Page 24 of Find My Way Down to You

“Hal! The man in the alley. Behind the pizzeria,” I elaborate. “You were there. I saw you.”

I watch the small knot in his throat move as he swallows, the motion hypnotic like a metronome. He studies me. I can’t read his expression. Something flashes through his eyes when they stray to my arm trapped behind his hand. With every second of his silence, my resolve grows.

Cary lowers his head. Loose curls fall around his temples. Roughly, he repeats, “It is not possible.”

“I saw you,” I say, defiant.

Frustration casts a shadow across his face. A storm threatening to unleash. It never arrives.

Not far away, a voice says, “Well. This is interesting.”

My head turns. Three people walk up the shore. Two of them are dressed sharply: all-black suits, gold embellishmentson their taut shoulders and cuffs, a spiky white flower on their chests. They move like soldiers, cadence synchronized. Gleaming swords in their hands.

My breath hitches, loud and panicked. Until the third person comes into focus.

“You,” I strain.

“You,” he says back, beaming. The boy from the party.

“H-how?”

Amusement crinkles his expression. “When I asked where you preferred to be, I didn’t expectthisto be your answer.”

I blink, dazed and lost.

His eyes sweep over me, then Cary. Specifically:Cary on top of me.

“Then again,” he says, the corners of his mouth so high, dimples appear, “I did not expect to find you—our sweet ferrier—in this position.”

Cary sighs, exasperated. “It is not what you think, Henri.”

“And what am I thinking?”

“Excuse me,” I grunt out. “What the hell is going on?” I buck like a wild animal trying to escape a cage. “Also, you can get off me. Likenow.”

Cary does, though far slower than I’d like.

On my feet, I brush sand off my clothes and out of my hair. “You still haven’t answered my question.” I turn to Cary. “Whatisthis place?”

The boy from the party—Henri—lowers his eyebrows. He looks at Cary. “He doesn’t know?”

“No,” Cary says, flatly. “He claims to have followed me—”

“I did,” I protest.

“Right…” Henri scoffs in disbelief. “Lovely. I can’t wait to see his face when he hears this.”

Cary’s eyes widen. “He knows already?”

Henri nods, his smile shrinking. “I have orders to bring him the mortal.”

“Who?” I demand, stomping forward. The light flickering off the point of the guards’ swords stops me in my tracks. I inhale shakily. “Wait…mortal?”

“Wow.” Henrialmostcontains his laughter. “You truly have no idea, do you?”

I bite my lip, then shake my head.

“Precious.”