Page 51 of Box of Frogs
‘I’m very motivated,’ I snarled.
He pursed his lips. ‘Go on then. Give it a shot.’
A deep growl rose in my chest. I swung at him, throwing as much force behind the shot as I could. Unfortunately he ducked, and my momentum almost made me fall over.
‘Don’t bother trying to mess with time again,’ Morgan added, looking amused. ‘It won’t affect me. And as I’m certain I’ve already mentioned, it’s forbidden.’
I launched myself at him. I’d show him forbidden. Yet again, however, he sidestepped. When I whirled back round to face him, he was examining his fingernails as if he were bored. ‘Have you had enough yet?’
I shook my head vehemently. ‘I’m not going to let you take Julie. I don’t care who you are or what it takes to stop you. It’s not going to happen, Morgan.’
Morgan dropped his hands and his expression changed. ‘I don’t know who Julie is, although I assume from the number plate that it’s her half-destroyed car you’re driving. Is she your new employer?’ He frowned. ‘If she’s not Fey, I don’t care who she is. I’m not interested in her, Maddy. I’m trackingyou.’
‘You stuck that thing underneath her car in order to follow me? Bullshit.’
Morgan’s head tilted. ‘What thing? I tracked you from this.’ He reached forward and his fingers brushed my shoulder. I flinched, staring as he picked out a little white thread between his forefinger and thumb. ‘Dandelion fluff,’ he said. ‘It travels by its own nature. All it takes for a Fey to find it is the original plant, the mother, so to speak. She told me where you were. I placed the fluff on you when you were unconscious in my pub. If that annoys you,’ he shrugged, ‘I don’t care.’
I stared at him. ‘You talk to weeds?’
He smiled faintly. ‘It’s less of a conversation and more a – sensation. It wouldn’t occur to most Fey to use the dandelion in this manner.’
‘You’re trying to tell me that you’re not “most” Fey.’ I snorted.
‘That’s right.’ He kept his eyes on me. ‘I’m not.’
‘Why?’ I bit out, still disbelieving his motives. ‘Why follow me?’
‘Rubus.’ A muscle clenched in Morgan’s jaw. ‘He’s going to be missing his favourite minion. Sooner or later he’ll come looking for you to bring you back into the fold. I have decided I don’t want that to happen.’
‘Why not?’
Morgan’s gaze shifted slightly. ‘There is enough pixie dust on the streets as it is. We don’t need you working for him again and spreading even more about.’
Interesting. I was sure that Morgan was lying about that last part; everything else seemed to be true. He wasn’t interested in Julie at all. Gasbudlikins. That meant… I cursed and started to run.
‘Julie!’ I yelled. ‘It’s alright! Come back!’ I sped past her empty car towards the gate where I’d instructed her to wait. Damn it – she wasn’t there. When I’d first shouted, she must have taken me at my word and gone. Then another chilling thought struck me. I spun round, ready to call Morgan, but he was already there, watching me with a concerned expression. ‘Were you there?’ I demanded. ‘Were you in the trees watching the house?’
‘I haven’t been to any house. I’ve been a good three-quarters of an hour behind you because I had some other business to take care of before I came after you. Otherwise I wouldn’t have used the dandelion, I’d have just followed the car. It’s hardly inconspicuous.’
Someone else had been watching. Julie’s hunters were out there and she was all alone. I’d totally and completely fucked up.
‘Julie!’ I bellowed. ‘Julie!’
Morgan caught my arm. ‘What’s going on?’
‘I don’t have the time or the crayons to explain it to you.’
He rolled his eyes in exasperation. ‘Maddy…’
I opened my mouth to answer but before I could there was the flash of lights from around the corner, followed by a high-pitched screech of rubber and the horrific sound of a collision. Someone had just crashed into Julie’s car. It was either an unfortunate farmer working late or a vampire hunter. I’d lay money on the latter.
I abruptly switched direction, running back towards the cars. Whoever was inside had not been driving all that fast. There were no flames but there was a considerable amount of twisted metal. As the driver started to haul himself out with a dazed expression on his face, my insides hardened. I recognised him.
None of this was about Julie; I’d dragged her into my own mess, whatever it was.
‘Redcap,’ Morgan said in an undertone as the hapless arsebadger stumbled into the road.
My fists tightened as I watched the large, bald freak raise his eyes and finally spot us. ‘Redcap who tried to shoot me just a few nights ago,’ I muttered. ‘On the golf course, right after I woke up with this blasted amnesia.’
