Because lunacy is the only explanation if he thinks it’s a good idea for us to spy on Harper and Asher Rowan. I faked my death to avoid the older, creepy-ass witch. As a general rule, it’s best not to go poking around someone when they think you’re supposed to be dead.
Marlow’s officially lost his damn mind.
“Am I really supposed to listen to the guy trying to raid my minibar?” I ask.
Marlow removes his head from the fridge he ambled over to and shuts the door with a sigh. “No alcohol in there.”
“That’s because it’s just a fridge, not a minibar.”
He waves a hand and leans on the cabinet that holds the fridge. “All I know is that we’re not gonna accomplish anything staying here. Chief Rowan and I have never been formally introduced but I’ve heard all about him. He’s the one who whipped people into a frenzy about dangerous groups like necromancers, demons, and goblins, spreading mistrust and prejudice in the guise of public safety and protection. So why don’t we go and watch your wolf’s back?”
“Because it’s suicidal,” I point out.
“Only if we get caught, which we won’t.”
“How can you be sure?”
Marlow leans forward and retrieves something from his back pocket. He holds it out to me triumphantly.
“A flask?” Oh, I see what’s going on here. “You’re not insane. You’re wasted.”
“This isn’t alcohol,” he explains. “It’s an invisibility potion.”
Well, that’s… really not what I expected.
“What, why, where did you even get an invisibility potion?” I sputter out.
“Dude, they sell all kinds of potions here,” he tells me with an excited grin. “It’s awesome and a little scary.”
“Doesn’t really answer my question.”
“Standard invisibility potions are available at a handful of potion vendors in the city,” he says. “My boyfriend introduced me to their benefits and now I always stock up when I’m in town since they’re super handy in the PI business. Sometimes it’s better for me to check things out for myself instead of using my little spies.”
“Oh.” For someone I suspected of being drunk or insane, that actually makes sense.
“Unfortunately, the potion only grants invisibility but doesn’t make the drinker intangible.” He makes a face. “It’s within my job duties to trail a target without being seen, but I can’t go through the wall and follow them into a hotel room or anything like that without violating rules of privacy and due process.”
“Who told you that, your boyfriend?”
“Him and the law.”
When I take the flask and unscrew the lid, the liquid sloshing around inside smells faintly of herbs. “This will really make us invisible?”
“Yep. For two hours. Nobody will see us. We’ll listen in and make sure Harper’s okay. No one will know we’re there and then we’ll leave. In and out. You keep an eye out for Harper but don’t have to worry about being spotted. It’s perfect.”
If only Marlow were wasted. He’d be easier to ignore. Watching Harper’s back without any risk of being seen… it’s an incredibly tempting offer.
“They’re meeting at a public place,” I say, trying to talk myself out of chugging the potion right now. “Rowan doesn’t know Harper’s onto him. He’s probably not in any danger. Maybe we shouldn’t…”
“It’s up to you,” he says. “What’s your gut saying we should do?”
Rowan’s dangerous. The kind of dangerous that sneaks up on you. The people in his city trust him, even if those Rowan forced out of the city and deemed dangerous weren’t so impressed with all his choices. Harper trusted his boss before I came into the picture. He doesn’t appreciate what Rowan is capable of. I do and that should be all the reason I need to stay far away. I faked my death and hid in Concordia to escape the police chief, but somehow, the idea of Harper getting hurt is more terrifying than whatever Asher Rowan could do to me.
Maybe Harper thinks he can handle it as an Alpha wolf. But a lone wolf is never as strong on their own as they are with a pack. I’d feel better if there were someone to watch his back. Harper told me I wasn’t alone anymore. He’s not alone either. He has me.
Uh, what I mean is, he has Marlow and me. As backup. There’s no sense sending him out on his own when we’re capable of watching his back without being seen.
No one will even know we’re there. What could go wrong?
