“I’ll find them.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. Her magic flowed through me, lighting me up like a bonfire. I shifted, trying to fight the pull that dragged me toward her. Drawing in a slow breath, I focused on my self-control.
Eventually, she opened her eyes and withdrew her hand. “I can’t get anything.” She scowled. “If I could go touch the wall again, maybe I could get more information from it.”
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s too dangerous. Whoever we’re dealing with was powerful enough to manipulate my mind. I don’t want you going up against them.”
“They might be dead. There’s no telling when this happened. Could be hundreds of years ago.”
“Could be. It’s still too dangerous.”
“I’m afraid that’s not your call to make.”
I resisted the growl that had no place in civilized conversation. “More’s the pity. We need to try to find another copy of the book. See what this bastard is hiding.”
“Seraphia said there aren’t any more copies in her library.”
“There could be another copy somewhere else. And if there is, I know someone who would know. Nevaeh Cross, a researcher at the X in Magic Side, Chicago.”
“Is that another magical town?”
“It’s Chicago’s version of Guild City, or the Grassmarket neighborhood in Edinburgh. Hidden from human eyes but visible to supernaturals.”
“Let’s go to her.”
“I’ll contact her and tell her what we’re looking for. It could take her a bit of time to find what we seek.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but her mobile buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket and silently read the text before meeting my gaze. “Looks like Eve is making some progress with Mac and Seraphia. They’re stable.”
“Go check on them.” The sun glowed orange behind her as it sank toward the horizon. “It’s nearly night. Get some rest. I’ll let you know when Ms. Cross has a lead.”
She nodded. “Be careful.”
The hint of concern in her voice warmed me, though I knew such weakness on my part was dangerous. “I will. I’ll update you no later than tomorrow morning.”
She nodded, then turned and left. I stared hungrily after her. Foolish, perhaps, but I couldn’t help myself.
6
Carrow
My mind spun with all that I’d learned as I headed through the winding passages of Guild City. Old cast-iron streetlamps flickered to life, throwing a golden glow on the shop windows that jostled with magic and life.
Bars were filling up—happy hour was a thing, even in the magical world—and cheerful supernaturals passed me in groups as they headed toward their usual haunts.
This was all still new to me. Normally, I’d spend time exploring as I walked, peering in shop windows and daydreaming about my life in Guild City, but my thoughts were on Mac and Seraphia.
I reached Eve’s place in record time, panting, my skin lightly dampened with sweat. I pushed open the door and stepped inside. The main shop was empty, but Eve’s voice echoed from the back room. “Who is it?”
“Carrow.”
“Come on back.”
I hurried through the shop, passing shelves of tiny vials and jars of potion. Eve relegated her dangerous potions to the back room, where she did a lot of her work.
It was chaos.
Every surface was covered with the tools of her trade: small cauldrons, knives, a mortar and pestle, along with jars and bowls of ingredients. The fae’s hair was bright pink. A few days ago, it had been purple and white. The raven that followed her everywhere sat high on a shelf, observing the situation below.
Mac and Seraphia stood nearby. They looked better than when I’d last seen them. Their color was back, and their eyes were brighter.
“How are you feeling?” I hurried toward them, carefully inspecting their faces for any signs of distress.
“Fine now.” Mac grinned to reassure me, and Seraphia mimicked her smile.
Worry and guilt streaked through me. Why were they cursed if I wasn’t?
“I don’t buy it.” I turned to Eve. “How are they?”
“Fine for the moment.” Concern flickered in her eyes. “I got a few clues from the cursed book, enough to make a potion to hold off the effects, but I wasn’t able to cure them.”
“Not yet,” Mac said. “You’ll figure it out.”
“Grey is looking for another copy,” I told them. “Maybe if we figure out what history was erased, we’ll learn more about the curse.”
Eve’s brows rose. “Grey, is it?”
I shrugged. I hadn’t yet confessed that I’d started calling him by his first name, but Eve didn’t stick on the question.
“But that’s good,” she said. “If we can find out who cast the curse, then it’ll be easier to cure. Different supernaturals have different abilities, and it will narrow down our search if we know what the culprit was capable of.”
