Page 15

Chapter Fifteen

Face buried in the pillow, I wondered if it was possible to be alive while this exhausted. Maybe I’d died at some point and was now a zombie.

I’d slept through the night and gotten up for breakfast like a normal person, then fallen asleep on the sofa. I’d woken up in Ezra’s bed again with no clue which guy had carried me upstairs. It was now—I squinted at the alarm clock on Ezra’s nightstand—eight o’clock in the evening. I’d done nothing but nap all day, and I didn’t feel any less tired. Clearly, Zak’s fancy potion had already worn off.

Anxiety rolled through me. I’d texted Zak every time I’d been awake enough to pilot my phone, but he hadn’t responded. What a jerk. I might literally be dying here and he didn’t care.

Voices rumbled from the lower level—Aaron and Ezra, and it sounded like Kai was home now too. He and Aaron had been in and out all day, carting their newly acquired black-magic grimoire to various guild members, hoping someone could decipher it.

Sighing wearily, I checked my phone for notifications. No responses from Zak, but my battery was at twenty-six percent. Great. I flopped toward the bed’s edge and leaned over it, scanning the floor. Aha, my purse. Stretching out an arm, I grabbed the bag, heaved it onto the bed, and dug in, searching for a phone charger. I didn’t think I had one, but the contents of my oversized handbag had surprised me before.

Wallet, sunglasses, crumpled receipts. I pulled out a knitted winter hat—why was I carrying that around in the summer?—and froze at the gleam of something pale.

A silvery-blue orb was nestled in the bottom of my bag. Hadn’t I left the dormant fae at home? I had no recollection of putting it in my purse. I lifted it out and weighed its smooth warmth in my palms.

The ridged texture heated under my skin—then the whole thing moved. It unraveled and expanded, spiky wings lifting off its back, a sinuous neck uncoiling, pink eyes shining. My empty hands hung in place.

A fae hovered in front of me: the silvery creature that had saved me last night.

Its serpentine body undulated like a Chinese dragon, weightless and immune to gravity. More aquamarine-blue than silver, its reptilian face was shaped like a gecko’s, with giant pink eyes and a matching crystal in the center of its wide forehead. It had two small front arms but no hind legs, and its body morphed into a thick tail at least five feet long. Small wings, like a cross between bat wings and butterfly wings, rose off its back .

Two pairs of long antennae protruded from its head, ending in glowing blue crystals. They bobbed as the creature brought its blunt muzzle close to my nose, those huge eyes fixed on mine expectantly.

“Um.” I swallowed repeatedly. “Hello?”

Its tail snaked back and forth through the air, filling half the room. Wings flicking open and closed like a folding fan, the creature drifted backward. Its jaw opened, displaying needle-sharp teeth in a wide yawn. Ducking its head, it rapidly curled its body inward. Its long tail wound into the ball, the whole shape tightened and shrank, then the bluish-silver sphere dropped into my lap.

I gawked like a simpleton. How dense was I? I should have recognized the fae’s color scheme last night. Rubbing a bewildered hand over my face, I hesitantly patted the fae orb. It didn’t react to my touch.

“You’re supposed to be dormant,” I muttered.

Not that I was unhappy the fae had woken up—and saved my ass—but it was one more thing I’d have to deal with. Why had Zak given it to me? He still hadn’t replied to my messages, and now I really wanted to talk to him.

Setting the fae aside, I minced to the door and cracked it open. The guys’ muffled voices carried up the stairs, and I waited until I’d picked out all three before closing the door and dialing Zak’s number.

Once again, it rang for half an eternity before he answered with a friendly, “I’m busy.”

“I’m half dead,” I retorted with a growl. “I can hardly stay awake. I need more of that potion.”

“Already?” he muttered. The distinct sound of many voices in low conversation trickled through the phone. “That was fast. ”

“The fae lord had to make an appearance last night to obliterate some Red Rum assholes, so that probably contributed. Where are you? It sounds like a conference hall.” Or a wedding before everyone got drunk.

“The art gallery.”

“You’re not answering my messages because you’re at an art gallery ?”

“There’s an event tonight with several attendees who might have useful information related to your fae problem.”

My fae problem . What a nice way to put it. “I didn’t know black-magic felons appreciated fine art.”

A quiet snort. “The location makes them feel classy. I’m ruining the mood with my lack of penguin suit and monocle.”

“Okay, well, I’d tell you to have fun, but I really need that potion.”

“I have another dose with me, but you’ll have to hang on until morning.”

