Page 119 of Bargain with Fate
“I’m sure you have more important matters to attend to than escorting me home.”
“I’ll decide what’s important to me.” His gaze lingered on me a beat too long. “Besides, it will give us time to talk about tonight.”
I knew exactly what he meant by “talk.” He’d noticed my moves and wanted me to explain why I possessed powers that no daughter of a Gorgon and a mage should have. More reasons not to trust me.
“It’s been a long day, Vale. Let’s talk when we’ve both had time to rest.” And I had time to come up with a plausible story.
“I can take her,” Gage said. “I seem to have the fewest injuries.”
“Which is strange because you’re, by far, the least skilled fighter we have,” Cowboy said.
“Only because Boone wasn’t here tonight.”
They laughed. I hadn’t met Boone. It seemed to me there was still much to learn about Vale and his team.
I hoped to keep it that way.
Again, I’d managed to avoid detection by those who hunted me. Maybe they’d stopped searching. Maybe my magic was stronger than I gave myself credit for. I couldn’t let thepossibilities allow me to grow complacent. They were just that—possibilities, not proven facts.
Gage drove me to the dock on the back of his motorcycle. Never mind the fight I’d just endured, Judd would’ve thrown a fit to see me riding without a helmet. Rules were rules.
“Why didn’t you let the boss take you?” Gage asked, once we were cutting across the water en route to Evermore.
“Vale saved your life, and probably the life of everyone downtown.”
“Don’t downplay your contribution. You played a pivotal role too.”
“We all did. My point is, Vale is the Protector, and I don’t think he should be sailing across the channel to deliver me home personally.”
“He wouldn’t have offered if he didn’t want to do it.”
“Okay,” I said, dragging out the syllables.
“He likes you, Maya. Isn’t that obvious?”
Yes, yes it was. “He likes having someone who can fight,” I told Gage.
The faerie chuckled. “Everyone in his employ can fight, but we don’t all look as pretty doing it.” He batted his long, thick eyelashes.
“You definitely look pretty, no matter what you’re doing.”
His smile faded to a look of alarm. “Please don’t let the boss hear you say that about me.”
“You think Vale doesn’t know how pretty you are? The man has eyes.”
“Yes, but he won’t like that you think so.”
“Are you telling me Vale gets jealous?”
“Not regularly, but I’ve noticed it with you. Believe me, the last thing I want is to be on his bad side.”
“Are you sure he has one? You and the others talk about him like he’s a big, scary boss man, but I haven’t witnessed any of that.”
Gage approached the dock with the smooth, methodical moves of an expert yachtsman. “He’s on his best behavior around you. Why do you think we like having you around?”
“And here I thought it was my charming personality.”
“Sure. That too,” Gage said unconvincingly. “You should give him a chance. He might surprise you.”
