Page 39 of Deadly Little Games

The car’sbackseat felt mighty small with me sandwiched between Sebastian and Gabriel. Elena sat in the passenger seat next to Crispin, who actually seemed to be a decent driver. Although for someone driving in the city, he was really lacking in road rage. At one point someone giving him the finger had received a cheerful wave in return.

“I’m telling you, my father doesn’t know about it. He would have told me.” Elena was turned in her seat, straining against her seatbelt. “And who is this woman anyways? How do you know she’s not lying?”

I couldn’t answer that, but something told me Marcie had been telling the truth. The same thing that told me Elena was telling the truth too. Which meant her father was the liar, though I couldn’t quite reconcile the idea with the kind, patient elf I had met in the palace.

Crispin stopped at a light, glancing back at me. “Not to interrupt, but we should probably decide where we’re going.”

“Emerald Heights,” Elena said at the same time that Gabriel muttered, “The Bogs.”

“Perhaps we should allow Eva to decide where she wants to go,” Sebastian said pleasantly.

I angled my eyes toward him. “What exactly are you playing at?”

He gave me an innocent look.

I watched him a moment longer, but let it go. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going to Willowvale.”

Crispin had started to accelerate, but slammed on the brakes abruptly, making someone almost hit us. They laid on the horn, zooming around us, though he didn’t seem to notice. “Willowvale? Isn’t that werewolf territory?”

Elena gave me an uneasy look as Crispin eased back onto the gas. “My father would kill me if I stepped foot in Willowvale.”

“The werewolves would kill you first,” Gabriel muttered.

Elena eyed him sharply. “Why are you with us again?”

He glared back at her.

Sebastian seemed perfectly content to let us all argue. He’d explained that the only reason he found me was because he heard about the fairies’ plan to abduct me. Being associated with the criminal underworld had its perks. Rather than warning me in the diner, he’d let me walk into an ambush. I was pretty sure it was just so he could be smug about me leaving my card behind, but hehadhelped the other goblins.

Crispin stopped at another light. “Still need to know where we’re going…”

“I believe Eva already told you,” Sebastian answered for me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is there a reason you’re okay with going to Willowvale?”

He shrugged. “Braxton and I are old friends at this point.”

“No you’re not. What are you up to?”

Instead of answering, he looked out the window.

“Willowvale is north, correct?” Before anyone could answer, Crispin took the next turn, heading north.

“You cannot be serious!” Elena balked.

“She doesn’t want to go to Emerald Heights, Princess. And we’re not in the business of kidnapping, are we?”

Elena bared her teeth at him, and I thought she might argue, then she sat back against her seat with a huff.

Ringo poked his head out of my messenger bag. “We are going to see Braxton?”

I smiled, though I still felt uneasy about whatever Braxton’s mom had to say to me. “We sure are, little buddy. We sure are.”

Gabriel had rolleddown his window as soon as we reached the country, and I leaned across him, inhaling the fresh air. Blades of grass swayed in rhythmic waves across rolling green hills, kissed by dappled sunlight.

I had loved coming out here with Braxton when we were teenagers, and it had been far too long since I’d been back. I had gotten too caught up with my work, and the hustle and bustle of city life.

Nothing like a few life or death experiences to really put things into perspective.

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