Page 47 of Quiver of Cobras
I shrugged at the growl in his voice. ‘She reckons that my amnesia is magic-related and that the magic would work to return my memory by leading me to people and objects that would jolt it back into action.’
His expression cleared and he nodded. ‘Of course. That makes perfect sense. That’s how we were reunited so quickly. We’re meant to work together – the magic demands it.’
I managed to avoid rolling my eyes. It was Morgan who I’d been drawn to, not Rubus. ‘Mmm.’
Rubus delved into the box then frowned. ‘What the hell is this?’ he asked, scooping up a handful of dust. Amid the sparkly grey were more than a few specks of dull green.
I grimaced. ‘Ah. Well, for some reason I left the chest in a small forest. A small, damp forest. I guess it got mouldy.’ Either that or someone had taken a lot of moss and mixed it in so that the entire batch was unusable. I couldn’t think for the life of me who that would have been though…
Rubus tutted. ‘That’s annoying.’ He looked up. ‘Which forest was this exactly?’
This was where I was on shaky ground. I’d already decided, dangerous as it was, to stick as close to the truth as possible. I had to do everything I could to make Rubus believe I was on his side – and if that meant taking risks by veering into dangerous honesty, that was what I’d do. It wasn’t lost on me that he’d already pointed out this painful side of my personality tonight. I was still sure I was doing the right thing, though. ‘It was on the outskirts of the city,’ I answered. ‘Nothing nearby, except a golf course of all things.’
I caught the faintest twitch from his eyelid. Yep, that got his attention. ‘Wait a second,’ he said. ‘Didn’t you tell me that you woke up on a golf course?’
As if he’d forgotten. I nodded. ‘I did. And yes, it was the same one. I assume that I hid the pixie dust out of fear that it would be stolen or lost before whatever happened happened.’
‘And the name of the golf course?’ he enquired. ‘I should a send a team to check it out.’
He’d find it sooner or later; it was better that I controlled his discovery. I told him its name. I even gave him directions. Rubus appeared satisfied. ‘Excellent,’ he murmured. He closed the chest lid and tucked it under his arm. ‘I should go,’ he said.
My gaze dropped momentarily to his hand and to the little finger where his gold ring was proudly displayed. I was tempted to find a way to get him to hand it over right now, given that he was pleased with me, but I already had a better idea about how to nab it.
I waved him off, telling him I was going to have a nightcap. I had to tread carefully; Rubus wasn’t a cardboard cut-out of a villain. In fact, he was far more complex than I’d given him credit for.
He wasn’t the only one who was complex, though – and I was the murderer amongst us. I nodded to myself. He had no chance. Softly, softly catchee monkey.
Chapter Twelve
I was awoken the following morning by Morgan’s gruff tones in my ear. For one pleasant moment before I was fully awake, I assumed he was lying next to me and had some morning wood that required my delicate ministrations. Then I realised it was the daft shell phone.
‘How are you?’ he repeated.
I fumbled groggily under my pillow for the shell and held it up. ‘You’re concerned about me?’ I couldn’t resist adding a hint of sarcasm, given the way he hadn’t been able to meet my eyes the precious night. ‘I’m touched.’
‘Of course I’m fucking concerned, Madrona! You went back to Rubus. Have you seen him? Have you tried to get his ring?’
Ah. So that’s what this was about. I suddenly had the distinct feeling that each of the brothers was using me for the same reason – to get at the other. I could hardly complain, however. Using people was apparently what I did best. I should admire the pair of them rather than feel hurt.
‘I’m absolutely fine,’ I told him. ‘And, no, I haven’t tried to get the ring yet. I’m not going to bulldoze in and wrestle it off his finger. He has to believe it’s his idea to remove it or this will never work.’
‘I take it you have a plan.’
‘Morgan, darling,’ I drawled, ‘I always have a plan.’ I’d had a plan to kill Charrie the Bogle and that had worked. I’d even had a plan to close the borders to Mag Mell, I thought sourly, and that had been far more successful – in a sense, anyway – than I could have hoped for. ‘Just be patient.’
There was a beat of silence. ‘I’m not trying to hassle you, Maddy,’ Morgan said. ‘I’m just worried.’
Him and me both. I sighed. Then, hearing the patter of footsteps in the corridor outside, I shook myself. ‘It’s too dangerous to talk now,’ I told him. I bit my lip. ‘Look, I need some willing pixie-dust takers.’
‘Pardon?’
I ignored the dangerous edge to his voice. ‘You heard me. I feel like I’m really close to getting Rubus to believe that I’m on his side and I’m a trustworthy henchwoman. Bringing him some more potential addicts will give me more leeway.’
‘You want me to find you some faeries willing to turn themselves into addicts?’ he asked, his disbelief palpable even through the shell’s minor magic.
From what I recalled of the Fey who’d approached me when they’d thought I was selling, it wouldn’t be too hard. ‘It’s for the greater good,’ I told him. ‘And it’s only a short-term thing.’
‘That’s what you say now.’ His voice hardened. ‘I won’t do it. There has to be a line, Madrona, and I’m drawing that line here. I won’t involve innocents in our plans.’
