Page 50 of Endless Terrors
Right call, a small voice in my head whispered.
Seth had parked along the curb, too, and the headlights of his car flashed when he unlocked the doors. Finn got in ours, claiming the driver’s side again. As Gil and I stopped next to it, I heard the faint whine of a window going down, probably so Finn could hear every sound Gil made. Normally, Gil would’ve heard it and done something to antagonize him.
Instead, the vampire just walked over to Seth’s vehicle and lowered himself inside.
I followed him, then bent over so he could see me. My fingers curled around the edge of the door. “Gil …” I hesitated. “Do you want me to call Nicky?”
He stared straight ahead. The streetlight shone on his dyed hair and made the strands glisten. “I’m dead to Nicky.”
I paused. “But you’re not dead, Gil. I think it’s important you remember that.”
He turned his head, finally meeting my gaze again. “I’ll be at the loft shortly after sunset,” he said.
It took a few seconds to understand what he was telling me. My face cleared. “Oh, that. I don’t care about the spell, okay? If you can’t do it right now, or you don’t want to, please—”
“I’ll be at the loft shortly after sunset, Fortuna,” Gil repeated. He reached for the door handle, and I moved out of the way. He closed it without another word.
“Okay,” I said, knowing he could hear me through the glass. “If you need anything, call me, please.”
It felt like I should say more. Gil had to get cleaned up, though, and all of us needed to drive far, far from this place. I touched the window with my fingertips, then walked away.
Seth had been standing on the curb to give us a chance to speak alone. I joined him there.
“I assume you know Laurelis Dondarte?” I asked, crossing my arms against the cold.
“I know of him, my lady, and I’ve seen him at Court, of course. I’ve never spoken to him directly.”
“He told me once that the Seelie Court likes pretty things. But I don’t consider lies, exclusion, and cruelty to be pretty. In fact, I think they’re damn ugly.” I looked at him. “You know what I do find beautiful? Courage. Authenticity. Kindness. Which makes you one of the most lovely people I’ve ever met, and I would be glad to have you in my … group, if you still want to be.”
The goblin’s eyes flicked away, but not quickly enough. I still saw the overly bright sheen in them. Seth blinked rapidly, and after a moment he answered, his voice thick, “I would be honored, my lady.”
I couldn’t smile, not with Gil sitting in that car covered in a human’s blood. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, then. Or tonight, I guess. I’ll text you the address,” I said.
“Don’t need it.” Seth’s eyes darted away a second time, his shoulders tensing beneath his coat. “I know where you live.”
He’d been out to the house? I hadn’t noticed him, not once. Apparently even Finn and Collith had missed our friendly stalker. If the Seelie Court hadn’t banished him, Seth Arthion would’ve made an excellent Whisperer.
Well, their loss was our gain.
I started to turn, shoving my hands into my pockets. But another thought occurred to me. I faced Seth again. “You might be making the biggest mistake of your life,” I informed him. “I just thought you should know that.”
The young goblin grinned. “Big mistakes make the best stories, anyway.”
Now I did smile back; it was impossible not to. Seth Arthion had one of the sweetest smiles I’d ever seen. “Welcome to the family,” I said.
“I won’t let you down, my lady. This is for the best. Staying with me will make his withdrawals easier. Goblin blood tastes bad to them, but yours …” Seth hesitated.
I couldn’t hide my surprise. Gil had never told me that. Neither had Adam. It said something about both of them, that they’d spent so much time around me and resisted the constant thirst scratching at the back of their throats. I’d felt it for myself now. I knew how strong it was.
With one more nod at Seth, I got into the car. I tried to look back at Gil as we left, but the interior was too dark. Only the bottom half of his face was faintly visible, and every inch of it was still crusted with blood. I twisted forward again and tried to let out a breath. Instead, the sound that came out of me was a small sob. I looked out the window, my chin wobbling.
Finn’s big hand curled around mine.
Once town was behind us and my pain had quieted, Finn pulled his arm away, and I took my phone out. I brought Lyari’s name up on the screen. But then I thought of her mysterious absences and distant behavior, and remembered my gut feeling that she was keeping something major from me. I scrolled to the name above hers and called it. The clock on the dashboard read 3:00 a.m.
After four rings, someone answered.
“Let me guess,” his silken voice said in my ear. “There’s another crime scene that needs cleaning up.”
