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Fuck.
“Y-You called a witch?” My hands curled into fists against my thighs to mask their trembling.
“Of course.” She backed away to lean against a counter, her black attire harsh against the blinding white and silver. “Why else would I have called you here?”
Why hadn’t I thought of that? I should have known Coltrane would request a magical inspection of these tattoos. I had no idea if this witch would know what either markings meant, but he or she would sure as hell know I’d been bitten and turned into a shifter.
Coltrane glanced at her watch, frowning. “She’s running late.”
Blood thundered in my ears, and my heart tapped out a rhythm faster than hummingbird wings. A dribble of cold sweat leaked down my nape, soaking into my cropped t-shirt.
I am so screwed.
“One of these days, you’ll drag my consciousness to you when I’m in the middle of driving or fighting. Or having sex.” Fane propped his shoulder against the wall a few feet from Coltrane, frowning. “Sex would be the worst time.”
My eyes narrowed, and I tuned out Coltrane’s words.“Sorry my panic has ruined your day once again.”
Any humor evaporated from Fane as he pushed off the wall. “What’s wrong?”
“A witch is on her way to examine me.” I rubbed my stomach where black inked my skin. “More specifically, my tattoos.”
The muscles in Fane’s face twitched as his jaw clenched. “Get out. Get out right now, Teague.”
“How?” I blurted out loud.Shit. Fane really needed to talk in my mind when people were around, so I didn’t slip up.
Coltrane stopped speaking and pursed her lips. “How what?”
“Sorry. Nothing.” I tried to breathe calmly even though my lungs wanted to explode. “What were you saying?”
“Are you sure you don’t know what happened to the Infernal Sol?” Coltrane clasped her hands in front of her, tapping her thumbs together. “There must be something you can remember, one little piece of information that may help us.”
Black spots popped along the edges of my vision as panic overwhelmed me. “I, um…” I rubbed the center of my forehead where an invisible mallet pounded against my skull.
“This is very important, Tate.” Coltrane left the counter and moved closer, her voice softening to a tenor most people never heard. “We need to get this object off the streets before it can be harnessed for something horrible. A lot of people could be harmed if we don’t.”
Wasn’t that what I’d set out to do? Wasn’t saving people my whole reason for existing now? I forfeited my own life when I failed to save Jayla. My friends’ blood stained my hands along with plenty of others’. I had to pay for what I’d done.
Why shouldn’t I tell Coltrane the truth? I trusted her—or I did. What was stopping me from spilling my guts?
As if Fane read my mind, a resonant growl rattled the room.
“Don’t do it, Teague. Do not trust anyone with this, especially her.” His nostrils flared and teeth flashed. “If she finds out you have the amulet inside youandyou’re a shifter, she won’t hesitate to lock you up. You’re not a raven. She won’t care about you. I guarantee the ravens will not worry about your wellbeing like Ruin did.”
Fane’s words rushed out hard and low, but the shadows crawling over his expression weren’t from anger. It was worry. I could see it. And feel it.
But was he worried about me or Coltrane getting the amulet?
Did it matter?
If I ran now, I’d never see Hawk again. Could I leave him when he finally admitted his feelings for me?
A dark voice in my mind reminded me that Hawk didn’t know the real me. He didn’t know the terrible secrets in my past or about the abuse that had fucked me up so badly I’d done terrible things. And he sure as hell didn’t know I was a shifter—more or less.
“And the ravens will never let Ruin use the amulet for his little venture.” A snarl twisted Fane’s lips. “Most ravens barely tolerate shifters, but they hate demons.”
That, I knew.Ihated demons.
Well, I used to.
