A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 2)

“See you soon,” he says before disconnecting.

Carrick’s condo isn’t that far from the shop. I easily walk it on days with a good forecast, but there’s no way I’m doing that in the pre-dawn hours by myself. It’s a good thing the valets in The Prestige operate 24/7.

I grab my keys off my dresser, then slide my phone in my side pocket. As quietly as I can, I make my way to the elevator, wincing as the doors hiss open. Still probably not loud enough to wake anyone up, but I know Carrick has to be as tired as I was.

Or maybe not.

Do immortals need sleep?

Adding that to question #3,977,320 to ask him.

The valet retrieves my car in under three minutes. Ten minutes from there, I’m pulling into a parallel spot in front of the shop. The main lights in the front aren’t on, but I can see the one coming from the very back storage room which leads to the alley out back. The police are probably waiting there for me, but I walk in through the front door so I can take a look at the equipment and registers.

At closing time, we leave a set of recessed lights on along the perimeter of the shop that provides a subtle glow and makes our place look inviting even in off hours. The late-night wanderer might look in and think to himself, “I need to come back here for a cup of coffee.”

As soon as I unlock the door and open it, I yell, “Hello… Officer Janson… it’s me, Finley Porter. I came in through the front.”

No one responds back. I strain to listen for any sounds, but it’s utterly quiet. I reach out to flip the main switch by the door, which will turn on the industrial lighting that runs the length of the main room, but nothing comes on.

I flip it back down, then up again.

Nothing.

I do it again, several times in a row, and with each successive flip without any resulting light, a pit starts forming in my stomach.

“Officer Janson,” I yell, this time so loud I bet I can be heard the next block over.

No one answers.

“Shit,” I mutter, glancing out the front door to my car. I should go.

But what if the cops aren’t even in the shop, but in the back alley waiting for me?

What if they’re sitting in their cars, and that’s why they couldn’t hear me call out?

In order to see if that’s true, I’d need to walk through the dim shop to the back storage room, or I could go out the front door and drive my car back there.

I could even call Officer Janson back, which is what I decide to do, but before I can even reach for my phone, someone steps out of the storage room into the long hallway that houses my office and the bathrooms.

The person is cloaked in complete shadow, but I don’t need to see details to know who it is. I’d recognize that form anywhere, as well as the horrendously evil vibe she’s putting off.

Dark Fae Fallon.

While I’d been able to turn off these vibes and ignore them since my trip to Faere, Fallon’s are so strong I can’t seem to push them away. In fact, they’re so disgusting, I feel like vomiting.

She strides toward me, wearing a dress that hugs every curve and high-heeled shoes. When she steps from the darkened hallway into the shop, she halts under one of the recessed lights and stares at me.

I don’t even bother looking at her glamoured self, but make myself take in her fae appearance, which is still beautiful, still evil, and still terrifying.

But I don’t know if she knows I can see her true self, so I play it cool. “Fallon… what in the hell are you doing here? The police called to say there was a break in.”

“Don’t act like you can’t see the real me, Finley,” Dark Fae Fallon sneers. “I’ve heard all kinds of interesting information about you, and it seems you’re more than the twit I originally thought I’d have to kill. You know, sort of like an annoying fly that buzzes around.”

“I’m guessing there was no break-in,” I say dryly, dismissing her taunt. It’s clear that DFF knows way more than I hoped she’d ever learn about me. At least if she thought me a pesky sister who would stay out of her way, there was the chance I’d be reasonably safe. That’s all moot now.

Dark Fae Fallon leers at me, a husky laugh permeating the air. “You’re so gullible, Finley. And now that I have you here all to myself, I’m going to make you regret that gullibility.”

Shit. Oh, hell. Why didn’t I bring my backpack? Why didn’t I tell Carrick or Zaid where I was going?

How did I, once again, foolishly underestimate my situation?