Like what the attractive but rude red-haired man on TV wore.
I immediately stepped back before her melodic voice chimed, “I’m a friend.”
My brain was scrambling; she was barely taller than me. She wore a large cloak with a hood over her wrapped head, shielding most of the shape of her body, and the dark clothing she had on underneath. She lifted a hand, her pale fingers the only thing poking out of her gloves, “You’re safe.”
“Sure.” I narrowed my eyes at her.
“Don’t make a scene, they don’t know I’m here.” Her golden eyes flicked over in the direction of the front of the shop, where Shane was. I glared at her, slowly stepping into my office and shutting the door behind me.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked.
“Your friends call me Hush,” she replied. Then she crossed her arms and turned back toward my shelf to admire a picture of Audrey and me. We were on the beach, sunbathing. Except the flash from the camera practically made Audrey invisible on the sand, “I’m a friend. At least, I’m trying to be.”
“Why?” I asked. I grabbed the box that Shane needed and cautiously made my way to the door again.
“We want the same things,” Hush replied.
“Ah.” I nodded, not yet convinced.
Hush turned to watch me open the door to set the box Shane needed just outside of it, before closing the door and locking it.
“Our previous meeting spot in my realm has been compromised,” Hush explained. “I was told to meet here instead.”
“Who told you to meet here?”
Hush flitted her gaze to the door seconds before the doorknob jiggled and knuckles wrapped on the door, “Van, let us in.” Audrey said.
I glanced around my small space. Four people, one of them being the size of Liam, would be a tight fit. But there would still be enough seating for everyone, thanks to the loveseat I squished against the far wall. I flicked the lock open and let my two friends inside, giving Audrey a very obvious, pointed glare.
“I know, I know.” Audrey winced under my expression. “But we need to talk to Hush about what happened last night.”
“And we’re just gonna do that here?” I countered, relocking the door behind them. The box was still there, so Shane hadn’t come looking for it, yet. I looked up at Liam, surprised to see him slouching so much. He wore a beanie on his head, concealing his pointed ears. His swim trunks were back, and I recognized it as his human disguise.
“We must be quick,” Hush replied, finally turning away from my memorabilia shelf to watch Audrey and Liam plop themselves on the loveseat. “I can’t linger here.” I leaned back against my desk, mirroring our new friend by crossing my arms.
Well, a new friend to me.
I guess Liam and Audrey had known her beforehand.
“Well, spit it out.” I waved for them to get a move on. “I have employees here. I can’t have secret Hyvenmere stuff going on in my place of work.”
“I am no threat to your employees,” Hush said again, before turning that eerie golden gaze to my friends. “What was so urgent that you needed me to come so quickly?”
“Audrey killed a solvyrn last night,” Liam said, point-blank. He sat forward and clasped his fingers together. Even hunched, his massive frame still took up space.
“What?” Hush stiffened, her golden eyes widening. “Where? How?”
“Here, out in the ocean.” Audrey tipped her head in the direction of the ocean as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I had no choice—it was too wild and was a danger?—”
“Of course, you had no choice—there was asolvyrnin your territory,” Hush whispered as she started pacing the small room. Her blonde brows pinched together as she processed this, “How did a solvyrn get through the gates?”
“That’s what we want to know.” Liam sighed, leaning back on the loveseat.
“This sucks.” Audrey groaned, dropping her face into her hands. “This fucking sucks.”
“Where is it?” Hush asked, ignoring Audrey’s agony.
“The bottom of the ocean,” Liam replied. Hush nodded, rubbing her brow with her fingertips.
