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“I bring the best of news, sir,” Withers says. “My contact in the Guild says a new Apprentice registered yesterday. My instincts were correct—there is a new magic user in Jay Rhodes’s pack.”

Carnell sets his teacup down with a sharp clatter, and at the sound of Jay’s name, he jostles the saucer.

“Go on—and I won’t remind you again—that ismyson’s pack.”

“My apologies, sir.” Withers bows, but from Grayson’s hiding spot, he sees the way the man rolls his eyes.

“Your son has brought a brand-new magic user to Clearwater.”

“A child?” Carnell’s tone is skeptical. “Or the man you saw last week? He was incredibly powerful, no? But two magic users in his employ seems unlikely.”

Grayson frowns. Why would Withers think there were two magic users? He’d only seen Grayson at the safe house. It makes no sense.

“There has to be two, sir. Magic users are under the age of thirteen, and the one I saw was definitely all man.”

The teacup smashes against the patio.

Carnell stares at his minion. “A man and a child? Are you certain? What was his name? His guardian’s?”

“My contact couldn’t tell me anything. The Guild magically protects that information.” Withers shrugs.

“Ah, yes.” Carnell chuckles darkly. “The Guild protects its Apprentices’ personal information better than their Adepts.”

Grayson stiffens. Withers has an insider within the Guild feeding him information. That cannot be good.

Straightening, Withers’s tense expression flickers with distaste before he pastes a dark smile on his thin lips.

“You are correct, sir. Apprentices’ information remains private until they are licensed and of age.”

“Inconvenient.” Carnell sits in contemplation for a moment, nibbling on his scone, leaving Withers shifting subtly from foot to foot.

“Describe the magic user from your previousaltercation.”

“Certainly. The man I saw accessing The Plain was lean, had longish dark hair, and was very beautiful,” he says lewdly, adjusting the front of his pants in apparent remembrance.

Ew.

“Yes, you said that before. Was there an address listed for this Apprentice here or in Nashville?”

Withers moves to deny access to that private information, but Carnell waves a hand dismissively.

“Why do I even bother asking?” He sighs. “And the other matter?”

“In the wind. But the magic is still in place—that’s all I can tell you. I’ve put a compulsion on the bond, but if I push too hard, I could accidentally terminate it. Then the entire arrangement becomes moot.”

“You mean, I’ll be a sitting duck.”

“I would never say it in those words, sir.”

“You would be the only one of you to hold yourselves back to date.” Carnell exhales sharply, brushing nonexistent crumbs from his lap.

“You say Apprentices cannot practice without a mentor or guardian. So we have two magic users inmyson’s employ? Why, I wonder? Where have they gone? They were at the club, the hospital, and the Archive. Now they’ve disappeared again. What is that bastard up to?”

Withers huffs in barely concealed amusement at the implication that, while it’s technically Gideon’s pack—in Carnell’s mind, it is Jay who is thwarting him.

Carnell knew they’d been all over Clearwater and Tampa yesterday. He doesn’t realize the new magic user is Grayson. Or that he isn’t a trained Adept.

But more importantly, what does Carnell know about Jay’s parents’ murder? What about Nimue?