Page 21 of White Little Lies (Four Ways to Fate #3)

21

“Ye-ah,” Braxton drew out the word as he looked up at the red lipped sign for Crimson Kisses, “we aren’t going to stand out at all.” He glanced at Gabriel in his casual street clothes, then at Crispin looking like he just stepped out of some vintage English pub, then at Elena in her striped shirt, jacket, and jeans.

“Don’t worry about it.” Elena patted his arm. “I know the management.”

I gave Ringo a reassuring shoulder bob as we all stood on the sidewalk in the Dark District—just after dark. Perfect timing for all of the younger vampires to come out. The older ones usually didn’t show up until around midnight.

“And that’s why you got to come along,” I said, hoping Elena’s father would never find out about it.

He hadn’t been pleased when he had learned his daughter posed undercover at a vampire bar as a bartender. He would be even less pleased if he knew I took her back to the establishment. But as she had said, she knew the management, including Lilith. If Lucas had been coming around here, they would be the ones to ask.

Gabriel stepped closer to me as a pair of female vampires swept past us, one holding the door for the other as they entered the bar. They both looked pale and a little bit sleepy, and would surely be finding willing victims amongst the humans who frequented the Dark District.

The allure for humans was lost on me. I personally would not enjoy being treated like a pet .

With the two female vamps out of the way, Braxton held the door open for us, giving me a pointed look.

I had offered to let him stay home, but he claimed he would never forgive himself if he stayed back and I got eaten.

We all went inside. Candles already dripped across tall tables lining the far wall. There were some lower tables in the middle of the floor, bordered by the artfully carved bar. It really was a beautiful space, minus the vampires now watching us with hunger in their eyes.

Ignoring them, I led the way to the bar. For once, I probably wouldn’t be the first on the menu. Two elves, a goblin, and werewolf would all be more tasty than little old me. Vampires couldn’t steal power from blood, but the more powerful blood did give an extra kick.

I slid onto one of the barstools. Elena remained standing at my side, smoothing her hands across the bar in a proprietary fashion.

I raised a brow at her. “Miss your old job?”

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Sometimes. I really wasn’t here for long, but it was nice to be treated like something other than a princess.”

“Just what did your father think you were doing while you were here?”

She smirked. “He didn’t think anything. I know how to get beyond the gates without him noticing.”

“Yes,” Crispin confirmed, squishing in beside her. “Something he has grilled me on during numerous occasions.”

“And that’s why I’ve never told you how I do it.” She lifted her nose in the air.

Despite everything, and despite where we were, I couldn’t help my smile. Elves were pretty to look at, but I never would have thought I would enjoy their company so much. It almost made me reluctant to achieve our purpose. Once I found my mom and whoever had created the bounty, we wouldn’t all have much of a reason to hang out all the time. It made me sad to think about it.

Not that it would stop me from finding my mother.

Someone finally came out of the back room to tend to the bar, and unfortunately it wasn’t Lilith. I didn’t know her well, but she had known my mom once upon a time. I had a feeling she was quietly rooting for me, and if she knew anything about how to find Lucas, or what he had been doing in the Dark District, she would tell me.

The male vampire glided up to the bar, recognition sliding through his eyes upon seeing Elena. “Girl, you are so lucky Ivan is dead. Wouldn’t be smart for you to show your face around here otherwise.” His hair was gelled into dyed black spikes, his eyes a pale blue.

Elena winced. “Yeah, sorry for lying about who I am.”

He laughed, grinning wide enough to show fangs as he tugged at the collar of his black button up. His eyes flicked to Ringo on my shoulder, but he didn’t comment. “Don’t apologize. Things get dull after a few hundred years.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Now I can say I worked with an undercover elven princess.” He straightened and returned his voice to a normal volume as he looked at the rest of us. “Who are your friends?”

He must not have been here the night I came with Braxton, or the night I came to rescue Braxton.

