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I turned around. “This isn’t the time to play games. Lives are at stake.”
“Life is a game.”
“You said your clients owe me a debt.”
“Ah, but this information didn’t come from a client. It comes from me.” He was smiling now, joy dancing in his eyes. I’d heard elves, not unlike their fairy cousins, were tricksy. Where fairies were the royalty, the soldiers, the purveyors of thick and green magic, elves were the jesters, the tricksters.
But I didn’t have time for games, I thought, frustration growing. “What do you want?”
“Friendship.”
Never take a supernatural deal at face value. “Meaning what?”
“Like I said, I haven’t been in Chicago long. It’s interesting to watch you fight back against entrenched power. If I provide information that helps you, perhaps that makes us allies.”
I stared at him, trying to see through the words to the emotion beneath. To the intentions beneath. But he might as well have been a vampire, they were hidden so well.
“Is it so unusual, Elisa, that someone offers you a little help in exchange for so little?”
“It’s unusual for strangers, yes.”
He watched me for a minute, then turned away, walked back to the fireplace, propped an arm on the mantel. “An unfortunate outlook.”
“A realistic outlook,” I said. “We are not friends. We are not allied. But we are not enemies. That’s the best I’ll do.”
Whatever he saw in my eyes seemed to satisfy him. “Your terms are accepted. He was with Greg Voss.”
I stared at him. “Who the hell is Greg Voss?”
“Ah,” he said with a smile. “That’s for you to figure out.”
I cursed under my breath. Nothing was easy with old magic. “Thank you again,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Even if my motivations are suspect?”
“All Sup motivations are suspect. Magic is the best disguise.”
I left him alone with those words, a mourning dove calling in the darkness as I walked back to the SUV. Dan stood outside, arms crossed and watching.
“There was a lot of power in there.”
“Yeah, there was.” I smiled at him. “Were you going to come to my rescue?”
“If necessary.” But when he stood again, there was nothing pleasant in the dark gaze he aimed at the house. “Is he an enemy or ally?”
“Don’t ask,” I said. “Let’s get out of here.”
He glanced back at me, expression pained. “You smell of his magic.”
I sighed. Of course I did. A parting gift from a new friend.
***
I texted Theo and Petra the second the vehicle was moving again, the inquiry simple:j. black says blake was with ‘greg voss’ at b&c coffee shop. who is he?
They hadn’t responded by the time we made it back to the NAC building, thankfully without incident. I thanked Dan and found Connor in the otherwise empty lobby reviewing his screen.
“No bar?” I asked, striding toward him. “No beer and lounge?”
