As soon as she left the building after promising to return in a day’s time with her terms to seal the deal, Mallory turned smartly right and walked to the end of the street where Boris was waiting.
‘You’re still alive then?’ the yellow-eyed spriggan called out as she approached.
She twirled and held out her arms. ‘As you see. Vampires are not to be feared, Boris. I keep telling you that. As long as you are not a threat to them, they will not harm you.’
He shuddered. ‘Any creature who spontaneously combusts at the first sign of a sunbeam is to be feared. You’re as afraid of them as I am.’
She patted him on the back. ‘You’re being melodramatic.’
‘I most certainly am not.’ He sniffed and gave her a long look from beneath his blond eyelashes. ‘What did he ask for?’
‘I’m not going to tell you that.’
‘What are you going to give him in return?’
‘I’m not going to tell you that either.’
‘But youaregoing to deal with him?’
She took some time before answering. ‘It seems likely. Can you set up a meeting for me tomorrow morning with Nicola Sturgess?’
‘The witch?’
‘Yep.’
‘She’s on the Council.’
‘All the more reason to meet with her,’ Mallory said mildly. ‘Besides, it’ll be good to get her favour off the books. There are only a few weeks before the time runs out on it.’
‘Less. You only have ten days remaining on that contract.’
Oh. Mallory absorbed that news, then shrugged and gave her assistant a sunny smile. ‘Then this is the perfect opportunity for her to repay what she owes.’
Boris sighed heavily. ‘Okay.’ He reached into his waistcoat and drew out a small leather-bound diary. Gripping a nub of a pencil in his green fingers, he scratched a reminder to himself before tucking the pad away again.
Not for the first time, Mallory told herself that she should start doing something similar to remain organised and on task. The minutiae of her life tended towards haphazard chaos which caused more problems for her than she cared to admit. Her strengths lay in remembering people, not dates and numbers.
‘I should tell you that your meeting with Kit McCafferty was due to start five minutes ago,’ Boris said. ‘You’re going to be very late.’
Mallory grimaced; it was never a good look to arrive late to an appointment. Fortunately, she doubted McCafferty would mind. The cat lady presented a benign front to the world even though Mallory suspected there was far more to her than met the eye. ‘We should get going, then.’
Boris nodded, raised his thumb and forefinger to his mouth and whistled. There was a moment’s silence followed by the thundering of hooves along the cobbled streets. There weremany benefits to having a Fae spriggan in service to her, and the ability to magically summon transport at a moment’s notice was one of them.
‘I don’t know what I’d do without you,’ she said.
His tone was dry. ‘I’m certain that you’d manage. In two years, nine months and fifteen days’ time, when my favour to you is complete, youwillmanage.’
‘Not that you’re counting the days or anything.’
‘I’m counting the days, the hours and the minutes. But you’re not bad for a boss. I’ve had worse.’
‘I’m agreatboss,’ Mallory retorted. At least she tried to be. ‘And just to prove it, you can head off for the night once I get to Vallese.’
Boris swept a bow. ‘Your wish is my command, my lady.’
Vallese,an expensive Italian restaurant in one of the smarter suburbs of Coldstream, was the sort of place that you were supposed to dress up for. Mallory’s grubby shoes and casual clothing might not have raised eyebrows at Chester Longchamps’ place but she knew she’d feel out of place at the restaurant. If there’d been time she would have gone home to change, but it was what it was.
She patted down her colourful clothing, which at least didn’t looktoocreased, but there was no point attempting to do anything with her hair. Her springy brown curls had a mind of their own and past experience had taught Mallory that it was better to let them be.
