Natural Witch

“Penny.” I gingerly put out my hand. “Penny Bristol.”

He completed the bow, but didn’t take my hand. “I think we can both agree that holding off on touching is probably the best course of action for us right now.”

“Thank you,” I said, pulling my hand back. “We also need to speak with your boss.”

“Yes.” Clyde’s gaze flicked to Emery and back to me. “My lobby administrator said something to that effect. I was surprised. She is new. She did not know to contact me immediately with your message. Nor, it seems, did she know your name. I was intrigued by how a trick such as that was pulled off. I expected one of the Mages’ Guild. Follow me.” He led us to the right and then to a large office at the end of the hall. He flicked a switch, and subdued light rained down on a large wooden desk facing two leather chairs. A bookcase stood against the wall behind the desk, stuffed full. Wooden filing cabinets adorned another wall and a coat rack waited by the door. Watching it all was a lone plant in the corner, scared for its life among all the dead wood.

“Please, have a seat.” Clyde paused. “This is the most sterile private place available to us on such short notice. As soon as everyone is comfortable, we can move up to my quarters.”

A smile tickled Emery’s lips. “It’s not often a vampire of your age is this cautious.”

Clyde stopped next to the chair behind the desk, his hand resting on the back. “Not often, no.” He waited for us to sit before taking his own seat. “I need a little more information before I call Mr. Durant. He doesn’t like surprises. I’m sure you understand.”

Emery leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands in front of him. “In all honesty, I hadn’t expected to ask for Darius. I thought this would be one of our more typical interactions, with the exception of me asking you about translating a letter. But…”

I raised my hand, realizing Emery was at a loss for words. He probably worried about how much of my situation to give away. “Going above your head is my doing. I had a premonition to ask for the boss’s boss. Since Emery was coming here to see you, I need your boss. I have no idea why.”

Clyde steepled his fingers. “I see.”

“Well, then at least someone does. But your boss needs to come. That is non-negotiable.”

“You are lying, Miss Bristol.” Clyde’s cunning gaze made my scalp tingle. Fire crept up my middle again. I was having an awful time keeping my cool around this vampire. The guy was mighty dangerous, that was clear. “But I can’t tell about which part.”

“Then how could you possibly tell I’m lying?”

“Certain things. Little things. When studied, there are little tells that—”

“Yeah, I don’t care.” I waved his words away, suddenly impatient. My phone vibrated in my pocket. Urgency overcame me, and I knew what the message would say before I even opened it.

Time is running out.

I passed the phone to Emery, my mother’s message pulled up. The phone rang a moment later. It had been agreed upon that she would text us the messages she’d received through her magic, but no one had discussed the best way for her to badger us afterward. She’d want to know what our plans were—basically why our time was running out.

She would not be pleased that we had no idea. Maybe this Darius person could shed light on something. Or the letter could.

“Give him the letter,” I told Emery.

Emery handed the phone back. “Don’t answer it.”

What did he think I was, insane?

I silenced the phone and put it in my pocket.

“Why don’t you start at the beginning?” Clyde said, spreading his hands and smiling patiently.

Emery pushed the letter across the desk. “I’ll start from what I’m okay with you knowing. I’m in town to hunt down the men responsible for my brother’s death. I wish to claim vengeance, and find the place where my brother died. He needs a proper burial. I will give it to him.”

Clyde took the letter and dropped it in front of him, not looking at the words.

Emery pointed at it. “I recovered that letter from the office of my brother’s killer. I’m wondering if the man who sent him that was the one that ordered his death. I need to know what it says.”

Clyde glanced down. It was unclear if he’d be able to read the letter or not. The man didn’t give much away. “And if this letter is nothing?”

“I break into the Mages’ Guild and look around.” Emery’s lips turned into a thin line, and shivers rolled over my body, making my small hairs stand on end.

“You and Penny will break in?” Clyde asked.

Emery’s expression turned uncomfortable. He didn’t answer.

