“And as for the subordinate…” Ellis stepped close to the shooting gallery, his boots near Rory’s head. “Didn’t want that dispel smoke on you, did I? You might be something special.” He crouched down. “What’s your magic, sugar? You get men off with your mind?”
Rory nearly choked. “Excuse me?”
“I’m trying to figure out why Ace is slumming with you.” When Rory sucked in a breath, Ellis smiled like a jackal. “Yeah, I know his secret. I don’t care that Ace’s got a taste for men, but it used to begoodtaste.”
Rory tried to sit up, but the gangster jammed his boot into his ribs. He winced and glowered up at Ellis instead. “I’d like the power to strangle you with your own tie right about now,” he said, through clenched teeth. “You hurt Arthur.”
“Oh, I didn’t do that.” Ellis leaned close. “But you’re about to meet the girl who did.”
Chapter Thirty-One
The mobster’s fingers were leaving bruises in Rory’s biceps as he dragged him to the Wonder Wheel. Just in front, two more gangsters were frog-marching Jade, whose hands had been cuffed behind her.
“Keep her nice and far from Ace,” Ellis said, from the platform. “Search her. Don’t look away, don’t lower your guard, don’t lower your gun.”
As Rory was forced up onto the platform, he heard Jade suck in a breath. He looked past her and saw a slumped figure in black and white, cuffed to the base of the wheel near the lowest passenger car.
“Arthur!” Rory began to fight. Arthur was too pale, listing to one side. “Let me go—Ace—”
“Yes, it’s you.” Rory’s head snapped toward the woman’s voice. The pretty girl from the visions was only a few feet from Arthur, her near-yellow eyes fixed on Rory but never reaching his face, darting all around his outline instead. “It’s your magic I saw and I see now.” Her lips curled in a dangerous smile. “And what perfect magic it is.”
“Gwen, how could you?” Jade snapped, as the guards pulled her to a post several feet from Arthur. She glanced at Arthur, then back to Gwen with narrowed eyes. “Arthur is our friend. He doesn’t even have magic to defend himself!”
“You were hardly going to turn off that telepathy and chain yourself to a post,” Gwen said.
“You could have just come to us,” Jade said sharply. “We’ve only ever wanted to help.”
“You did help.” Gwen’s gaze went back to Rory. “You’ve found a psychometric.”
“Psychometric?” Ellis let out a low whistle. “Talk about a lucky break.”
“Take your break and shove it,” snapped Rory, rage making his mouth reckless. “What happened to Ace?”
“Did they not tell you?” Gwen came closer as the mobster held Rory in place. “I can do more than see auras—I touch them. I know you felt the echo.”
Echo? It had been agony in his core. Had Arthur had it even worse? Rory’s jaw tightened. “If you hurt his aura, why’d I feel it?”
“You don’t know?” She tilted her head. “You don’t, do you?” she said in wonder. “A feat of incredible subordinate power and you’ve managed it on accident.”
“Managedwhat?” Rory demanded, stomach roiling. “What’d I do to Ace?”
“You wove your magic into his aura.”
Rory stared. “Nah,” he said hoarsely, aware that he had the eyes of everyone on the platform. “That’s balled up, I can’t’ve. I don’t have that power—”
“How doyouthink you found Ace?” Gwen said. “You’ve anchored your magic to him, claws so deep you could find him at sea. In fact, if I may speak plainly—” she glanced at Ellis with a smile “—you couldn’t have made your claim more clear with a ring on his finger.”
Oh no. Rory swallowed hard. “Did I hurt him?” he said, his voice a near whisper.
“No,” she said sweetly. “That was me.”
Rory clenched his fists. He looked at Jade, where the guards were locking her cuffs. “What do you want?” he said, tugging uselessly against the strength of the two guards holding him.
“Hold your horses.” Ellis stepped forward and began to pat Rory down with practiced efficiency. “We got one more guest.”
Guest? Who—
No.
