Page 24

Rome

I’m going to kill him.

I stood with my hands on my hips and watched as Kerry—a guy I’d begun to think of as a friend—came strolling up with my girl on his arm and a besotted look on his face.

“Hey, Kerry! Mira!” Jax waved.

And it was like she was waking up from a dream. She seemed confused for a fraction of a second, then blinked and looked at me. Her entire face lit up as she met my eyes, and she broke away from Kerry and walked toward me with a warm smile.

“What was that look on your face about, Kerry?” Gigi teased him.

“She let me pretend she was Gemma for a little bit.”

Glancing over, I saw the kid’s face was red, whether from embarrassment or sorrow or a more desperate emotion, I didn’t know, but I was suddenly ashamed of myself.

I was relieved my friends were okay, content to be with Mira, and focused on solving the mystery of the Alchemists.

All of that made me forget what Kerry was enduring.

I’d be going nuts if they’d taken my girl, especially now that we’re learning exactly what they do with their captives.

But the kid was holding it together. Somehow. And if he needed to pretend Gemma was with us from time to time to do that, so be it. Who was I to judge?

Mira sidled up to me, a sly smile on her pretty lips as she nudged my hip with hers.

“Aren’t you gonna ask me who I was pretending Kerry was?” She spoke only loud enough for me to hear.

I shook my head and refused to look at her.

“That’s a shame,” she murmured, “because—”

She stopped and took a big breath and I glanced down at her with a frown. What did she have to be nervous about?

“Anyway, we found it!” Gigi’s voice broke between us. “The Witch of Endor’s shop.”

I looked away to find Jax, Gigi, and Kerry had gathered around us.

“We walked around the block while we waited for you two,” Jax explained, “and there it was.”

“How do you know it’s hers?” Kerry asked.

“For one, it’s on the sign.” Gigi grinned at him.

Feeling out of sorts, I followed as Jax and Gigi led the way back down the block to the little storefront wedged between a gym and a cafe. The others chattered away, but I was too preoccupied to listen.

I liked Mira. I mean, really liked her. But she’d been through something traumatic and, no matter what anyone—including she herself—might say, she needed time to deal with it.

And that was on top of coming to terms with her life post-devil.

I didn’t want to start a relationship with her only to have my heart break when it fizzled because she hadn’t been ready.

“May I walk with you?”

I thought at first I imagined her voice because I was thinking about her so much, but I blinked and saw she had dropped back next to me.

I shrugged and looked away, then caught myself.

The last time you were short with her because you were pissed, she thought you were telling her to get out of your life .

“Yeah.” I couldn’t stop from adding, “As long as you don’t pretend I’m somebody else.”

She stopped walking, so I did, too.

“Why would I do that?” She tilted her head to one side and her eyebrows scrunched up.

“Don’t play, Mira. Not about this.”

“I’m not playing.”

I let out a gusty breath and cupped one of her cheeks with my hand—and was shocked when she nuzzled into my palm.

“Who were you pretending Harker was?” I was afraid of the answer either way, but for very different reasons.

“You, of course.” Her eyes turned to honey.

“Are you sure you’re okay to try this?”

“Yes. Are you?”

I moved my hand to smooth a strand of hair away from her face.

“No.” And it all came pouring out of me.

“I think it’s too soon. I want you to be strong enough to trust this, to trust me , and I’m not sure you are yet after everything that’s happened to you recently.

I wanted to give you time and help you deal with it, but I’m afraid you’ll come to your senses and realize you can do better than a boring guy like me and disappear.

But I want to take the risk because I like you, Mira. I really, really do.”

I tensed as she blinked up at me, looking a little dazed.

“Wow. So, I don’t know how to respond to all of that, but I want you to know I’m absolutely positive it’s not reverse Stockholm Syndrome talking when I say I really, really like you, too.”

Reverse what? I shook my head. Who cares? She said she likes me, too.

“What was Mammoth’s like?” I held out a hand and my heart flipped when she took it. “Were you in any danger?”

“Weird. And no. The alukah was too happy to get his long-lost wife back, even if she was only a pile of ashes.”

I cut my eyes down at her.

No, she isn’t teasing .

“Start at the beginning and tell me the whole story,” I demanded.

“So a warrior and an artificer walk into a Diabolical bar… ”

#

Kerry

I looked through the glass doors and saw books, candles, and all kinds of green plants. A black-haired woman, maybe in her early twenties, sat on a stool and stared into a glass ball she held in her hands.

“The sign says, ‘Endor—Medium and More,’ ” Jax told me.

