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His grin flashed. “It’s always better to fake it until you make it, trust me on that.”
“I’ll remember that when you start rabbiting on about spells in the future.” I nodded toward the bottle. “How long do we have to use it?”
“That I don’t know, as everything depends on the stability of your original spell.” He quickly dismantled the protection circle and then thrust upward. “To be completely safe, I think we’d better go after it tonight.”
I nodded and watched as he collected his spell stones and then strode off. He must have realized I wasn’t following, because he stopped several yards away and spun around. “Are you coming?”
“Nope. Not unless you help me up.”
“Ah. Sorry.”
He shoved the bottle into his pocket and then walked back and offered me his hands. I gripped them tightly and was pulled up so quickly my head spun.
“Are you okay?” He didn’t immediately release me, and his expression was concerned. “I have to say, you look like shit.”
“Theme of the night, it seems.” I took a deep breath and gathered determination. “I’m fine. You go get Aiden—I’ll wait in his truck.”
“Are you sure you can make it that far?”
“Yes. Go.”
He hesitated, and then walked off. I slowly made my way up the hill, grabbed my pack out of Tala’s truck, and then climbed into the front of Aiden’s. And discovered he’d added energy drinks to the stash of chocolate he now kept in the glove compartment for me. I downed both in quick succession and then started in on the chocolate. Tonight was not my waistline’s friend—not that I’d ever really given a damn about that sort of thing.
The two men came back. Monty handed me the spell-wrapped bottle and almost instantly I felt the directional tug. It was faint, suggesting the soucouyant was some distance away, but at least it was working.
Aiden turned the truck around and drove back to the main road.
“Turn right,” I said, as he slowed down.
He immediately did so and then accelerated up the hill. We sped through the sweeping curves and then on into Louton. The locational pull got stronger as we neared the outskirts of Castle Rock, and the tiny filaments started untwining, until what was formed was a tiny map.
“Go left at the next street,” I said, and then turned around in the seat and showed Monty the bottle. “Is it supposed to do that?”
“In theory, yes.”
“In theory? I thought you’d performed the location spell before?”
His grin flashed. “I have, but this particular one had to be layered in and that’s not something done too often.”
“Surely the uni would have ensured everyone practiced spell alterations.”
“They did, but you’re forgetting I’ve been a cataloger of spells for nigh on five years now, so while plenty of new and unusual spells crossed my desk, I haven’t actually done much spell work since I left uni.”
“I suspect that is not something you mentioned to the council when you were interviewed for the position,” Aiden said, voice dry.
Monty chuckled softly. “Actually, I said I’d probably forgotten more spells than the other applicants had ever performed, which is nothing other than the u
tter truth.”
I glanced down as the filaments stirred. One pulsed brighter than the others, giving me a direction. “Swing left. I think we’re getting close.”
Aiden obeyed, then slowed down and studied the street ahead. “This entire area is filled with families and kids—why would a soucouyant hide here?”
“If its daytime skin is that of an old woman,” Monty said, “what better area is there? Families these days are generally too busy to be worrying about what their elderly neighbors might or might not be doing.”
“Not sure what type of neighborhood you grew up in,” Aiden said, “but we tend to look after our old folks here.”
“Werewolves might, but I’m betting the human residents don’t.”
