Page 18 of Vicious Little Vows
He grimaced. “I was under the impression we were trying to ignore the magical pull between us.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Says the guy who kisses me just to test a magical theory.”
“It did seem worth testing, yes…” He absentmindedly scraped his fork across his plate.
I sipped my coffee, wondering at the enigma that was Crispin. He flirted, yes, and he was kind, but I had settled into the impression that he was more fascinated with our bond than he was with me.
Crispin turned to say something else, but I jumped as a patch of darkness erupted across the counter from us, then glared once Sebastian became visible. “Don’t you knock?”
“In my own home?” He looked down at our breakfasts. “Eat quickly. We need to stop by Isadora’s shop before we meet Penelope.”
“Gabriel should be on his way here soon.”
“We cannot afford to wait for him.” Sebastian turned toward the coffee pot before I could argue.
I met Crispin’s waiting gaze, but the elf simply shrugged and turned back to his breakfast.
I made a mental note to talk to him later, maybe on our double date, if we actually made it there. The promise I had made to Dawn seemed very far away at the moment. My main concern now was visiting Isadora. Had she refused Sebastian’s request for more potions unless we paid for the first ones?
The last time we’d paid her for something, the situation had escalated into me making out with Sebastian in the middle of Isadora’s work room. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that this time, since I was getting a little better at summoning my magic.
Of course, it wasn’t so easy when I was put on the spot, and not to mention that we were pressed for time.
I met Sebastian’s dark eyes as he turned away from the coffee pot with a fresh mug in hand. Something told me he already knew exactly how things would go at Isadora’s, and that maybe it was better if Gabriel didn’t arrive before then.
With Crispin now watching me expectantly, I dug into my breakfast, thinking about Crispin’s strange mood, the events of last night, and too many other things to count. And here I’d thought my life was complicated just running errands and looking for my mom. I’d really had no damn idea what complicated meant.
Isadora’s shoplooked somehow different in the relatively early hours of morning. Maybe it was because the glowing purple potion bottle wasn’t on yet, or maybe it was because the thick curtains had been pushed aside to let in some light, givingme a glimpse of Isadora behind the front counter. Today she had a trucker hat tugged over her red pixie cut. That, paired with a checkered flannel so oversized that she was nearly drowning in it, made her look like a street kid up to no good rather than an experienced alchemist.
Glancing behind us as if someone might be watching, Sebastian gestured for me to walk in ahead of him. He was being cautious, and I couldn’t blame him. While he hadn’t caught wind of who our watchers might have been in the Bogs,someonehad seen us. And now there was this female angelic to worry about. It was only a matter of time before certain information found its way to Elizabeta.
The door jingled as we entered, and Isadora smiled up at me. “Ah, the more agreeable half of the duo. Glad to see you’re still alive.”
I walked up to the counter. “It’s only been a few days since I was here. Did you really think I’d get bumped off so quickly?”
Her lifted brow was the only answer I needed. She’d only heard maybe half the rumors about the bounty, but it was enough for her to see to the heart of the matter. My half-celestial ass was on borrowed time.
The room darkened with the hiss of moving curtains. We both watched as Sebastian walked to the next set, tugging them closed to block out any view of the street. I turned back to Isadora to catch herI told you solook.
I jumped at the sound of the door locking, then Sebastian appeared abruptly at my side. “I have brought your payment. Be quick about it.”
Unperturbed by his tone, Isadora’s eyes danced with mischief as she looked at me. “He really doesn’t ever get more pleasant, does he?”
While I had recently experienced just howpleasanthe could be, I wasn’t about to explain it to her.
“Ri-ight,” she said when Sebastian only glowered. “Come on back, fill up a few jars, and I’ll hand over the new batch of potions.”
Glancing at Sebastian, I walked around the counter, then followed Isadora back to her workroom. Normally it was fairly tidy with rows of jars and bottles, some glowing or glittery, others empty or with just a clear gel waiting to be infused with magic. Now, the workroom was a total mess. Broken glass had been swept up into one far corner in a puddle of glittering ooze. More liquids of various colors and viscosity had been hastily wiped up with what looked like old teeshirts cut into rags. The floorboards not far from where I stood were scorched black, and a peculiar sulfuric smell permeated the space.
I did a slow spin, noticing a broken shelf that had been propped up with a broom. The filled jars on the shelf had slid precariously close to the edge. No wonder she hadn’t finished sweeping up the glass. “What the hells happened?”
Isadora had gone to her work table and looked back at me, shaking her head. “Goblin punks. They came in here making demands and when I told them to get lost, they charged into my workroom.” She turned around fully with a jar of clear jelly in each hand. “They got what was coming to them, but unfortunately my security measures did a bit too much damage.” She shrugged. “It can be hard to get the explosions just right. Air pressure and temperature make a big difference.”
Now the scorch marks made sense. “Did the goblins make it out alive?”
“Unfortunately. One got hit with the hallucinogenic fumes and ran out of here screaming. The other limped out bleeding. I decided it wasn’t worth going after them, and they won’t get as far as my front doorstep if they come back.”
“Remind me to never mess with you.” My eyes drifted to Sebastian where he stood in the doorway. It was probably acomplete coincidence that goblins had tried to rob the same alchemist we’d visited on multiple occasions, but it was still worth noting. Especially since our watchers had at least enough goblin blood to be welcome in the Bogs.
