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“Atlas!” Derek yelled. He and the other hellhounds were outside the shop now, fighting off a group of men in masks. Sirens wailed in the distance.
“Come on, Gavin.”
“Oh no, I’m not—”
“Yes, you are,” Charlotte interrupted. “Go with him. I’ll tell the police what happened, and then I’ll see you later.”
Atlas didn’t wait for his answer. He gave Charlotte a nod, lifted Gavin into his arms, and jumped back over the counter.
“Holy shit,” Gavin gasped, arms flying around Atlas’s neck in a near choke hold.
Atlas conjured a shield, letting the glowing green barrier flow over him and Gavin like a second skin. All mages were born with an affinity to at least one element. He was solidly an earth mage—strong, durable, and excellent at defensive magic.
Just as Atlas cleared the door, a black SUV came to a screeching halt at the curb. Between them and the SUV, Derek and one other hellhound were wrestling two men to the ground. The back door of the SUV opened, and Lark stuck his head out.
“Need a lift?” his brother asked, smile a little too bright for the situation happening around them, but Lark did enjoy a fight. He hopped out of the SUV and posted himself with his back to Atlas, facing the stretch of sidewalk leading away from them, and brought the pulsing orange glow of his magic into his palms. “These suckers are coming out of the woodwork.”
Atlas glanced to the side, still holding Gavin tight to his chest. More men in masks appeared on the street. Where the hell were they coming from? He couldn’t think about that now. He made it to the SUV and set Gavin down on the seat. “Lark, let’s go!”
“Go on,” Lark called over his shoulder, sending a blazing streak of mage fire at a line of masked men. “We’ll clean it up.”
He didn’t argue. Jumping into the backseat, he slammed the door. “Go!”
“Hang on, kids,” Pike said from the driver’s seat. The SUV sped away from the curb, bouncing one of the masked men off the front right fender.
Atlas turned his attention to Gavin. He was huddled in on himself, breathing fast and looking pale.
“Hey,” Atlas said, voice gentle. “It’s okay, Gavin. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, I promise.” He slid himself over until he was pressed to Gavin’s side and draped an arm around his shoulders. He was afraid Gavin would pull away from him, but instead, he leaned in harder, turning enough to bury his face in Atlas’s shoulder.
Atlas pulled him closer and vowed to himself that was one promise he’d make damned sure to keep.
3
Gavin pressed his face into Atlas’s shoulder, trying to get his breathing under control. The car beneath him continued to speed away from the coffee shop, engine revving and pressing him harder to Atlas as they took turns at too high a speed.
What the hell was happening?
“Gavin?”
He lifted up, focusing on Atlas’s concerned green eyes. Had his eyes always been that green? He couldn’t figure out what to ask first, so he just stared.
“You’re going to be okay,” Atlas said, pulling him closer. “It’s the adrenaline wearing off. That’s why you’re shaking. I promise I’ll explain everything. Right now, just breathe.”
Looking down at himself, he realized hewasshaking. He made himself sit up and take controlled, deep breaths. Atlas didn’t try to hold him in place, but stayed close. First things first. “Where are we going?”
“To the seers guild. We call it the Hub.”
“Why?”
Atlas tilted his head. “Why are we going there, or why do we call it the Hub?”
Gavin scowled, the question breaking loose the fear that had latched on to him. “Both! And who were those men? Why did they attack the coffee shop?” Darkness descended over the car, making Gavin’s heart rate kick up again.
“Easy,” Atlas said, reaching out a hand to him. “We just entered the tunnel.”
Looking out the window, Gavin saw concrete walls racing by both sides of the car. The only reason he could see them was because the driver had turned the headlights on.Shit, the driver.He snapped his head around to look at the man in the front seat. Who was he? “Who?”
The man met his eyes in the rearview mirror. “Pike. Water mage. Nice to meet you.”
