Seven sighs. “The same way I ended up in Eva’s office tonight. There’s a secret passage through Dad’s old office.”
Eva and I stare at Seven disbelievingly. “You came through a secret passageway?”
“We need to go to the casino. There’s something—” He tries to push up on his elbows and collapses flat on his back.
I place a hand gently on his shoulder. “You’re not going anywhere. You were negative, Seven. You had blue iron sewn into your chest. And I’m pretty sure you have a dislocated shoulder.”
He groans. “We don’t have time for this.”
Evangeline slips her hand into his. “You’re home now. That’s what’s important. I’ll fill in until you heal.”
He closes his eyes and shakes his head. “You don’t understand. They still have Saul. And if we don’t bring them what they want in seventy-two hours, they’re going to kill him.”
* * *
It’sall I can do to keep Seven in bed. I’m as worried about getting Saul back as he is, but he can hardly sit up. We both know we’ll need him in tip-top shape to have any hope of doing what we need him to do. Thankfully the doctor arrives. He’s an ancient-looking leprechaun who goes by the name of Felix Bonheur. I don’t want to leave Seven’s side, but Dr. Bonheur insists. Evangeline ushers me from the room and into the kitchen where she puts on water for tea.
“Sophia, I need you to do something for me,” Evangeline says, not meeting my eyes. Something’s been bothering her for days.
“Just ask already, Eva,” I say flatly. “This has something to do with the real reason you wanted me to come to your office the other day, doesn’t it? I feel like you’ve been meaning to ask me something, but you haven’t.”
Now she lifts her head and meets my eyes. “You’ve got to tell Godmother about what’s happened here tonight. Rayrcore has to be behind the murder even if we don’t have proof yet. You need to lie to her. It’s wrong to leave River locked up in Ashgate when we all know he didn’t do it.” She fists her hands on the counter.
I study her for a moment, her agitation, the dark circles heavy beneath her eyes. Her luck rises in the room, those hot feathers brushing against my skin. It’s a bird. No, aphoenix.
“He’s not in Ashgate,” I say softly. I could get in big trouble for this, but if what I suspect is true, she’ll keep my secret. “He was moved, but you can’t tell anyone. If anyone finds out, they’ll send him back.”
She reaches across the counter and takes my hands in hers. “Please, Sophia, where is he? Is he okay?”
My throat tightens at the pleading in her voice. “Why are you so concerned about River, Evangeline?” I ask softly. “You know, I’ve never seen you near River’s until the morning of the murder. At the time, I thought you were there for PR purposes, but you got there awfully fast for someone who lives in Elderflame and works in After Dark.”
The teakettle whistles, and she slides her hands from mine to pour the water into the teapot with the loose tea. “Do you take it with sugar?”
“Milk.” I continue to stare at her, but she refuses to meet my eyes. “You’ve been worried about River’s fate since the moment of the murder.”
No response.
“You haven’t been sleeping or eating.” I eye the way her collarbones protrude where they can be seen inside the vee of her blouse.
“Tell me where he is. Please.” She still refuses to look at me.
“Your luck takes the form of a phoenix. I recently learned that River has a phoenix tattooed on his shoulder. Is that a coincidence, Eva?”
This time she raises her gaze to meet mine and there’s fire in her emerald-green eyes, the same possessive fire I sometimes see in her brother’s. The room grows warmer as her luck circles it, and she says through her teeth, “How exactly do you know what’s tattooed on the back of his shoulder?”
Reaching out, I take her hand and squeeze. “I know you can’t tell me directly about any relationship you have with River, but tell me this: are you missing a purple coat?”
Our gazes lock, and tears slip from her eyes and carve down her cheeks. “Please, please tell me he’s okay.”
“He is. But Eva, you’ve got to break the bargain with him. You can prove he didn’t do this thing.”
She sobs openly now, her entire body trembling. “No one can find out. A leprechaun with a satyr is scandalous enough. Two satyrs… I will never live it down. No one will ever take me as a wife after that.”
A bad taste floods my mouth. “But it’s his life, Eva. If you care for him at all, you have to know that his life trumps any fear you might have about the truth getting out.” There’s empathy in my voice but also a slight edge of accusation.
She gasps as if I hit her, and her eyes rove wildly around the room. “You’re right.” She runs a hand down her face. “Maybe I can convince Godmother to keep it a secret.”
“For a price, I’m sure you can. But right now you must go to him. You must break his bargain with you so that both of you can help us free him.”
