The Last Warrior (Shifters Unbound #13) - Jennifer Ashley Page 0,63

people—it’s what I did in Faerie. I like looking after children and after those who can’t fend for themselves. In doing so, I found that humans weren’t so different from us after all. Of course, I couldn’t let them see me in true form. So, I stayed in the shadows and moved around, and now here I am. Millie Gainer. I like to shop and knit and bake cookies for children.”

Ben remained silent as she spoke. It was difficult to see what he was thinking behind his eyes, so dark, so shuttered to Rhianne even now.

She turned to Millie. “What are you doing here at the house?”

Millie shrugged. “It’s part of my disguise. I take tours of old houses. Attend improving lectures.” Her primly pursed lips softened. “The truth is, I heard this house was on a ley line. That there were odd things about it. Possibly haunted. I decided to see for myself. Call me curious.”

Ben gazed at her sorrowfully. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but none of our people are left. I went back to Faerie some months ago, and have been back and forth since. As far as I know there’s only me. And now you.”

Millie listened with a bleak expression, though Rhianne could see that she wasn’t quite convinced.

The chirpy tones of the tour guide came to them through the walls. “Seven, eight, nine, ten … Oh dear, we’re missing one. Has anyone seen Millie? Where’s Millie?”

A gaggle of voices took up the cry. Millie, where are you? Millie?

Millie rolled her eyes. “That’s my cue.” She pointed at Ben. “You and me, we need to talk.”

Ben nodded. “Agreed. Where can I find you?”

Millie’s gaze held impatience. “Don’t you have a cell phone?”

“Well, yeah,” Ben said, abashed.

“Then text me your number. Hurry.”

Ben, nonplussed, pulled out his phone. Millie was no longer in attack mode as she removed a smartphone from her bag and shoved it in front of his face. Ben poked at the keys on his phone, and hers dinged.

“Got it,” Millie said. “And now you have my number.”

Ben nodded, closing his flip phone.

“You know, you really should keep up with technology.” Millie resumed her superior tone. “It’s easier to fit in that way. Truth to tell, I pretend to be a teensy bit slow, because people my age—the age I appear to be—are supposed to be confused by all this newfangled stuff, which is very silly. Most humans this age are quite intelligent. They’ve lived a long time and have gained much experience. If they don’t like the phones, it’s just because they don’t like them. Anyway, I’ll text you with a meeting spot.”

With that, Millie turned on her heel and walked out of the secret room. The panel closed behind her, shutting in Rhianne and Ben. The energy seemed to depart the room with her, leaving Rhianne and Ben in stunned silence.

Rhianne blew out a breath. “She is very interesting.”

“Huh. An understatement.”

They exchanged a glance. “Can we trust her?” Rhianne asked.

“Who knows?” Ben’s face softened. “But it’s been so long since I’ve seen any of my own people. Can you imagine? I found one.” He sank into the chair behind the desk, as though his legs could no longer support him. “I actually found one.”

Once the tourists had gone, Ben and Rhianne departed the secret room for the main house. The sliding panel opened into a tiny corridor which in turn led to the central hall.

Ben had a hell of a lot to think about. A goblin, here in this world, alive all this time.

Where had she been for ten centuries, and why the hell hadn’t she tried to find him? Or at least tried harder, even if she had wanted to kill him?

Rhianne was watching him, gauging his reaction. “Be careful, Ben,” she said in a gentle voice.

Ben knew she was right. What were the odds of Millie turning up out of the blue? The only goblin he’d seen in the past thousand years?

She must be up to something—that was the only explanation. Ben would simply have to find out what.

Meanwhile, his ongoing task was to keep Rhianne safe.

“We never did finish your Shifter training.” Ben glanced toward the veranda.

The house was very quiet. It creaked a little, as though settling itself after having so many feet tramping through it.

Rhianne’s gaze held heat. “I know. Because something else happened to interrupt the session.”

Her smile stoked the fires inside him. Ben recalled the graceful way they’d practiced push hands, the dance that they’d