Page 89 of Twist of Fate

Asterius frowned. “That is not enough to justify the time I spent watching humans struggle to position their conveyances between painted lines.”

“One struck a column,” Tyson said.

“That was briefly entertaining.”

Zer ignored them both. “Do we remain here?”

“No,” Luke said. “Hale ordered me to stay off-grid until tomorrow. The safest place to do that is somewhere human technology can’t reach me.”

“The king will require an account,” Zer said.

“I’ll give him one.”

“You should return to Gomez first,” Connal said.

Luke looked at him.

“You promised to tell him what happened. He will be concerned.”

The surprise that crossed Luke’s face lasted only a moment, but Connal saw it. He had listened when Luke made that promise. Remembering it should not have been remarkable.

Luke seemed to think it was.

“Yeah,” Luke said. “I did.”

“I will report to Silenus,” Zer said. “Keir and Asterius can give their accounts of the office and its approaches. Tyson can explain the human protections.”

“I am certain His Majesty will enjoy that tremendously,” Tyson murmured.

Asterius clapped him on the shoulder. “Do not worry. I will make the account interesting.”

“That is precisely what concerns me.”

Luke headed toward the office door. “You can argue about the report on the way.”

“The way where?” Connal asked.

Luke adjusted the backpack against his shoulder and looked at the five fae gathered around him.

“We’re going back to the Unseelie,” he said. “But first, I’ve got to see a clown about a nuggie.”

Connal looked at Tyson.

The attaché sighed. “He wants to purchase food.”

“Then why did he not say that?”

“Where would be the pleasure in that?” Asterius asked.

Luke chuckled and kept walking.

They left the office suite together and entered the parking structure through the guarded access point. A dark human conveyance waited near the elevators, large enough to hold all of them without forcing Asterius to fold himself into an unreasonable shape. Tyson spoke briefly to the driver before directing everyone inside.

Luke gave the driver an address, then settled beside Connal and rested the backpack between his feet. He kept one hand looped through its strap throughout the journey. The trip took only a few minutes. When the conveyance stopped, Connal looked through the window at a brightly lit building surrounded by painted images of food.

A smiling creature with red hair and a painted white face watched them from one of the signs.

Connal frowned. “That is the clown?”