Page 49 of White Little Lies

It called to me too.

18

When I woke up,only Gabriel was in the bed with me. I had my back to him, but the heavy arm around my waist let me know who it was. Or I supposed that wasn’t really true. I would have known it was him with my eyes closed, without him speaking a single word. I wasn’t sure where Mistral had gone. He never seemed to sleep much.

Gabriel shifted at some small movement I must have made. His arm lifted, stroking a lock of hair back from my face.

“That’s how you found me in the woods,” I said. “The cord connecting us. I felt it in Crispin‘s tower, then again last night. Why didn’t you want to talk about it?”

“I worried it might make you pull away,” his voice rumbled against my back.

I supposed it was a valid concern, given how I hadbeen acting. I turned over, pulling the sheets up over my nakedness and re-situating myself on my pillow to face him. Normally I would have gotten dressed at the spring, but I hadn’t protested when Gabriel scooped me up and carried me all the way to Mistral’s bedroom for round two.

“It’s confusing. But it doesn’t bother me.”

He gave me an all too knowing look.

“Okay, it doesn’t bother meyet.”

“And does last night bother you?”

I laughed. “Oh, not in the slightest, though I had hoped Mistral would be here too when I woke up. I should probably be off to find Sebastian soon. He should have found information on our mysterious devil by now.”

“And what about the nymphs?”

I shrugged one shoulder. “Sebastian made a deal with Fiorus. I’ll take him back to their realm, and he can do what needs doing.”

I still wasn’t sure what to think about it. Seraphina was livid about Fiorus poisoning Aaliyah, but she was still hesitant about pulling her out into exile. Of course, if Fiorus’ opposers won, Aaliyah could live in the city and still be connected to the well. I had a feeling that was what the younger nymph would prefer, minus the demise of her father.

Gabriel moved a finger down the crease in my brow.

I frowned at him.

“It is an unfortunate circumstance, but I think weneed to focus on the bounty. Lowly human criminals may not take the elf king’s protection seriously.”

I lowered my eyes. I had been trying really hard to not think aboutthat. “They may not even know about the protection order. Word circulated through the magical community, not through the entire city.”

His hand went back around my waist, giving me a light squeeze until I looked at him. “You opened a portal to another realm last night. If Sebastian can find this other devil and discover where your mother is located, you can reach her.”

“Maybe. If she’s in a near realm. Areallynear realm.”

“If she was unreachable in a far realm, the bounty would not exist. And without the Realm Breaker, she cannot escape to one. Not since the pathways were destroyed.”

He was right. She had to be in a near realm. And ever since Dawn had told me about the female devil, I was wondering if she was actually in the hells. Maybe once I left the Bogs, Sebastian would already have an answer. We could move forward.

The door opened seemingly of its own volition, and Mistral came in carrying a massive silver tray with coffee cups, a carafe, and the biggest stack of waffles I had ever seen. Fresh cut strawberries and a bowl of fluffy whipped cream were next to the waffles.

I salivated at the sight of the food, coffee, and the goblin in a fresh white linen shirt, unbuttonedto show the upper portion of his chest. Even though we’d only gone to bed a few hours ago, I was imagining undoing the rest of those buttons one by one. And that whipped cream—

Gods, what was wrong with me? It was breakfast time. I was supposed to be hungry, notthirsty.

Mistral gave me a knowing smile, then approached the bed with his tray. Gabriel sat up to take it from him, not at all bothered by his present state of nudity. Myself, I was looking around for my clothes, but I didn’t see them anywhere.

“They got a little wet,” Mistral said, reading my expression. “But the sun will have them dry soon enough.”

Frowning, I tugged the sheet up around me, awkwardly reaching for the coffee.

Gabriel poured it for me, giving me a look that said I was being silly, then reached for the only cup of tea on the tray.

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