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“What?”
“I know those lights. A warlock insists on putting them up every year on his birthday—and his birthday falls eleven days after I fucked up our shop.”
An alarm tinged in his head as he counted it out. “We lost ten days. Four in that island and three each time we crossed the portal…damn it. My alarm.”
“My sisters.”
They looked at each other.
“I have to go,” he said.
“Me, too. I’ll see you soon?”
There was so much hope in her expression that he was ready to just abandon his urgency and stay with her. But Maddox stood on his conviction, refusing to let emotions cloud his mind.
“Maybe. Brian needs you. He needs to know you are safe.”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth formed an O. His fingers itched to trace it, so he fisted his hand and backed away. Ruby watched him, expression turning sober.
“Right. He has you to thank for that.”
“And he has you to thank for saving him and getting all of us out of there,” he countered. “Go to him. Thank him for that stone.”
He turned, dashing to reach his house faster. But it was more to get away from her, too vulnerable to face her yet. He needed time to rebuild his armor until he was no longer entertaining thoughts of how she would taste and feel…things and fantasies he had no right to.
Relief rose when the house came into view, a place that had become his sanctuary. But something didn’t feel right the moment he stepped in, warning him not to keep going. He backed a step—and felt his arms glued to his sides before energy swallowed him whole. Seconds later, he was free and thrown to the floor, no longer in his house but in a familiar office.
And he wasn’t alone.
“Mr. Magoo?”
The man’s brows furrowed, not saying a word and seemingly waiting for something. The waiting didn’t last long as a spark appeared beside him, then materialized into a figure.
“Ah, Ruby, it’s lovely of you to join us. I should have known you two were together after neither of you reported to me about your weekly activities—and you, Maddox, didn’t show up at your house at all.”
Ruby stood up. He could see James’ wheels turning as the man continued perusing them, lingering on their damp clothes.
“Mr. Magoo, I can explain.”
“Would the explanation involve you leaving Broom’s Isle without notice? Perhaps running into trouble while you partook in your little adventure?”
Adventure wouldn’t have been the word Maddox used, but everything else held.
“Mr. Magoo, it’s not like that,” he said, trying to take the attention away from her. “We didn’t report to you because of some unfortunate circumstances.”
“Did you elope?”
“No,” they blurted out at the same time—him more vehemently than her. He felt her looking at him but didn’t look back, keeping his attention on the warlock before them.
“Then why on heavens would you be gone for more than a week without anyone knowing where you were?”
“They were with me.”
Brian strolled into the room, hair trimmed short and clothes more formal than the ones he had worn on the other island. The man cleaned up well, and even James thought so as he straightened.
“Brian?”
“Hello again, James. I haven’t seen you since I got here. We were both so busy, but I’m sure you were busier, considering the important role you play in Broom’s Isle.”
