Page 16 of Allie

"Sure," August replied, stepping aside with a sweep of his hand that could either be an invitation or a well-practiced spell gesture. His gaze locked with Roan’s. "Come in."

Stepping across the threshold, I immediately felt the shift in energy—the air was thick, charged with a hum that resonated against my skin. It wasn't just a room; it was a lair where dark magic clung to every surface like cobwebs. My nose wrinkled at the musty scent. A mixture of old books and something... sharper, metallic, almost.

"Cozy," I commented, trying not to stare too obviously at the shelves lined with jars containing things that squirmed and floated.

My gaze landed on a symbol etched into the wall. It matched the one from the crime scene, the one that haunted the edges of my dreams since we found it. Roan noticed it, too.

"What can you tell me about that symbol," he said, nodding towards the etching on the wall. "And what exactly was your relationship with Doyle was."

August shifted from foot to foot, the dim light casting long shadows across his face. He hesitated, a flicker of something passing over his features before he masked it with an indifferent shrug. "Doyle? The property manager? We had little to do with each other."

"Little doesn't mean nothing," Roan said.

The air felt heavy, charged with a silent battle of wills. I could almost taste the metallic tang of power that seemed to seep from the walls themselves.

"Doyle and I didn’t get alone on a good day. I avoided him as much as I could," August finally conceded under Roan's unrelenting gaze. "But I had nothing to do with his murder. I’ve already given my statement to the police."

"Do you think Doyle dived too deep into things he couldn’t handle?" I asked, my own curiosity getting the better of me.

"Everyone has their limits," August muttered. “We hung out in similar circles, but I’ve never harmed anyone with my magic. I don’t know who had killed him or why.”

Roan nodded and glanced at the symbol on the wall one more time before taking my hand and moving to the door. “If you hear anything, let me know.”

We left his apartment with a trail of silence behind us. As we stepped into the elevator, Roan let out a sigh, the sound filled with frustration.

"Something's off," I murmured, wrapping my arms around myself as if that could shield me from the unease that crept through my bones. "Doyle might have been reckless, but not this kind of reckless."

Roan nodded grimly. "Yeah. And August is holding back. I could see it in the way his eyes darted around, avoiding contact, and the way his scent changed."

"Let's keep digging," I said. "We're missing pieces of the puzzle."

Just then, my head ached. Roan curled an arm around me as we stepped off the elevator on our floor. “What’s wrong?”

“Dark magic gives me headaches. I’ll be okay in a few.” I stopped at my apartment, but Roan motioned to his door.

“Come over to my place and I’ll make you some tea.”

Butterflies fluttered in my belly at the thought of seeing Roan’s apartment and wondering if we could have a repeat of the kiss we shared last night.

8

ALLIE

The moment I stepped into Roan's apartment, my heart thrummed a nervous beat against my ribs. His place was tidy but had little personal effects. That made me wonder how much he traveled being a bounty hunter.

"Make yourself at home," Roan called as he headed toward the kitchen.

"Okay," I replied and watched him fill the electric kettle with water and turned it on. I drifted to the half bar that separated the kitchen from the living room.

He pulled a cup from the cabinet and then opened a canister that had bags of herbal teas in it. “Are you a tea drinker?” I asked.

He moved his gaze to mine and nodded. “Yeah. My grandmother loved tea and always made her own teas. I picked up a thing or two from her.”

“Good to know,” I said with a smile.

“I also love a good, strong coffee.” He winked.

“Same.”