“But—”

“You won’t die, Tori. Just be patient.” The line went dead.

He had no phone manners. Or any manners, really.

Gazing at the fae orb—which he hadn’t given me a chance to mention—I considered my options. Sleep another twelve hours and hope I didn’t slip into a coma. Or… I bit my lip. Or go get my potion.

It wouldn’t be difficult. Pop over to the art gallery and tell him to duck out for a minute to give me the potion. He could return to schmoozing with barely a blip in his night.

As a yawn cracked my jaw, I gave myself a “wake the hell up” pep talk. The art gallery could only be one place, and I pulled it up on my phone. A thirty-five-minute walk through most of downtown, but by car, it was only ten minutes away. There and back in no time. I tapped my lower lip. One of the guys could take me. I’d make them wait around the corner or something while I met with Zak.

Ezra didn’t drive, so he was out. Aaron could drive, but he was kind of excitable. I needed someone calm and coolheaded. Someone who wouldn’t get worked up over a strange request.

Footsteps creaked on the stairs, and I could tell by the sound who it was. Huffing nervously, I opened the door and stuck my head out.

Kai paused with his hand on his bedroom doorknob, laptop tucked under one arm.

“Hey Kai!” I said brightly.

His eyes narrowed immediately.

“What?” I demanded, wounded by his wariness.

Faint amusement touched his features. “Tori, if you don’t want to seem suspicious, don’t act so sweet and sugary.”

“Oh, come on. Why is me being cheerful suspicious?”

Leaning back against his door, he looked me up and down like I might be carrying concealed weapons. “What do you want?

I smiled hesitantly. “Wanna take me for a ride on your motorcycle?”

His guardedness returned in full force. “A ride where?”

No matter how I answered that, he’d be suspicious, so I batted my eyelashes and chirped with all the sweet sugar I could muster, “It’s a surprise!”

He stared at me—then threw his head back in a laugh.

Fifteen minutes later, I was gripping Kai’s leather-jacket-clad waist as his motorcycle rocketed down Dunsmuir Street. Yellow streetlamps and red tail lights flashed past as we weaved through traffic. I pointed over his shoulder and he careened through a left turn, cutting it way too close to an oncoming car.

Ahead, the skyscrapers opened up. Squatting among the giants was an old-fashioned building with a stone exterior, four-story-tall columns marking the dramatic entrance, and a domed roof. The structure, once a courthouse, was over a hundred years old.

I looked around for a parking spot, but dozens of sleek cars and SUVs, most of them black with the occasional silver or gunmetal gray, were parallel parked bumper to bumper. Kai slowed the bike, and I gestured helplessly toward the gallery as we passed it.

“ Here ?” he shouted in disbelief over the road noise.

“Yeah.”

His helmet swiveled as he scanned the street. The engine revved, then he spun a one-eighty into the opposing traffic and shot back down the road. With a squeal of tires, he cut across the pavement and onto the sidewalk. Slowing to trolling speed, we passed a grand three-sided staircase that looked like it had spilled off the second-level terrace. The gallery entrance was tucked into the inner corner of the L-shaped building.

Stopping the motorcycle beside a row of trees in concrete planters, Kai killed the engine. I loosened my death grip on him and looked around. Yeah, this wasn’t a parking space, but who would complain? The felonious rogue we were about to meet?

Kai pulled his helmet off to take in the pillared front entrance and even grander next level. When his gaze came back down, his dark eyes squinted with familiar suspicion.

Tugging off my helmet, I hunched my shoulders guiltily. “Umm… ”

“We’re not meeting Sin to pick up a potion, are we?”

We were here to get a potion, but not from Sin. I’d had no choice but to lie; revealing the true nature of my errand could trigger the deadly oath spell.

“I need to pick something up, and I swear it’s important,” I told him, pleading for forgiveness with my eyes.

Hooking my helmet on the saddlebag behind me, I dug my phone out of my pocket. Zak hadn’t answered my message warning him that I was on my way. I shot off another text telling him I was waiting outside and that I had a friend with me. If he wanted to meet in private, he could tell me where.

Kai rolled his shoulders. “The art gallery,” he muttered. Judging by his growling undertone, he was immensely displeased that I’d tricked him. “Looks like there’s an event tonight. I wonder what it is?”

He shot me a pointed look, and I shrank in my seat. “I don’t know. That’s not why I’m here.”

Grumbling something I was glad I couldn’t make out, he surveyed our surroundings like a scout searching for enemy soldiers. Jiggling my phone impatiently, I stifled another yawn and fought the urge to slump. Zero energy. It was ridiculous.