“Yeah. Looks like a witch’s place.”

I opened the door and heard bells clash. Looking at the inside door handle, I saw a leather strip covered in golden sleigh bells.

“I saw you coming.” The woman tapped her temple with one finger. “So I scanned back to see why and found myself fascinated. I’ve rewound to August so far. This is better than a soap opera.”

“Are you the Witch of Endor?”

Hey, I just wanted to make sure.

“Nah, I’m only an apprentice.” She stood up and set the crystal ball in a golden stand on the counter next to her.

“I’m Naomi Glace, but everyone calls me Mimi.

My grandma is the current Endor. When she dies, it will pass to me.

For now, though, I watch the shop every afternoon while she plays bridge with her cronies. ”

“How long do witches live?” Gigi went right up to her.

“ Endor witches live about five hundred years, the same as a first-generation nephilim.” Raising her left hand, she wiggled her finger and the diamond ring on it caught the light.

“Which is one of the many reasons I said yes when my neph First boyfriend proposed. He won’t up and die on me like all my grandma’s human husbands. And speaking of my man, here he comes!”

Coming through the door, the bells jingling like crazy, were two guys I recognized immediately.

Well, today just went in the crapper. There’s no way I’m getting out of here without a fight now.

For a second, I actually considered ducking behind Rome and slinking out before they saw me. We needed information and my being here could interfere with that. But I couldn’t do it. I’d never run from anything in my life, even when I should have. And I had the scars to prove it.

Besides, they would smell me—well, the taint anyway—in minutes. Mira’s, too.

Sighing, I stood my ground and waited for it to happen.

Dark-haired, hazel-eyed, and quiet, Josef Krall was Jax’s height, and his build was slender but not scrawny. He had that same worn ball cap pulled down far enough to hide his eyes.

And, of course, where there was one, there was the other.

The only thing that had changed about Titus Wray was his blond hair. The last time I’d seen him, it had been in a long, thick braid down his back. Now, with it cut short, he seemed older. More mature.

Imagine that .

Looking at them, I wondered how the two could be such tight friends.

Yeah, well, look at me and Jax . Or Rome and Spin. Probably looks like a bad combination of grapefruit and ketchup to an outsider, but it works for us.

“Excuse me.” Wray slid past Jax to reach Mimi so he could hand her a white paper bag. He also gave her a warm smile. “Hey, love. Brought you a donut.”

I glanced at Krall, who was looking us over, and knew the instant he recognized me. He seemed stunned, and I half-wondered why he didn’t attack me.

Might as well get the drama outta the way now.

“Krall.” I jerked my chin up a little.

“Harker.”

Titus’ head whipped up and his gray eyes turned silver the instant they zeroed in on me.

I hate being right.

“I’m not here to cause trouble,” I said, but it didn’t make a difference.

He was nose-to-nose with me in a heartbeat, ignoring Mimi’s loud yelp.

I forced myself to stand still and not react. I understood where he was coming from, but it was always hard to tolerate someone in my space. Especially when that someone vibrated with power and anger.

“Mimi, are you okay?” he snarled, his hands bunched in fists. “Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?”

“I’m fine! Of course he didn’t! Back off, Titus! They’re customers!”

“Friend of yours?” Jax murmured.

“Not now, Jax.”

“He’s not possessed anymore!” Mimi seemed to be trying to talk sense into Titus. I could have told her that was pointless. “Someone took his girl and he’s trying to get her back.”

“Is that what he told you?” he snapped. “And you believed him?”

“I don’t believe anything,” Mimi barked back. “I saw it for myself.”

His skin tinged blue with power, he turned away from her to glare at me.

“We had a deal, Harker. You don’t come to the Kitchen and I forget you exist.”

He looked ready to power up for real and, while I wanted what I came for, I wasn’t gonna let him attack me

“Jax, do something!” Gigi hissed.

“Let’s all take a deep breath and calm down.” Jax coiled power around me and Titus. “Especially you, Kerry. We don’t want a repeat of City of the Future here in Manhattan.”

Well, he didn’t. I coulda cared less. But that wouldn’t get Gemma back, so, yeah.

“I’m only here for information.” I shook my head, about the only thing I could move under Jax’s power. “Could be of use to you, too.”

“The only thing I’m interested in, demon-taint, is finally putting you down like the rabid dog you are.” Titus struggled against Jax’s hold. “Before you can hurt or kill another soul.”

“You may have to step in, Josef.” Mimi’s voice was far away.

“I don’t wanna hurt or kill anyone!” I tried to do the breathing thing, I really did. “I just wanna save my girl!”