by Jasmine Walt
I couldn’t help it—I laughed. “I can’t believe you have an actual sense of humor,” I said, forking up more of the aforementioned pasta. I dismissed Darun—he was good company, but he was also very territorial, and I wanted to enjoy my lunch without him hovering at my elbow. He disappeared, though he wasn’t exactly happy about the command.
Maddock smirked. “I have a lot more than that, whenever yer ready to see it.”
Dammit. The blush was coming back. Clearing my throat, I changed the subject. “I actually have something I’d like your help with, when we’re done eating.”
Maddock arched an eyebrow. “And what is that?”
I smiled. “Just a little redecorating.”
An hour later, Maddock climbed down from the ladder outside my front door and dusted off his hands.
“I think it looks pretty good,” he said, placing his hands on his hips. He’d taken off his suit jacket, and I took a brief moment to admire the way his back muscles flexed beneath his linen shirt.
“Yeah, I’d say so,” I agreed, staring up at the sign with a grin.
I’d bought the shingle a couple of days ago and painted it myself. Etched in gold letters that stood out against the hardwood were the words:
BROOKE CHANDLER: PRIVATE DETECTIVE/MONSTER HUNTER
I’d enchanted the second half so that it was invisible to human eyes before I had Maddock hang it. Now that I had the trust fund, I didn’t need money, but I still wanted to stay busy. This seemed the best way to put my talents to good use.
“Nice sign,” a familiar voice said from behind me.
I whirled around to see Oscar standing just a few feet away, his hands in the pockets of his beat-up leather jacket.
“Hey!” I threw my arms around him. “Wasn’t expecting you.” Oscar had gone back to Faerie a couple of days after the hearing, and I’d wondered when he was going to come back.
“Nice to see you, too, kid. And you,” he said, inclining his head to Maddock. “You’ve taken care of her while I was gone?”
“As always,” Maddock said, his tone cool. Their gazes clashed, and I held in a sigh as tension crackled in the air between them. I hoped it wasn’t always going to be this way, because I planned to keep them both around for the foreseeable future.
“Do you mind letting me in?” Oscar asked, turning his gaze back to mine. “I’ve got something important to discuss with you. Alone,” he added, his gaze on Maddock.
“Sure.” I swallowed as an uneasy feeling settled in my chest, turning to Maddock. “Guess we’ll catch up later?” I felt a little bad about kicking him to the curb right after he helped me out with the sign…but then again, surely he had other things to do than hang out with me all afternoon.
“Certainly.” Maddock took my hand and surprised me by brushing his lips against my knuckles. “I’ll be waiting for your call, Detective.”
He vanished.
Oscar said nothing, but I could feel the weight of his stare on me as I let him into the house. “You shouldn’t get too close to Maddock,” he said as I shut the door.
“And why not?” I snapped, unable to keep the ire from my voice. I knew it was a bad idea, but I didn’t need Oscar and Darun hounding me about it.
“Because your father sent me here to hire you for a job,” Oscar said flatly. “One that will be in direct conflict with your relationship with Maddock.”
“And what’s that?” I asked, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice as I crossed my arms.
“The Winter King has finally decided to strike back against the Seelie,” Oscar said, his stony gaze unwavering “And he needs your help to do it.”
The End
About the Authors
New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Walt is obsessed with books, chocolate, and sharp, pointy objects. Somehow, those three things melded together in her head and transformed into a desire to write. Usually fantastical stuff, with a healthy dose of action and romance. Her characters are a little (okay, a lot) on the snarky side, and they swear, but they mean well. Even the villains sometimes.
www.jasminewalt.com
New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton lives in Georgia with her husband and four kids, all of whom inspire her writing. Somewhere in between using magic to disappear booboos and sorcery to heal emotional wounds, she takes to her fictional worlds to see what perilous situations her characters will find themselves in next. Represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA, Rebecca has been published internationally, in three languages.
www.rebeccahamiltonbooks.com