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“Tell me!” I fisted his worn shirt, not caring he was probably only about fourteen. My entire world was on the precipice. This was life and death.
A sensation slunk over me, an awareness, a rudimentary part of my DNA recognizing and responding. It was peace, excitement, strength, and aggravation all in one.
“Croygen.” Her figure slipped soundlessly through the brush, strolling up to me. My teeth clamped together, spiking fear into my pulse. Because I had felt her, knew she was here. I seemed to always fucking know. Every sense tuned to her like a radar.
“Croygen, stop.” Her hand touched mine, sparking desire down my arm to my cock.
Snarling, I shook her hand off, gripping the kid’s shirt tighter. “Not before he tells me where his father is. Did he take them through the door?” Mandarin hissed through my teeth.
“Ye-ye-yes,” he stuttered out his reply.
“He knows the fae doors? How to go through them?” I leaned my face close. “If you lie to me…” I glanced back at the ripple. “I will be tossing you in there after him. Want to see how many decades it takes to find your way out?”
The boy gulped, fear streaking his face. He understood that was a real threat. If he went in, he probably wouldn’t see his family again.
“Talk.”
“My fa-father knows how to get through the doors.” Sincerity blinked back at me. “People pay him to lead them through.”
“Bullshit. No one knows how to work them now.” Katrina crossed her arms. “This is a complete scam.”
“No. No.” The boy held up his hands. “He really knows.”
“He can’t—”
“Actually, I do know people who have figured them out.” I loosened my grip on his shirt.
“Really?” Kat’s brow wrinkled. “How?”
“I have no idea, but they do. Must be some genetic thing, like how some people eat cilantro and taste soap.” I shrugged. Zoey and Annabeth were both ones who hated it.
Katrina scoffed, shaking her head at the comparison.
“Your father will come back through here, then?” I turned back to the boy.
“Yes.” He nodded. “I wait with the horses for him, and we go back.”
“How long?” My intensity drove back up. “When does he return?”
“Depends.” The boy lifted one shoulder, his body still trembling. “Might be hours, could be a day, maybe two.”
I let out a frustrated growl. I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to go now.
“Do you know where they went?” I figured Hungary, but I wanted to hear it for certain.
He shook his head.
“No hint on a destination?” The boy continued to wag his head. “Can you tell me anything else?” Aggravation had me shaking him.
“Croygen.” Kat once again touched my arm, trying to ease me back. “He’s just a boy. He doesn’t know anything more.”
I breathed out, slowly uncurling my fingers from his shirt.
“And here I thought the Silver Tongue Devil used honey, not vinegar.” The moment the word came out of her mouth, her eyes went wide, knowing what she just did.
“Honey? Did you say you had honey?” Sprig parted through her long, thick, tangled hair, peeking his head out from her shoulder. “Is it lunchtime? Oh wait, it’s getting dark. That must mean I need to get a fast lunch in before dinner… then supper. Oh, and need dessert after both. Can we get Izel’s pancakes? I’ve really been craving them. Swimming in honey… they just melt on my tongue. Oh… or crispy honey chicken and double honey waffles, with a side of honey?”
The boy’s eyeballs practically popped out of his head at seeing Sprig, his panic slamming into me like a bomb. A piercing scream exploded through the air, terror flaying his arms, slapping me away from him. He darted for the Mongol horse, muttering something under his breath frantically, which sounded like Sun Wukong. He leaped on the horse, striking his heels into the animal’s ribcage, jolting the horse forward and tearing out of there.
