Page 21 of White Little Lies

Sebastian finally released me, and when I looked up at him, whatever I had seen before in his expression was gone. The light around me dimmed, then slowly faded.

Isadora returned to us, handing me a bottle filled with glittering lavender liquid. “This should fix your nymph. And please, come seemeanytime.”

“That’s it?” I asked, feeling a little shaken.

She shrugged. “I get plenty of cash from the humans I sell to. What you have is far more valuable than cash.”

Sebastian placed a hand at the small of my back, just the light touch making me want to throw myself into his arms again. “It’s late. We should go.”

Isadora’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, but she didn’t ask any further questions. Instead she adopted a fake drawl and said, “Y’all come back now, ya hear?” With a little wave, she turned back to her workstation, admiring the jar of my magic.

Sebastian guided me back outside.

The noise of the streets had quieted considerably at the late hour. “Should I be concerned about her having some of my magic?”

“What she does with it is not our problem.” He started walking without a single glance back at Isadora’s shop.

He didn’t seem to want to talk, and maybe it was for the best. Because what the hell was that kiss? It wasn’t the first one, of course, but things had definitely escalated, and I didn’t understand it. Just as I didn’t understand how Mistral could call stars from my fingertips, while Gabriel called forth a warm glow. And now Sebastian could bring about a friggin aurora. It was like my magic was choosing them for different reasons, but I didn’t have any say in it.

The goblins I didn’t mind. But Sebastian?

I watched his broad shoulders as he led the way down the street, itching to know more. Itching to know ifheknew more. He knew he could call my magic, but did he realize exactly what would happen back there?

My bag shifted against me as Ringo tossed aside the flap to look up at me. He had his arms wrapped around the antidote I had slid in there after Isadora gave it to me. “The bottle feels warm,” he whispered. “Warmer than it should. Are you sure it’s safe to give to her?”

I frowned. I had been so intent on gaining the antidote, I hadn’t stopped to question if it might do more harm than good. “We don’t really have any other options, unless we call her sister. Which would be bad. She would come here, and if anyone knew they interacted, Aaliyah would be cast out, just like Seraphina.”

“But what about whoever poisoned her?” he whispered, his words barely audible as a car whizzed by on the dark, damp street.

“Hopefully we can find out more about it when she wakes.” I picked up my pace to catch up with Sebastian, anxious to get back.

I wasn’t sure what I had expected with taking a devil on my delivery, but this certainly had not been the night I had bargained for.

Gladiola rushed over aswe reached the top of the stairs. “It’s about time! Her breathing has becomelabored. Did you get the antidote?” Her wide eyes darted back and forth between us.

I glared at Sebastian. “I thought you said we had time!”

He shrugged, his eyes on the sofa at the other end of the room. “She is not dead, so we had time.”

Shaking my head, I hurried over to Aaliyah, kneeling beside the sofa. Ringo handed me the antidote from within my bag and I unscrewed the lid.

Gladiola peered dubiously at the glittering liquid. “That looks more like a party trick than an antidote. Are you sure you got the right thing?”

“Just help me tilt her head back,” I huffed.

She did as I asked, gently moving Aaliyah’s hair out of the way so she could tilt her head, making her mouth fall open.

I dribbled some of the liquid into the nymph’s mouth, but it started to pool at the back of her throat. “Ringo—”

But he was already hopping onto Aaliyah’s chest. He worked his little blue paws at her throat, and she convulsed, swallowing the liquid.

Gladiola had moved to the head of the couch to more easily maintain Aaliyah’s position. “Wow, I’ve only seen people do that with animals.”

“Hey, whatever works,” I muttered.

I poured more liquid in, and Ringo got her to swallow again. It was a painstakingly long process, but eventually we got her to drink the entire small bottle,which I hoped was right. I had forgotten to ask Isadora about dosage.

I set the empty bottle aside, and we all waited, watching her. Well, all of us except Sebastian. He had disappeared somewhere else in the apartment.

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