Something hit him in the back.
Julien staggered a few steps forward, and another blow came from his left, so hard he dropped his briefcase. He didn’t have time to regain his footing before something slammed into his stomach, and he collapsed to his hands and knees, gasping air into his lungs.
Julien swiveled his head right and left, but he still couldn’t see what it was. He could still feel the magic, though. It was like a thick tar sticking to the surface of his exposed skin. And that odor—it made his stomach lurch.
“Who’s there?” he called out.
That low laugh sounded again. This time, he was braced for the hit, but it was such a hard chop to the back of his neck he collapsed fully to the concrete. Dizziness and pain swamped him, but he worked to get back to his feet.
“Show yourself!” he ordered as spots danced before his eyes.
This time, it slapped him, knocking his face to one side, then the other. He ducked, feeling a hint of wind as whatever it was swept around him. He spun on his heels and swung his fists out, but he was merely punching into the air.
More eerie laughter sounded just to his right, and he swung his fist around, hoping to hit something solid, but it just wasn’t there.
A blow to the side of his head sent him reeling, and he fell to the floor again.
How the fuck was he supposed to fight this?
He couldn’t.
He judged the distance to his car, then the elevator. The car was closer, so he grabbed his keys out of his pocket and hurriedly unlocked it. Taking a quick but deep breath, he surged to his feet and ran toward his car. Invisible hands wrapped around his ankle, and he tripped, his hands scraping along the concrete as he dropped his keys and broke his fall. But he scrambled to grab the keys and jump to his feet. He reached for the handle as a heavy punch slammed into his back. He twisted away and managed to get into the car and lock the door.
Breathing heavily, he waited, still trying to see anything in the empty parking garage. His palms ached, and he glanced down to find them scraped raw and bleeding. But he had nothing for them, so he started his car and peeled out of the parking spot. The whole time he drove out of the garage, he expected it to attack him inside the car.
But that heavy magic feeling wasn’t with him now. That rank, earthy smell wasn’t in the car. Whatever it was, it was still back in that parking area.
His hands stung on the steering wheel, but still he gripped it tightly as he navigated the busy traffic. He’d left his damn briefcase behind and could only hope someone brought it intothe building. It was locked, so he wasn’t too worried about losing his laptop.
About two miles from his office, Julien pulled into a well-lit pharmacy parking lot and parked. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Opening them, he focused on the streetlights, grounding himself back into reality.
Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t a part of their human world, so Julien knew he was going to need supernatural help with this. And he knew just what company could help him.
Chapter Three
Julien
The next morning, Julien stopped by his office to find that someone had turned in his briefcase before the appointment he hoped would solve his latest problem.
One of his employees knew that he could see through glamour magic. Rockford was a mothman, and Julien had given himself away when he’d first seen him because his huge, black wings and red eyes were just so startling. He’d been angry with his lack of control because normally, he had no issues keeping a straight face around preternaturals. But Rockford had instantly known Julien could see his true appearance and had come to his office. He’d told him about glamour magic and the term they used to refer to themselves—he’d explained a lot that had only been speculation before on Julien’s part. Rockford had also told him that his company had a reputation among preternaturals for being a safe place to work, and that was why so many applied there.
Thanks to that same mothman, Julien knew about Protective Solutions. He’d been told that it was run by a powerful sorcerer, and that he was trustworthy.
As he walked to the elevator to the third floor, the ground shook beneath his feet, and he braced his hand on a wall, wincing from his still raw palm. Seattle did have occasional earthquakes, but this was the third time in two weeks they’d been strong enough to feel, causing another niggling concern to hover in the back of his mind.
He did not like having these worries digging into the perfectly scheduled world he’d created. Both of the reasons he was here were out of his control, and if there was anything he hated, it was not being in control.
A man he assumed was Xavier met him as he stepped off the elevator. He was dressed surprisingly casually in dark jeans and white button down with the sleeves rolled up. Long, black hair was pulled back into a tail at the nape of his neck, and his eyes were a brown nearly as dark as his hair. Though he looked perfectly human, such an aura of utter power surrounded him that Julien would have known he was either a sorcerer or wizard—he wasn’t sure what the difference actually was.
Xavier held out his hand, and Julien shook it as they introduced themselves.
“My office is just up those stairs. Would you like some coffee?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” He walked with the sorcerer, noting that many kinds of preternaturals were busy around cubicles. Demons and human-looking men and women with pointed ears. He even spotted several tails. He kept his expression smooth, having learned his lesson with Rockford.
Xavier indicated the chair in front of his desk and then took his own seat, folding his arms on the surface of his desk. “How did you hear about my company?”
“One of my employees told me about you. He said you are trustworthy and discreet, and that’s what I need.” He studied the sorcerer, getting the strongest feeling that Xavier could see him.Like truly see him. So he did something for the first time since the debacle with Rockford. “I know that this company employs supernatural beings. I can see them.”
