Page 124 of Mage Massacres

“The elevators were shut down, and the exits off this floor were locked with magic,” Palmer informed them, piecing together more of the thoughts we’d heard. “Because Gary didn’t intend to let you leave until he knew which side of the line you stood on.”

My mage turned to me. “I’d bet he fired Sherice because she was suspicious of his behavior.”

I bounced my head, agreeing and disagreeing. “He may have fired her, but he hired her back as the temporary receptionist without knowing. She’s been working here for too long to let go that easily, and one of her mates is a fae who happens to be exceptional at glamor.”

Palmer narrowed his eyes at me, his brows drawn together to form a crease between them. “That’s what she told you before she left to get tea?”

I nodded.

The playful smirk on his face could bring gods to their knees, but the storms tumbling in his irises would be my demise. The gale-force winds could blow me away. The lightning could strike me down, and the torrential rains could drown me every day of the week. I would still ask for more.

“Are you done romanticizing my eyes?” he smarted.

“No,” I sassed back.

“Then pause,” he suggested, his cheeks pink as he rolled his eyes.

I waited for thunder to clash in the distance, and he snorted.

“We have two more things to sort out before I unmute them, Love.”

I sighed. “Right. I forgot. Continue.”

Lesley grinned at us, unbothered by her forced silence, as we answered the most crucial question in her mind.

“Sloane and I are taking over in Nate’s absence. There will be no vote.”

Palmer’s tone was confident, his broad shoulders widening as he commanded the council’s attention.

“We’re leaving for the fae realm this week, so you have some time to clean up the mess that’s been made of your positions before we return. While we’re gone, if you need assistance, you should contact Sam or Charlie.”

I sent Sherice, the guild secretary, an email before adding, “We’ll also leave the contact details for Miller and Murphy Lynch. They’ll know how to find us should the situation be dire.”

“The issues here are fixable,” my mage insisted. “They weren’t your mistakes, but we need your help to repair them while we bring Nate and Amelia back.”

“And the second thing?” I asked Palmer, unsure of what he had in mind.

“You made a promise to me before we got here,” he hinted, shaking his head. “I think the current circumstances invoke the stipulations you set.”

I tapped my fingertips on my chin. He was right. After everything that Gary had done and known about, he did fall into the category of hurting someone I cared about.

I would have come back to kill him later, so I didn’t break my promise to Palmer, though.

Did I want to kill him now? Or leave him with the threat and make him sweat for a few weeks?

“Unmute them, please,” I requested, an easy smile playing across my lips.

I was dying to know how the other council members would outwardly address Gary. And I wasn’t disappointed. The uproar started as if it had never stopped, shouts and accusations flying around the room.

Brent Rickard was quiet, stewing in a familiar emotion that contorted his face.

His palms rested on the tabletop, the blue folder of budgets between them. His fingers bent and flexed, jaw clenching as he ground his teeth together.

Rage.

I patiently waited for him to explode.

I’d felt his turmoil and his old feelings for my mother resurfacing. She’d been a lifelong friend, someone he leaned on and fought for. Brent was Amelia’s Jack. And I missed my best friend after only a week. I couldn’t imagine what two decades without him would do to me.