“You okay, Tori?” Kai asked, his tone gentling.

“Yeah.” Silence fell between us. Giving in, I leaned against his back and pillowed my cheek on his cold leather shoulder blade. “This sucks.”

“Philip warned us the link with the fae would tire you, but I didn’t expect it to be this extreme.”

“I can survive being tired.” Probably. I shot off three back-to-back messages, hoping to catch the distracted druid’s attention. “How’s it going with the grimoire? ”

“We’ve gone from ninety-five percent sure it contains the correct ritual to ninety-nine percent sure. If it’s not the exact ritual they used, it’s very close. We gave copies to several witches and sorcerers. They’re working on a counter spell that could break the link.”

“How long will it take?”

“No way to know. This isn’t a common area of expertise.”

I considered that. “Do you have any extra copies?”

“Not on me,” he replied cautiously.

“Never mind then.”

“Tori…” His back shifted under my cheek as he tried to look at me. “You know we’ll keep your secrets, right?”

“I know,” I whispered.

I felt him nod. Quiet settled over us.

After a minute, he asked, “So why did you ask me to drive you and not Aaron?”

Squirming from the question, I muttered, “No reason.”

“Hmm.”

A hundred thoughts crowded my head at once, including the memory of the conversation I’d overheard between Aaron and Ramsey. But no, that had nothing to do with my choice of chauffeur. Kai was the better option for a covert mission. Way more suited to it. Definitely.

Okay, fine . I’d been avoiding Aaron, and not very subtly either, since Kai had noticed. Meaning Aaron had probably noticed too.

“I don’t think I can date Aaron anymore,” I blurted.

Kai twitched like I’d poked him. “Oh?”

“Great.” My shoulders hunched. “If it surprises you , how will Aaron react? ”

“I’m not surprised by what you said,” Kai corrected, his tone dry. “I’m surprised you admitted it.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not really a shock.” He shifted on the bike seat. “You’ve shown none of the classic ‘falling in love’ signs.”

“But why not?” I pressed my forehead against his back. “I really like Aaron. We get along great. We always have fun, and we have amazing chemistry. It’s been three months. Why am I not in love with him already?”

“Maybe you’re trying too hard.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know.” He huffed. “Why are you asking me?”

I rubbed my temples as though I could massage some sense into my brain. “I don’t understand what’s wrong with me.”

“Maybe nothing is wrong. Maybe he isn’t right for you. Just because a man asks you out doesn’t mean he’s destined to be your one true love.” He shrugged, jostling me. “Two fiery personalities probably aren’t a good match anyway. You two never relax when you’re together.”

“But…” My backbone shriveled, feeling as sturdy as a stalk of grass. “How do I tell Aaron?”

“Just tell him. He already suspects, Tori. He won’t hate you.”

“But it’ll be awkward.”

“He’ll get over it.” Kai patted my knee—the only part of me he could easily reach. “Trust me, Tori. Aaron is…” He paused thoughtfully. “Adaptation is one of Aaron’s defining strengths. He doesn’t hold grudges or dwell on the past. He’s always moving forward, searching for the next adventure.”

I nodded slowly, recognizing the truth in Kai’s assessment of Aaron. Still, ending things with him wouldn’t be easy. Distracting myself from the thought, I checked my phone. No notifications.

Growling impatiently, I gave up on texting and dialed the stupid druid. Kai twisted to watch as I held the phone to my ear. It rang twice, then a computerized female voice informed me that the number I’d dialed was unavailable.

That dickhead had turned off his phone ? I would strangle him.

Furious, I swung off the bike. “Screw it. We’re going in.”

“Going in ?” Kai slid off too and set the kickstand. “You said you weren’t here for the gallery event.”

Thanks to a lethal oath spell, I couldn’t explain. Hissing curses under my breath, I stalked to the entrance, Kai following me. Light blazed through the glass doors and I threw them open. A spacious but empty lobby greeted me, the ticket counter dark and quiet. A second set of doors straight ahead offered a glimpse of a large space scattered with people in dressy clothes.

I’d gotten two steps through the second doorway when a pair of burly men in black suits stepped into my path.

“Excuse me, ma’am. May I see your invitation?”

I bristled. “Ma’am? Do I look like a ma’am to you?”

His expression didn’t change. “Your invitation, please.”

Shit. Zak hadn’t mentioned that this was an invitation-only event. “Uh… I just need to have a word with someone who’s here.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible unless you have an—”

A delighted female shriek echoed off the walls. A petite young woman with long black hair came running—as much as she could run in five-inch heels .

