Well, that made sense.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket as we walked away from the garage. I pulled it out. Steve.
“Hey.”
“I’m sending you a picture.”
I rolled my eyes. Steve wasn’t known for his pleasantries. “Okay.” I put him on speaker and opened the picture as soon as it came through.
The footage was grainy, but Steve had done something to make it clearer. He’d zoomed in on something.
“You’re going to have to tell me what I’m looking at.”
He sighed. “It’s a belt.”
Once he told me, my eyes were suddenly able to make sense of the twisted strands on the screen. It was threaded leather. I showed the screen to Vas and his eyes hardened.
“The belt of Thor. Whoever attacked Gary and Merrill was wearing it.”
I thought only a paranormal could’ve done that much damage to a gnome and a goblin. It hadn’t made sense that they’d be using humans to do their dirty work for them. But the belt changed everything.
“I got a slight face shot,” Steve said. “I’m sending it now.”
I clicked into it. The cloak was obstructing most of his face, but I could see enough to pick out a few features. White male, beefy, double-chinned. I compared it to the sketch in my hand and held them up so Vas could see.
“No scar. This isn’t the guy who shot at me yesterday.”
“Nope.”
“Thanks, Steve.” I hung up and paced toward the car, turning to pace back as I thought it through.
“The attacks against Merrill and Gary are somehow connected to Mariam’s missing fae artifacts.”
Of course they were, because nothing in my life was ever easy.
Vas nodded. “What could humans want with fae artifacts?”
“It’s a little-known fact that the fae keep hush-hush, but some of these artifacts hold enough power that they can be used by humans.”
I turned back to the garage. Crystal let out an audible sigh as she watched us walk back toward her. I held up my phone.
“Recognize this guy?”
She frowned. “He looks familiar.” She held out her hand and I gave her my phone, watching as she zoomed in. Frustration warred with annoyance as she narrowed her eyes. “Maybe one of my employees dated him briefly or something? I feel like I’ve seen him before, but I can’t put my finger on where. Sorry.”
“Thanks anyway.”
Vas stretched, and his wings rustled behind him. “Where to now?”
“Now we find out how Hrunting was stolen.”
17
Danica
Vas flew above me as we headed to Hope Valley. The fae who’d owned Hrunting lived close to Mariam.
I gave my name at the gated entrance and it slid open, revealing a long drive. Through the trees to the right, I could see a tennis court and a pool, and I couldn’t help but gape as the house itself came into view. The drive circled around a huge fountain, and I parked my car, taking in the ivy creeping up the house, the expansive entryway with its double doors, and the multiple balconies above me.
