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Jorvik nodded. “Maddox and Bruiser are in the car, right by the entrance.”

“Thanks.” Uriel hurried down the stairs.

He made it to the car with no trouble, knocking awkwardly on the back door. Bruiser leaned over and opened the door, peering out.

“Get back, incoming,” Uriel said.

Somehow, he managed to get himself, Fenn, and his broomstick into the backseat, before closing the door and releasing the spell.

“It’s creepy when you do that,” Maddox said from behind the wheel.

Uriel shrugged. “Gets things done. Fenn? How are you?”

Fenn scrunched up his face. “Been better.”

“Injuries?” Uriel asked.

“Just my head. Nothing else.” Fenn frowned at his baby. “I don’t think I landed on Mellie but I really want to get her checked out by a doctor, just in case.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Bruiser was already pulling out his phone, typing into it. “Uriel? What about you, are you injured?”

“I’m fine. But we need to discuss what just happened,” Uriel said. “Preferably somewhere away from here.”

Bruiser fixed him with an appraising gaze. Then he reached over, his warm hand clasping the back of Uriel’s neck. It drained the adrenaline from Uriel’s body.

Fenn saw, but he only raised an eyebrow. Uriel made a face.

“Doctor first,” Bruiser said.

“So, this is your boyfriend?” Fenn whispered in the waiting room of the doctor’s office. He was a small omega, heavily scarred like Uriel, and Uriel had been unspeakably glad to see him. Until this question.

Uriel winced. “We, uh, we haven’t talked about it yet. I’m still deciding. And he can hear you.”

“Oh! Sorry.” Fenn blushed, but his eyes continued to dart between Uriel and Bruiser. When Uriel turned, he found Bruiser’s face slightly pink.

“I’m courting Uriel,” Bruiser said, straightening his shoulders. “I’m prepared for it to take a while.”

That... That was really sweet of him, more than what Uriel would’ve expected even last week.

“Awww,” Fenn said, his gaze going soft. He picked at his shirt hem though, looking at the floor as though he had given up on that possibility for himself. What had happened since the last time Uriel saw him?

Uriel needed to know, except there were more pressing matters at hand.

“Fenn, we have a lot to catch up on,” Uriel began. “But this thing about Xenowen—”

Bruiser grew tense. “He’s here?”

Fenn grimaced. “I thought I heard his voice when I was fleeing from those thugs. I’m not 100% sure.”

Uriel’s blood grew cold. “If he’s here, he might be able to trace my magic. I left imprints of it behind—happens when you perform a spell—but erasing it takes time, and the doctor visit was more important.”

“I could’ve come here alone,” Fenn protested.

“Not when there are people actively targeting you,” Uriel said firmly. “It’s for the best that we left the apartment ASAP.”

“Is there a cleanup spell you can do now? Something you can prepare in advance, then take it to the site and activate it,” Bruiser suggested.

“Yeah, I can do that. It’ll take time though. I don’t know if Xenowen will be there before then,” Uriel said uncertainly.