Page 7 of April's Fool (Northarbor Coven Book 2)

Watchful

Damon

As suspected, the car journey was deeply uncomfortable. Because of my smaller stature, compared to my demon acquaintances, I was stuck in the middle seat as the shifters drove. Mori had refused my last plea to travel with the witches, insisting that I stick with them.

We drove to a place between Northarbor and Sweetwater, where the shifters were from. As we ate up the few miles to where Toth was being kept, I tried to text Parker to let him know where I was going.

“Who’s that?” Mori asked with a hint of demand.

“My handler and friend, Parker. I told you about him at dinner,” I answered honestly. Mori and Toth had both peppered me with questions, the majority of which I deflected onto them. It made me too vulnerable to talk about my private life and everything about the contract was now out in the open. Everyone knew Austin had contracted me to kill Cody, but had used magic and Basil to make it so he wouldn’t be found out.

Mori hummed and settled back, brushing against me. There was a burst of his scent, and my chilled skin absorbed his warmth. With difficulty, I repressed my shudder.

It was strange, seeing this quieter side of Mori. When texting with Cody, I’d gotten the impression that Mori was excitable and overeager. Here he was being restrained. It made me wonder what was going on underneath. Had my presence in Cody’s life rattled the demon?

All the vehicles pulled up to a deserted lot, and I watched in fascination as the shifters peeled off their clothes and shed their human forms for their alters. I loved watching Parker let his bird out whenever he shifted, even if it was a bossy, prideful bird. I knew my issues with magic were strange.

In my thirty years on this earth, I’d experienced a lot. I’d seen magic in many guises, the fae, elves, shifters and especially witches. None of the supernatural races made me as nervous as the witches did, so I kept back as Oak exited a car and began using his magic to trace Basil.

Everything about what Oak was doing was to help Cody find Toth, but it made my skin crawl, a visceral reaction I could barely control.

“Are you alright?” Mori asked with concern as he observed Oak and watched the shifters fan out .

There was a small part of me that wanted to lie, but it was obvious that Mori didn’t trust me, and wouldn’t if I lied. “Witches make me uncomfortable.”

He studied me. “They do?”

“Old habits die hard, I guess.”

Mori wasn’t given a chance to question me further as the shifters all began running in the same direction, a massive Komodo dragon lumbering behind them at a slower pace. He was still faster than Cody until my friend let out his violet wings and took flight.

I couldn’t help my whispered shout at seeing him be his true self. Mori slapped a hand over my mouth, muffling the sound, and drew me close to him. “We can’t let anyone hear us.” Like Cody, he let out his wings without damaging his finely tailored suit. Really, it was a beauty. I’d have to find out where I could get one. He slung an arm around me, pulling me tightly against his hard body. Holy shit, he felt good.

With a hop, Mori lifted me into the air, gliding after Cody just as my friend entered a warehouse. The sensations of the air rushing over me and Mori’s tight grip were exhilarating. Being in his arms, trusting him with my safety, should have been impossible, but I found myself leaning into him, soaking up his warmth as the cold air blasted over my exposed skin.

Up ahead, Cody entered a warehouse and Mori landed not far behind him .

Inside was my own personal hell.

I took in the details, the spell circle holding a tortured Toth inside, the cup of coffee on a counter, signs that Basil had been living here. All of it registered in a detached manner. While I worked to get my feelings under control, the facts filed themselves away. The demons were sure to be sensing the mounting distress that I tried to squash down under a veil of apathy. The shifters could likely scent my growing fear.

Both Mori and Gregoris looked at me as I watched my friend with his mate. It was easy to read their concern, not only for Cody and Toth, but for what they were getting from me.

Taking a step away as Oak settled next to the outer ring of the spell circle, I looked around for more clues to where Basil could have gone. I needed to get a photo of this fucker.

With no one paying attention to me, I snagged Basil’s comb. There, on its lacquered surface, were fine dark red hairs. Hopefully, there was enough DNA to get into the registry and find out everything there was to know about him, including a way to trace him. Without magic, of course, because he would expect that.

There were mutterings happening around the circle, and despite my fear, I drew closer. It didn’t surprise me that Oak dismissed my suggestion about the spell. I barely refrained from rolling my eyes. The witch seemed to have some misplaced hero worship for Basil. Although Basil had been High Witch of the Northarbor coven the previous year, he’d also prevented the coven from growing and having healthy relationships with other supernaturals. He believed witches were above everyone. He was the exact kind of witch that I had been taught to despise.

Cody agreed with me and with a small sigh, Oak tried my approach. It worked. Of course it did. I might not like magic, but I could spot a rushed spell and the signs of a man on the run. Basil had left his toothbrush along with his comb. That guy was fleeing before he could be caught. This spell had been one last fuck you to his former coven.

I felt a pang in my heart at seeing the mates reunited. Not out of jealousy, but of longing. No one had loved me like that. I wanted it for myself.

“A new name? Like in that movie?” Cody asked hesitantly. He didn’t truly believe that he had the power to free his mate. I knew enough about Gregoris from the last few hours that the demon was being as serious as death about this. He had taken on the role of protector to Mori’s son from the moment that they had met. Not that Cody, or likely Toth, had seen that.

I couldn’t help my scoff, remembering a movie that Cody had made us watch once. “A new name for the princess to save the world.” We both laughed. It brought me genuine joy to still have that with my friend. I might lose him to his mate, yet we might end up closer after all this was done now that we were on a more even footing. He wasn’t mine to protect anymore. Cody didn’t need that from anyone other than his mate.

They settled into performing the magic and soon both opened their eyes with smiles on their faces.

Toth was free. Basil was in the wind. Austin was about to have an accident.

I watched Cody and Toth make plans with the witches and shifters warily. Mostly, I kept out of their way and texted Parker instead.

Damon: You might want to look into Sweetwater again. Their shifters are hot ??

Toth used his own inherent magic, and some of the healing power that Oak could spare to get patched up. The witch looked drained, the demon not much better after his ordeal.

From a safe distance, I observed them until my phone vibrated with a text, drawing my attention.

Parker: Yeah? The hotness really outweighs the shady past they have?

Trust Parks to have high moral ideals like he wasn’t a freaking hitman too.

Damon: No, you should hear how they talk about their omegas. The alpha worships his and all the enforcers seem to adore him.

It didn’t take long for Parker to get back to me. All the while, I caught Mori casting glances at me and slowly inching closer.

Parker: Did you know they have a website now? Damn, that omega is cute! Fancy moving to Sweetwater?

Not really , I thought, but I kept that to myself. Sweetwater was a place where Parker would fit in. I wouldn’t. I would stand out worse there than here. Maybe it was time for him and me to part ways. Leave the business and find something else to do with my skills. Parker could get hired anywhere with his computer skills. I could work in private security, I guess, though they preferred witches for that. Having magic was a useful skill in that line of work. Still, there had to be a place for me.

Mori wandered closer. “Everything okay? ”

His words broke me from my thoughts. “Hmm? Oh, yeah. I’m just going to say my goodbyes to Cody and Toth and then head home.”

“To Parker? Is he someone special?” he asked.

Cody, Toth and Gregoris turned to look for Mori and found us together. My friend’s face became marred with a frown. Did he not like me speaking to his dad?

“Parker is family,” I answered, moving away.

Mori stopped me with a hand on my arm. “Cody loves you. You were really there for him when he needed you. Don’t stay away too long.”

I shrugged. “I’ll see you around, Amorandes.”