Page 81 of Twist of Fate

Luke’s thumb moved once across the back of his hand. “Close enough to reach me if something goes wrong.”

“Immediately.”

“That works.”

Silenus watched the exchange with an expression Connal could not read. “Asterius, Keir, and Zer will remain available until we understand the nature of the threat. Tyson will coordinate the human arrangements.”

The king rose, bringing the council to an end. “The rest of you will prepare, but no one enters the human realm until Tyson confirms the location is secure.”

Everyone inclined their heads.

As the others began moving toward the doors, Silenus’s attention settled once more on Luke. “We do not yet know whether your employer is responsible for the warehouse. Until we do, he will be treated as both a possible source of information and a possible threat.”

“That’s how I intend to treat him.”

Silenus accepted the answer with a slight inclination of his head.

Connal followed Luke from the council chamber, their hands still joined. The meeting had given them a course of action, though not the one his instincts demanded. He wanted an enemy he could confront and a danger he could destroy. Instead, they had questions, a silent drive, and a man in the human realm who might have sent Luke into a trap.

For now, they would proceed according to Luke’s plan.

But Luke would not face whatever came next alone.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Luke had promised Gomez answers.

Unfortunately, the answers he brought back from the council were unlikely to make either of them feel better.

Fizzwick spotted Luke and Connal the moment they entered Gomez’s chamber. The pixie launched from the bed and flew around Luke’s head in a quick circle before returning to his position beside Gomez. Several of the other pixies had arranged flowers through Gomez’s hair while they were gone. More blossoms covered the blankets, along with enough food to feed everyone who had attended the council.

Gomez looked up from a pastry dusted with sparkling sugar. “Well?”

“The gargoyles confirmed that the warehouse was a trap,” Luke said. “The trap was designed to activate when someone with magic entered.”

Gomez gestured toward Connal with the pastry. “Which explains why it tried to squish the giant magical warrior and mostly ignored you.”

“It didn’t ignore me completely.”

“Nothing with taste ever does.”

Luke refused to encourage him. “They couldn’t identify who created it.”

Some of Gomez’s humor faded. “So you still don’t know whether your boss sent you there on purpose.”

“No.”

“And I’m guessing you have a terrible plan for finding out.”

“I’m going to contact Hale.”

Gomez lowered the pastry. “From here?”

“Human technology doesn’t work in the Unseelie. Tyson is securing a location in the human realm.”

“And we’re going there when?”

“We aren’t.”