“He sounds wonderful.”
“He is… was.” Another sniffle. “He’s been my hero ever since he rescued me when I was little.”
I fought back a smile. It sounded just like a case of hero worship. “How did he rescue you?”
She was silent for so long that I wasn’t sure if she was going to answer. Perhaps that had been an insensitive question. It was hard not having her here in person to read her facial cues and body language. “When I was little, I got sick, and it was Easton who took care of me when our mom was gone. He got sick too because of me.”
I opened my mouth to ask if the sickness was Moonrot, but that wouldn’t make sense since it wasn’t contagious.
Sable’s voice grew hesitant and more rehearsed. “But even though everything changed for us after that, he never got mad. He even got a new job to help pay for our medicine.”
I tensed. That was the opening I needed. “A job as a bodyguard?”
“Yes, he—”
A woman’s angry shout in the background interrupted Sable, and I could distantly make out, “Are you talkingto a reporter? It’s dangerous, Sable!” before the line went dead.
I tried to call her back, but it went straight to voicemail.
With a sigh, I slipped my phone into my pocket, thinking through the new pieces of the puzzle. I wasn’t sure Sable had given me much to use, but maybe she’d reach out again and tell me more about when Easton left for his new job. At the very least, her grief made Easton feel more real than ever before. This wasn’t just about protecting my family or stopping a killer, it was about helping a sister get closure for her sibling.
I pulled out my notebook and crossed out my notes about Darcy—everything except the giant question mark since I was even more clueless than before. I also wrote down a few things from my conversation with Sable before slipping the notebook back into my pocket and heading to Darcy. A prickle along the back of my neck had me looking around.
I froze.
One of the bodyguards from the club stood in the crowd like a boulder on the beach while the waves crashed around him. He was even wearing the same sunglasses,although now he wore a green button-up. Like before, he glared my direction, his eyes hidden but his frustration evident in the way his hands curled into fists at his sides.
Why was he always glaring at me? I’d never even met him. Maybe I would have assumed he was mad because of the rumors going around town about Mom and our family, but he’d been angry at the club before the officers had taken Mom away.
I stomped toward him, determined to get answers.
“Where are you going?” Darcy asked as I passed him.
“I’ll be back.” Pushing my way through the people waiting in line, I searched for the man, catching a flash of his green shirt as he ducked around a corner. I took off after him.
“Elizabeth, wait!” Darcy said behind me.
But I didn’t wait. I needed to catch the man and find out why he was following me. As I ran, I scanned the booths for a place he might have hidden. The flap of a vibrant purple tent, which stood out among the bustling crowds and brightly colored booths, rustled.
I sped toward it.
Stars woven in sparkling golden threads shimmered in and out of existence on the tent’s walls, and the canvas rippled like the tent was inhaling and exhaling. I caught the word “seer” written in the same gold thread before I slipped through the opening. The tent flap closed behind me, sealing me in darkness thick with the heavy scent of incense.
I stilled, trying to search for the man in the gloom while my eyes adjusted.
The flap opened again a moment later, illuminating Darcy’s profile before it rustled closed again.
“Why did you run off like that?” Darcy asked. “Was everything okay with your phone call?”
“What? Yeah, but I thought I saw—”
“Come closer.” A deep voice beckoned us toward the back of the tent, where a figure sat shrouded in smoke.
That voice sounded much too old for the man I’d been chasing. Maybe he hadn’t ducked in here after all. I turned toward the door, but the man spoke again.
“I have the answers you seek.”
With one last glance at the tent flap, I moved closer. Darcy let out an annoyed puff of air but followed me.
