“Who did this to you?”
He opened his mouth, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out. Fuck. I turned and crouched next to the shelves in the direction he’d flicked his eyes.
Nothing. For a couple of kids who were like hurricanes every time I entered this store, they were now so quiet it was as if they weren’t here.
I cracked my shield and sent out a tiny tendril of power. There. In the corner of the store. I picked my way over the weapons and spells that littered the ground, ducking around the few shelves that were still standing.
Nothing.
I frowned. “Are you boys invisible?”
A tiny squeak, followed by a hushed ‘shhh.’
They wereinthe wall somehow. I ran my fingers over it, looking for some kind of trigger. Then I cracked my shields again.
It was warded. Heavily. Gary had paid a pretty penny for such a good ward. I didn’t have time to hesitate. I pulled out my Nim Cub, sliced my arm, and lifted my hand.
The ward snapped, disappearing as if it had never been there. As soon as it was gone, I could see the opening mechanism, hidden in the corner of the wall.
I flicked it, and the bottom half of the wall swung open, revealing two little gnomes, who blinked at me with wide eyes.
“You’re Cilibim, right? And you’re Ziprick?”
Gary had taken a human name when he first came through the portals. He’d said it was to help him integrate with the locals. But he’d given his kids Gnome names.
“I’m Cil, and he’s Zip,” Cil told me solemnly. “Is our dad going to be okay?”
“I’ve called for help,” I said, unwilling to give them false promises. “Your dad asked me to look after you.”
They exchanged a look, clearly wondering why their dad would trust their safety to a woman he’d kicked out of his store just a few hours earlier.
“I won’t hurt you. I promise.” Itkilledme that they were frightened of me.
The kids looked at each other again, their gray faces wearing identical expressions of distrust. Finally, they stepped out from their hiding place in the wall.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
“I need to check on your dad, okay?”
They nodded, following me back over to Gary, who was now unconscious. I was going to find whoever had done this to him, and when I did, they were going to pay and pay and pay.
I checked his vitals. Gnomes were lesser dark fae, and they were usually pretty fast healers, but Gary didn’t look any better. My chest clenched.
“Danica?”
I glanced over my shoulder. Evie’s face drained of color as she looked around the store.
“Who did this?”
“I don’t know. But I need you to take the kids and keep them safe. I’ll come see you after.”
Evie nodded, her mouth firming. Then she gracefully picked her way over the rubble lining the floor until she was in front of the kids. She knelt down.
“My name is Evie. What are your names?”
They told her and she grinned. “What cool names. I have some people who want to meet you. Will you come hang out with me?”
Cil shook his head. “We’re meant to stay with Danica.”