Elena crooked a finger at him, bringing him closer again so she could whisper in his ear. He was mighty close to her neck, but he behaved himself, his expression giving absolutely nothing away of what she was saying. The older vampires were like that with their expressions. I was surprised more of them didn’t play poker, but maybe gambling lost its appeal after a few centuries.

When he finally pulled away, he looked at each of us, including an extra long look for Gabriel, who had taken the barstool on my other side. “The guy you’re looking for has come in a few times asking for Lilith. She’s been avoiding him because she thinks it’s funny.”

Vampires . The humor was probably the most baffling part of their behavior.

“Do you know what he wants with her?” I asked, my own theories already running through my mind. Lilith knew my mom, and that meant she might also know Marcie. Had she been the one to manipulate Lucas, or was she just as much in the dark?

“Not a clue.” He shrugged. “Not a nice guy though. Has an evil glint in his eye.”

“Will Lilith be in tonight?” Elena asked.

“Sure,” the vamp said. “Though not until midnight. You’re going to have to wait a while.”

“Do you need any help behind the bar?” Elena asked, surprising me.

The vamp’s brow lifted. “Of course. Tips were double when you were around.” He walked away to help another customer with a little swish of his slender hips.

We all looked at Elena.

She shrugged. “What? We have to wait anyway, and you have no idea how much people like to talk to bartenders. I may even have the information we need long before Lilith comes in for the night.”

“Bravo, princess.” Crispin shooed her away so he could have enough room to slip onto the barstool where she’d been standing .

I watched Elena walk behind the bar like she owned the place, Sebastian’s card feeling like a heavy weight in my back pocket. He never went a full day without pestering me. Something was definitely wrong. Maybe I could go to him. Maybe I could use Gabriel and Crispin’s power, then just picture Sebastian—but I had no idea where we would end up. Or where I would end up. There was no guarantee both guys would come with me.

And… did I really owe Sebastian a rescue? He had rescued me multiple times, sure, but he had ulterior motives. It wasn’t me he cared about.

My watch buzzed, and I half expected it to be Sebastian, though he had never actually called me. I looked at the screen and saw a number I recognized.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” I told the guys.

The other option was the street, but I could already hear it getting loud out there. Almost as loud as it was starting to get in the bar. I slid from the stool, already knowing Gabriel would be following me to wait outside the door.

Once I was alone in a stall with a loudly buzzing electric light overhead, I answered the call.

“Eva?” Seraphina’s voice was strained. I could hear shouting somewhere near her.

“Yeah, it’s me. What happened?”

“They did it. They took the well out of our realm. It’s here in the park. It’s utter chaos.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What! Fiorus was under the impression that they were still just plotting. Sebastian was going to—”

“Whatever my father wanted with your devil is moot. The well is here now, in the middle of the city. Everyone is fighting.”

I hated to ask, but, “Why are you there?”

She huffed loudly into the phone. “The well is the power source of my entire clan. Of course I felt it as soon as it became available to me once more. But that’s not important. These idiots have made my clan vulnerable and now everyone is in danger. I need you to come here and help us return the well to where it belongs.”

“Um, I have no idea how to do that.”

“Then your devil. Bring him. Surely he can figure something out.”

“He’s missing.”

“Eva!” she hissed.

“Okay, okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She hung up before I could, and I just stood in the bathroom for a moment, letting my mind catch up. So much for waiting for Lilith.

Gabriel and I stepped out into the street. Crispin and Braxton had agreed to stay behind with Elena. She could gather her information bartending, and speak with Lilith once she arrived. And if she didn’ t, Ringo was scampering around listening for any dirt he might dig up. I trusted Braxton to look after him.

Laughing couples strode past us dressed in black lace and crimson velvet. Most of them were human, but when in the Dark District, a particular level of flair was expected.

“What do you plan once we reach the park?” Gabriel glared at a pair of young guys coming a little too close, swerving and already drunk, and they quickly gave us space.