“ OhmygodisthatKaisukaaaaaay ?” she squealed, all as one word.

Rushing up to us, she threw her tiny arms around Kai’s waist, a diamond-encrusted purse bouncing on her wrist.

“Oh my god ,” she exclaimed again, beaming up at him. “Kaisuke, I had no idea you were coming. It’s been so long! Everyone will be so delighted to see you.”

Hugging his arm to her chest, she forced him deeper into the room.

A bouncer stepped toward them. “Invita—”

“Get lost,” she barked, her cutesy squeal replaced with imperious command. “Don’t you know who this is? He doesn’t need an invitation.”

The man scowled and fell back into position. Dragging my jaw along the polished floor, I trailed two steps behind as the woman hauled a silent, expressionless Kai across the grand hall. A few well-dressed loiterers glanced toward us curiously.

“Oh, Kaisuke,” the young woman gushed. “I thought you’d never be back. It’s been, what? Five years?”

“Seven,” he corrected stiffly.

“So long!” she cooed, giving him a once-over. “My, you’ve really filled out. You’re so tall! You were only, hmm, seventeen when we last saw each other?” She squeezed his bicep through his leather jacket. “Mm, I approve. You could have dressed up, though. This is a formal auction.”

As she planted her hands on her hips in a playful reprimand, I scanned her sheath dress, the black fabric glittering with every movement. The men moving through the hall or standing at the cocktail bar wore suits and ties, and the women were done up in dark, sexy dresses .

Thank god I’d put some effort into my appearance before leaving the house. I wore the same outfit I’d donned last night—a snug turtleneck that covered the fae markings, gunmetal-gray skinny jeans, and my trusty bomber jacket—and I’d tamed my bed-head curls into a braid. Still, Kai and I were conspicuously underdressed. At least we matched.

The woman finally noticed me, her rosebud lips quirking. “Who is this?”

Kai pulled me to his side—clamping me tight against him. Every muscle in his body was hard with tension. “She’s with me.”

The woman’s eyes squinched irately, then her smile flashed. “He forgot to tell you it was formal dress, didn’t he?”

“No, I knew,” I said, not letting Kai take the blame. “I just didn’t care.”

She blinked, half smiling as she glanced at Kai for a clue as to whether I was joking. When he remained stone-faced, she cleared her throat. “Well, the auction begins in a few minutes, so everyone is up in the second-level gallery. Shall we join them?”

Kai looked at me, silently asking what to do. Frantic thoughts buzzed through my head, pulling me in different directions. Whatever this was, neither Kai nor I was prepared for it, but Zak had to be nearby. If “everyone” was on the second level, that’s where I’d find the druid.

“Shall we head up?” I asked Kai, giving him a chance to back out if that’s what he needed to do.

A muscle jumped in his cheek, but he nodded.

“Lovely!” the woman exclaimed. She offered her hand to me. “I’m Hisaya—Yamada Hisaya. It’s a pleasure.”

Yamada? Oh shit .

“You’re related,” I said weakly as I shook her teeny hand, keeping my palm tilted down so she wouldn’t spot the glowing fae rune.

“Oh, of course!” she giggled. “Distantly, though. I’m married to his third cousin. It’s a huge family, as you know.”

“Yeah…” I muttered, afraid to look at Kai. What had I dragged him into?

She slid her fingers into the crook of Kai’s elbow like he’d offered his arm and pulled us deeper into the building. He kept his other arm locked around my waist, his white-knuckled grip on my jacket hidden by my sleeve.

“It’s so wonderful that you’ve come back into the fold, Kaisuke! And don’t worry, no one will hold it against you. We’re just too delighted!” Hisaya chattered on without drawing breath, tossing out name after name—who was here, who hadn’t made it, who would be most pleased to see him. All people Kai must know, judging by the casual ease with which Hisaya mentioned each person.

“But Kaisuke,” she said as we walked into a spacious rotunda with twin staircases rising to the second floor, “you’ve hardly said a word! How is darling Makiko?”

He said nothing.

“Oh,” she pouted. “ Surely she’s forgiven you?”

Silence. Kai was doing a great impression of Zak’s impregnable caginess.

Hisaya stopped, forcing me and Kai to halt, and wagged a chiding finger under his nose. “You can’t pretend she doesn’t exist, Kaisuke. She’s your fiancée!”

