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“That you didn’t want her to pay…” The wind picked up outside. “You should get out of here, quickly. The ancestors are wary of outsiders.” She was growing certain they were wary of her, too. “So, we have a deal still?” she pressed.

Darragh tsked, refusing to take her hand. “I do hope your mother will be alright.”

Nore didn’t know what to say. She’d never seen her mother so shaken. “I am not thinking about her right now. I don’t fit her mold. I was never good enough for her.” The admission left Nore’s lips before she could stop it. She didn’t care what her mother thought. She didn’t want her mother’s approval. She didn’t care why her heart was in that box.

“The more I’ve seen in my life, the more I’ve realized that it’s the world that isn’t good enough for people like us. People who don’t fit the mold, as you say.” Darragh moved a rogue hair out of Nore’s face. “Some lose sight of that and destroy the things that matter most.”

Nore considered her earnest expression. In one evening, the woman had gone from the object of her blackmail to a partner in crime.

“Are you the villain everyone says you are?”

“You are always someone’s villain, Nore.” Darragh buttoned her traveling shawl. “I’ll give you until tomorrow. If you have nothing to show by then, I will go to my contact at Debs Daily with everything that’s happened here tonight. I have to protect my interests, and heat on Ambrose takes the heat off Marionne. I’m sure you understand.”

“You’ll have the Scroll by then.”

Thirty-Eight

Quell

All the confidence I felt at Hartsboro abandons me as Jordan marches toward the elevators of the swanky hotel housing Dragun Headquarters. Yagrin visited here, wearing my mother’s persona. Was that before or after she was…I stop. The world swims.

“Ma’am?” The attendant behind the desk stands.

“She’s fine, Joel.” Jordan’s foot taps. “Quell, this way.”

I don’t move. I can’t. Then my knees go out from under me. Jordan’s jaw clenches.

“What are you playing at?” He tugs me up and I snatch my hand away from him.

The concierge watches, his smile waning.

“What is wrong with you?” Jordan asks.

“I need a minute.” I blow out a long, slow breath and bury any thoughts of my mother. I need to focus on finding out how to get the Sphere’s magic into something else. Something in my possession.

Jordan stares, brows cinched, and his hand hovers near his chest.

I ram the call button for the elevator and it takes an eternity to show up. If he knew what I really wanted to do with the Sphere’s magic, he’d put that dagger through my throat. “So what do you know about Beaulah’s plans so far?”

“Let me worry about Beaulah.”

I scowl. The elevator doors open and we step inside, along with a few others. We ride in silence. More join us, and Jordan and I end up wedged together in a corner, far too close for my comfort. His scent assaults me and it kindles memories of when I used to love being close to him like this. Memories that should be long dead. Our eyes meet. The knot at his throat bobs. I look away until, finally, the elevator doors open and the car empties again. We put as much distance between us as possible. Jordan slides a key out of his pocket and a hidden button appears. The elevator plummets.

“Do you know where you want to start tracking?”

“I’m still thinking. You could also show me everything you have on Beaulah and the Sphere. You look like you could use all the help you can get.”

The elevator car reaches the ground. Jordan presses a button to keep the doors closed.

“My brother will be coming with us.”

“I’m sure the brotherhood has no shortage of Draguns to supply, but—”

His brows dent, then his gaze widens.

“What?”

“Nothing. Get me a list of the resources you need and I’ll take care of it. Figure out where you want to start. Once we have the Dragunhead’s approval, we cloak at dusk. Now turn around.”