“So, we need to beat him to the punch,” Uisnech said, twisting his little green hands together. “I spy amission!”
I looked down at the goblin. “What are you suggesting,Uisnech?”
“The Sapphire did not come from nowhere, yes?” He arched his bushy brows. “A sorcerer made it. Who did the sorcerer sell itto?”
Lugh gave a slow nod. “Find the sorcerer who made the drug. Find the fae planning the attack. It makessense.”
“We could get the names of all the local dealers from Axel,” I said. “And then pay each of them a visit. They might not be willing to tell usthough.”
Warin curled his hand into a fist. “So, we make themwilling.”
* * *
We waited for the dark.Sorcerers were not like the vampires or werewolves of the city. They didn’t keep to midnight hours, unless they dealt in illegal potions or spells. Anyone who was hocking Sapphire was doing just that—breaking the law. As intoxicating as the magic was, it was strictly prohibited by both the human and supernatural communities. And it could land the guilty party in jail—human or fae, it didn’tmatter.
After getting the list of names from Axel, we split into three teams. Turned out there were about six or seven different sorcerers who could be dealing in the dark magic. Boudica and Warin teamed up to take on two names. Uisnech and Saoirse teamed up to take on two more, while Nero stayed at the castle to oversee the protection of the defences. That left me and Lugh as a team. And I was pretty sure everyone had purposefully crafted it thatway.
Especially Uisnech, who let out a giggle when he pranced down the street with Saoirse by his side, her long dark hair swinging at her waist. I scowled after the both of them.Traitors.
Lugh dipped his hands beneath his cloak, a smile playing at his lips. “I suppose we’re partners whether we like it or not. The others have seen tothat.”
Sighing, I glanced up at the towering buildings that scraped against heavy clouds that obscured the moon. “Think they know what happened lastnight?”
“Uisnech knows.” Lugh motioned for me to join him as he took to the cobblestone streets. We passed between two spires of matching cathedrals, their stained-glass windows lit up from inside. “He saw when he came by last night to deliver the news. I suspect he gleefully told everyone hemet.”
“Hobgoblins are terrible gossips,” I muttered, though I couldn’t be mad at the little guy. My fondness for the hobgoblin meant he could pretty much get away with anything, and he probably knewit.
“So,” Lugh said, slicing his dark gaze my way. The street lamps swept across his face, highlighting his sharply-cut jaw. I reached out, without even realising what I was doing, and brushed my fingers against his skin. He shuddered, but his footsteps never faltered. Instead, he continued with, “What are the two names we have on ourlist?”
I knew what he was doing. He wouldn’t push me away, but he wouldn’t welcome me in either. He’d made his position clear enough.Fuck the prophecy.If I wanted the two of us to come together, thenIhad to be the one to say it out loud, not him. The words were on the tip of my tongue. All I had to do was open my mouth, and it would all come spillingout.
Instead, I gripped the paper tight in my hands and turned my gaze on the words. “Two women. Jezebel and Rebekah. Onelives—”
“Jezebel hides out in Craigmillar Castle,” Lugh said with a nod. “We’ve had to deal with her before. She has a fondness for illegal magic, particularly of the Sapphirekind.”
The paper crumpled in my hand as I gripped it tighter. “So, we should start withher.”
“Hmm.” Lugh frowned. “Trouble is, she doesn’t deal withfae.”
My heart sunk. “So, she’s a deadend.”
“Most likely,” Lugh said. “Still, we should do our due diligence and check herout.”
This was why Lugh was a better King than I would ever be. Due diligence or not, this felt like a massive waste of time. If I were to pick our next steps, I’d send us hurtling straight on to the next name on our list, and write off the trip to Jezebel. But despite how alike Lugh and I were, there were a few key differences between us. For one, he was meticulous. He ticked off his tasks with precision and efficiency. I just liked to barge right onin.
Craigmillar Castle was about an hour’s walk through Holyrood Park from Old Town. Instead of taking a car, we depended on our own two feet to get us there. Even at night, it was a lovely walk, taking us through scuffling fields of green, past a glittering pond, and by towering cliffs that cast ominous shadows on the streets below them. We didn’t speak as we made the trek, falling into companionable silence. My body felt still for the first time in a very long time, as if I were finally exactly where I needed to be. With a sigh, I edged a little closer to Lugh and tucked my hand into his elbow. With his profile backlit by the nighttime sky, hesmiled.
Soon, we spotted Craigmillar Castle looming in the distance. It sat on a large expanse of green with thick trees dotting the landscape around it. It was an old ruin, not in use like Castle Wraith, but the stone structure had been well-preserved over the years. A fortifying courtyard wall formed a square with a tower rising high in the center, roof missing. Once, Mary Queen of Scots had fled to this castle when her lover was killed, only then to plot the murder of herhusband.
Now, the castle stood silent and still, pregnant with tension. Lugh and I came to a stop in the shadows of a tree on the lawn, staring up at the structure. It was not as large or as well-built as Castle Wraith, but it was still imbued with the same kind of intimidatingaura.
“Who the hell comes here to buy magic drugs?” I whispered, shuddering at the sudden chill that swept across my body. I hadn’t been cold on our walk—the exercise had kept my blood warm—but now that we were hiding in the dark, I suddenly felt very, verycold.
“People who don’t want to get seen,” Lugh replied. “No one would suspect that a witch lurked inside, dispensing supernaturalconcoctions.”
I arched a brow. “Witch?”
“That’s what she calls herself,” he said. “Rumour has it she likes the way the word rolls off the tongue, and it has a greater effect on her humanbuyers.”
