Page 63

LEO

A loud pounding wakes me just before midnight.

For a moment I lie there, hoping Rime will take care of it.

But when the knocking comes again, I force myself out of bed and yank on a pair of sweats.

I can’t imagine who would be coming to see us so late at night.

There’s no one else from home slated to join our team.

I pull on a t-shirt as I stumble down the dark hall. There are no signs of life from Topaz’s room. She won’t come out of there unless the building’s on fire. In the living room, Rime lies on his back on the couch.

He mumbles, “You have rude friends.”

“You can’t answer it?”

“This isn’t my apartment.”

I glower at him, but I pause before I unlock the door.

On the off chance it could be an ‘emissary’ from Brier, we might want to be prepared.

I smack Rime on the leg and order him to sit up and be alert.

Evidently, he was thinking the same thing because he cooperates without argument.

At his nod, I turn the lock and open the door.

I’m dreaming. There’s no other explanation. Because there stands Betts, her yellow hair piled on top of her head and her perfect thighs barely covered by a sparkling blue dress.

I breathe out her name, but she’s frozen and speechless, alarm in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I smell alcohol and men’s cologne. I smell Zander. If he’s hurt her again, I’ll break both his arms.

“I had to come and tell you,” she gasps.

My eyes scan her whole body for bruises, then settle on her face. She’s been crying.

“What happened?” I uncurl my fists and pull her gently inside, surprised she lets me touch her.

Rime is on his feet, concerned and alert. He brings in the suitcase standing behind her and invites her to sit down, but she doesn’t seem aware of him.

“I…I didn’t think it could wait,” she stammers.

“Didn’t think what could wait?” I’m trying hard not to show how much her confusion is scaring me. “What’s going on? Where were you?”

“Asheville.”

“Asheville? How did you get here?”

“Uber.”

She was riding with a stranger in the middle of the night? Pain shoots from my clenched jaw, all the way down my neck.

Rime speaks to her calmly, in a way I can’t right now, “Tell us what’s going on. Are you alright?”

She blinks. “Me? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. They didn’t notice me.”

Rime’s gaze cuts to mine, his brow lowered in confusion. I’m still in the dark, too, but I’m relieved. It doesn’t sound like she’s here because of Zander.

“I want to help you,” she pleads. “Will you let me?”

“Of course,” Rime says, no less bewildered than he was a second ago.

I, however, am starting to understand. “You mean help us find the weapon?”

“Yes.” She turns those sweet blue eyes to me and asks again, “Will you let me?”

I take her hand, give it a squeeze. “We want your help,” I reassure her. “ I want your help.”

She nods and swallows, still looking like a frightened deer. If I could just hold her, I could calm her down. But I don’t dare. Not yet.

“They were at the hotel,” she tells me. “I saw them.”

“Saw who?”

“Three of you.”

My heart plunges to my feet. I hear Rime growl, “Three fae?”

“Yes.”

Eyes locked, Betts and I whisper, “Brier’s team.”