Dead Man's Deal The Asylum Tales - By Jocelynn Drake Page 0,47

we were going to not only survive, but also have something that resembled a normal life again.

“What are we going to do?” she murmured, resting her head on my shoulder.

I gave her a hard squeeze. “We’re going to take this one day at a time, one problem at a time. I’ll try to get some information about tonight’s attack and then we’re going to get some rest ahead of tomorrow’s meeting. I have a feeling I’m going to need to be sharp for this little parley with the queen.”

Trixie snorted softly before pressing a kiss to my cheek. “And then some.” She slid across my lap and sat in the passenger seat. I immediately missed the feel of her against me, her warmth and wonderful weight, but I kept my mouth shut and tried to focus on what she was saying.

“You have to be very careful with the queen, Gage. She’s . . . tricky, and I imagine that after everything that has happened, she’s probably more than a little bitter. I’m not sure that she’s going to want any help that you have to offer. The truth is, I’m not even sure as to why she agreed to this meeting.”

I shook my head as I reached for the shifter on the steering column. “Doesn’t matter. We’ll meet and figure out the next step from there.” I threw the SUV into drive again and pulled back out into traffic. The ride back to the shop was silent. We didn’t bother to turn the radio on again, though I was sure that we would be flipping on the news when we were back at our respective apartments. Neither of us seemed ready to be bombarded by the reality that thousands of people had been slaughtered in the blink of an eye and Low Town could be next on the hit list if the witches and the warlocks decided to strike again.

Of course, we weren’t the only ones stunned by the destruction of Indianapolis, as the roads were mostly empty on the ride to Asylum. It was as if all the inhabitants of Low Town had scurried into their homes to protect themselves from the dark gaze of the Towers.

When we reached the parlor, Bronx was sitting at the glass counter while Sofie was stretched out along the top. He had a news radio station turned on rather than his usual MP3 music. The lines on his face seemed to ease when we walked through the front door. He rose as Trixie rushed across the lobby and around the case so that she could embrace him in a fierce hug.

I gave him a stiff smile while I placed the brown bag containing the Asian Moon Lily flower on the case. My hand drifted over Sofie’s head, trying to reassure her that everything was okay. It didn’t feel that way, but for a moment we all needed the reassurance, whether it was the truth or not.

“Do you have any more appointments tonight?” I asked when Trixie released the troll.

Bronx returned to the stool he had been sitting on. “I’ve got two more that haven’t canceled.”

“Why don’t you call them and reschedule? I don’t think they’re going to come in tonight and I’m sure you’d feel better if they were already on the calendar for another time.”

“Closing early?”

“No one is out right now. They’re all home, glued to the news. We could keep the place open until dawn and we wouldn’t see anyone. We’ll call it a day and start fresh tomorrow. I have a feeling people are going to be looking for a little extra protection after this.”

“Is there anything we can do for them?” Trixie asked. She stood behind the case opposite me and stroked Sofie’s fur.

I stared down at the case, my eyes drifting over the random books filled with old pictures of tattoos as a sense of helplessness settled into my bones. “No, not really. We have to keep people calm and help them where we can.” There was no good defense a tattoo artist could offer against the Towers. But then, neither could the president and he had the various armies and warheads at his disposal.

Pushing that dark thought aside, I looked up at the troll again. “Bronx, would you stay with Trixie tonight?”

Both looked surprised by my question. “Are you expecting trouble?”

I paused before I answered, weighing my fears. “No, just being cautious. I can’t be there tonight and I might get some sleep if I know you’re