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We all follow him, and I try to think of what we’ll say when we find the mage. Simply asking him for the amulet isn’t going to work. Could we capture him if his guard was down and force him to hand it over?

“I don’t think we planned this out well enough,” I whisper to Drax. “What do we say if we find him?”

Drax frowns. “We’ll figure it out.”

I’m not so sure, but I don’t have a better idea.

We get to a doorway covered by seventies style beads. Atlas steps through and we follow, and as my eyes adjust to the even darker room, I try to make sense of what I’m seeing.

Bodies everywhere, dancing, grinding against each other, huddled in corners. Then I see him sitting on a stool by a bar. Rune.

Before I can say anything, he looks in our direction, his eyes wide with surprise. Atlas is already in motion, reaching the mage before the rest of us have taken a step, and then, just as quickly as we spotted him, the room shimmers and he’s gone.

Dammit. Now what?

DRAX

I watch helplessly as Atlas reaches out for Rune, only to come up empty handed as the mage disappears from sight.

Atlas stumbles forward, catching himself on the seat Rune just vacated. When he turns to us, he looks distraught.

“I was so close.”

“Man, that guy is quick,” Roman mumbles. “How does he do it? I’ve never known a human who can just disappear into thin air.”

“It’s an illusion,” Cassius says. “He hides behind magic long enough to make his escape. He could be standing right here, and we wouldn’t know it. I knew someone a long time ago with abilities like Rune’s. This is going to be much harder than we anticipated.”

“Fuck,” Mac grumbles, rubbing his forehead. “I need to find this stupid amulet or Auri will…” His words trail off. “Whatever Auri does to people who break deals.”

My hackles rise. “He won’t harm you. Not while I exist.”

Mac nods, but he’s not soothed. “I need to fulfill my deal though. I don’t want to fuck this up. I don’t want to need to be saved again.”

“I understand.”

“No, Drax, you don’t. My whole life I just fuck things up. I’ve been chased, punished, kidnapped more times than I count. This matters. If we want a life together, I have to get it right.”

Is this about us? About me? My heart flutters and the bond in my chest is flooded with feelings of warmth and affection. He’s growing fond of me. I can feel it.

I nod. “We’ll find him and figure it out.”

“I have an idea,” Roman says. “I know a guy who can help. Instead of chasing this guy around just to have him slip away, we need some tools.”

“What kind of tools?” Mac asks.

“Magic. The kind that works on Rune.”

“How do you know this guy is powerful enough?” Cassius asks.

“He’s the product of a mage family, and let’s just say I’ve seen what he can do firsthand.”

“Not another scorned lover, I hope,” Cassius says.

“No.” Roman shakes his head. “It’s not like that at all.”

“Why would he help us?” Mac asks.

“He owes me a favor or two. He got tangled up with some bad dudes a few years ago and ended up in my neck of the woods, lost, hungry, and too weak to call forth his magic. I found him and nursed him back to health. He told me if I ever needed something to look him up.”

“You’d do that for me?” Mac asks.

Roman shrugs. “I’d do it for any of us. We’re a team.”

Mac nods, but I feel his emotions blooming inside him. I squeeze his hand. “That’s a good plan, Roman. Thanks.”

Cassius puts his hand on Roman’s arm. “And it’s safe?”

Roman nods, offering a slight smile. “Very. He trusts me. I should give him a heads-up before bringing a bunch of strangers though. Hold tight.”

Roman slips into the void before any of us can respond, leaving the rest of us in this sex fueled environment. Atlas leans against a stone column, seemingly lost in thought and rubbing a circle on his chest.

“Are you okay?”

He blinks, turning his gaze to me. “Yes. He’s not far, but he’s hiding. I hope Roman’s friend can help.”

“Me too.”

Mac chews his bottom lip, but his gaze is firmly on me. In spite of all the beauty in this room, all the desire in the air, Mac’s attention is mine. I reach out to touch his cheek, and he leans into my touch, blinking to reveal his dragon eyes.

“Hi there, handsome,” I coo, aware of the bond between us and his dragon’s affection.

“He likes you,” Mac says softly, leaning just a little bit closer. “So do I.”

Smiling, I press a soft kiss to his lips. “I like you too. Both of you.”

“Goddess knows how long Roman is going to take.” Cassius sighs. “Call if you need me. I smell a mortal.” He disappears into the crowd.

“I’m going to sniff around some more,” Atlas says before walking off.

Mac wraps his arms around my waist, moving us back and forth to the music. “I never knew places like this existed. I’ve spent my life chasing pretty things, mostly unaware of all the supernatural communities around me.”

“Why?”

He shrugs. “I have no idea. I gotta admit though, it feels nice to be part of something.”

“I feel the same way. Joining Auri’s crew gave me a sense of home I didn’t have before.”

He brushes his thumb across my cheek and my whole body instantly warms. He could choose to engage in the debauchery around us, he could do anything, but he only has eyes for me. I’m glad he’s finally coming around to seeing that fate doesn’t make mistakes.

I just can’t help wondering what will happen once we get this amulet from Rune. Will he end his contract with Auri and go home? Will he forget the last few weeks even happened? It’s not so hard to do over the course of a long, long life.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, sensing the shift in my mood through our bond.

I shake my head and lean in close to brush another kiss over his lips.

“Just worrying too much about the future, mate.”

“Relatable,” he murmurs against my mouth. “But maybe we can try to live in the moment for now?”

“I can do that. This moment is a good one, after all.”