Page 8 of Forgotten Monsters
Barron taps his mouth with his index finger as though he’s making some quick, mischievous calculations. “What’s in it for me?”
Mallory retreats a few inches in her seat. “Kal…Jules is my friend.”
He stares out at the downpour. “Friends or not, I have too many problems to solve and very little time to do it. Lucas is waiting for me in Miami, and Dark Falls is dangerous and well-guarded.”
“You’re a scavenger, are you not?” Allie says, her curt question sounding like an accusation.
“Treasure hunter?” I offer as a more polished alternative.
Barron’s eyes dim. “I’m many things, lass. None of which a babysitter for lost witches.”
Allie storms inside the cabin and slams the door behind her. The loudthumplances up my spine.
Barron’s mouth forms a thin line, but he quickly turns his attention back to Mallory. “And you? How are ye getting rid of that curse? That should be yer priority.”
“Kay, we already talked about this. There’s nothing to be done.”
“I got your stuff. That’s why I was in the castle, actually. I heard the structure wasn’t sound and checked on your room one last time…” He pats her shoulder.
“Thank you, Kay. You did everything you could.”
As intimate and familiar to each other that they seem to be, I get absolutely no romantic vibes from them, which is weird considering both Mallory and the Scot are sexy as fuck. If anything, Barron looks at her as though he was sworn to protect her, like a big brother would, yet their skins and accents are too different for them to be siblings.
“Your emerald pendant. Where did you get it?” he asks.
“It was a gift,” I answer. “Why?”
“It’s beautifully made.” He licks his lips, staring at the heavy emerald between my breasts as though the green stone might break from the chain at any moment. His gaze heats up my gut, as though he can read my thoughts.
“Well…it’s not for sale.” I clear my throat and focus on Mallory. “What happens if we go back to Earth? You turn back into the cat?”
“Yes, but I don’t mind.” She angles her face to me. “You took me home, Jules. Thank you.”
Something passes between them, and Barron gives her a discreet nod. I’m pretty sure Mallory just signaled him that he should not talk too much about her history—orcondition—in front of me.
A full-blown headache pounds between my eyes, and I rake my fingers through my curls. “You could take us to Faerie instead, if it’s easier.”
“No. The only charted tear that leads directly from the Underworld into Faerie crawls with creatures that put the Underworld nightmares to shame. And it’s impossible to travel through it by ship anyway,” the sailor explains.
Creatures that put nightmares to shame… “Unseelie Fae?”
“Aye.”
Ice slithers in my cramped chest. Cole was right about the Unseelie using the Underworld’s main channel—an ancient hub of portals—as a springboard for their attacks on his people.
“How long will it take to go back to Earth? If you have pressing business in Miami, that would at least put us in the right realm.”
“Five weeks? Six? Depends on the wind.”
My lips curl up. “Good thing I took my wind to-go.”
He raises a brow in question.
“My sister’s element is air.” I tilt my chin up to the drop-dead-gorgeous sailor. “I’ll make you a deal. If Allie’s powers put us ahead of schedule, you will get us home to Dark Falls. If the voyage takes five to six weeks, we’ll follow you to Miami and make our way back home from there.”
The Scot gives me a solemn nod. “Fair enough.”
“Good. I didn’t want to hitchhike out of hell.”