If we hadn’t already stopped, I would’ve fallen on my face. His arm tightened painfully around me, his fingers digging into my side. Hisaya frowned at our closeness .

“Makiko and I haven’t spoken in years,” he said flatly.

Hisaya barely hesitated. “Well, you’re back now, so you two can make up right away. I can’t wait for the wedding. It’ll be grand!”

“So grand!” I chirped. “Hisaya, honeycake, could you give us a moment? We’ll be right up.”

She blinked at “honeycake” and glanced questioningly at Kai. “Yes, of course. The auction starts shortly, so don’t dawdle. I’ll let everyone know you’ve arrived.”

Smiling over her shoulder, she sashayed up the steps. I drew Kai under the curving staircase and out of the way of the final guests heading to the next level.

“Kai,” I whispered, prying his fingers off my side before he left bruises. “What on earth is going on?”

“That’s my line,” he retorted in a low growl. “Why are we at a black-magic auction?”

“I had no idea it was an auction until she said so. How do you know it’s black magic?” I wasn’t surprised—why else would Zak get invited?—but what had made Kai jump to that conclusion?

“Because my family wouldn’t be present otherwise.”

A chill washed over me. “Oh.”

“Why are we here, Tori?”

“I need to get something from someone.”

“And that someone is upstairs at the auction?”

I nodded.

His jaw flexed, then he clamped his arm around me again. “Let’s get it done.”

“Are you sure?” I whispered as we strode for the stairs. “We can wait outside or try something el— ”

“Hisaya is already spreading the word. It’s too late for me to leave.”

On the second level, we followed the other stragglers into a dimly lit gallery room, filled with at least a hundred people. Mythics, actually. Rogues, most likely. The white walls featured huge canvases of abstract compositions, soft spotlights illuminating the bright colors and thick strokes of the artist’s brush.

A dais had been set up at the far end, where an elderly man at a podium spoke into a mic. He was gesturing at the thick leather tome displayed on a table beside him. Bouncers and assistants hovered around the dais.

Hisaya stood with a group of Japanese men and women, the only smiling face. She gestured for me and Kai to join them.

A sharp breath hissed through his clenched teeth, but he didn’t hesitate. The moment he was close enough, Hisaya burst into rapid Japanese. Kai bent in a shallow bow for the oldest man, who nodded and said something. Kai answered in Japanese.

Why was I surprised he could speak the language? I’d realized months ago that he was part Japanese—not that anyone could guess by looking at him. His strikingly handsome features were unique, concealing his heritage, and he stood a head taller than anyone else in the group.

The Yamadas were ignoring me, so I returned the favor. I scanned the gathered mythics for Zak, then checked my phone, half listening to the family reunion. Identifying the tone of the conversation was difficult, but it didn’t sound pleasant. I shot a pointed look at Hisaya, commanding her to referee this shit. She’d started it .

Her whole face pulled into a condescending sneer that communicated her exact feelings about my presence. I drew myself up, and her ugly expression shifted to alarm as she realized I intended to intervene.

“Ahaha!” she burst out before I could speak. “Kikue-san, did you hear that? The grimoire just sold for two million.”

My expression froze and I involuntarily glanced at the book on display. I hadn’t been listening to the auctioneer’s rapid-fire babble. Two million ? Wow, no wonder we were underdressed.

“We’re interested in several items,” Hisaya told Kai, terrified I might open my uncouth mouth and offend everyone present. “Do you have your eye on anything? There’s a magnificent caduceus coming up later this evening.”

The woman called Kikue-san said something in Japanese.

“Ah, well,” Hisaya answered in English, “we can only hope he won’t interfere.”

“Who?” Kai asked with obvious reluctance.

“Ugh.” Hisaya tossed her hair over her shoulder. “You know. The Ghost .”

Kai stiffened.

“Half the room is afraid to bid against him,” she continued with a prim sniff, “but a low-life criminal like that could never intimidate us .”

She cast a disdainful look across the room. I followed her gaze—and there he was.

I’d missed him because he wasn’t in the main group. Instead, he leaned against the wall in his own personal cloud of shadow, as underdressed as me in dark pants and his long villain-coat, the hood drawn up.

In a room of rogues and black-magic buyers, the Ghost was too scary to approach .

I almost crowed in victory at finding him. Hiding the motion from the Yamadas, I tentatively waved my hand, hoping to catch his eye.

“Three hundred thousand, from the young lady with red hair!” the auctioneer called into his mic.

