Wicked Deal (Shadow Guild: The Rebel 2)

“We thought he was supposed to be a distraction, but maybe he accomplished more than that,” the Devil said.

“Do you think he handed the key off to someone?”

“It’s possible. He may have been working with a team, and he was the liaison with Ivan.”

“But we don’t know where this key is, right?” Mac asked.

I shook my head. “We don’t.”

“There were some witnesses on the human side who said that they saw the man approaching the gate,” the Devil said.

“Humans?” Mac sounded aghast.

“No. Supernaturals who live near my gate. I pay them to keep an eye out.”

“One of them might have seen something,” said Quinn. “And perhaps they don’t realize.”

Mac nodded, a thoughtful gleam in her eye. “Tell you what…while you go to the Church on the Hill, I’ll go talk to those people and see what my seer power tells me. Maybe they saw something that didn’t stand out but was important. With any luck, I might get a clue and be able to trace his steps backward. Maybe we can still find that key.”

“I like that plan.” It seemed less dangerous for Mac, and we needed to find the damned key.

The Devil

Carrow and I left the Haunted Hound ten minutes later. Her three friends had come up with a plan to search for the missing key, and we were headed to the Church on the Hill.

In silence, we returned to Guild City. It was an overcast day when we appeared on the other side of the magical barrier, but the faint light suited Carrow. She seemed to glow despite it.

“Where is this church?” she asked.

“The edge of town, on the hill.”

Her gaze moved in the direction I’d indicated. You couldn’t see the church from here, not with the way the land rose, but the changing geography was obvious.

“How is there a hill in the middle of London?”

“Magic.”

Her eyes narrowed on me. “Is it true you built this place when you left Transylvania?”

“I’m one man. I can’t build a city.” That part was the truth. But she wasn’t wrong, either. I’d played a role in creating Guild City in the image of the walled cities of my homeland. But now wasn’t the time to talk about it. “Come.”

She grumbled but followed. I had the distinct impression I wasn’t off the hook, that she was biding her time.

I’d seen Carrow when she really wanted answers. There was no hiding from her.

We strode across the city, and I was more aware than ever of people crossing the street to avoid me. My reputation had come in exceedingly handy over the years, but now…

I glanced at Carrow and wondered what she thought.

There was eno

ugh humanity left in me that I knew it was odd to be feared. Not desirable when trying to convince someone you weren’t the devil incarnate.

Despite my name.

“Call me Grey.” The words left my lips before I’d even processed them.

She whipped her head around to stare at me. We were passing a shop that sold potions of some kind, and they were exploding in the window behind her. The clouds of gold and silver dust emphasized the look of surprise on her face.