Page 8 of Mage Massacres

Novak observed me as he leaned against the island, his expression intense before he smiled. It was a little forced, but I could see that he was trying. “What is it?”

“Sandalwood and sage,” I murmured to him. “If I had to put names to your natural scent, that’s what it would be.”

He tilted his head, quirking a pierced brow at me. “So, you’re saying that I smell like a candle?”

“No,” I said in exasperation. “But if that makes you happy—”

“It makes me happy when you smile, Trouble.”

His quiet words were thoughtful and sweet as he hugged me to his chest. But I couldn’t give him more than the minimal lifting of my lips. It was a tiny grin, the only one I could manage to offer him for his efforts. And it was fleeting, much to my disappointment.

I needed more than a few short hours to stop…

No.

I had to find something else to think about.

“How much longer until we’re ready to go?” I questioned, sliding out of his arms to pour myself a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

With my back turned to everyone in the room, I let my eyes fall closed as I breathed in the steam.

“Millie sounded like she was freaking out,” Briggs replied. “I think we should get to Belfast as quick as possible.”

“We’re not going to Belfast,” I confessed. “We’re going to Amelia King’s house. It sits just outside Lisnaskea.”

Palmer furrowed his brows. “How do ye know that’s where Miller and Murphy went?”

I shook my head, forgetting that I’d spoken to Miller mentally. It had helped to exhaust me further, but I was also kind of excited to see that the reach with my telepathy had drastically grown.

“Because that’s where I sent them. That’s where we’ll be staying too. It’s safe, and there’s a portal to the guild in my mother’s estate somewhere. We’ll have to ask Franklin if he knows where, though.”

“Okay,” Vaughn agreed before his icy eyes met mine. “How are we getting there?”

I scoffed at him. “The Void, of course. We don’t have time to travel across the borders legally.”

Stone side-eyed Vaughn as my fae sat beside him. “So no plane then?”

“Nope. No fourteen-hour trip in a giant tin can.” That knowledge boosted my mood the tiniest bit.

“And what of passports? We might need them still. You can’t just forge those with magic.” Vaughn sounded a little worried, but his comment almost had my lips lifting.

“I can’t,” I professed, pointing to my chest as I heard Franklin come in through the garage.

He coughed, gaining our attention from the doorway.

“I have your passports settled,” he told us, tossing the tiny booklets onto the island. “I told Charlie and Sam that they would feel visitors at Amelia’s house. And I have one more subject to go over before you leave.”

“How did you know we’d need them?” Stone questioned, and York snorted with laughter.

“I’m all-knowing,” Franklin commented, the sarcasm in his voice thick, but the truth in his words rang clear. The ancient vampire was a wealth of information and never ceased to amaze me with what he was capable of.

He turned to me, dismissing any more questions from my mates in order to talk business. The company duties were yet another thing that I could add to the list of recent failures. But I wouldn’t dwell; I could fix it when all this was over.

“I’ve just received a call from the administrative office at the pharmaceutical company. It seems that a John Moore has been missing from work for several days now. They can’t get in contact with him, so they’ve called the Nashville police to do a wellness check.”

“John Moore?” I questioned, unable to put a face with the name. “Like another Moore child right under our noses?”

“Could be a coincidence,” Novak suggested.