Page 62 of Sincerely, Secretary of Doom

It didn’t faze her. “You should really get some sleep though,” she said. “Promise me you’ll go to bed if he doesn’t show up by ten—”

“Twelve.”

“No.Ten.” Her hazel eyes told stories of wrath to come if he didn’t comply. As if she could hurt a moonbug.

Cress took his smile back. She didn’t get to have it. “I haven’t been sleeping anyway, Human. I’m too bogged down by wedding plans and business decisions, and what recipe to make next for my show.” It was half true. He didn’t mention the real reason he laid awake each evening.

Her expression softened, and she stepped toward him. “All right.” She batted her eyelashes as she came right up against him on her tiptoes. She puckered her human lips and…

Cress smooshed his hand over her face and pushed her backward. “Yuck,” he stated.

Kate gasped. “Yuck?!”

“Yes. Yuck. Your antics repulse me. If you think you can lure me into an enchantment to get me to go to bed against my will, you’re out of your human mind, Katherine Lewis.” He quickly brought the hot coffee to his lips and began to chug.

Kate’s jaw dropped as he gulped down the whole thing and passed the empty mug back to her, wiping a bead from his bottom lip. “There will be no sleep for me tonight,” he announced. He fought the impulse to make an anguished noise in reaction to how the coffee had burned his throat on the way down.

Kate grunted and took the mug back. “Whatever. It was decaf anyway.” She stalked off with all her non-caffeinated trickery.

“Don’t you have anything to say?” he called after her. “Anything at all, Human?”

Kate made it to the kitchen door without a reply, so Cress helped her out.

“Un-real, Cress!” Cress mimicked her in a high, human-y female voice. Kate glanced back with an irritated look, and he flashed a gloating smile.

Dranian emerged from the hallway in graceful strides, followed by Shayne shuffling a deck of cards. The two planted themselves at the feasting table closest to the fireplace. “You in, Cress?” Shayne asked, and Cress saw him slide an ace card up his sleeve when Dranian wasn’t looking.

“Yes. Deal me in. And Kate and Lily, too,” Cress said. “And I spotted a fresh pie on the counter in the kitchen. Let’s split that.”

Shayne grunted a laugh. “You’re going to get chubby if you keep eating pie,” he warned.

“Impossible,” Cress said back, heading over and yanking the hidden card from Shayne’s sleeve. He added it back to the deck.

“Lily made the pie for her human police department’s summer fundraiser,” Dranian muttered, taking the cards away from Shayne to shuffle and deal them himself.

“Ah. Then let’s eat itquickly,” Cress decided. But his smile faded, his ear twitching toward the street. The shadows outside began to call his name.

Cress moved through the tables and pushed out the café door, rattling the bell. He looked into the darkest corners of the street as the door swished closed behind him. There were no human chariots on the road. Most of the storefronts were shutting down for the night even though the street lanterns weren’t lit yet. He searched the alleys of the breakfast tavern until he spotted a hooded shadow, and Mor stepped into the last blink of light the human sun would give for the evening.

Cress said nothing as Mor approached. As Mor stopped before him. As Mor pulled down his hood, revealing his curly hair and a face that looked to have been wrestling all day with whatever decision he had come to.

Cress stared at the brown-and-silver eyed assassin. Wind whistled through the street. After several beats of silence, Cress nodded. “Come inside. I’ll tell Dranian to deal you in.”

Cress led the way into the café, and Mor followed without a word.

Shayne’s eyes widened. The white-haired assassin stood until Cress lifted a hand and gestured for him to sit back down and shut up. So, Shayne sank back into his seat, biting back a smile. He would definitely try to take credit for Mor’s return, even though it was likely Cress’s and Mor’s unmistakeable bond that had done the trick.

Cress looked around for the pie he’d ordered. He didn’t see it on the card table. He eyed the kitchen, but he didn’t want to leave Mor alone, worried one of his assassins would bring up the topic of his Shadow Fairy nemesis. Cress would force them to avoid the topic for the first while, at least. Mor being here was enough.

“Mor!” Lily jogged from the kitchen. She came over and punched him in the arm. “You should have let me shoot that Shadow Fairy by the harbour. I’m a good shot. I would have gotten him right between the eyes.” She smiled and poked herself between her brows to show him. Little did she know that no fairy in the room believed she could take out a Shadow Fairy with a mere human weapon. Mor was too nice to point it out though.

Cress huffed. So much for avoiding the topic. Count on humans to make things weird.

Lily scooted into a chair, followed by Kate. Cress and Mor sat also. Finally, Cress couldn’t take it anymore. “Where’s the pie?” he asked.

Lily tensed. “Don’t you dare touch my pie, Cress,” she warned. She appeared quite serious.

It was fine. Cress would pretend to have to go to the bathroom soon. He would have no trouble sneaking into the kitchen to eat it.

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