Page 68 of Facade

“Please do. I’ll take any help I can get,” she said.

A flex of his forearm released the wand into Heath’s right hand. With a wordless incantation, he cast the spell. Clarke’s shoulders relaxed, and she sank into the couch cushions.

“Oh, that’s heavenly,” Clarke said softly. “I feel boneless.”

“Good. Now close your eyes, and picture ocean waves lapping gently against a white, sandy beach,” Heath said in a soothing tone. He described a sunset over the water, with a sailboat in the distance, and driftwood on the shore. After a few minutes, he nodded to Jace.

Mimicking Heath’s tone, Jace asked, “Is Russell Bridges, the assistant librarian at Mars College, trustworthy?”

Clarke’s hand moved immediately, and the pencil scratched on the paper. Jace and Heath shared a victorious look. This could be a game-changer.

After glancing at the paper, Jace nodded that the answer was yes. He continued asking questions, making notations next to each one. Heath had set a timer for twenty minutes, and Jace stopped his inquiries when it went off.

Clarke often stayed in a trance for at least an hour. They were experimenting with an aspect of her power that hadn’t been previously explored, however. Neither Heath nor Jace knew if answering a variety of questions would put a strain on her, and they weren’t about to risk it.

Heath led Clarke out of the meditative trance, then lifted the tranquility spell. Clarke blinked owlishly, and stretched.

“That was amazing. I feel like I just had a power nap,” she said around a yawn. Clarke glanced at the sketch pad, seeing dozens of yeses and noes scrawled on the paper. “It worked?”

“It did,” Jace said with pride. “According to your power, Russell is trustworthy, and had no involvement in what happened to Charlie, Dr. Prentis, or the students. He’ll be a strong ally who will guard your secrets, and help us.”

“Good to know,” Clarke said happily. “I really like Russell, and think we’ll become friends. When I have my shift in the library tomorrow, I’ll tell him that I want to talk somewhere in private.”

“Unless you prefer to do this alone, Russell can meet us here,” Heath volunteered.

They should have that conversation off campus, and a public venue wouldn’t be wise. Since Russell had pursued him for months, Heath wasn’t entirely comfortable with the thought of having him over. But this was about her, not him, and Clarke and Jace would both be here.

“That would be perfect, actually,” Clarke said. “I was wracking my brain for a place we couldn’t be overheard.”

“It’s settled, then,” Heath said.

Jace

Heath was already proving himself to be a fine mate to Clarke. Jace hadn’t been worried about that, but the evidence was in front of him. He was pleased.

Like Jace, Heath had anticipated that Clarke would have a third mate. He was unbothered, and keeping an open mind. They were both proud that she was powerful enough to have called three mates, rather than being disgruntled.

Gathering a bouquet of flowers had taken time and effort. It was the kind of thoughtful, romantic gesture that Jace hadn’t been able to do himself.

And Clarke deserved that. Heath’s actions meant a great deal to her. Jace had never seen her this happy in person since they were kids. Now, they were touching freely, just a little pat here or stroke of fingers there, and sharing affectionate glances.

He didn’t care that Heath had been the one to put that look on Clarke’s face. All her mates should give her joy. It was clear to Jace that each of them would have a primary role in her life.

Clarke called him her rock. Jace was proud to be her anchor. He would always be the solid foundation that kept her steady, regardless of the opposition they faced.

Heath’s sense of humor and easy-going personality were beneficial to both of them. He provided peace and whimsy that Clarke and Jace hadn’t had without him. The house was a sanctuary of security, and positive energy.

Jace couldn’t guess what the third mate might provide that he and Heath lacked. But the unknown male would have his own role to fill, and would be just as important.

Now, Heath was making a sacrifice by inviting Russell over. He recognized that it was the safest place for Clarke to reveal herself to Russell, and have an honest conversation. But he would have preferred a less invasive option.

Heath was picky about who set foot in his sanctum, and he had a right to be. Jace realized he could also be a protective bulwark for Heath, albeit in a different way than he was for Clarke.

If Russell teased Heath or flirted with him, Jace would be a buffer. Naturally, if Russell failed to respect Clarke’s bond with Heath, they would have another problem entirely. Jace doubted that such an issue would arise.

He did have a possible solution for a private space where Clarke and Russell could talk without him being in the house. That might require some work on their part, but it would be worth the effort.

“There’s a detached building out back,” Jace mentioned.