Chapter Fourteen
Emory
When they got back to Julien’s house, Julien disappeared into his gym, and Emory stepped outside to call Xavier, filling him in on what happened, including the tattoo.
“The CFO warned Julien away from investigating the information he found. He said that he was messing around in things that weren’t a part of his world. I’ve got a gut feeling that Julien is in more danger than we thought.”
Xavier sighed over the line. “If the magical beings gathering know he’s aware of their presence here, then yes, he is. It would be better to take him to a safe house.”
“I’ll do that.” Emory squinted up into the sun currently boiling them alive. “What’s going on, Xavier? That last earthquake was worse than the others.”
“The magic has grown unstable, which is why you all saw that mutated deer in the woods. It’s my belief that more than one preternatural is feeding magic into the ley lines instead of taking it out—making things worse.”
“But why?”
“There could be several reasons, ones I’m looking into.”
He waited for those reasons then shook his head when he realized Xavier wasn’t going to give him any further information. Probably because he didn’t yet know himself, but it wasn’t unusual for the sorcerer to keep things close to his chest.
“Which safe house is open?”
“There are two, but I just refreshed the wards at the one that backs up to Interlaken Park.”
Emory was very familiar with that one, having stayed in it often. He said goodbye to his boss and decided not to wait for Julien to finish in the gym. He went down to the basement, which was basically one big room with a laundry area on the side and the gym equipment on the other. The walls were a gray stone veneer, the floor polished concrete. There were several exercise pads in the room and a stereo system along one wall. It wasn’t playing, which was a shame because he’d love to know what kind of music Julien listened to.
Julien was currently on his weight bench doing arm curls, and for a moment, Emory watched the muscles flexing in his biceps. Then he got a good look at Julien’s face and the anger tightening his lips. It really had been a shit show earlier, having someone he trusted trying to make him look the fool in front of his board of directors. It had been all Emory could do not to beat the man senseless. His job was to protect Julien, but his feelings where the man was concerned had his protective instincts soaring off the charts. And beating William wouldn’t have been a part of that protection, no, it would have been pure revenge—which was not something normally a part of his personality. He’d wanted to crush the man out of pure fury for what he’d done. For hiring the penumbra, for trying to humiliate him.
The weight clanked onto the floor as Julien paused to give Emory his attention. Sweat glistened on his cheeks above his beard and dotted his forehead. It had made his T-shirt stick to the heavy muscles of his chest and arms.
Desire curled inside Emory, but he cleared his throat. “What William said made me aware that you are in more danger than just from that penumbra he hired to torment you. Very powerful preternaturals are more than likely aware that you know of their presence. I want to take you to a safe house.”
Julien shook his head. “No, I will not be run out of my own home in addition to them trying to run me out of my company.”
“It would be best. The safe houses are protected by wards. Here, you’re vulnerable.”
“I have you, don’t I?”
“Yes, you have me. But if there are a handful of power wizards or sorcerers out to get you, I would be no match against them. If you won’t go to a safe house, then I want to bring in more bodyguards.”
Julien rested his elbows on his knees and regarded Emory. “I trust you to keep me safe.”
“I’m not enough.”
“You’re more than enough.”
There were heavy layers to that one, simple sentence. Layers that told Emory Julien wasn’t referring only to being his bodyguard.
“Look,” Julien said. “I was against having someone watching over me in the beginning because—as you’ve realized—I like everything just so. I’ve actually come to enjoy having you with me. But I’m not up to others joining us.”
“Julien, if these beings gathering are wizards and sorcerers, they’ll have spell abilities that will need to be counteracted. I’m fast enough to dodge most spells, but I don’t have casting abilities myself. At least agree to letting me call in Alaric. He’s an elf who can bind wizards.”
Julien was silent a couple of moments. “If something else happens, I’ll agree to that.”
Emory gave him a half smile. “Fuck, you’re stubborn.”
“Yes, and that trait has gotten me to the place I am. Or was.” He frowned. “There are members of my board who want me gone.”
“Are there ones you trust? To hire an honest third party to audit?”
