Page 7 of Deadly Little Games (Four Ways to Fate #2)

7

I had hoped to see Gabriel during our ride to the gates. I wasn’t sure what I would say to him if I did, but I hated how I had left things the night before. Unfortunately, we saw no sign of him, and even more unfortunately, Sebastian was waiting outside the gates when we arrived.

It was a mostly sunny day, but a single thick cloud cast him in a pool of shade. His crisp white shirt contrasted with a fitted gray suit vest and slacks. He looked bored as we dismounted on the other side of the gates, but I knew it was an act. He probably went to the location of his calling card—my apartment—before moving on to the next place he thought I might be. He wasn’t bored. He was pissed.

Mistral stayed by my side as I moved to open the gate.

With his attention on me, Sebastian lifted his hand, my playing card between two of his straightened fingers. “If you don’t keep this with you, I won’t be able to help you when there’s trouble.”

“She is safe here,” Mistral replied before I could say anything.

Sebastian’s eyes drifted to Mistral. “She could come to harm right where I’m standing and you wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

Mistral glared at Sebastian. “She could come to harm right where you’re standing, and you wouldn’t do anything unless she offered you something in return.”

Sebastian’s brow lifted. “Have you truly convinced her that you care? That you want more from her than the bounty on her mother’s head?”

I abruptly pushed open the gate, glaring at Sebastian. “That’s pretty rich considering your motives.”

“I only speak the truth to Eva,” Mistral said. “The same will never be said of you.”

Sebastian opened his mouth and I held up a hand to cut him off. “I need to get to Emerald Heights, and I want to change first, so whatever is going on between the two of you will have to wait.”

His eyes widened briefly, and I realized I had messed up. “You intend to return?”

I had forgotten that I’d only told Mistral and Gabriel about that. “Yes. The court wizard knows a bit about realm travel. I want to ask him some questions.”

Sebastian lowered his chin, his expression clearly stating that he knew I wasn’t telling him everything. “Then I will escort you home to change your clothing, since no one else is offering.” His eyes were on Mistral as he said it.

Mistral took my hand before I could step over the boundary, then placed a light kiss on my knuckles, keeping his eyes lifted to my face. Magic tickled my fingers. “I hope you will remember what we spoke about.”

Since that could mean far too many things, and none of them would I want to discuss in front of Sebastian, I simply nodded. “I’ll come back when I can.”

He released my hand, and I stepped over the boundary.

Sebastian touched the small of my back to turn me away from Mistral, and I had a feeling it was only for the other man’s benefit.

I glanced back as we started walking, meeting Mistral’s gaze for a moment before we went around a bend in the path. The gate was closed at my final glance, though I hadn’t heard it move.

Once we reached the first street, Sebastian lifted his hand at the oncoming traffic and a cab immediately stopped for us. I gave him a suspicious look, but when he opened the door for me, I got inside. During certain times of the day it could be impossible to hail a cab in the city. I wasn’t going to gripe if he had used magic to help us out. I had places to be, after all.

We sat in the silence of the air-conditioned cab, with me squirming in my seat, breathing shallowly around the smell of stale cigarettes. I still couldn’t quite tell what Sebastian’s mood was, though verbally sparring with Mistral had seemed to bring him some enjoyment.

Once the cab let us out near my neighborhood and we were away from the potentially prying ears of our driver, I turned to face Sebastian. I really didn’t want him to ask me questions about Crispin, so I beat him to the interrogation punch. “What was with all your comments to Mistral? I know you guys have history, but no one seems to want to talk about it.”

His smile was pure ice. “You share too much with him. You seem to think he can protect you, and I felt it my prerogative to let you know that it’s not the case. Mistral cannot leave the Bogs.”

My jaw fell open. I had suspected it, but part of me couldn’t believe it was true.

Sebastian grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the way as a cyclist whizzed past us. “And you do seem to need the protection.”

My heartbeat picked up as he continued gripping my arm. “How do you know he can’t leave the Bogs?” Not that it didn’t make sense. Now I knew why he had sent Gabriel to my apartment rather than coming himself.

Sebastian surprised me by actually answering, “Because that was the bargain he struck with me. His mother maintained the magic of the Bogs before him. When she died, he begged me to help him take her place—to create a contract of sorts between himself and the land. Being unable to leave the Bogs was the price he paid.”

“But how does that benefit you?”

He tilted his head. “Not everything has to benefit me, dear Eva.” He released my arm and gestured for me to start walking.

Reluctantly, I did, though I kept him in my sights. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

“You’re too kind.” We reached my favorite café, and he stopped outside the door. “I thought we might like to pick up some of those delightful pastries on the way home.”

I looked up at him suspiciously. “Is that why you had the cab drop us so far from my apartment?”

Instead of answering, he opened the door for me.

