“You both need to leave.” She shuffled around but stopped. She looked over her shoulder, her gaze meeting mine. “I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you again, but not with the prince. You will bring me something I have not seen before. A real prize.”
Uh.
I had no words. None whatsoever as I watched one of the witches lead her out of the restaurant. Only Rowena remained, and she was staring at the mess in a way that told me she had just figured out that she was going to have to clean this up. My gaze found its way back to the ash.
“A real prize?” Roth said. “I’m kind of insulted that she doesn’t consider me a real prize.”
“Well, she didn’t consider me one, either, and I’m part angel, so...” I really needed to stop staring at Faye’s ashes. “What did the Crone mean when she answered my question?”
Roth didn’t answer immediately. “I’m not sure. The last time she said that, I thought she was talking about Layla, but then she would’ve been wrong.”
“The Crone is never wrong,” Rowena snapped, and when I looked up, she was carrying a Dyson.
She was going to vacuum up what was left of her coven.
That was...
I had no words.
“I don’t know what she meant,” Roth added. “But I’m sure one day, when it’s too late, it will be glaringly obvious.”
A tap on my shoulder snagged my attention. I turned and swallowed a shriek of surprise.
Bambi’s diamond-shaped head was mere inches from mine. Her ruby-red forked tongue flicked as she opened her mouth.
And smiled at me.
16
I’d lost my damn sunglasses—and they were my favorite pair—somewhere between having a table slide into me and killing a witch. Luckily, the sun was behind thick clouds and, based on the color of the sky, it looked like it would stay that way. My eyes would still ache, but it wouldn’t be as bad.
Dammit.
“I don’t want to go home—I mean, back to Zayne’s place,” I announced, and that was the first thing either of us had said since we left the restaurant, Rowena muttering under her breath as she began to vacuum up what remained of her coven.
When he didn’t answer, I looked at him. Roth’s fingers tapped the steering wheel as he navigated the congested streets of the capital with more patience than I imagined most humans had. Bambi was much smaller now, ensconced on his arm, with half her body hidden by his shirt. Her head was tucked just under his collar, but every couple of minutes I had the strangest sensation that something was staring at me, and when I looked at Roth, Bambi’s head would be visible on his neck.
“She likes you.”
“What?”
“Bambi,” he explained. “She’s trying to keep an eye on you while she’s resting.”
Yet again, I wondered if Roth could read thoughts. He claimed he couldn’t. “I’m...happy to hear that.”
“You should be. Normally she likes to eat people.”
My brows lifted. “Did you hear what I said?”
“You don’t want to go home. Where do you want to go?”
I had no idea. “Surprise me.”
“Do you think that’s wise?”
I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You out in the city without Zayne.” At a stoplight, he tipped his head back against the seat. “He thinks you’re back at his place, waiting on his arrival.”
“I don’t need his permission to go anywhere, nor do I need anyone to babysit me.” I couldn’t believe I was saying this. “I can take care of myself. I’m confident you already know that.”
“I do.” He lifted his head off the seat and the car revved as he went through the intersection. “I’m fairly observant. Did you know that? I notice things.”
“That’s what observant means.” I felt my forehead crease. “Hopefully you’re observing my expression right now.”
He chuckled at that. “You don’t see very well, do you?”
My lips parted on a sharp inhale.
Roth slid a brief, knowing glance in my direction. “That’s why you were doing the blindfolded training. That’s why you jerk or flinch when something gets too close to your face.” A pregnant pause. “Why you didn’t see the witch go for your daggers.”
All I could do was stare at him while wondering why, if he’d noticed that, he hadn’t intervened.
“You were also wearing glasses the other day, and I have a feeling it’s something more than just bad eyesight. And there’s also the fact I know damn well a Trueborn’s vision would be better than a normal human’s. It would be better than a Warden’s or a demon’s.”