Page 5

‘Don’t know. I don’t go looking for her. The others say she’s fond of sweets – at least, that’s what gets stolen most from the lockers. She’s a menace.’ A menace with a sweet tooth, a girl after my own heart.

I didn’t want to risk her wrath by summoning her when I was empty handed. I turned to Thomas. ‘Would you mind if we came back? We’d really like to talk to her.’

‘Your funeral,’ Leif muttered.

Thomas ignored him. ‘Sure. I’ll come back with you.’

I really hated putting a human in danger but of everyone in this cave – hags excluded –Thomas was the most dangerous person I knew. He’d be fine. ‘Thanks, Thomas. Are there any particular sweets she likes?’ I asked.

‘Doughnuts,’ Leif answered immediately.

Good to know.

The dwarf led us back to the lift and I followed him eagerly; I couldn’t wait to feel the sun on my face.

Hag or no hag, the mine wasn’t my favourite place.

Chapter 4

I wanted to buy some doughnuts and return to the mine immediately, but the universe had other plans because there were no decent ones left in the bakery. It was late afternoon and the only two in the display case were old and dry; if I offered her those, the hag would be sure to slit my throat.

I put in an order for a dozen fresh doughnuts to collect in the morning then texted Thomas and arranged a time to meet him. Technically I’d be off shift but the Nomo’s office didn’t really keep to strict hours; we worked when we had to and rested when we didn’t. Gunnar was still visibly tired after being run ragged for nine weeks whilst Sidnee and I were at the academy, so it seemed only fair that I put in any extra hours he required.

As Gunnar drove us back into town, I called Connor. ‘Hey,’ he answered warmly.

‘Hi,’ I replied as a huge smile crossed my face. ‘How are you?’ Connor was working hard these days, paying theprice for taking nearly a week off work to visit me at the academy.

‘I’m good,’ he assured me. ‘What about you? I heard you caught a new case.’

‘Yeah,’ I sighed. ‘I’m not quite sure what the deal is with it yet.’

‘I heard he choked himself to death in the mine. Some sort of sex thing.’

I snorted. ‘The Portlock rumour mill is ridiculous. It was nothing like that – a heart attack, maybe.’

‘Maybe? You’re not sure?’

‘No signs of foul play … and yet…’ I trailed off.

‘Your gut says otherwise.’ He knew me so well.

‘Yeah. I’m going to be pulling a few extra hours.’

‘What’s new?’ he teased lightly, but there was no acrimony in his voice. With his own company to run, plus being head of the vampires in Portlock, Connor knew what it was to be busy. ‘I’ve got to go,’ he said reluctantly. ‘John’s here.’

John was the vampire who’d helped rescue me from the clutches of the vampire king in London. I owed him big time for his help. ‘Good. Tell him I said hi.’

‘Will do. Love you, Doe.’

‘Love you.’ We rang off.

Gunnar slid me a glance. ‘You two seem happy.’

Ibeamed. ‘We are.’

‘Good. I had my reservations at first, but he’s good for you.’

It surprised me how much his validation meant to me. ‘He is.’