Page 84 of Crown of the Fae King

She was patient. I finally caught the clasp with the edge of my fingernail and opened it.

“Is that all? Nothing in your pockets?”

I shook my head. If they found out I was lying, I’d deal with it then. If they booked me, though, they’d definitely search me. I blushed when I remembered my unfortunate choice of underwear…

She started writing down the items. I helpfully supplied the exact name of each piece, stalling for more time. After I mentioned Tiffany’s, she wrote carefully, while the other officer snorted from behind me. Then each piece was added to the envelope, which was added to the large one.

“Right then.” She put the inventory list into the sack, sealed it, then gave me a pen so I could sign across the seal. She signed her name below mine.

“Hands out,” the other one barked, then handcuffed me to a metal rod in the center of the table, which was also metal and very cold, despite my long gray sleeves. I was then left alone.

Wickham wouldn’t be popping in to save me. He couldn’t even pop in to save Hank since he wouldn’t know where I was or the layout of the room.

“Lennon, don’t be alarmed,”a voice said clearly in my head.“This is Brian. We need to get our stories straight…”

34

The Fellow In The Picture

The great thing about a stainless-steel table is that the metal can be warmed by body heat. The sad thing about it is any little shift lets it grow cold again.

I had just found a comfortable position with my head on my arms when the door opened, and I was forced to abandon the little strip of warmth I’d created.

The two officers reentered the room, stepped to either side of the door, and a third person stepped through. Tall, disturbingly handsome, with golden blond hair and sparkling green eyes. His suit was a dozen shades darker, but the same color pallet, and a faint checked pattern, like a watermark, came and went as he moved. His scarf of cream silk wasn’t made for warmth.

I got the impression he smiled just to show off his dimples.

I didn’t mind smiling back. “Please tell me you’re my lawyer.”

He laughed, looked at the officers, and nodded his permission for them to laugh too. The man did. The woman did not.

“This is Special Inspector O’Ryan,” she said. “Scotland Yard.”

I ordered my heart to stay where it was and joked, “Aren’t we a long way from Scotland?”

“Ah,” he said. “I do love that Yankee sense of humor.” He jerked his head toward the door, a silent order for the officers to leave.

“Aren’t I supposed to have a woman officer with me, just in case?”

“Not here, you’re not.” His tight, perfect curls shook from side to side, but I wasn’t sure his head had moved. “Besides, this officer can watch from the next room.” He nodded more emphatically at the door and the woman finally left. Once the door closed completely, he whispered. “Of course, they won’t be able to hear anything we say. But you’ll be perfectly safe, even though you’re trapped there.”

He glanced at the handcuffs and his bright green eyes flashed. If I had any doubts that this was the Big Bad Fairy Wickham was after, those doubts were gone. But I had to play dumb.

“That was cool,” I said. “Are those contacts?”

He laughed again, strolled around the table, and gently sniffed the air, like he was following a trail of perfume. This was it. This was the test to see if a henna tattoo would work against the Fae. Maybe I should have asked Wickham to tattoo the plastic around Hank.

For the first time in my life, I wish I’d sucked it up and accepted the real version!

I couldn’t go on ignoring what the fairy was doing, so I asked, “Is there a fire somewhere?”

He kept on sniffing, coming nearer and nearer. He sniffed at my hair, my shoulder above the spot where my money belt sat, then moved to my other side. I prayed rocks had no smell and forced myself to breathe steadily through it all. This was a Fae version of a lie detector test, and if I failed to pass it, I was dead.

“Where is it?” His voice snaked over my shoulder and sent chills down my neck.

“My gosh, you even smell good.”Breathe. Breathe.“Where is what?”

“The Covenant, of course.”

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