Not letting myself overthink it, I hit send before silencing the phone and stuffing it in my rear pocket.
Unable to delay any longer, I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes at the forest beyond.
Why did it always have to be a forest?
It could be my paranoia talking, but I didn’t have the best track record when it came to forests. My time in them had a distressing tendency of devolving to me fleeing for my life.
Tonight, the trees loomed high, like skeletal executioners, their branches bare. The shadows at their bases were dark and deep, waiting to consume the unwary traveler. Snow still lingered in patches on the ground.
We weren't far from High Banks, a metro park that was unexpectedly hilly considering how flat the rest of Columbus was. Named for the hundred-foot bluffs overlooking the Olentangy river, the park had numerous creeks and streams threading through it. Over time they had carved the ravines the park was known for.
A few feet away stood Liam and two of his enforcers, Nathan and Anton. Off to the side, Sofia, her two guards and Kat waited. If it'd been up to me, we would have left Sofia, Kat and their people behind for this trip. I trusted Liam and his enforcers at my back, the rest not so much.
Unfortunately, Thomas had overruled me. It seemed he didn't trust my ability to come out of a Fae barrow in one piece without a Matriarch or Patriarch there to watch my back. Liam sided with him.
So here we were. A gaggle of vampires seeking an audience with the Fae.
We weren't the only ones either. Spooks of all shapes and varieties milled around the area, each waiting for their own invitation. Conversation was muted and subdued, as if they were afraid the trees had ears.
A fair suspicion so close to the barrow. Who knew what lurked out there.
I shivered at the feel of unseen eyes watching me before frowning at the spaces between the trees. I wondered if there was any way to avoid going in there. Maybe the Fae would consider answering all of my questions from out here.
Not likely, but one could dream.
A body crashed unexpectedly into mine and an arm wrapped around my shoulders. I stumbled, already shifting to meet the threat.
The familiar scent of Caroline stayed my hand. Out of the corner of my eye I caught Liam waving off Sam and her partner, a vampire I'd since learned was called Matthew.
Caroline's smile was stiff, not quite hiding her desire to strangle me. "You didn't tell me you were going to be here."
I kept my arms crossed over my chest even as I slid a sidelong look at her. "I wasn't aware I needed to check in for every move I made."
Her smile turned sugary sweet, even as antagonism rolled off her in waves.
She pinched the top of my ear. I jerked, trying to escape but not making it far. Her fingers could have been forceps with how good a grip they had. I could probably rip my way free, but it would mean sacrificing a chunk of my ear.
"How arrogant you've gotten," she said, never once losing that sweet smile. "Or did you forget the question you asked me a few nights ago?"
I tried to think back. It had only been two nights, but it felt like a month.
The worry behind her smile finally caught up to me. That’s right, I'd picked her brain regarding the Scattered.
"Sorry," I said. "I didn't think."
She released my ear. "You rarely do."
Kat made a harsh sound from a few feet away.
When we looked over, it was to find her fixing a haughty look on us. "What right does a werewolf have to question a vampire about anything?"
Neither of us answered as we turned back to each other.
"I didn't really know I was going to be here until late last night," I said, hoping it soothed the sting of being kept out of the loop. In Caroline's place, I would be irate if my friend had run off without me while in mortal danger.
Sam looked down to hide a smile as Kat muttered under her breath, stalking several feet away to put distance between us.
Caroline's expression thawed, a real smile replacing the fake one. That fake smile had taken me years to see through. It had fooled many an unwary person over the years, luring them into dangerous water before she verbally destroyed them.
