2 Witch and Famous by Eve Paludan, Stuart Sharp Read Free Book Online

to see Siobhan up near Arthur’s Seat in the middle of Holyrood Park, her goblin boyfriend had tried to attack me. I wasn’t physically afraid of Dougie now, but it was still a fact that had me looking around cautiously as I waited for her, wanting to make sure that she showed up alone.
    If she showed up at all. After all, it had taken long enough over the phone to convince her to come. She’d been sure I was planning trouble for her over the theft earlier. Apparently, despite her certainty about me not involving the coven, she didn’t completely get that insurance investigators had better things to do than bring in goblins for stealing from tourists. Maybe she thought I was still angry about the petty cash. Maybe she was even right.
    So, I stood there waiting for her, looking out over the city from the vantage point of the monument. It was a clear day, so the Scottish Parliament Building was kind of hard to miss, all sweeping curves reflecting the sunlight as it tried to emphasize the importance of the politicians within.
    I tried calling Niall while I waited for Siobhan, but I didn’t get through. That was unusual. Normally, he picked up pretty quickly for me, regardless of what else he was doing. Although I guessed I hadn’t been with Niall long enough to really know what was normal with him when it came to anything.
    I didn’t have the time to think about it more though, because Siobhan chose that moment to arrive. She sloped up the path from the monument, just one of the ways into the goblins’ world of tunnels and darkness. I could feel a kind of sullen unhappiness coming off her, along with a hint of something close to fear. Not a promising mood to begin a meeting with. Still, at least Dougie wasn’t with her. This time, we were going to have some one-on-one time. That was good. Without Dougie around, I liked Siobhan.
    “Siobhan, hi.” I tried to project a little more friendliness and relaxation. Something to tone down the mood a little. “Thanks for coming.”
    Siobhan fiddled with the hood of her top. The sunlight was still obviously a little strong for her. That was a pity. I knew how much she liked being out from Underneath.
    “Are you doing all right?” I asked. “Are you hungry? Do you want to go get a cup of coffee with me or something?”
    “Thanks, but food isn’t too appealing right now.” She put her weight on one foot and then the other, obviously impatient to cut things short. “You said you needed information. And…I didn’t get my pay from the other day. Because of everything that happened.”
    Information meant money. I held out a small roll of cash. Siobhan took it, making it disappear into a pocket with the kind of speed that said more about her as a thief and pickpocket than about any particular goblin abilities. Even that wasn’t enough to make her cloud of unhappiness dissipate completely, though.
    Whatever it was, it would have to wait. I had my own problems right then. “Siobhan, I need to know about vampires.”
    “So, shouldn’t you be asking that rich boyfriend of yours?” the goblin girl shot back.
    I would, if he ever got around to answering his phone. “I don’t have a lot of patience today, Siobhan,” I warned her. “I didn’t have to let you go earlier. I could have held you there and called for the police.”
    “No…I…” I could feel the little flicker of guilt there, and embarrassment.
    “I need to know if you’ve heard about any vampires in Edinburgh.”
    “Besides you and Niall?” Siobhan asked, half-turning away.
    I reached out, pulling her back toward me. Maybe a little faster than I should have, because her hood slipped slightly, leaving her blinking against the light. It also gave me a pretty clear view of the bruises covering one side of her face.
    “Siobhan!” I said. I couldn’t keep the shock out of my voice.
    “It’s nothing,” she said, dragging her hood up again hastily.
    I could feel that lie for what it was. “Did Dougie do