Read Online Broken Heart 05 Over My Dead Body by Michele Bardsley - Free Book Online Page A

remember correctly, pixies can’t lie. And they must answer direct questions,” said Eva. She was Broken Heart’s former librarian and now schoolteacher. She was also married to Lorcan—yep, the very vampire whose craven hunger killed us all. I didn’t hold it against him. At least he hadn’t meant to nosh on us. He had the excuse of being out of his damned head.
    “I don’t know,” I said. “Zerina was direct and he didn’t answer her.”
    “Because he doesn’t have to. He’s only beholden to the one he owes. You.”
    I was silent as I considered Eva’s words. I told the crew everything, skipping only Zerina’s story about her origin. So they knew what the little gold dot had done from the second he popped into view. Well, except for his reaction to Zerina. That would lead to questions I didn’t feel comfortable answering.
    “I asked what his name was and he said Spriggan,” I pointed out.
    “Which is one of his names,” mused Eva, smiling. “You must ask him his true name.”
    Zerina had said that I would have control over him then. Did I want control of the little booger? I guess I didn’t have a choice. He was mine until God knew when. Ack!
    “What about the wish?” asked Ivan, his Russian accent thick. His glacier blue eyes were on Spriggan, who’d retreated to the opposite corner of the garage. He couldn’t leave because of his debt to me (oh, brother!), but he obviously didn’t want to be the object of everyone’s attention, either.
    I studied Ivan covertly. He was a big man, nearly as tall as Brady, but much more muscular. He had black hair and was the only vampire I’d ever met with a goatee. I didn’t realize I’d sidled closer to Brady until I felt his fingers curl around mine.
    I guess Ivan’s size and manner intimidated me more than I wanted to admit.
    “Brigid is the one we should talk to,” said Ivan. “She will know how to use the wish.”
    “Which belongs to Simone,” said Jessica. “Besides, Brigid had some family business to attend to. She can’t help us with this one.”
    Ivan’s gaze flicked to the brunet. Jessica was mated to Patrick, and they unofficially ran Broken Heart. Or had, until Patricia had been named queen and took over the duties. The Consortium still had its hand in things around town, though. But they usually consulted and deferred to Patsy’s wishes.
    Speaking of wishes . . .
    Jessica countered Ivan’s fierce glare with one of her own. She fingered the gold half swords on her hips, looking as though she wanted to lop off his head. The swords had been created by Brigid herself from fairy gold. They were indestructible. And Jessica was really good at flinging them around.
    “One damned thing at a time,” said Patsy. “Simone, find out the little guy’s name. Then we should get more cooperation. We gotta know why anyone would build a pixie trap when there aren’t any pixies. And how the hell did he end up in one of the Invisi-shield posts?”
    “Spriggan,” I called. “Come here.”
    He floated toward us, obviously reluctant, and finally hovered before me. His glow dimmed—a sign of his petulance, no doubt.
    “What’s your true name?” I asked.
    He sighed. “I am Flet.”
    “Who set the trap?” asked Patsy. “How’d you get here?”
    Flet said nothing. I wanted to tug on his tiny ears. “Answer her,” I said.
    “Whatever you say, my liege,” he said, his teeny voice dripping sarcasm. “I don’t know who set the trap. Most people who set traps don’t warn their prey ahead of time. Seems to defeat the purpose, don’t you know.”
    “Flet,” I warned. “Don’t rant.”
    “Sure, an’ take all the joy from me,” he groused. “The circle wasn’t closed, so I got out, but the black-thorn’s poison slowed me down. I tried to magic my way into the post. You see how well that worked out.”
    “What do you mean, the circle wasn’t closed?”
    “When you invoke magic, you have to close the circle. The thread was the circle