Page 80 of Bargain with Fate
“Have you encountered them before?”
“Indirectly.” As far as I knew, no one had been assigned to deal with them, likely because they kept their heads down and didn’t stay in one place very long. Back then, the Coranians hadn’t been in the business of trying to claim land. Their interest in the stones was curious. If they’d made a tactical change, it could cost them. I couldn’t report them, nor could I risk Vale or anyone else reporting them. An official complaint would garner attention from the very powerful beings I was desperate to avoid.
“Why would they want Savannah?” Gage asked.
I gestured to our surroundings. “Why not? It’s coastal. Good weather. Pretty. They’re fae; they’re fond of pretty.”
“But even without my declaration, they must know this land is protected,” Vale said.
I shrugged. “Maybe they heard the Protector would rather be shopping the souks of Marrakesh than defending his family seat.”
Vale cast a sidelong glance at me. “Blaming the victim?”
“It’s possible your reputation is a security risk.”
He scoffed. “Now you sound like Gage.”
I whistled. “Beautyandbrains? Gosh, Gage, you really are the whole package.”
Gage fluttered his thick lashes. “Maybe next time you and I can grab dinner and let these bozos duke it out with sorcerer fae.”
Vale’s hands curled into fists. He looked ready to thrash Gage.
“We need a plan to deal with the Coranians,” I said, in an effort to redirect Vale’s thoughts. “If they’re planning to take over Savannah, you need to nip it in the bud.”
Vale’s eyebrow curved. “We? Since when do you have an interest in the mainland?”
“If they seize Savannah, there’d be nothing to stop them from extending their reach to the island. Your risk is our risk.” For the sake of the Neighbors, I was still connected to the mainland whether I liked it or not.
Vale snorted.
“What?”
Smirking, he shook his head. “Nothing.”
“What about your impressive library? Any books that might include a reference to Coranians?”
“What’s wrong with the internet?”
I clasped my shirt. “You can’t be serious.”
“The internet is an endless repository of information.”
“Only information that’s been fed into it. The kind of information we can find between the pages of ancient books like yours…that’s not online.”
“Then I guess I have another project to assign.”
“This isn’t a book report, Vale. This is intel and we need it urgently if you expect to hold on to your territory.”
“Is this your way of volunteering to help?”
“I thought it was obvious I’d be helping. I told you—a risk for Savannah is a risk for Evermore.”
Vale motioned to the envelope of enchanted money still on the ground. “Gage, take that to Harriet and see if she can use it to trace our new friends. Cowboy, I want you to beef up security around the city.”
“What about you?” I asked.
“You and I will head back to my headquarters and look through the reference books, unless you’re about to turn into a pumpkin because it’s after midnight.”
