Page 9 of Allie
It chilled me—the thought that someone in our building was dabbling in the kind of sorcery that left scars beyond the physical. The kind that gnawed away at your soul until you weren't sure if you were standing on solid ground or teetering on the edge of an abyss.
"Let's make this quick," I said, steeling myself. being around this kind of magic always had an ill effect on me. "Whatever happened here, we're not going to solve it by soaking up the bad juju."
Roan nodded, and together we moved deeper into Doyle's apartment, stepping lightly over the creaky floorboards.
We made our way to what I assumed was Doyle's bedroom. The door was ajar, and Roan pushed it open with the back of his hand, careful not to disturb anything more than we had to. His wolf senses were on high alert, eyes darting around the room that felt so static, yet screamed of turmoil beneath the silence.
"Over there," I whispered, pointing to a cluttered desk where stacks of paper lay in haphazard piles. Each sheet bore a header with an intricate symbol—a circle entwined with what looked like arcane letters and a pair of serpentine figures. It sent a shiver down my spine, and I suppressed the urge to run back to my place.
"Recognize this?" I asked, glancing at Roan.
He shook his head, frowning deeply. "No, but it reeks of dark intentions. We need to find out what Doyle got himself into."
I watched Roan move with purposeful grace, his fingers skimming over the papers with a touch as light as feathers. He seemed to be searching for something specific, something that would make sense of the chaos Doyle left behind.
“You’ve done this before?”
He flashed me a smile and nodded. “When I’m hunting down a skip or a rogue, I sometimes have to play detective to figure out where they ran to. People are predictable when you know what you’re looking for.”
That made sense. I was thankful that he was here.
"Here." His voice held a triumph edged with wariness as he pulled out a leather-bound journal from the bottom drawer of the desk. It seemed ordinary enough, but the same symbol that adorned the papers was embossed on the cover, almost pulsating under the dim light.
"Sealed with a spell," he murmured, running a finger along the edge where the pages met the cover. I could see the iridescent threads of magic winding around the journal, a barrier meant to keep prying eyes away.
"Can you open it?" My curiosity piqued, I stepped closer.
"Not here," Roan said, his gaze locking with mine. "We don't know what we're dealing with. Best to take it with us and figure it out somewhere safe."
"Somewhere without lingering dark magic," I agreed, suppressing a shudder.
Roan tucked the journal under his arm, and I couldn't help but feel like we'd just stolen a piece of the puzzle that was Doyle Brooks. A puzzle that was becoming increasingly complex and dangerous with each passing second. But Roan was right—we needed answers, and this journal might just hold them.
"Let's get out of here," I urged, ready to leave the oppressive energy of the apartment behind.
"Right behind you," Roan said and directed me to the door.
We slipped out of Doyle's apartment and made our way down the hall toward my apartment. Draven and a man I’ve haven’t seen before were waiting outside my door. Draven, leaning against the wall with a casual elegance that belied his true nature, gave us a nod that seemed both greeting and interrogation.
"Find anything?" he asked, his eyes flickering with a curiosity that mirrored my own.
"Maybe more than we bargained for," I replied and rubbed my temples as a headache settled in.
I glanced up to meet the other man’s gaze and smiled. He was opposite of Draven with short blond hair and light brown eyes. His presence was like a quiet storm—calm yet potent. There was something about him that called out to me, much like Draven and Roan and Grant had. Although Grant was a mystery to me.
"Hi, I’m Asa." He extended a hand that was as steady as his gaze.
"Nice to meet you," I replied, taking his hand. His touch ignited a spark, an unexpected jolt of connection that made my body heat up. "Roan found something... interesting," I added as I unlocked my apartment door and pushed it open. The guys followed me inside.
"Interesting" was an understatement. The journal, sealed with a spell, was nothing short of alarming. But here, in the safety of my apartment and away from the dark powers that filled Doyle’s, I felt better.
I crossed the living room to my bedroom and found Aspirin curled up on my bed. She lifted her head and let out a soft meow. Scooping her up, I brought her to my face and rubbed noses with her. She instantly started purring.
Back in the living room, the guys were huddled together on the sofa, staring at the journal now laying on the coffee table.
"Let's take a look at what you've got," Draven suggested, the anticipation in his tone matching the adrenaline that still coursed through my veins.
"Let's," I echoed, and sat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table from them. I set Aspirin on the floor, and she wandered over to Asa as if greeting the newcomer.