I started so violently I banged into Kai. Heads swiveled our way as buyers checked out their competition, and the blood drained out of my head. No, no, no! I wasn’t bidding . I was waving at an oblivious druid!

“Four hundred thousand. Can I get four hundred—ah, four hundred thousand to the gentleman in the front.”

I sagged in relief. That had been close.

“Tori,” Kai snarled under his breath.

Dragging my head up, I saw my accidental bid had achieved one thing—it had gotten Zak’s attention. He’d straightened off the wall, his shadow-filled hood turned my way.

I waggled my phone and pointed at it. His hand shot to his pocket and he pulled out his cell, the screen lighting up as he turned it on.

“ Tori .” Kai sounded like a rabid dog. He leaned down, his mouth by my ear as he hissed furiously, “ Him? That’s who you’re here to meet? You have his phone number? ”

My cell vibrated in my hand and I held it under my nose. Kai shifted to read over my shoulder.

Zak’s message glowed angrily: What THE HELL are you doing here???

Kai half snorted, half choked. “You put him in your contacts under Dickhead ?”

“That’s what he is,” I muttered. My thumbs flew across the keyboard. Read the messages I sent you, dumbass !

To punctuate my instructions, I glared at Zak until he looked down at his phone again. His thumb moved as he scrolled through the half a million texts I’d sent over the course of the evening. His hood jerked angrily, then he turned on his heel and strode toward the exit. People moved swiftly out of his path, pretending they weren’t cowards.

As he disappeared, I turned to Kai. “You can just wait here, okay?”

Instead of replying, he brushed past me, following Zak’s invisible trail. Ah, crap. I raced after him and took the lead.

Zak hadn’t gone far. He waited in a shadowed side hall—of course, everywhere he went was shadowy, thanks to his “lady of the night” eagle familiar—arms folded and invisible glower scorching me. I stormed toward him, debating all possible greetings.

In the end, I kept it simple. I balled my hand up and swung at his face.

He caught my fist in a gloved palm.

“You turned off your phone, you moron! Why’d you do that?”

“Because I didn’t need you pestering me every ten minutes,” he snapped. “I told you to wait until morning.”

“I can’t wait that long! You’re the one who told me—” I cut myself off, glancing nervously at Kai. As per my oath, I wasn’t allowed to reveal anything about the Ghost, including things he’d said to me.

His hood shifting, Zak also looked at Kai, presumably recognizing him from our shared battle with a nasty old sorceress a month ago. Kai’s expression had morphed back into stone, though wariness radiated from his terse stance .

“I told you the fae bond will kill you,” the druid finished for me.

“What?” Kai said sharply. “How do you—”

Zak turned to me. “You’re not on death’s doorstep yet. You could have waited until morning.”

“Well, I’m here now, so give it to me.” I extended my hand expectantly.

“I don’t have it on me, idiot.”

“What?” I resisted the urge to shove his hood off and throttle him. “But you said—”

“I said I had it with me . I’m not carrying it around everywhere.”

“Go get it, then!”

His hand disappeared into the shadows of his hood as he rubbed his face. “You are more aggravating than any mythic I know.”

A sharp cough escaped Kai—what might have been a furiously suppressed bark of laughter. I shot him a glare.

Zak dropped his hand. “I can’t leave yet. There’s one more mythic I want to drill about fae enslavement magic, and I can’t get to him outside this event. Approaching him requires finesse.”

“Who?” Kai asked.

Zak paused as though weighing Kai’s usefulness. “Carmelo Mancini. He was an officer in Red Rum before going solo. A sorcerer, but rumor has it he dabbles in hybrid magic.”

“I’ve heard of him.” Kai’s jaw flexed. “You’re trying to get this information for Tori’s sake?”

“Obviously.”

“Why are you helping her? ”

Zak snorted. “I don’t do charity, mage. I’m paying back a debt.”

I blinked. “You are? What debt?”

“You’re denser than a brick wall, Tori.”

I smacked his shoulder. “You’re the biggest dickhead on the planet.”

Brow furrowing with disbelief, Kai looked between us. He gave his head a slight shake, then asked Zak, “Do you have an in with Mancini?”

“No. That’s why I’m taking my time approaching him.”

Kai glanced toward the auction hall where his relatives waited. Something close to terror flitted across his face, then he pushed his shoulders back. “I do. I can approach him, but I don’t know what to ask.”

Zak’s hood twitched and I imagined him tilting his head in surprised consideration. “Can you convince him to step outside with you?”

“Probably.”

“Then do that. Once he’s outside, I can ask the questions—and ensure we get answers.”