“Are you sure about this?” Harper asks from behind me. The floorboards creak and he places a hand on my shoulder.
I lean back into his touch. “No, but I’m ready for this to be over.”
“This doesn’t need to happen right now. We can do this on your terms and take more time.”
He’d probably keep me hidden in this cabin forever if I asked, consequences be damned. But I’m tired of running, tired of looking over my shoulder, tired of being afraid.
“It’s okay. Gonna feel nervous no matter what, but I don’t want to wait.” I turn away from the window and face him, letting him see the determination on my face. “I’m ready for this to end. I’m ready for this. All of us are.”
Harper nods without hesitation. “We can do this.”
We’re going back to Concordia to expose Asher Rowan for what he really is, a manipulative bastard who summoned a dragon he couldn’t control, then let my brother Jonathan takethe fall when people died. Rowan’s been playing the victim for years, using that tragedy to fuel prejudice against necromancers like me, all while hiding the fact that it was his own reckless ambition that caused the whole mess.
We’re packed and ready by the time the sun climbs higher through the trees. Both my guitar cases sit by the door alongside Harper’s duffel bag, and I pat my pocket to make sure my iPod is still there.
“Ready to go?” Harper asks, shouldering the heavier bags automatically. Never thought the chivalrous boy scout type was something I was into, but it turns out I have a thing for gentlemen. Gentlemen who can also fuck me sideways and turn into vicious beasts.
“All set.” I give him a lopsided smile. “You know, I’m surprised you agreed to use me as bait.”
Harper’s face darkens instantly and a low growl rumbles from his chest. “Bait isn’t how I’d put it. Rowan wants you and he’s coming for you no matter what. Catching him in the act is the easiest way to prove he’s up to something. But you aren’t a sitting duck, Dodger. You can control your powers and face him now, and I don’t plan on leaving your side.”
“So I’m not bait, I’m just...”
“Well protected and prepared and done running,” Harper supplies without missing a beat.
“Yeah.” That’s exactly how I feel. “I like the way you see it better.”
Harper handles all the details for leaving the cabin and settling into a suitable hotel in the city. Melody and I supervise while he carries the bags and gets us all checked in. Checked into one room with one bed this time.
I focus on charging my iPod and making sure my guitars are all taken care of while Harper unpacks his belongings one at a time and makes sure everything is perfectly in place, suitshung up neatly, shoes resting below in the closet. Something tells me I’m going to pick on him for his orderliness more than once, but it will be nice to have someone around who likes and understands the power of organization. I haven’t given him a hard time yet since he doesn’t say anything about Melody settling into the lone cushy chair, a compromise instead of making herself comfortable on the bed.
The plan is simple enough: be visible, let Rowan make his move, and catch him in the act. In practice, it means wandering around Concordia like a target with a bullseye painted on my back, trying to look casual while Harper scans every shadow for threats.
But I have to admit, there are worse ways to spend an afternoon than exploring a magical city with my mate. We end up in this incredible broom shop on the top floor of a towering building where massive skylights open directly onto the sky. Above us, people soar through the air on test flights. There are apparently entire covens dedicated to flying and brooms, and I love that magic can be so fun and joyful.
“Wow,” I breathe, craning my head up, completely mesmerized watching witches soar, performing loops and dives while getting a feel for the merchandise.
“Focus on solid ground,” Harper instructs, steering me away from a display for enchanted brooms that sweep away negative energy. “You almost ran into, well, everything.”
I look at him long enough to blow a kiss. “Good thing I have you to watch where I’m going.”
“You aren’t flying.”
Unfortunately, I agree. Being up in the air away from Harper and trying to fly for the first time ever doesn’t feel like the safest position for a guy with a target on his back. Maybe another time.
“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” he grumbles. His golden eyes track the fliers above us with undisguised horror. “Who goes up that high and trusts a stick to keep them safe?”
“The stick is magical?” I try. When he scoffs, I suddenly find the surroundings next to me a lot more fascinating than what’s happening up in the air. “Ethan Harper, are you afraid of heights?”
“No!” Unable to help it, he glares at the brooms flying above us. “I’m smart.”
How does he keep getting more and more fascinating? A tough Alpha wolf with a broomstick phobia. When I offer him one hand for moral support and cover his eyes with the other while trying to escort him away from the scary common household products, the glower he rewards me with is one I’ll savor for life, but he does take my hand.
I’m still grinning when we leave the store, our fingers intertwined as we walk down the bustling street. A few fliers are still visible high above, one broom making a trail of sparks as it soars. We’re debating whether to visit the potions shop down the street or see whether the carnival is still in town when things change. Leave it to my pursuer to ruin a perfectly lovely day.
“Well, well. What a pleasant surprise.”
We both freeze at the familiar voice. Asher Rowan steps out from behind a street vendor’s stall, looking perfectly composed in an expensive charcoal suit. His smile is warm and grandfatherly, which somehow makes it infinitely more unsettling.
