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Energy pulsated at my fingertips, long ago buried dark magic rising with my anger. When my emotions rose too quickly, too strongly, it took everything I had to fight back the urge. But this time, I entertained the tempting call of it. If he was going to fight dirty, then maybe I should as well.
“Avi?” Nolan’s voice cut in cautiously. “Why are you looking like you’re going to blow up town hall? And what’s that smell?”
The words snapped me from my moment of weakness, and shame flamed in my chest. How could I ever consider giving in to that? What kind of mate would I be if I sold my soul to the darkness to save her?
But if she’s safe…
“No!” I accidentally yelled. It only alarmed Nolan further, and he took a step back. Shaking off the last remnants of the oppressive magic, I stepped back and took a deep breath. “He’s in there.”
“The Arch Mage?” he asked. I nodded, and he lifted his face into the air to try to scent him, but my magic would have drowned out that trail by this point.Stupid move, Avi. You’ve lost your chance.
“It was strong, and it led right here to this door,” I argued like he didn’t believe me. “I wanted to crash in there and kill him.”
“Glad you didn’t. That’s not a fight meant for one witch,” Nolan said bluntly. The beta deputy did have a way of telling it like it was.
“You are right, but I didn’t care about that at the time. It also means he’s taken over one of the people in town hall,” I said. “We could use one of Quinn’s visions right about now because he’s desperate. His tactics are changing.”
“I’m going to go talk to her, ask if she can see anything else,” he said quickly. “We’ll put eyes on all of them. Go home, Avi, be with your mate.”
I nodded, but it wasn’t until he’d given up and walked away that I bothered to move. My entire body felt like it was covered in sin, demon fingers toying with me, splaying me open, showing the world that I’d tried to give in to the temptation.
The walk back to the hotel was a blur. I barely registered the passing residents of Emberwood or the falling snow that now clouded the air around me.
“Avi!” My name was shouted loudly enough that I stopped to glance around. Kane was suddenly in my face, causing me to jump. The surprise was enough to jolt me out of my swirling pit of despair. At least for now.
“What?” My voice sounded so hollow and low that he started shaking me.
“What the fuck? Why do you smell of dark magic? What the fuck happened?” he growled. “She doesn’t need this right now. Snap the fuck out of it.” The alpha command in his tone had the edges of my brain fog receding even further.
“I scented him and followed it to town hall. I had a moment of weakness, but I almost gave in.” He didn’t need to ask what that meant. He could smell it on me, see the horror on my face.
“Hey, I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same. We both know I’d have ripped town hall apart to find him without giving a fuck about the consequences. But you? You didn’t give in. You merely entertained the thought before reality hit you. That’s the difference.”
“Nolan interrupted me,” I said.
“And even if he hadn’t, I know you. You wouldn’t feel this shame and hatred for yourself if you’d truly wanted to give in,” he reassured me, and he was right. At least I wanted to believe he was. “This isn’t like you, Avi. Don’t let that moment define you. Be better for her. Be better for you.”
“This isn’t your usual style,” I teased him as a means of lightening the mood. He glared at me, but the snort that snuck out showed it was in good humor.
“I’m doing my fucking best because you’re breaking down on me. Snap the fuck out of it, beta! You didn’t give in. You didn’t let dark magic win.”
“There you are,” I deadpanned, but his pep talk and harsh words had worked. They’d snapped me from the last of those lingering thoughts. I had to believe he was right in saying that I wouldn’t have given in.
We scented Farren before she stepped into view, but I knew her dragon hearing had caught every word.
“Never taint your soul for me, Avi,” she said as she approached. She didn’t flinch before wrapping her arms around me tightly. “Thank you for being strong enough to resist.”
“I almost wasn’t. He was so close,” I admitted.
She froze at that and leaned back. “The man who did this to me?”
“Yes,” I answered as I tucked a strand of her chestnut hair behind her ear. “He’s hiding in plain sight.”
“Of course he is,” she sighed. Then reality sunk in. “Oh god. You mean he’s just parading around with random faces. How many?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. We can’t trust anyone. I have no clue how many he’s killed at this point. He’s got it down to a fucking art form. The good thing is that he’d never be able to do it with someone we frequently interact with. We’d catch his scent too easily. Dark magic and strong magic can hide scents and alter them, but they’re not bulletproof. There are always little moments where it slips through. That’s how we’ve been able to tell he’s here.”
“Never leave the hotel. Noted,” she said with a frustrated huff. Before the conversation could get any fucking darker, a black SUV drove up the lane nearby. Niko barely parked before he was out of the car and running our way.
