17. Bruno

17

brUNO

B runo came awake at Margo's furious cry, and clutched at suddenly empty space where Eva had been.

Even before he opened his eyes, he knew in his gut that something was wrong, and his cave bear was roaring in wordless outrage. "What happened? Where's Eva?" He pawed around in the blankets like she might be hiding there.

Margo was standing in the doorway, as naked as he was, and she was staring at the bed where Eva had been. "She was there, and then, it was like an electrical storm starting, but no flash or thunder, she was just gone. She's gone! "

Bruno threw every blanket and pillow off the bed, and shoved the mattress off the frame before he was convinced. Eva had truly vanished.

"The Queen of Faery?" Margo said quietly when she caught his eyes.

Bruno had already been thinking exactly that. "I will destroy her," he growled, stalking for the door .

"Clothes," Margo said. "We should wear clothes to storm Faery."

Bruno would have charged out naked, but Margo was clearly the sensible one in this whole unexpected relationship. They both dressed, and brainstormed.

"Tobias is a gnome," Bruno said. "He has underworld connections, which supposedly attach to Faery in some form. I'll call him."

Bruno found his phone under the heap of blankets. "Tobias. I need to get to Faery. The Queen kidnapped my mate. One of my mates. I have two. It's a really long story."

There was silence at the other end of the line, and then Tobias said, "Is this Bruno? The date went so well that you went home with two mates? How'd you manage that? Ouch, I wasn't suggesting that I could do that, too, my love. You are the only owl for me. It's Bruno. He's in trouble. Something about Faery. No, it's not a euphemism. Probably. Bruno, is it a euphemism for something? Did you actually end up with two mates ?"

"It's not a euphemism. Two mates. The Queen took Eva. They have some history . Eva was her prisoner. I have to get her back. Can you get me there?"

Bruno had to explain it again, slower, twice, before Tobias truly believed that it wasn't some kind of prank or joke.

The gnome sighed. "I can get access to the underworld, but that won't get you through to Faery. There's a gate there, but gnomes don't have access to cross it without an explicit invitation."

"I can do it."

Margo had been quiet throughout their conversation, but Bruno did not assume for a moment that she wasn't listening in, thinking and worrying just as much as he was.

"How?" he asked .

"How what?" Tobias wanted to know.

"Hang on." Bruno missed the kind of phone where he could cover the receiver. He wasn't even sure where the receiver was on his cellphone. He smothered the whole thing in his hand.

"It is a common misconception that trolls guard bridges," Margo said gruffly. "But actually, trolls are bridges. Show me the gate, and I can get through it."

Bruno wished that he had the margin to explain how impressive that was. Margo was a whole lot of woman, and he would have been in awe of her even if she wasn't his mate.

She hugs well , his cave bear agreed, his priorities clearly in one place.

"Who's that?" Tobias wanted to know as Bruno uncovered the phone. "The other perp who trashed Frank's office? The one you said fell on you in the tub? She's the one who is your mate, too? Bruno, you dog !"

Bruno could only shrug and look adoringly at his mate. She was absolutely wondrous in every way.