Imperative: A Quinn Larson Quest Read Online Free PDF Page B

candy. I had a supply of cloves, star anise and a few glittery bangles I found in a dollar store.
    I held out two bangles. “I have these for payment. They will fit as necklaces, you will be envied.”
    Evangeline stepped closer and ran her finger along the edge of the bangles. She sniffed and opened her sack. Inside I caught a glimpse of white bone. The noise I had taken for footsteps was actually two small skulls knocking together.
    “I have those already,” she said, showing me the evidence, one pink and one yellow bangle just like the ones I held.
    I reached into my pocket and pulled out the remaining two bangles, a red one and a blue and violet striped one. “What about these?”
    Her face split in a beautiful smile, and her yellow eyes seemed to glow. She checked her reaction and sniffed again. “Pretty and a good start. Giving you this information can get me killed and my whole clan banned from the breeding program.”
    She had a point, and if we didn’t succeed that’s probably what would happen. “If we stop the Sidhe, you will be able to breed. That is part of the payment.”
    Olan had been quiet. I glanced down and he had disappeared.
    Evangeline shrugged. “Maybe is no good to me.”
    “If I give you payment, will the information help me to stop the Sidhe?” I figured I had to go all in, but I wasn’t going to do that without some assurance. “Will you let me place a truth spell?”
    She threw back her head and brayed a laugh. “Ha, wizard, you don’t have a spell that will work on my kind.”
    I did but she didn’t need to know that until I cast it.
    My gut was telling me she would give us what she had for the spices, there were enough in my pocket to make her rich. I pulled out the star anise and showed the five pieces to her. “Tell me what you know and I’ll give you these. If it is helpful information, I will add cloves to the payment.”
    Evangeline crept up to my outstretched hand. She placed her minuscule fingers on my thumb to bring my hand lower. Her nose sniffing at the five-cornered spices, her eyes lit up. She stared up at me and I could feel the weight of her scrutiny. She licked her finger and rubbed it along the edge of the anise, then tasted the brown powder. “Good, fresh.”
    I lifted my hand, gently so I didn’t hurt her. “If you want these, you must tell me what you know about what the Sidhe are doing to stop you breeding.”
    “Okay, Wizard. Come with me, this is too important to say in an alley.” She started walking farther down.
    I hurried after her. “Where are you going?”
    She turned and beckoned to me. “Just into this doorway, don’t fret.”
    I revised my estimation of her age. This wasn’t a teenager; Evangeline has been around more years than me I bet. When we both stood in the shelter of a fire escape she pulled at my coat until I bent to her level.
    “My cousin, Elbert, was watching a flock of moths one evening. He was at the Drell museum. You know where the druids keep old things?”
    I nodded. Most of the old things were of huge historical significance. I was starting to get a bad feeling about this.
    “So, that Fionuir and her five guards went in just after Elbert arrived. Elbert got curious and got up in the tree beside the back door. Then after a few minutes, the Sidhe came running out. Fionuir was holding something and laughing.”
    “Do you know what it was?” If it came from the Drell museum, it was powerful.
    “No, but it was stone and looks like this.” Evangeline scratched in the dirt. She drew a square that would fit into my palm, and then scribed a rune in each corner. My blood chilled. The Gur amulet; it was used to capture the spirits of murdered druids. It was a powerful battery. What did Fionuir want with it?
    “Did the druids come after them?” I hoped so, if they came after the amulet they would eventually find it. If not, we were going to have a hell of a time.
    “No. Elbert stayed for an hour, his spot in the tree was