Page 29 of Crown of Wings and Whispers

One of the figures stopped and raised his head, as if he were looking right at me, and I froze, careful not to move the curtain.

“Hell if I know.” Jamie brought the food to the coffee table. “But then again, those two seemed human enough to me.”

Both figures beelined it across the street, headed straight for me. I swore and headed for the door. “Listen, Jamie. I don’t want you hurt. Just stay inside, okay?”

“What are ye on about?” He rushed to the door and put his hand on it. “Just lie low.”

I shook my head. “One of them saw me at the window. They’re here. They’re coming.”

“Then ye won’t face them alone.” He reached onto the top of the shelf at his back and pulled down a pistol.

“I thought Brits didn’t carry guns.”

“I deal with a tough sort now and then.”

“I don’t even know if bullets can take out a Fae.”

“Fae? I thought ye said little fairies were after ye.” He sighed and shook his head. “No matter what, let me do the negotiatin’.”

“I mean it. I don’t want you involved. I’ll just step out and you forget you ever--”

“Bollocks to that.”

The floor creaked on the other side of the door, followed by a polite knock. With his gun pointed at the ceiling, Jamie opened it only as far as the chain would allow, but said nothing.

“Good evening, sir.” The words were clipped, intense. “I believe you have something that belongs to me.”

* * *

“Open it! Open it!”I danced impatiently while Jamie closed the door to release the chain. “Griffon!” I forced myself to calm down and waited for a clear shot before jumping into his arms.

Archer was there too, grinning and rolling his eyes. “Ye’d think ye haven’t seen each other for minutes on end.”

I showed Griffon just how happy I was to see him, then he showed me. Eventually, Jamie invited Archer inside and they left the two of us in the hallway.

“Let’s not do that again,” Griffon growled. “We go together or not at all.”

“Deal. What did Orion do when I was gone?”

“No idea. We never saw him come back downstairs. He frightenedThe Queevnaenough they never showed their faces again.”

“Then maybe he hasn’t caught on.” I prayed it was true. The last thing I needed was for Orion to start hunting me, not to find Wickham, but because I was DeNoy. “Staying would have been a disaster. I couldn’t get Hank to shut up.”

“Ah, yes. Hank. Don’t you think it’s about time you—”

“Not yet. Not here. Jamie already thinks I’m crazy—”

“Jamie?”

I dragged him through the door, then introduced him to the selfless Welshman who had given me refuge.

Griffon shook Jamie’s hand, and I noticed the intense stare in both their eyes and the jump of their jaws. Jamie was slightly shorter than Griffon but seemed to be stretching a little. I might have teased them both had I not spent the last year of my life witnessing similar pissing contests. I knew to stay out of them.

“Thank you for your trouble,” Griffon said, then urged me toward the door.

I pulled my hand free so I could give Jamie a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you. At least you’ll be able to eat that second hamburger after all.”

Jamie pulled out his wallet, removed a card, and pressed it into my hand. “If ye ever need me, just phone. A trustable friend is like a compass. Ye should always have one in yer pocket.”

---