The village was less busy than my last visit, most of the Midnight Fae walking with a businesslike briskness rather than meandering and socializing with one another.
My stomach twisted at the change in atmosphere and the resulting sense of unease in the air. It reminded me of why we were here, especially as we rounded the corner to see the tavern’s exterior. While the stones resembled the same restaurant I’d visited a few weeks ago, I could feel the newness of it and the residual magic left behind from the restoration. Just like the Death Blood Education Building.
I swallowed, my palms dampening with each step.
Dark power lingered in the air.
Quandary magic, I recognized with a breath. That was why it felt familiar. It reminded me of a puzzle recently undone and put back together, only the strings were left behind for a Midnight Fae to tease and unwind.
A Midnight Fae like me.
I paused on the sidewalk, a few steps away from the tavern.
“He knew I’d come,” I said to myself, glancing around, trying to find what other clues he left for me to unravel.
“What?” Zeph asked, coming to my side.
“I can feel him,” I whispered, startled by the realization. “His energy signature is thick, like he left it for me as a clue to find. But why would he do that?”
Was it even intentional?
I frowned.
Yes. It was definitely intentional. Just like the rock.
“We should?—”
“Ah, you’re here!” Anrika rushed outside with a giant grin on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes, silencing what I’d been about to say. “When Guardian Zephyrus called to say you wanted to stop by, I prepped my kitchen and have quite the buffet of items for you to enjoy. Come on in and I’ll get you both settled.”
Zeph made a gesture with his hand. “After you, Aflora.”
This was where having the mate bond in place would be really handy because I could tell him with my mind how bad an idea this was, but I had no way of communicating that without alerting Anrika. So I gave him a tight smile and followed our hostess inside to the same booth I’d sat in with Tray and Ella a few weeks prior.
The gargoyle who served us, however, was nowhere in sight.
I frowned, wondering where he’d run off to, but Anrika distracted me with a large glass of spritemead a few seconds after I sat down.
“I had this waiting for you,” she explained with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Thank you,” I said, uncertain of how I felt about that.
She called up some American drink for Zeph. “Your usual,” she drawled. “Be back in a jiffy.” She disappeared into a puff of glitter that made me sneeze.
Zeph’s lips curved upward, his amusement palpable. “I think you have a fan.”
“Something’s not right,” I rushed to say, my voice quiet. “I think he’s here, Zeph.” Because I still felt him.Everywhere.
Yet the tavern was empty—the complete opposite of my last visit here. There’d been Midnight Fae coming and going throughout our meal, everyone jovial and chatty.
Today felt like… a funeral.
I shivered at the thought, the hairs along my arms rising on end.
What’s wrong, little rose?
I jumped at Shade’s mental interruption, my eyes flying around the room to search for him.Where are you?
With Ajax,he replied.I can sense your panic. What’s going on?