“We’re going to be fine,” Mac said. “You’re the best there is.”
“But I haven’t found an antidote yet,” Eve said. “Hell, we don’t even know what’s going to happen to you.”
“But you whipped up something to hold off the effects, so we’re good.” Mac squeezed her hand. “We’ve got this, don’t worry.”
I looked between Mac and Eve, worry streaking through me. Mac was putting on a brave face, but this was bad.
Seraphia met my gaze. “How did it go with the Devil? What did you learn besides the fact that he’ll seek another copy of A Most Elucidating History of Guild City?”
I explained about his memory and our hopes to unlock it.
“I like that plan,” Mac said.
“He said he’ll meet you tomorrow morning?” Seraphia asked.
“Yes. His friend will hopefully have a copy of the book by then.”
“Good,” Eve said, “because these two need to rest. I don’t want them getting too tired or weak. It could give the curse a better foothold on them.”
I nodded. “Let’s head up to my place. We’ll get some food, rest, and come up with a game plan. There’s probably something we’re missing.”
Mac grinned. “Like a girls’ night!”
“A girls’ night with a goal,” I said. “And an early bedtime.”
“Of course. But I like this plan.” She looked at Seraphia. “Will you come?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you, silly. We need to go over all the facts again. But more importantly, you’re cool, and you should come hang out with us.”
Seraphia smiled. “Okay.”
“Let’s do my flat,” I suggested.
“I’m going to leave everything like it is and lock up,” Eve said. “I can clean this mess tomorrow.”
“Good plan,” I said, and shepherded the others toward the front.
It took her less than half a minute to finish her stuff and grab her keys. I got the history book, and we headed out of her shop, Eve and Seraphia in the lead.
I hung back with Mac. “Are you really okay?”
“Yeah.” She nudged me with her shoulder. “Don’t worry so much.”
“And Seraphia?”
“She’s fine, too.”
“She seems a bit lonely.” I thought back to her eyes. “Not sure why. Just something about her.”
“She keeps to herself, mostly. In our world, you tend not to poke when someone does that. You never know what they’re hiding.”
“But you trust her?”
“Yeah. I think she’s got a bad past, but I trust her. And no one should be lonely.”
“You like to collect strays.”
“Strays?”
“Yeah.” I grinned and pointed to myself. “Like me. Now Seraphia.”
Mac shrugged. “What can I say? There aren’t really any stray cats in town, and you’re the next best thing.”
I laughed, and the four of us headed up to my place, taking the stairs two at a time.
When we passed Mac’s door, she paused. “Do you have wine?”
I scoffed. “Do I have wine? Only the finest adult juice boxes in all the land.”
Mac laughed. “Those little single-serving boxes?”
“The very same. If you’re lucky, I’ll give you a straw.”
She grimaced. “Pass. But I will get some crisps.”
“If Cordelia hasn’t eaten them all.”
“Fingers crossed.” She darted into her place.
“Thanks.”
Eve and Seraphia reached my door first. “Let yourself in,” I said, gesturing. “It’s unlocked.”
“You should lock it,” Seraphia said. “This place isn’t as safe as it seems.”
I frowned at her. She wasn’t wrong, but the way she said it…
She shifted and looked away, then followed Eve into the flat.
Yeah, Seraphia had a tricky past, all right. But it was none of my business unless she wanted to share, so I put it aside.
“Make yourself at home.” I gestured to the couches. “How do you feel about kebabs?”
“Fantastic,” Eve said.
Seraphia nodded. “Love them.”
I went to the window and set the history book on the little table. I grabbed the paper menu from the restaurant below us, then picked up a pen and pad of paper. I handed the goods off to Eve and Seraphia. “Jot down what you want.”
I already knew my order by heart…and Cordelia’s. I no sooner placed an order with the restaurant than Cordelia appeared, no matter where she was in the city. I swore she could hear the scratching of the pen.
Mac appeared at the door. “Ooh, good idea,” she said, spotting the menu and pad of paper. “Get me a Donner Kebab, please.”
“No problem.”