“Explain,” Lugh said in a lowgrowl.
“My skill is with the blade. Knives work, just not as effectively. I like the feel of a sword, and I love how the steel sings when I swing it. But I can be deadly with less thanthat.”
Lugh twisted toward Uisnech, who gave an eager nod. But then he scowled. “No. Absolutely not. I’m not sending you to thosefae.”
“It’s not up to you,” I said with a shrug. “I’m not actually part of your Court, remember? I can do as I please.” Then, I turned to the hobgoblin, whose little green ears were twitching with excitement. “Uisnech, do you think you can hook me up with a few knives and figure out how to hide them in myclothes?”
The hobgoblin nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes, mylove.”
For once, I didn’t hate the moniker. I grinned at Uisnech and gave him a highfive.
Lugh scowled, ofcourse.
* * *
The Cauldron Tossers—myfavourite new nickname for them—wanted to do the trade in Gilmerton Cove, which was a half hour drive south from the castle. Much like the vaults where I’d been forced to fight the Sluagh, Gilmerton Cove was a tangle of underground chambers and tunnels. No one knew quite what the tunnels had once been used for. It was one of Edinburgh’s favourite mysteries. Many theories abounded. A smuggler’s lair, a secret drinking den—for humans or vampires, no one knew—or even a meeting place for the Knight’s Templar, who had beenfae.
I leaned more toward the obvious choice—that it had once been a haven for sorcerers trying to escape the witch trials. They’d holed up underground, waiting for the burning torches to pass themby.
Lugh had grudgingly agreed to go through with this plan. On one condition. I wouldn’t actually turn myself over to the Cauldron Tossers. Instead, we set a littletrap.
The trap was this: I would descend into the tunnels while Lugh and the ginger twins stood watch and trailed my every move from the shadows. As soon as the Cauldron Tossers showed themselves, we’d all fly into fight mode, including me. Uisnech had succeeded in hiding ten different daggers on my body. We’d tried twelve, but the extra two just wouldn’tfit.
Standing alone outside of Gilmerton Cove, I eyed the small mining cottage warily. It looked pretty normal, as far as secret hideouts for murderous supernaturals went. The white little house sat on a nondescript road cutting through a southeastern suburb about four miles outside of Edinburgh’s city centre, squatting right next to a vetclinic.
I tapped the hidden bluetooth mic and whispered, “You lot sure this is the rightplace?”
“Affirmative,” Uisnech replied in a giggle. This whole mic thing had been his idea. Something he’d seen off of one of those American SUV or CSI shows, or whatever they were called. Everyone was listening in. The twin warriors who were nearby and watching my every move. Lugh, who lurked in the pub across the street. And Uisnech, who had stayed behind at the castle to oversee the guard team there. Even though we were out prowling for the Cauldron Tossers, the castle still needed protection, just likealways.
I rolled my eyes and pushed open the door, surprised to find it completely unlocked. Inside, I found a flight of stairs with only about a dozen steps leading into shadowy darkness. There was a bright red arrow taped to the wall, pointing downward. Gee, which way should Igo?
“Current status,” the hobgoblin’s voice rang in my ear. “Echo, stat,affirmative.”
I huffed. As much as I was starting to like the creature, I wished he would stop buzzing nonsense into my ear. “I’m inside. There’s a flight of stairs. I’m heading downit.”
“Careful, Moira,” Lughwarned.
I gave a nod, even though he couldn’t see me, and a slight ripple of panic went through my gut. My feet hit the first stair, and memories flooded my mind. Sluagh lurching out of the shadows. Creatures pinning me to the ground. I shook the thoughts away and continueddownward.
When my feet hit the bottom stairs, I flicked on my torch. A long dark tunnel stretched before me. Wetting my lips, I pressed onward, hoping that the twins were right behindme.
“What do you see?” Lugh’s voice crackled in myear.
I whispered into the mic. “Dark tunnel. No one’shere.”
The crackle erupted in my ear, and I grimaced, smacking my hand against my head. A second later, the static vanished. I poked at the mic. “Hello?”
No response. I poked it again and whispered Lugh’s name. Again, noresponse.
Great. Now I had no contact with the outside world. Down in the underground chambers, the signal was blocked. Still, I continued forward, heart hammering. Saoirse’s life was hanging in the balance, and I wouldn’t turn my back onher.
Somewhere ahead of me or behind, I heard the unmistakable echo of footsteps. My heartbeat sped up, and I flicked my torch left and right. The tunnel twisted left, and I followed, feeling like prey walking straight into a trap. At any moment, the big bad wolf would lurch out of the darkness and chomp me inhalf.
A hand pressed against my back, and I screamed. I whirled in an instant, dagger in my hand. Warin blinked back at me, his hands raised before him. “Whoa. Moira. Chill. It’s justme.”
Swallowing hard, I jogged a step back, my daggered hand still raised before me. “What are you doing sneaking up on me in the tunnel like this? You’re supposed to stayhidden.”
And now, he’d just totally given us away. If the tossers were watching, they’d know I’d come withbackup.
