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Feeling silly still seated on the ground, I pushed to my feet. “Do you know where she is?”

But he only observed me, not answering. His gaze drifted down to the furry blue creature. “What isthatdoing here?”

The creature shivered, wrapping its little arms around my ankle.

Feeling bad for the little guy, I quickly crouched and picked him up, then returned my attention to the high goblin. “He’s with me.”

The goblin’s gaze lifted from the creature to my face. The fire from the torch caught his eyes just right to show me how striking they were, deep gray, a few shades darker than his skin. “What do you want with Celeste?”

“I just want to know where she is.”

“You’re just a messenger, or so you claim. Who actually wants to know where she is?”

I once again debated telling the truth. If he found out I was working for a devil, I might be stuck in this cell forever. Then again, he might take pity on me. And if he had any way to tell if I was lying, he certainly wouldn’t. “For a devil named Sebastian.”

His brows lifted again. “An unwise choice of employer.“ He tilted his head, studying me. “Although I’m guessing there was littlechoicein the matter.”

I crossed my arms around the little goblin huddling against my chest. “You guessed correctly. So can I go now?”

“Go?” He pursed his lips as if the idea was preposterous.

A lump started forming in my throat.Surelyhe wouldn’t keep me here. “Yeah. I was sent here to ask you about Celeste. If you don’t know anything about her, my job is done.”

He took a graceful step forward, nearing the bars of my cell. “My closest advisor believes you a spy.”

I stepped toward him, fighting the panic slowly constricting my chest. Icouldn’tbe stuck in this cellforever. Not for that stupid devil. “But you know that’s not true. I just told you why I’m here.”

His long, silky hair draped across his shoulder as he continued watching me like he was waiting for something. Silent moments ticked by.

“You can be both a messenger and spy,” he said finally. His smile told me he didn’t really believe it. He was messing with me, but to what end?

I dared a step closer, close enough that he could grab me through the bars, though I doubted he would. The little goblin hid his face against me. “I’m not a spy. You have no reason to lock me up.”

“Invading my lands is not reason enough?”

I looked directly into those stunning gray eyes. “I am amessenger. I didn’tinvadeanything. I just came here to ask you a question. What’s the harm in that?”

He continued watching me with that small smile on his lips, and I finally realized what he was doing.

And it wasn’t exactly a relief. I sighed heavily. “What do I have to do to get out of here?”

His smile broadened, and it was a little too close to Sebastian’s smile for my liking. “I’ll think about it.” Smirking, he walked away, and a few seconds later the unseen door creaked closed behind him.

I looked down at the little blue creature now looking up at me. “Do you think he’ll be coming back soon?”

The creature blinked rapidly at me, clearly worried.

I was pretty sure I was only being toyed with, but it was cold comfort at best. “Goblins do know thathumans need to eat, right?” I looked around the cell. “And use the bathroom?”

The little goblin simply shivered again.Wonderful. I was stuck for who knew how long, and the only person who knew exactly where I was, was a devil.

And devils weren’t exactly known for heroic rescues.

8

“You’re sixty years old?”I balked.

The blue goblin in front of me straightened its spine with pride. “Just a child, among goblins.”