“I don’t know.” I started walking, wondering if we would be lucky enough to catch a cab. “Calm Seraphina down, I guess. I might be able to help hold their portal open, but I sure as hell can’t move some giant magical—”

Arms clamped around my torso so abruptly that my breath shot out of me. In a heartbeat my feet were off the ground. Gabriel spun to grab me, but I was already airborne. I watched helplessly as he was lost to the street lights below.

“What are you doing here?” Lucas’ words were nearly lost to the rushing wind and the massive beat of feathered wings.

“Looking for you, you psycho!” I rasped, then clamped my jaw shut after having the realization that he might not care about me staying alive anymore.

He flew us through the dark night, his arms like iron bars around my ribs, bruising as I couldn’t help but kick my feet below me. It didn’t seem to bother him, and he flew effortlessly higher until we reached the flat top of a building that had to be about twenty stories high.

He unceremoniously tossed me onto the concrete, then landed gracefully beside me.

Groaning, I half rolled over to look up at him. “What in the hells is your problem?”

He stalked around me, blond hair fluttering in the wind, his great feathered wings flicking with irritation. “The missive I received was not from your mother.” He turned to pace in the other direction, flicking his wings again.

I managed to sit up, wincing at the bruises that would already be forming under my jeans from the fall. “Yeah, I know. That’s why I was trying to find you. I heard you were after the devil who tricked you.”

He spun on me, fury widening his eyes. “She did not trick me. She somehow came into possession of the feather I had given your mother.”

I wasn’t about to point out that that was exactly how she had tricked him. “Do you know who she is? The devil?”

“I do not. And now Marcie evades me as well. I believe she was involved in the whole scheme.” He stopped pacing to stand directly over me. “But why would she care about keeping you alive?”

I was once again slapped in the face by the thought that Lucas would no longer care if I lived or died, and we were very high up. “That’s what I’m trying to find out. This has to have something to do with the bounty, but why trick—um, convince you to kill night runners, and then to protect me?”

He narrowed his eyes at me for a long moment. Long enough for my pulse to nearly choke me. But then finally, he turned away to continue pacing, the wind gusting his white feathers. “That is the question, isn’t it?” He whirled on me again. “Where is Sebastian?”

It felt weird sharing information with an unpredictable crazy person, but he was looking for the female devil too. Exactly what Sebastian had been doing before he disappeared.

I explained as much.

His eyes widened again, this time with realization. “He would know her, of course.”

“He didn’t say that he knew her. He just went to find out more about her.”

“All devils know each other.”

Yeah, maybe I should have thought of that too. “She was involved with some nymphs. She made a contract with their leader. Do you know why?” Lucas definitely wasn’t on my side, but at least one of us needed to find this other devil. And probably kill her. Lucas was far better suited to that than me.

He waved me off. “She would want their well, of course. Devils only search for power. They make contracts for power. Wells are an incredible source of raw magic. That’s why they must keep them in other realms.”

I digested his words. We might be going entirely down the wrong path, but could a coincidence this big ever really be a coincidence?

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “The well isn’t in another realm anymore. It’s in the middle of a park in the lower city.”

He went perfectly still. “How long has it been there?”

“I don’t know. Not very long.”

His feral smile sent a chill down my spine. “Get up.”

“Why?”

“You want to find this other devil, do you not?”

I stood, not because he had ordered me to do so, but because I was finally feeling steady enough. “Well yeah, I guess.”

“If the well is in this realm, that is where she will be. With you as a token, she will have to give me the truth.”

I took a step back, but since it placed me closer to the edge of the roof, it wasn’t really an improvement. “A token?”

“She wants you alive.” He looked me up and down. “For some reason. I will dangle what she wants before her, and she will choose if it is worth the truth.”

Before I could argue, he dove toward me, clamping his arms around me again. Seconds later, we were airborne, and this time I couldn’t quite stifle my scream.