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Aaliyah had already turned her attention back to the park.

“Be safe,” I said.

“I will.” She smiled. “No one will ever believe that I met not only a celestial, but a devil and a goblin.” Her eyes lowered as Ringo popped his head out of my bag. “Twogoblins. Well meaning strangers who happened upon me entirely by chance.”

“Yep, we were just taking a nice moonlight stroll. Found an unconscious nymph and took her home.”

“Thank you,” she said again, then turned and walked toward the park.

Gabriel and I watched her until she was safe beyond the gates. Or as safe as she could be with a poisoner waiting somewhere inside.

Gabriel stood close enough for his chest to press against the back of my shoulder. “I have a bad feeling just letting her go like this.”

I shrugged. “So do I, but short of holding her hostage, there’s not a lot we can do. I’m going to call her sister though, see if she knows anything about what happened.”

But first, coffee. Then home to shower.

I glanced at Gabriel as we started walking. “What’s your opinion on the city bus?”

He placed his hand at the small of my back, pulling me closer as a bike messenger whizzed by. “Tedious, but useful.”

“Good, then let’s go.” I hesitated. “Unless you need to check back in with Mistral?”

“A messenger will be sent to your apartment if there are any issues.”

I shook my head, smiling as we reached the bus stop. “You know, phones are pretty useful.” I held up my watch, not exactly a phone, but close enough.

“They do not work in the Citadel. Too far from any phone towers.”

The shaded bench was full, so we both stood near everyone else waiting. “Yeah but you couldhavea phone, and so could Mistral. Then a messenger could venture far enough to get service to text you.”

He humored me with a small smile. “We have never had much use for being out in the city, until now.”

“Until me, you mean?”

He continued smiling as the bus pulled up and opened its doors.

“So have I convinced you to get a phone?”

He waited for me to walk up the steps ahead of him. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Everyone already on the bus probably thought I was crazy for the way I was grinning. But it would be nice to be able to text. There would be no need for random late night apartment visits.

Of course, I didn’t particularly mind those, at least from Gabriel.

We walked toward the back of the bus, and I grabbed one of the loops dangling from the ceiling. Gabriel put an arm around my waist, glaring at anyone who came too near.

I heard paper tearing in my messenger bag and shook my head. “We’re giving the package back to Seraphina, Ringo.”

“But it smells good,” he whispered beneath the flap of my bag.

“I’ll get you a potato pastry on the way home if you stay out of it.”

All paper tearing ceased. I’ve got a few odd looks for talking to my bag, all short-lived with Gabriel glaring behind me. I checked my watch as the bus started moving. We should have time for a stop at my favoritecafe before we had to meet Sebastian in Emerald Heights. Maybe I’d even get an extra coffee to put in a thermos for the road. Because being in a room with Sebastian, Gabriel, and Crispin at the same time wasdefinitelygoing to require extra caffeine.

Gabriel leanednear my shoulder as I pointed to different pastries behind the display case. “Why are you choosing so many?”

“—and two of those,” I finished, pointing to the spiced pumpkin croissants. Autumn was finally on its way, and I was all for it. I paid, then shuffled aside to wait for our coffees and pastries.