Gabriel gave him a quick appraisal, those pale blue eyes taking his measure. Then he turned to me.

“He’s stalling us. He has accomplished his mission—helping your mother escape undetected—and now his orders are simply to keep us from pursuit. She’s gone exactly where I said she’d go. He’s of no use to us.”

Gabriel had not said anything about where Pamela would go, but I played along and turned to leave.

“I’m under no such orders,” the doctor said as we walked away. “Your mother didn’t expect you to show up. I only compelled that silly nurse to block anyone who asked after Pamela as a general precaution.”

We kept going. A moment later, something flashed past us. Then he was there, in our path.

“You do not want to interfere with her,” he said.

“Is that a threat?” Gabriel said, his voice a low rumble.

The fae opened his mouth, his expression saying he was about to make a jaunty response. Then he looked up into Gabriel’s eyes and stopped.

“No,” Gabriel said. “I thought not.”

Gabriel shouldered the fae aside to give me room to pass. I did, and the fae popped in front of us again, far enough ahead to stay out of Gabriel’s reach.

“It wasn’t a threat,” he said. “It was a warning. A…” A nervous glance at Gabriel. “A respectful warning. Whatever your mother has gone to do, Matilda, it is for you. It is always for you.”

“Gone to do?” I slowed.

“Ignore him,” Gabriel said. “His very phrasing makes it clear he doesn’t know what she has in mind.”

“But she has a purpose,” I said. “Beyond simply escaping from prison.”

The fae laughed, finding his arrogance again. “Escape? To what purpose? She can better protect you in jail than on the run from the police. No, Pamela will bide her time until she is legally freed. This is merely an excursion. The undertaking of a task. She’ll be back before dawn, no one the wiser, and I would suggest you leave her to whatever she’s doing.”

“You have no idea what that is, do you?” I said.

“I don’t require a reason. She was concerned for you, and she needed to leave briefly, so I manufactured an opportunity, putting her in my debt.” A pleased smile. “Putting you in my debt, too, I’ll wager.”

I started to answer, but Gabriel’s hand gripped my shoulder.

“Whether you have earned Olivia’s regard—and mine—remains to be seen. You said Pamela was concerned for her daughter? Perhaps it’s not what I thought it was. Is it something we should be worried about? A new threat?”