Page 15

“What the hell!”

Gladiola lifted her purple tinted palms. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I was trying to keep my distance, but these alleys are like a maze. I didn’t want to lose you.”

I crossed my arms as the goblin woman stood to her full height, which was about my height. “And why are you attempting to notloseme?” I held up a hand. “Wait. Don’t even bother answering that. Gabriel told Mistral about my delivery. You all need to stop worrying so much.” I cast a meaningful look back at Sebastian as I said it, but he only watched us blandly, the nymph still cradled in his arms.

Gladiola straightened her silvery hair, then tugged the collar of her black coat up around her neck. “Hey, I’m not worried. I’m just following orders.”

My annoyance quickly faded as I realized something. “You were at the park. Did you see what hurther?” I held a hand back toward Aaliyah as Sebastian moved closer.

Gladiola’s brow furrowed. “No. I was on the bus with you, and got off each time you did.”

My eyes narrowed. “You weren’t on that bus. I would have noticed you.”

She lifted a brow. “Honey, you weren’t noticing much of anything withthat oneputting his hands on you and whispering in your ear.” She nodded toward Sebastian.

Was that a hint of accusation in her tone? “Whatever,” I grumbled. “You did your job, now you can leave. The nymph is injured and we need to take care of her.”

“My job is to make sure nothing happens toyou.” She squared her shoulders. “I’m not leaving.”

“Let her come,” Sebastian sighed.

I balked at him. “Seriously? You’re going to cooperate with a goblin?”

He wrinkled his nose as his eyes lowered to the nymph in his arms. “I for one do not plan on caring for this woman myself. It will surely take more than the remainder of the night, andyou’rebusy tomorrow.” He gave me a pointed look.

“I’m sure Crispin will understand if we have to postpone.”

“We have wasted enough time.” He turned away with the nymph in his arms and started walking.

I wasn’t sure if he meant we had wasted enoughtime tonight, or wasted enough time not finding my mother, but at the moment, it didn’t really matter.

I shrugged at Gladiola. “Let’s go, I guess.”

“How do you stand him?” she whispered.

“I heard that.” His voice echoed from around the next bend.

Gladiola flinched. “You don’t think he’s gonna curse me, do you?”

I started walking. “Devils don’t curse you. They just trick you into infernal contracts and then they annoy you for all of eternity.”

“Duly noted.” She caught up to walk at my side, our steps echoing around the narrow alley. “So what’s the deal with the nymph? Why are we helping her?”

“She’s a client’s sister. Hopefully we’ll find out the rest when she regains consciousness.” I glanced at her. “So why were you sent instead of Gabriel?”

“Because Gabriel didn’t want to piss you off, and it was agreed that you wouldn’t be mad at just little old me.” She waggled her eyebrows at me.

I rolled my eyes as we turned in the directions Sebastian had gone. She was right, of course, but I wouldn’t say so out loud. “I wouldn’t have thought they would worry so much about it.”

“We all worry, Eva.” Her tone sobered considerably. “We all know what happened at Evenlee, and what hangs in the balance. You’re the best hope my people have.”

I blanched at her words, my steps faltering. “Youallknow?” As in theyallknew I’d had sex with Mistral out in the open to help him control wild goblin magic before it could swallow a village—

“Your face right now,” she laughed. “It is so very clear you were raised amongst humans. Goblins are not so rigid about such things.”

“Yeah, I’m beginning to realize that.” Like how Mistral didn’t mind at all that I was also sleeping with his closest friend. And how he didn’t seem to mind that I had kissed both Crispin and Sebastian. Well, the latter he minded only because he hated the devil in question.

We took another turn to find Sebastian waiting for us.