Page 5 of The Death Dealer (Sentinels of Magic Book 2)

“What the hell do you mean you won’t reassign me?” Trevor was on the verge of kicking puppies and making babies cry. Or crying himself. “The mark knows of my existence. She’s aware I’m following her, ma’am.”

“You have your orders, Blane,” Councilwoman Agnes Vector snapped. “See to them.”

“But—”

“We’re done here.”

Cold and final, the lead councilwoman of the Authority dismissed him without a second glance, and it took everything within Trev’s power not to leap over the high table and strangle the witch with her dangling necklace.

Turning on his heel, Trevor stalked to the exit, only stopping when Councilwoman Mathilda Price stepped in his path. The long black robes of the Authority hid what he knew to be a high-octane body made for racy sex. Wavy golden hair, large cobalt-blue eyes, and a wide mouth set off her Margot Robbie look.

“Mattie.”

“Trev.” She gave him a tentative smile, and his response was a tight one of his own.

They’d been lovers for a brief time about a year ago, but he’d screwed it up with his inability to commit to her. To love fully. And she deserved far better than his sorry-ass excuses.

“If it’s any consolation, I don’t think the Stephens woman is your intended target,” she said softly as she darted a glance toward the adjourning council members.

“What do you know?”

“I can’t discuss it here, but if you’d like to meet for a drink, I’m happy to tell you.”

He gave a brisk nod and, conjuring the name of a local restaurant close to where he was currently residing, slipped the note into her hand as he brought it to his lips to lightly kiss her knuckles. “See you at seven?”

“I’ll be there.”

“I look forward to it.”

Her smile was melancholy as she shook her head. “Don’t say things like that, Trev. You’ll have me believing you actually care to see me again.”

Jerking back in his surprise, he opened his mouth to insist that he did indeed care, but it would be a half truth. They both knew he would only allow himself to feel so much. He was a Death Dealer and was as jaded as they came.

“Until seven,” he said quietly, beating a hasty retreat. Maybe he was running from his demons, or maybe from his embarrassment, but either way, he hated that he’d hurt her for no good reason other than his stunted emotional growth.

As he stormed across the courtyard to the designated teleport area for contracted staff, he came face-to-face with Fintan Sullivan, the Seer. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what Fintan could tell him, but he decided against it. If there was anything life-altering, his friend would volunteer what he knew.

“Sullivan.”

“Blane.”

“Have you seen, er, uh, well, do you happen to know where Draven is?” Christ, it was always awkward asking questions of someone with psychic abilities without making them sound like a freak. Trev always stumbled over the simplest terms, much to Fintan’s amusement.

“Sure, and I’m not his keeper today, I’m not. You can always text the bastard.”

“I have. He’s gone radio silent since the tribunal for Sabrina and Damian a few months back.”

“Ah. Yeah, and he hated being pulled out of hidin’ to face the Fates, as he did.” The wry amusement on the Seer’s face told Trev that Fintan delighted in the fact.

“He’s worried it’ll happen again?”

With a careless shrug and fading attention, Fintan’s bright seafoam gaze turned inward.

A vision. The only reason he’d fade away so quickly was an important vision from the Sullivan ancestors.

Trevor gave him the time he needed to learn whatever it was they wanted to impart, and he kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. No one else seemed to notice Fintan had checked out or that his eyes had turned a cloudy white.

With a shudder and a gasp, his friend returned.

“Fuck me, and I hate when they do that,” Fintan muttered. “I’m after thinkin’ they do it deliberately, I am.”

“Anything urgent, or were they giving you the lotto numbers to replenish your bank account?” Trev tried for humor, but it fell flat. Or so Fintan’s glare told him.

“You can feck all the way off, yeah?”

Unable to help himself, he laughed. “Sorry, but if I had a gift like yours, I’d be a goddamned millionaire, dude.”

“Sure, and I am.” Fintan shot him a sharp look. “But then, so are you.”

Trev grinned but kept silent. There was no way in hell he’d confirm or deny what he made.

“What do ya want me to be tellin’ Draven if I’m to see him?”

Chuckling at the emphasis on “see,” Trev said, “Just tell him to call me. I need a drinking partner and someone to talk me down from doing stupid shit.”

“Well sure, and I could do that.” Fintan shrugged when Trev’s brows shot up. “I mean, I could, to be sure. But I won’t.” And in one of the rarest occurrences known to man, the Seer grinned and left Trevor shaking his head.

It only occurred to him after Fintan was gone to ask what exactly he’d meant. Did he mean he could tell Draven that Trev needed a friend or that he could be the friend Trev needed? And if he’d intended the answer to be the latter, then why not? Was Trev supposed to do something stupid, like seduce the earth witch?

Soleil Stephens had muddled his brain, and he needed to find a way to distance himself from her. STAT. Killing her would be impossible now, with the Aether ready to take his head off should he look at her cross-eyed, and the fact that Trevor was finding her more desirable by the day put a kink in any future plans as well. He no longer had the benefit of indifference on his side.

* * *

Mattie showedup at precisely seven, wearing a stunningly simple black dress that highlighted all her luscious curves. She was built like a Vegas showgirl and could bring an unsuspecting man to his knees.

Trevor rose to greet her, dropping a quick kiss on her lips out of old habit.

She preened as she stared up at him, fluttering her lashes. For one brief moment, he toyed with the idea of using her to drive Soleil from his mind, but Mattie’s starry-eyed gaze didn’t bode well for a commitment-phobe like him. He’d broken off their affair for good reason. He’d never gotten over the woman prior to her.

Shoving Deni from his mind, Trev shifted and held Mattie’s chair for her to sit down. When he casually glanced up, his gaze connected with the one person he’d wished to avoid.

Soleil.

Fuck.

