Page 110 of Heart of Mischief

“Holy shit.” Still crouched on his knees, Mason stared around the beach, mouth hanging slightly open. “You did it. You freakingdid it.”

WOW,said Henry, the word set against glittering silver wonder.

Charlie beamed down at them both. “Confidence, baby.”

Compared to teleportation, the rest of the journey to the cave was a breeze. The stone hatch protecting its entrance was still carved open—courtesy of Sophie’s Valkyrie blade a month before—so they needed only to lower Elias’s body down into the dim corridor and carry him to the cave. Henry skittered ahead, checking the tunnel for danger.

“Too bad he didn’t shift into shadow form before he decided to pass out,” Mason grunted when they were halfway down the tunnel. “He probably wouldn’t be so godsdamned heavy.”

“If he had been in shadow form, we wouldn’t be in this mess at all,” Charlie reminded him. “Here, set him down.”

Mason did as he was told, then straightened up. “Quick break?”

“Even better.” Charlie shut her eyes, holding her hands out over Elias’s body. Down the corridor, she heard the familiar pitter-patter of Henry’s steps as he scouted the premises. She exhaled, grabbing hold of a current and using it to raise him into the air without touching him.

When her eyes opened, Mason was staring incredulously. “You couldn’t have done thatbeforeI almost threw my back out?”

Rolling her eyes, Charlie said, “Let’s go. Every second counts.”

She turned and kept walking, keeping one hand over Elias’s floating body at all times. Like she’d hoped, it was easy to harness a second current—one to keep him afloat, one to push him forward—and direct his body down the tunnel beside her.

Now that Mason didn’t have to carry anyone, he strolled merrily beside her. “So.” He clapped his hands. “Not to bring up the awkward make-out session I walked in on earlier…”

Charlie groaned. “Seriously, Mason?”

“Look, I’d prefer it if I could wipe it from my mind, too,” he said, holding up his hands. “But since I possess no such mind-erasing abilities, I suppose I’ll have to face this trauma head-on.”

“Or we could just…nottalk about it,” she suggested. “And never bring it up again. Ever.”

“I don’t need to hear any specifics. Believe me. I just want to ask…” Mason hesitated. “Do you know what you’re doing, Charlie? I mean, three days ago, you could barely evenlookat the guy.”

Charlie waved dismissively with the hand not controlling Elias’s body. She was surprised at how easy it was to keep him afloat while simultaneously carrying out an entirely separate conversation. Two days ago, she could barelyfindher magic, let alone perform it while doing something else. Was she truly that fast of a learner? Or had Elias been right all along that urgency was the best teacher?

Probably the latter, because given the circumstances, she had no other optionbutto learn fast. It was either that or let Elias die.

“It was nothing,” she said finally. “We were wasted. Of course we made out.”

When Mason didn’t immediately respond, Charlie couldn’t help but glance over. He was looking at her with a strange expression.

“What?” she asked.

“Elias wasn’t wasted,” he said.

“Of course he was. Every time I looked over, there was a new beer in his hand.”

Mason hesitated again, as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to say the next part out loud.

“What?” she pushed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Elias wasn’t drinking, Charlie,” he said at last. “He told me when he was helping me sober up by the cooler. I asked how drunk he was, and he said not at all. That he was just holding the beer for show.”

She snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m serious. I’m pretty sure he thought I would be too drunk to remember anything he said, but I do.” He looked down at Elias’s floating figure. His face had gone very pale. His lips were quivering,and sweat was starting to bead on his forehead. “He said that it was important he stay sober tonight, in case Rattatosk showed up.”

Gears stalled in Charlie’s head.Not drunk?But that made no sense. The breezy way he’d acted… how he kept telling her to just relax and enjoy the party… the hazy lust in his eyes… those words he’d mouthed to her underwater.

You’re so beautiful.