He was being far too pleasant after I had disobeyed him and left the card behind. I hesitated in the doorway. “You’re not going to try to kiss me again, are you?”

Still holding the door open, he leaned close to my face. “Oh, dear Eva. The next time we kiss, it will be because you begged for it.”

“Yeah, not likely.” His laughter followed me into the café.

At least I was getting pastries. And at least he couldn’t follow me into Emerald Heights. Together, he and Crispin would be utterly intolerable.

Despite my protests, Sebastian escorted me all the way to the border of Emerald Heights. It was almost like he didn’t trust me. Almost like it had bothered him that I had run off to the Bogs the first chance I got, telling Mistral all my secrets while spilling none of them to him .

Elena waited just beyond the golden gates, wearing a loose green flannel and jeans. She wrung her hands in a rare display of nerves. Two massive bucks waited further up the cobblestone path.

“Thank goddess you’re on time.” She hurried to open the gates, not even acknowledging Sebastian’s presence. Her red hair hung across her face for a moment, and when she pushed it back, I could see the panic she was trying to rein in.

I took one side of the gate from her, pulling it open the rest of the way. “What happened?”

She finally glanced at Sebastian, then back at me. She gnawed her lip. “If I knew what was good for me, I wouldn’t tell anyone about this, but I think you may be the only people who can help.”

I lifted a brow. “People?”

She glanced around her, then moved closer to us, stepping across the boundary. She lowered her voice. “Crispin was doing an experiment to prepare for today, and something happened.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of something?”

“Shh.” Her eyes shifted. “You’ll just have to come and see. Both of you.” She gave me a meaningful look.

Did she mean Sebastian? “Um, you know he can’t come across the boundary, right?”

She reached into her jeans pocket, then produced a small green glass leaf. “His temporary invitation,” she explained. “My father is aware of what has happened.”

I looked over my shoulder at Sebastian. “Are you following any of this?”

“For once, I’m just as flummoxed as you.” He leaned in to observe the leaf, flicking his eyes toward me. “But don’t get used to it.”

Elena shifted her feet impatiently. “Will you do this for Eva’s sake?” She held the leaf toward Sebastian.

He tilted his head, eyeing the leaf. “I will witness what you wish us to see, but I promise nothing else.”

I was honestly surprised he wasn’t asking for more. But then again, he was actually getting an invitation into Emerald Heights. There was no saying what kind of trouble a devil could stir up amongst the elves. Or maybe he just wanted to catch me in a lie…

But Elena didn’t seem to consider any of that. Nodding to herself, she stepped back across the boundary, then extended her hand with the leaf in her palm. “Place your hand over mine.”

Sebastian obeyed, his long fingers covering the base of her wrist. Green light flashed between their palms, and when he lifted his hand, the leaf was gone. Elena moved back, and he stepped effortlessly across the boundary.

I shook my head. “Just when I thought I had seen everything.” I shifted slightly, stepping across the boundary to join them.

Elena eyed Sebastian warily, like she hadn’t been the one to just invite him into her realm. I wondered what her people might think of their princess letting a devil in. She had to be absolutely desperate to do so. Just what had happened to Crispin?

I opened my mouth to ask just that, but Elena was already walking toward the waiting bucks.

“Two bucks for three riders?” I asked as I followed after her.

She glanced back as she reached the massive beasts. “You didn’t seem very comfortable with riding. I thought you might be safer with me.”

My shoulders relaxed. I didn’t want to ride with Sebastian for a myriad of reasons, but primarily because I didn’t know if my magic might kick up again. “Well he kind of does this black whooshy thing. I’m sure he can just meet us there now that he’s across the boundary.” I jumped when I realized he was standing directly behind me, close enough to touch.

“I will ride,” he said simply.

I gave him a sidelong glance, but he didn’t return the attention, and Elena was already waiting with her fingers laced to boost me onto the buck.

“My, aren’t we all being terribly agreeable?” I muttered, stepping away from Sebastian.

Elena launched me onto the buck, and I made an effort to settle in comfortably after her comment about my riding. With the grace of a gymnast, she hopped up behind me, scooting in close and putting her arm around me.

I looked toward Sebastian, hoping he would have trouble climbing atop the other buck, but he simply guided the beast to a tree stump, using it to boost himself. He ended up on the buck’s back with not a single hair out of place.

Infuriating .

As we started riding, Elena looked over at Sebastian. “Your invitation into our realm will wear off around nightfall, just so you’re aware.”

“I suspected as much.” He observed the greenery around us, and the distant homes.

“Good.” Elena’s arm tightened around me as she patted her heels against the buck’s sides, and the beast lurched forward.

I gritted my teeth and held on for dear life, glaring at Sebastian every so often as he rode effortlessly beside us.