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“Put it here,” Lila demanded, pointing toward one of the bushes.
I set it on the grass some distance away. “In case it decides to take it and make a run for it,” I explained at her stormy look. I had lost an artifact to a Fae creature before, and I didn’t want to repeat the experience.
“Oh,” she said, then nodded as if it had been her idea. She stuffed her hand into her pocket and brought out a few pieces of hardened yellow and white lumps. “Candy so she knows it’s safe.”
A tickle of magic in the air raised the hairs on my arms. Hastily, I snatched up the artifact and took Lila’s hand. The candy fell to the ground.
She seemed to have noticed the shift in the air, too, because she followed me around the closest tree without complaint.
A silvery pool appeared on the grass, and two Fae jumped out of it. Were these the same people as earlier? By my side, Lila stifled a gasp and molded herself to the tree. Did she know these two?
One of them spoke up. I couldn’t understand his words, but they definitely sounded like Fae language, and the voice was different from the two people earlier. Just how many people were after Squibbit?
Lila stiffened, her eyes widening in panic. From the rustle of grass, the two Fae were walking right toward us, as if they knew exactly where we were. They must be using a Seeker, I realized—a common Fae artifact that led you to your greatest desire or your complete doom. They must be desperate to use such a thing.
“Please save Squibbit,” Lila whispered, looking at me with huge eyes.
I wasn’t sure what had prompted that, but in the next moment, she stumbled from behind the tree and ran into the clearing.
The two Fae let out exclamations of surprise, then one seemed to talk in admonishing tones.
I dared a peek around the tree. One Fae had taken hold of the girl’s hand, and the other was shaking his head and letting out a veritable lecture in Fae language. Lila looked contrite, her mouth pouting and her gaze fixed on the ground, rather than scared or panicky.
These must be her keepers. No wonder they were risking a Seeker to find her. She must’ve realized this, and that’s why she had chosen to show herself rather than keep running. Damn, that was so brave and adorable.
The least I could do to repay this sacrifice was to find her pet, no matter what.
Chapter Four
Once the trio had disappeared into another silvery ground portal, I got busy setting up our Squibbit trap.
I set the sphere in the middle of the clearing and gathered Lila’s candy around it. Then, concentrating on the squirrel-bunny animal, I activated the artifact.
The white dust inside began swirling lazily, forming a hazy pattern that reminded me of something. I waited, watching it take form. It was familiar, but the exact memory escaped me. It just needed a little time, and then it’d take shape, and I’d know. Just a few more seconds, and I’d know. I’d—
No.
With a mental shake, I tore my gaze away from the artifact and activated Aidan’s pendant. The sphere immediately lost all intrigue and was just a piece of glass sitting on the ground.
Phew, that’d been close.
“Let’s hide, Greenie.”
But Greenie was watching the sphere like it was a delicious piece of prime Fae dinner. I touched his neck, and he immediately shook loose of his fixation. He looked at me expectantly, and I nodded toward the trees. “Over there, Greenie.”
We moved around the tree and waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
I was about to give up when faint rustling sounds alerted me to another presence in the clearing.
Squibbit peeked from inside one of the small bushes at the tree line, then advanced, its cute little nose twitching. First, she smelled one of the candies, but instead of grabbing it and going to town, she ignored it and went for the artifact. She poked the sphere, rolling it a bit, then sniffled it everywhere.
I wished I could take a picture, she was so cute.
Would Aidan agree to me getting another pet? This one was much smaller than Greenie, and bunny food couldn’t be that expensive, could it?
