Page 89 of Magic Claimed

“Maybe they’re looking for ways around the heightened security.”

I snorted. “If only that were true. But lately I’ve been getting job offers from mercenary crews slid under my door and dropped in my mailbox at all hours. They could probably get a team through the security if they wanted to. So why did they stop?”

He nodded again, looking thoughtful. “That’s one thing, and I agree that it’s odd. So what’s the second?”

I didn’t even want to say this one out loud. My teeth clenched, and I had to swallow a surge of nausea long enough to get the words out.

“Teenagers. The two Blake has taken for sure are fifteen and sixteen. Callum, that’s the same age I was. The same age Ethan was when Elayara started her experiments. Both of them disappeared under circumstances that make them look like runaways, and both are kids of single moms who don’t have the resources to demand a high-profile search.”

Callum’s brows lowered as he considered that information. “But he doesn’t have Kes. He can’t do anything without her, and if you’re right, he’s stopped actually trying to capture her.”

“Because he knows where she is,” I pointed out. “He knows she’s here, and he knows she’s protected—surrounded by people who will fight to the death to keep her safe.”

“Then what’s his play?”

“I don’t know.” I just knew it was coming. “He’s going to have to either distract her guardians or separate her from them. Or both.”

Callum didn’t even try to argue with me, just kept following my trail of logic. “So he’s seeding chaos. Hitting Faris where it really hurts, while simultaneously drawing the humans’ attention to the dangers posed by Idrians in their city. He’s trying to make sure we’re all watching each other. That we’re too busy protecting ourselves from the humans’ vengeance to remember that Kes is in danger. That way he can snatch her without as much risk.”

Yes, but also… no. We were close. But something about that didn’t seem quite right. Blake had always been good with people—good at understanding motivations and using them to manipulate others. So he had to know by now that we wouldn’t just sit on our hands if he took Kes. We would hunt him down, and we would end him.

So this time, his plan wouldn’t be that simple. He would need to end up with Kes under his control, and all of us powerless to stop him or come after her.

It was like trying to think ten moves ahead in chess, and I was too tired, too inexperienced, and too distracted by other concerns. Which Blake was probably counting on. He knew me—as well or better than I knew him—and was probably even now plotting the moves he would need to counter mine in the future.

So if we couldn’t figure this out soon?

Everyone I loved was going to pay the price for that failure.

We walked backinto Callum’s apartment to find a handful of people clustered around the kitchen island, where Logan sat typing furiously on his tablet.

A moment later he whooped and threw his hands in the air. “I’m next, guys. I’mdefinitelynext!”

“Excuse me?”

He froze at the sound of my mom voice.

His gang of groupies—Ryker, Angelica and Kira—turned around slowly to face us, wearing slightly guilty expressions.

“What do you mean, you’re next?”

“I’m in,” he explained excitedly. “Some kid has been chatting with me for half an hour about how it’s possible for humans to have magic. The government just doesn’t want us to know about it, but he knows a guy it actually happened to.”

Hah.

“You didn’t tell him anything personal, did you?”

I got an eye roll.

“I’m not stupid. I just told him my parents are dead and I’m bullied at school. He ate it up.”

Thebastard. Preying on kids who were already vulnerable. Promising them power without mentioning the consequences, because who thinks of consequences when they’re sixteen?

This meant it was entirely possible that Tabitha had gone willingly. But what about Jeremiah? He hadn’t been bullied at school. He’d had plans for the future and a great relationship with his mom.

“Also, he wants to meet, and he sent me a link to a group chat I can join.”

Perfect. “You rock,” I told him, giving him a quick hug thathe shrugged off like a properly nonchalant teenage boy. “Thanks for helping us out. Go ahead and join the group chat. See if you can keep him talking, but don’t do anything risky.”