Road To Winter (Fae's Captive #2)(23)

“Gareth is mad.” Beth cocks her head to the side. “Like, really mad.”

It’s my turn to smirk at her. “I think he’s got a crush.”

She makes a pffft noise and continues watching the fight. The street is bare, but plenty of creatures are gathered on porches watching the fray.

“You aren’t going to help?” I grab Leander’s forearm.

“He doesn’t need me.” He places one hand over mine. “Have I mentioned how much I enjoy it when you touch me?”

“Only a few … hundred times.”

He grins down at me. “Get used to it, little one.”

“Are you two really going to do this when Gareth is fighting for his life?” Beth goes to step off the porch, but Leander holds her back.

“Gareth is my deadliest warrior. You have no need to fear the outcome of this duel.”

“Oh? No need to fear, eh?” Beth shakes him off. “Tell me, smart king, if Gareth kills the Catcher, then who will get these cuffs off?”

Leander shrugs. “He won’t be killed.”

“How do you know?” Beth groans, then steps into the street. “Hey, assholes!”

My eyebrows pop up. I’ve never heard her curse before. Gareth and the Catcher pause.

“I need him to remove these cuffs, so don’t kill him.”

“He harmed you.” Gareth narrows his eyes.

“No, he just tried to kidnap me. I’m not hurt.” Beth holds up her hands. “But these have to go.”

“All right. That’s enough.” Leander raises his hand and sends a blast of icy cold shooting through the street. The spectators disappear into the buildings or turn tail and run toward the bridge.

Gareth whirls and aims a blow for the Catcher’s throat, but the Catcher manages to stop it with his own blade just before contact. I grip Leander harder. I don’t know if I’m ready to see this. Tyrios still flits around the edges of my mind, not haunting me exactly, but the way he died isn’t something I can simply erase. Am I ready to see another death?

Leander shoots me a concerned glance, then calls, “Phinelas, that’s enough.”

“Phinelas?” Gareth yanks the bandanna away from the male’s face.

A handsome grin fills in the blanks. “Gareth.”

“What in the Spires is going on?” Gareth roars.

“Okay, now I’m beyond confused.” Beth leans against me.

Leander waves the two males over. “Let’s go inside. It’s not something we want to discuss out here.”





9





Leander





Gareth is still steaming when he walks into the barren inn, but he relaxes a hair when Phin releases Beth from her cuffs.

“Why are you on a first-name basis with the Catcher?” Taylor asks as I set a chair to rights for her.

“I’ve never met the Catcher.” I flip a table onto its legs and a few more chairs, then sit beside her.

“I’m lost.” She stares at Phinelas, but not as hard as Gareth glares at him.

“Phin is one of ours, a member of the Phalanx, but I was under the impression he was investigating the disappearances.” Gareth splits the glare evenly between Phinelas and me.

Phin pockets the cuffs, then hops over the bar at the back of the room and returns with a few bottles. “I am investigating … in my way.” He sets the bottles on the table along with some glasses.

“By parading around as the Catcher?” Gareth leads Beth to a chair and holds it for her. I don’t think he even knows he’s doing it.

She grins and takes her seat, then pretends to fluff a fancy skirt.

Gareth notices and grits his teeth, then takes his usual grumpy tone toward her. “And you! Going around and getting yourself caught, putting Taylor in danger. I ought to take you outside and—”

“Gareth, calm down.” I kick a seat out toward him.

Gareth catches it.

“Phin is here on my orders.” I await Gareth’s outburst, but he sits and crosses his arms over his chest.

Silence from him is never a good sign.

I hurry on with my explanation. “When the disappearances began increasing, especially among changelings, I decided the best way to question changelings from the summer realm would be for one of ours to take over the role of the Catcher. That would give us unfettered access to changelings, maybe even ones who intended to set off for the Gray Mountains.”

“That’s all well and good.” Gareth snatches a drink from the table. “But you didn’t think to tell me? I’m your second in command, and you hide this from me?” He takes a drink, then sputters, “And you’ve allowed Phin to catch these poor changeling slaves and return them to their horrible masters?”

“No.” I sniff Taylor’s drink before letting her taste it. “He doesn’t return any of the changelings to their masters. He takes them to the winter realm and sets them free.”

“Then how does he ever get any work? If he doesn’t deliver?”

Phin salutes me with his drink. “I never deliver, but there’s a very real Catcher out there who does. The trick is for me to get his assignments before he does. He knows about me, or at least he knows he has an impersonator. But, as we suspected, he isn’t divulging that information to clients. It would be a sure way to kill off business. Instead, he’s been chasing me whenever he’s in-between jobs, trying to take me down quietly.”