In a purposeful act of avoidance, she glanced at Mattie. Even from where he stood, he could see her mouth tighten and disappointment cloud her eyes. As if trying to rid herself of the feeling, she gave a little shrug and turned her attention to the man across from her.

Draven!

That sonofabitch was making time with Trevor’s earth witch!

Okay, so, not his earth witch. Not his anything, really. But for fuck’s sake! They’d shared a kiss only four days ago. She had some nerve dating other men this soon.

He frowned at his own idiotic thoughts and sat next to Mattie. Unfortunately, it put the other couple in his sights. If he got up and selected a different seat, he’d look like a complete tool to both Mattie and Soleil.

“She’s pretty.”

Trev jerked his head around to stare at Mattie. “Who?”

There was censure in her normally dancing eyes. “Don’t play stupid, Trev. It doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m not. I…” But what could he say? He wasn’t ready to admit to obsessing about a provincial woman who was clearly not his type and who was on a date with someone three times her age, who should already know better than to mess with an innocent like her.

“Who is she?” Mattie’s question was oddly personal. She wasn’t merely asking to know the woman’s identity—that she already knew, though she might not recognize her dressed as she was. What she truly wanted to know was what Soleil meant to him. It was an answer he couldn’t give.

“My mark.”

“Oh! I didn’t realize.”

He followed her gaze to see Draven stand, speak to the server, then guide Soleil in their direction with drinks in hand. Reluctance was written all over her face, and had she been any less of a people pleaser, she might’ve objected. But Soleil was easily manipulated in her desire to make others happy.

Trevor and Mattie rose as the other couple reached their table.

Wordlessly, Draven leaned in and bussed Mattie’s cheek. When he drew away, he placed a hand on Soleil’s lower back to urge her forward. “Mattie Price, Soleil Stephens.”

“How do you do?” The formality in Soleil’s greeting wasn’t lost on Trevor. She was ill at ease and resorting to politeness.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m acquainted with your brother-in-law, Damian. How’s he faring after the tribunal?” Mattie asked as she resumed her seat.

Although Trevor sat and Draven drew out a chair for her, Soleil remained standing as if she intended to bolt at her earliest opportunity.

“He’s well, thank you.” Again, she avoided eye contact with Trev and looked at Draven. “If you’ll forgive me, I need to be going. I?—”

“Why?”

All eyes turned to Trevor, and he could’ve bit his damned tongue off for speaking. Why couldn’t he just let her go?

“I have things to do,” she replied primly.

“What things? Another romance novel?” His lips quirked in a teasing smile, but the second her cheeks reddened, he knew he’d erred. “Soleil, I?—”

“If you must know, I’ve arranged to meet with a procurer of rare plants. I’m working with Spring Thorne to repopulate a specific species, and he may have what we need.” Chin high and an embarrassed flush staining her skin, she nodded to Draven. “Thanks for dinner. I’ll give you a call soon.” Then she turned to Mattie. “I’ll tell Damian you said hello. Good night.”

Without a backward glance, she headed for the exit.

Trevor bolted after her.

Behind him, he heard the scrape of a chair and Draven say, “Well, I guess it’s you and me, cher. What are we drinkin’?”

Knowing Mattie was in safe hands, he left to find Soleil. Belatedly, it registered that he hadn’t gotten the information he needed about why he was assigned to Soleil in the first place.

Trevor cleared the door in time to see Soleil hail a cab. The damned driver went right past her to a model-thin blonde in a tight miniskirt. Soleil’s shoulders slumped, but with grim determination, she shifted to hail another.

Squealing tires grabbed Trevor’s attention, and he had barely enough time to reach Soleil and drag her to safety as a dark SUV with blacked-out windows jumped the curb. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say it had been heading straight for her.

“That was close!”

“Yeah. Too close,”he silently replied to her comment ringing in his head.

For a few precious heartbeats, they stared at each other. Thoroughly horrified.

“Did you just?—”

“You heard me?—”

Again, they shared a shocked look. Yep. They’d mentally connected as only a higher magical being could—with their mate. Shoving aside the implication of hearing her inside his mind, Trevor ordered her to stay put.

The SUV was long gone when he got to the street.

“Anyone get a license plate?” Soleil asked from directly behind him.

He spun back to see her speaking to the valets. Someone needed to teach her the meaning of “stay put.”

“No, ma’am. Sorry,” one twenty-something guy replied to her question. His companion was too busy staring at Soleil’s cleavage to respond.

“Hey, buddy. Up here,” Trev growled, snapping his fingers a foot above the kid’s focus.

Blushing a deep cherry red, the guy looked at him and swallowed hard. “Yeah, sorry, no.”

“Thank you,” Soleil said with a sweet smile as she held out a twenty-dollar bill to first one valet, then the other. “I appreciate your help.”

Running a hand through his hair, Trev snorted. “What help? They were useless twats,” he said once the boys were out of earshot. “Disrespectful, at that,” he added.

“They are young men, Mr. Blane. They’re all obsessed with breasts at that age.”

His gaze dropped to her impressive chest. “At any age.”

Soleil rolled her eyes and walked away, but in the reflection of the restaurant windows, he could see her slight smirk. Running to catch up, he clasped her elbow and directed her toward the parking lot.

“Come on. We can teleport to your home faster than finding a ride.”

“I can get home by myself, and besides, I’m in a hurry to meet the plant dealer,” she protested.

“Right.”

How had he forgotten?

“Maybe you were too distracted by your dishy date.”Her snippy thought came through, loud and clear.

Did he tell her?

Yep. It was too good an opportunity to pass up.

“You do realize we can now read each other’s minds, right?”he told her telepathically.

Horror filled her wide milk-chocolate-colored eyes, and Trevor smiled his satisfaction. Needling her was simply too much fun.