitting on the nearby bench. “What?”

“Oh come on, Eva. You don’t gain the protection of the elf king without knowing about it.”

“Actually, you do.” I kept walking, wondering what it meant. Though I supposed I would find out soon. I could already see the tall gates of Emerald Heights in the distance.

They were gold, glinting in the sun, with vines of ivy trailing up near the hinges. Maybe I should have visited Mistral first to ask for his advice, but after my encounter with Gabriel, I was hesitant. “I’ve got to go, Dawn. I’m about to walk into Emerald Heights.”

Frantic chattering came from the other end of the line, but I hung up. I’d let her stew on that one for a while, thinking I had some tasty information for her. It might inspire her to learn more for me.

Warier than ever, I reached the gates and pulled one side slightly ajar. The metal was warm in my hand, moving smoothlyand soundlessly aside. The open gate led to even more vibrant greens than what could be seen out in the park. I shifted to go over the boundary, then stepped onto the pale white cobblestone path, shutting the gate behind me. I started walking, observing the nearby homes. The buildings were quaint, white washed with brown trim. Most of my deliveries only came as far as the first few neighborhoods. Beyond them there were vast forests, and eventually a market square.