He frowned. “I’m unsure what you’re asking.”
“You’ve heard about the other missing artifacts,” Vas said. He sneezed again and I had a feeling he was attempting to hurry this along so he could get out into the fresh air.
“I have. You believe they’re connected?”
I shrugged. “Mariam does. It seems a little too convenient that three artifacts— that we know of— have gone missing within the same couple of weeks.”
“Thatistoo convenient. Mariam didn’t tell me her suspicions when we spoke.”
She was likely covering her ass. Whoops, sorry, Mariam. “When I asked for a list of people who had access to her office, she left the human cleaning company off the list.”
“You believe it could be humans who have done this?” his brows raised as if the idea was preposterous.
I sighed. “If I hadn’t reminded you that any humans with access to your home should be placed on the list of suspects, would you have thought of them?”
“No,” he said slowly. “It wouldn’t have occurred to me, and that’s likely to my own detriment.”
“Humans are invisible to you,” I said.
He studied me. “Not all humans. Certainly not the half-blooded ones.” I rolled my eyes and he laughed. “Fine. I will have my assistant make a list.”
“Do you use a human cleaning company here?”
“No. The house is self-cleaning.”
Man, what I wouldn’t give to be able to say the same about my apartment. I peered out the window. “What about the grounds?”
“The grounds?”
“You obviously have an affinity for greenery. Do you also take care of all of the plants and flowers outside? Who mows your lawn?”
“I travel constantly. When I am here, I walk the grounds and coax sluggish plants along, but when I’m away, I have a groundskeeping company... I hired the humans a few years ago at one of the light fae king’s advisor’s urging. He hounded most of the high fae in this realm. Apparently, it would be good foroptics.” Aubrey snorted. Obviously, he felt the same way about that idea as I did.
I strode over to the window and glanced down. We were on the second floor, but a collection of patio furniture occupied the paved area directly below us.
“If someone worked outside, would your plants allow them access to this office?”
His face went blank as if he’d never thought about it, and then his shoulders slumped.
“If I’ve given them access through the main ward, my plants know they are not to be touched. The plants share one… hive mind, I guess you could say. They would recognize the intruder as someone who was allowed access to my territory.”
I opened the window and leaned out. With the help of the patio table, I could scramble up here in about twenty seconds, and I was betting anyone who worked a physical job outside could do the same.
Aubrey’s expression was mournful as I pulled myself back into the room. “I let my guard down.”
“It’s normal. This is your home. You’ve never had anything stolen here.”
“You’re kind. Hopefully my king will show a sliver of the same understanding. I will get you that list.”
He whirled and strode away. Vas sneezed again and I frowned.
“What’s going on?”
“He has demon bane throughout the house.”
“Demon bane?”
“It’s a mild allergenic. More annoying than anything else. If slipped into food it’ll cause weakness and unconsciousness.”
