Though he didn’t seem like he expected an answer, I spoke up anyway. “Why? Did you learn something about my family that makes you think I’d have to stay here longer?”
“Very little,” he replied vaguely. “Which is why you should temper your expectations. It may take a while to track them down.”
“Nope.” I was already shaking my head. “No. I can’t do that. I won’t.”
When he glanced over, I didn’t like the concern peeking through his expression.
I gripped the skirt of my dress. “What I mean is, I have options. I have other ways to find them.”
I was mostly bluffing. I’d come up with an idea while eating, but it was a long shot.
In the bathroom, I’d agonizingly dragged the Find My Phone app across the cracked screen over and over until it finally moved to the bottom, where it would actually open when clicked on.
Of course, I still didn’t have service here underground.
Also, since Mom had left her phone behind, Olive had dropped hers, and Dad rarely carried his, that left Rissa.
And that was onlyifher phone still had enough battery.
Which was also an issue when it came tomyphone.
I touched the hard spot right under my bra where I’d tucked the cell into my dress, held in place by the tight waist and hidden by the waistband. I’d turned it off so it wouldn’t die but worried my family would somehow try to call.
Soren hadn’t seen me tuck my phone there, but if the fae were so aware of the human world, he probably knew about the lack of service.
Either way, he only raised a brow. “Options?”
I rubbed the goose bumps on my arm, unconsciously stepping closer to him as we passed another dark tunnel and a deep rumble came from somewhere in the distance. “Yep.”
“Such as?”
“Well...” I faltered. “There’s, you know...you.”
His lips rose slightly before he caught them. “The plan is simplyme?”
“Pretty much,” I mumbled. “It’s not like you’ve shared what you’re working on.”
“If I told you everything I’ve learned so far, I fear you might not stick around to uphold your side of the agreement.”
He was right. I wouldn’t.
Apparently, he knew I wasn’t buying the whole toad-turning thing.
It hit me what he’d said first.
I grabbed his arm, trying to slow him down a bit. “Did you really learn something? You have to tell me!”
Instead of answering, he dropped his gaze to where my hand lay on his bicep.
I lowered it but refused to back down. “Did you?”
“Yes.” He didn’t elaborate—or look at me.
“But you’re not going to tell me.”
It wasn’t a question.
“I need your attention to be on the task at hand,” he replied instead of outright saying no, as we took another turn.