“And what is your part in all of this?” Clyde asked me, entirely too patient.

I took a deep breath, because I didn’t know how I’d go about hanging him up by his toes and demanding action. “No one knows, least of all Emery and me. I don’t fit into Emery’s plans at all. I don’t have a squabble with the guild—”

“You are a terrible liar, Miss Bristol. What is your squabble with the guild?”

I felt my eyebrows slip low. That was an annoying trait he had.

“It’s best to be relaxed, and just let the lies come,” Emery said nonchalantly.

“But she hasn’t had practice.” Clyde smiled, oozing charm. “How fortunate for me.”

“I’ve had practice—it just never goes very well.” I swatted the hair out of my eyes.

“Honesty. How refreshing.” Clyde’s smile grew.

“Her squabble,” Emery said, taking over, thankfully, “should be fairly obvious. The guild found out about her when I did. I got past her mother first.”

Clyde sat back in his chair. His gaze went back and forth between Emery and me. He glanced at the letter in front of him before reaching for the phone on the corner of his desk.

He was going to call his boss.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

A couple of hours later, Emery looked at the closed door of his adjoining suite with Penny. Clyde had given them one of the vampire suites at the bottom of the hotel to freshen up while he looked at Emery’s letter and pulled any information that might be relevant. On his orders, clothes were brought to them, a hairdresser was sent down to Emery, and they were also encouraged to order whatever they wanted from room service. Everything would be paid for.

There was nothing to worry about. Penny was undoubtedly alone, and perfectly safe, on the other side of that door. Emery bent forward on the expensive couch and clasped his fingers together, struggling against the urge to knock on the door and ask if she was okay. He’d know if she was in danger. Everyone in the hotel would know. She’d probably blow the place sky high.

Darius had agreed to head out as soon as could be arranged. The guy had his own jet. That meant he’d be on site in no time, which was probably best. No one would know how to protect Penny better than Darius.

The problem was that no one would know how to better use her, either. They were putting another layer between themselves and the guild, yes, but they were also delivering themselves into the hands of uncertainty. Emery knew how to fight the guild. He didn’t know how to fight the vampires. And likely wouldn’t know until it was too late and he was outsmarted.

Now Penny was on her own, completely at the mercy of the one species that could wring every ounce of worth from her person. And sure, she could take care of herself in most situations…but what if she seized up and her magic wouldn’t come? Sometimes that happened to people when they panicked. They turned into a deer in the headlights, freezing until run over.

He pushed off the couch and stalked over to the door adjoining their rooms. Emery braced his hands on the door frame and bent toward it, not sure what to do. This had to be right. Penny’s mom had directed them on this path, and she was the genuine article. A powerful Seer the likes of which Emery had only met once or twice on his journey.

So why did it feel like they were wrapping themselves in Death’s cloak?

A knock sounded at the main door. With a hard stare at the white wood in front of him, Emery pushed off and moved to answer it.

“Mr. Westbrook.” Clyde stood at the door with papers and a knowing smile. “You are looking worlds better. You’re almost another person. Isn’t it a wonder what a haircut and a little water can do?”

Emery turned back into the room, sparing a glance for the closed door, and another for the clock. The middle of the night. They’d need to wrap this up and get some sleep so tomorrow wouldn’t be a wasted day. He wanted to check out some of the guild’s compounds and see how things had changed.

The door closed as he settled on the couch.

“Miss Bristol has been seen to and food delivered,” Clyde said, taking the chair opposite Emery. His back was to the adjoining door. The vampire’s positioning probably meant something, or was being used to convey a message in some way, but Emery had no idea what. For vampires, subtlety was an art form. “I thought you might want to know.”

The tight bands around Emery’s chest relaxed a little. What else would Clyde say? That they’d delivered her drink laced with drugs and scurried her away while he was getting his haircut? Emery had left her completely alone in a predator’s nest—he should’ve been by her side, protecting her.