Evie


    They were surrounded…by deer?


    Intimidating-looking deer, admittedly. Evie wasn’t certain she’d ever seen the animal look so menacing. She’d been fairly sure the doe-eyed creatures weren’t capable.


    Except these particr deer seemed to be, and one of them was growling.


    The foliage surrounding the cove made it difficult for Evie to determine an escape route, even more so when she realized that every opening or gap in the trees was guarded by more menacing-looking deer, in their version of a fighting stance. It made Evie so uneasy she nearly stumbled into the pool of water beneath the waterfall, but she was stopped by one of therge stones surrounding it—and her boss’s hand mped over her arm.


    Thergest of the deer clomped over the stones in the pool of water just as the waterfall parted, revealing a handsome stranger with swirling, swooping lines of deep purple over his bare arms and torso. He had golden hair streaked with bits of blue that were the same color as his eyes. Leaping from one rock to the next, he crossed the pool. His sapphire-colored bootsnded solidly on the damp green grass, his gaze homed in on Evie. “And who might you be, lovely?” His voice was smooth, hypnotizing, as he picked up Evie’s hand and bent over it with a polite bow.


    “I’m Evie. And are these your freakishly well-trained deer friends?”


    She tried to rip her hand away from his, but he held it firmly. Only for a second. Trystan didn’t allow it any longer than that.


    Her boss’s arm flew out to knock the stranger’s hand away. “If someone pulls their hand away, Lionel, it means they don’t want you to touch them any longer.” He said it through clenched teeth, a deep rise and fall in his chest.


    “You two know each other?” re asked, still eyeing the giant bat with wariness.


    Lionel’s eyes alighted on her. “What gave us away?”


    Evie deadpanned, “The spear you have aimed at his abdomen.” Trystan’s eyes shot down to see that Lionel indeed had a spear in his hand, and it was pointing up toward Trystan’s stomach.


    Lionel coughed into his other hand andughed, blue eyes sparkling when he stared at Trystan. Therge bat meandered closer to its master’s side. “She’s an amusing little thing, isn’t she?”


    Trystan scowled, nostrils ring as his shoulders straightened. “She’s not a thing, you ass.”


    Therge bat sneezed, and Evie’s eyes went round.


    This whole thing would make the most ridiculous HR report. Possibly ever.


    You’re wee, Becky.


    “We’re no threat to you, sir.” Evie smoothed down her curls. “We’re only here to see the Curse Consultant.”


    Lionel appeared delighted. “Such pretty manners.”


    “If it’s manners you want, why don’t you take your hideous face and your hideous animal and fly straight into the sun,” Trystan hissed.


    re clicked her tongue in contempt. “Don’t call him ugly; that’s unkind.”


    Trystan looked skyward. “You are referring to the bat, aren’t you?”


    re propped a hand on her hip. “Obviously.”


    Lionel pped slowly and whistled. “I thank you all. I needed morning entertainment. Now, shall we get down to business?”


    Evie felt indignation burning in her chest. “We won’t be doing any business with you, sir, and— That one is ring at me. Why?” she blurted, waving a hand at the deer.


    Trystan sighed beside her. “Unfortunately, Sage, we need him.”


    “The ring deer?” Evie asked, stepping closer to Tatianna when it started pawing the ground like it was getting ready to charge.


    Tatianna held on to her arm, her lip curled in disgust. “He’s the Curse Consultant, isn’t he?” the healer guessed on a sigh.


    Lionel gave a deep bow, and the bat did, too.


    “At your service.”