Page 9 of Deadly Little Games
For some reason I felt like it should be almost dark by the time I left Greengate Park behind, but in reality I had only been in Emerald Heights for a few hours.
I was about to step out onto the sidewalk when I heard the rustle of wings, then arms wrapped around me and I was suddenly airborne. I let out a scream and started to struggle, then we were so high up that I gripped the arms around me and went still, not wanting to be dropped. I could try to shift, but even if I managed to fully shift again, there was no saying if I would stick the landing, and the sidewalk was now way too far away.
My panicked thoughts cut off abruptly as I was dropped onto the roof of a tall building, and Lucas landed beside me.
I scurried out of reach, pushing my windblown hair back out of my face. “What the hell, dude?”
He loomed over me, wings slightly spread to block out the lowering sun. A cool breeze picked up locks of his blond hair andruffled the collar of his white linen shirt. “What were you doing in Emerald Heights?”
I gripped the strap of my bag, glancing around for the easiest way off the roof. There was a doorway leading down into the building, but it was probably locked, and I would have to get around Lucas to reach it. “I’m a night runner. I make deliveries.” I stood up a little straighter, facing him. “Now where’s my mother?”
He stalked toward me, his aggressive movements emphasizing his irritation. “I’m not allowed to kill you, but I still have to prevent you from finding her. This causes a significant issue for me.”
I took a step back, but I was getting too close to the edge of the roof. He wasn’tsupposedto kill me, but that didn’t mean hewouldn’t. “Well sorry to be a pain in the ass, but get used to it.”
He came too close and I flinched. I felt a pulse of magic from the card in my back pocket.
“You need to stop looking, Eva. You’re not going to like what you find.”
I gripped the strap of my bag hard enough to make my knuckles turn white, and forced myself to meet his angry eyes. “Well ever since you revealed my identity to everyone, I really don’t have a choice.”
He let out a bark of laughter, tossing back his head. “You believe I revealed your identity? Why would I make my life more difficult?”
I frowned. “Only you and Sebastian knew.” I thought about Lilith, but Lilith didn’t recognize me until after Ivan was already after me. Maybe someone else had noticed the resemblance, but who?
Lucas flexed his hands at his sides. “If you’re not going to stop, I’m going to have to take you somewhere safe.”
I stepped back again, then bumped into something solid. I glanced over my shoulder at Sebastian. “Took you long enough.”
Sebastian tilted his head. “Did you not want to see what he had to say?”
I crossed my arms. “Fair point.”
Lucas glared at both of us, then focused his attention on me. “You’re a fool to trust a devil. Do you really want to get your mother killed?”
I fell silent, the question making me uncomfortable. Sebastian claimed he would be content with finding the offerer of the bounty, but I couldn’t trust him entirely. If we found my mother first, would he turn her in?
“Just tell me where she is. Just put an end to this.”
Lucas lowered his chin, but didn’t respond.
“He doesn’t know,” Sebastian said behind me. “He is simply following orders.”
Lucas wrinkled his nose and flashed his teeth, his angry eyes on Sebastian. “I hope you’re not opposed to babysitting her constantly. I think you signed a longer contract than you realized.”
Sebastian put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back against him. I felt a flare of magic between us and tried to not show it on my face, but I could also sense Sebastian’s surprise.
Not noticing, Lucas gave me a dark look. “I’ll be watching you, Eva. You won’t like what happens if you get too close.”
He took off in a flash of white wings, leaving us in the cool breeze on our own.
I turned toward Sebastian, still feeling a pulse of magic between us, like a magnet drawing me closer. “It’s getting worse,” I whispered.
He nodded subtly, his attention mostly on our surroundings. “What happened with the elves?”
Could I really trust him? I would take his help, but if I could find my mother on my own…
“What do you think? Everyone wants the…” I glanced around, then whispered, “object.” There. That wasn’t quite a lie. I didn’t need to tell him that Elena wasn’t actually after it.