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“Riiiiight.” I have no clue what he’s talking about. “Well, we’ll miss?—”
“It’s the ring of fire.” Sensing a lesson to be taught, eagerness lights Reese’s face. “It only comes every?—”
“I don’t care,” I interrupt as my empty stomach growls. Breakfast was hours ago, and lunch was non-existent at the permit office. “See you around.”
“There will be alcohol and a bonfire!” Reese’s voice follows me into the hall as I stride out.
The battle room is at the back of the Conservatory to limit the amount of damage the building takes if something goes wrong.
When I arrive at the closed metal doors, the haze of burned plaster fills the air and white dust sifts beneath my boots.
The moment the door swings open, an electric charge of raw magic hits me, making the fine hairs on my arms rise to attention.
Flint stands in the center of the room, his movements fluid as he weaves ley line patterns. Sweat beads on his forehead, his concentration blinding him to everything else.
Orianna hovers on the sidelines, her sharp eyes fixed on Flint’s every move. As I near, though, one pointed ear swivels toward me, letting me know at least someone noticed my arrival.
Sigils dance in the air, and admiration fills me to see Flint pushing to reclaim the powers stolen from him during the Great War.
The beautiful glamour he wears flickers as he pushes harder, revealing the scars he hides from the world. For a moment, his blue eyes vanish, replaced with an empty socket on the left and a glowing purple orb on the right, a testament to his spiritfarer sire.
That heritage almost took his life when we fought the Bone Man. The number of souls he summoned away from the monster drew the attention of the spiritfarers.
When they came to collect the souls, Flint had been unable to release the souls and was dragged along with them. It took all of us to pull him free, preventing him from crossing into the veil.
A shudder goes through his slender frame, and the ley line symbols fade as his glamour snaps back into place. The façade isn’t too far off from what his face looked like prior to losing his eye, but the magic that creates it gives him a universal appeal that few can resist.
He slumps forward, his hands on his knees as he struggles to regain his breath.
“Hey, pretty boy,” I call out, alerting him to my presence. “We’ve got dinner plans, remember?”
His head lifts, and he straightens, smoothing a hand through his silky, black hair to fix it. “Is it that time already?”
“Yes, so get a move on.” I clap, the sound echoing in the room. “I need Hopper’s after the shit I dealt with this afternoon.”
Flint tugs his vest straight as he walks over to join me, Orianna at his side. “Rough day?”
I snort and walk backward, pushing open the door. “You have no idea. The city ‘lost’ our damn plans. Can you believe that?”
This newest delay in our cabin’s construction leaves me seething. Yet another power flex from Bailey to hinder our progress.
The upcoming elections can’t come soon enough. I’m counting the days until Bailey is ousted from office as the interim-mayor.
“I stayed there all day, harassing them about it.” My boots echo angrily against the marble floor. “They kicked me out at closing with promises to call with an update in the morning. But I know they’re just going to make us refile.”
Flint groans. “Can you save that news for tomorrow? I don’t want to give Pen another reason to be grumpy today.”
I shove open the main door, and its expensive hinges are the only thing that keep it from crashing against the exterior wall. “I say we keep her so distracted that she forgets I planned to go to the permit office.”
He winces, and even that looks pretty. “Easy on the door. It’s less than a year old.”
I consider his too-beautiful face. “Maybe you should go tomorrow. I bet you can flirt your way into getting our plans found and approved.”
Flint chuckles. “I’m willing to take a crack at it if it means they finish our remodel faster.”
On our way down the steps toward the parking lot, Flint stumbles, his feet tangling together.
I reach out to steady him, and my brow furrows with concern. “You okay?”
