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He stepped up to the door and quickly unlocked it. Aiden pressed his fingers against the door and pushed it open, his nostrils flaring as he drew in the scents of the room.
“Definitely empty,” he said, and stepped inside.
Jack and I followed. The room was a basic all-in-one kitchen and living area, and not that large. At the far end was a small hallway, off which were four doors.
Aiden glanced at me. “Any idea where the bracelets might be?”
I tightened my grip around the silk bag. The magic burned into my skin, whispering its secrets. “In the end bedroom.”
“Stay behind me, both of you.”
He led us across to the hall. The floorboards creaked under our steps and the air was filled with a weird mix of lavender and sweaty man. At least one of the three living here wasn’t a fan of deodorant.
Aiden opened every door down the hallway, revealing two bedrooms and a combined bathroom and toilet. The last door led into the final bedroom, and it was both the biggest and the tidiest.
I paused in the doorway, my gaze scanning the room. The magic was now so damn hot that even holding the silk bag by the ties made little difference to the heat I was feeling, and I really had no idea why.
Probably something to do with the combination of magics, Belle commented. It’s possible that by encasing and then reversing her spell, you’ve created some sort of “spell friction.”
That makes sense, I said. But what in the hell are you doing following my thoughts? Aren’t you at the club?
Indeedy, but there’s nothing much happening as yet and I was bored.
Then you’re not trying hard enough.
I will when there’s someone more interesting to dance with than married men, she said. It seems I’ve stumbled onto couples’ night, although Maelle assures me it’ll change as the night wears on.
Maelle came out of her den to greet you?
I headed across the room and unzipped a canvas travel bag. Inside was an assortment of clothes; some of them were clean, some not.
Yes. And I had to tell her I don’t swing that way.
I swallowed my laugh. I hope you let her down gently.
Oh yeah. I have no intention of ever getting on the wrong side of an old and scary vampire.
I picked through them but couldn’t feel anything resembling either magic or bracelets. But they had to be here somewhere—if the one in the silk bag got any hotter, it’d erupt into flame.
They’re not likely to be in an easy to find place, Belle said. These hunters are too cautious to do that.
“Any luck?” Aiden asked.
“They’re here somewhere, but my counterspell seems to be rubbing the Ballan witch’s magic the wrong way, and I can’t pinpoint them.”
“What exactly are we looking for?” Jack asked.
I undid the silk bag, tipped the bracelet into my hand, and held it up. A faint wisp of smoke was now emanating from it. “Seven or eight bracelets identical to this.”
“Complete with that smoke trail?” he asked, obviously amused.
“No.” I glanced at Aiden. “I’d better go deactivate this one otherwise your evidence might get destroyed.”
He nodded, his attention already on searching a corner of the room. I walked back down to the living room, sat down at the small table, and careful unpicked my spell, until nothing—not even the muted remains of the Ballan witch’s magic—remained.
The sound of approaching footsteps had me looking toward the half-closed front door. It was pushed fully open and a man appeared.
He was tall, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a colorful werewolf tat stretching up his left arm.
