Page 26 of Soulbound Shadows: Part 1

“What?”

“Where should we meet tomorrow before we leave?” he said.

Something warm and prickly was in my chest. “You’re going to come with me?”

Gabriel met my eyes properly for the first time since I’d gotten to the diner. “Unless you don’t want me to.”

“But all the stuff I said about you last night…” I trailed off with a wince.

“All the stuff you said about me last night was correct. Aside from calling me a… dweeb. I looked up what it means, and I don’t feel it applies to me,” he said with a minute frown. “I have been trapped in a way of doing things I’ve never bothered to question, and I’d like to change that. Not many people are willing to talk to me that way. It was almost refreshing. So, I’d like to come with you.”

I took a long pull of my coffee to give myself time to process that. “Eight o’clock tomorrow,” I said finally. “The stone arch at the northern entrance to the woods. We might need to camp, so bring supplies.”

“I’ll be there,” Gabriel said.

“Good,” I said, then more quietly, “Thanks.”

The corner of his mouth lifted ever-so-slightly. “It’s my pleasure.”

Nobody had the right to look that handsome in diner lighting. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, draining the last of the coffee and sliding out of the booth.

“Tomorrow,” Gabriel agreed.

I tried to pay Sal for my coffee, but she waved me off. “Don’t worry about it, Angie, Mr. Cheekbones over there already paid for both of you.”

“Mr. Cheekbones? I thought you decided his nickname was pup,” I said with a grin.

“Seeing how men like that respond to silly names can tell you a lot about them,” Sal said with a casual shrug. “I like to know what I’m dealing with.”

“And what did it tell you about him?” I asked.

Sal gave me a crooked smile. “Ah, where’s the fun in me telling you? You’ve gotta find it out for yourself.”

When I got home, my front door was unlocked. I tensed, building some of the power I’d need for a stunning spell in the palm of my left hand as I swung the door open. Then I let out an exasperated sigh as I took in the familiar shape in my window seat.

“Hi, Marcus,” I said. “Please, come on in, make yourself at home.”

Marcus blinked at me owlishly over the top of his glasses, stroking a hand along Pothos’s back. The traitorous little bastard was curled up in his lap.

“Ah, Evangeline!” he said, like he was surprised and delighted to have bumped into an old friend. “How wonderful to see you. I trust the investigation is going well so far?”

“Yeah, it’s been great,” I said. “Hey, Marcus? Why the hell are you in my house?”

“Ahh, I suspected you might ask,” he said sagely. I rolled my eyes. “I had the sense my presence would be helpful, and I also had a craving for those wonderful dumplings they make at the restaurant downstairs. I got extras. There are some in the refrigerator for you to enjoy at your leisure.”

Wizards. I shook my head. Marcus’s shirt today was bright purple and covered with gold stars. It made him look like Merlin, if Merlin was trying to go undercover as a geology teacher on vacation in the Florida Keys.

“I could actually use your help with something,” I admitted a little grudgingly. I’d been planning on calling Marcus once I came home, but I would rather eat my own legs than admit that to him. “I need to borrow the bottomless tote.”

“Of course, of course. Are you planning some sort of expedition, perhaps?” he asked.

“Not sure I’d call it an expedition,” I said. “I’m just going to the Umbral Village. It’ll take two days. Maybe three at the very most. I feel like an expedition has to be at least a couple weeks, right? It’s not like I’m exploring the Arctic or something.”

“The realm of shadows,” Marcus said. “Interesting.” He fixed me with a look. It was the sort that kept me from ever completely falling for his weird old man act, razor-sharp and searching. “I’ve heard rumblings lately,” he told me. “Strange goings-on in that area. You should be careful if you’re going to go poking around there. If you’d like backup just say the word.”

“I’ve already got backup,” I told him. “Gabriel’s coming with me.”

“Gabriel?” Marcus raised a bushy eyebrow.

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