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My mouth drops open to ask him what he means, but air swirls around us, pressing in on me until I feel like I’m suffocating. I try to scream, but the noise is ripped from my throat, and a moment later the rush of wind disappears.
The alley has been replaced by impossible darkness.
“Where are we?” I ask, gasping when Ignatius lets go of my hand. I reach around without seeing, feeling for anything nearby, before the flip of a switch casts light around us.
We’re in a small maroon living room. There are dozens of shelves on the walls, all topped with various magical items–much like his home used to be decorated in the monster realm–and two overly-stuffed couches face a neon green coffee table in the middle of the floor.
“My house,” he says, gesturing to the room with a sweep of his hand.
As I stare around, taking everything in and accepting the fact that I’m finally safe, I see hundreds of runes carved into the paint on the walls, barely noticeable to the naked eye. However, I’m sure they’re just as powerful as the bold ones I’ve seen before.
This place is more secure than a bank vault; I bet nothing could get in here, even if it tried.
When my eyes make their way back to Ignatius, he’s watching me intently.
“So this is where you’ve been all this time?” I ask. “We’ve been worried sick, especially Elio.”
“You have?” His expression softens and he drops his head. “I’m sorry. I never meant to worry anyone. There were rumors of a bounty on my head, so I figured it was better if I disappeared. I didn’t expect anyone to look for me.”
“Well, we did,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. My neck and shoulder sting, but a quick glance tells me they’ve stopped bleeding.
“I traveled for a while,” he admits, making his way over to one of the shelves. He picks through some jars and boxes, collecting a few things he’ll need to treat my wounds. “There are so many magic artifacts scattered across the world. I won’t deny that I’ve been hunting a few of them, searching for things that will aid in the fight against the Malevolents. A couple of them are for my personal collection, of course, but I finally settled here when I met Darius.”
I take it Darius is the guy he was sucking face with at the bar, but I don’t ask. He gestures to one of the couches and I take a seat while he disappears into the kitchen.
“And what are you doing here alone?” he calls. “I’m surprised those three let you out of their sight, much less left you on Earth.”
I open my mouth to answer sarcastically, but close it again. How ironic that they sent me to Earth to protect me and I almost died. I would have if Ignatius hadn’t been there, and I’m still having a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that he was.
Despite seeming like a ton of bad luck chasing me around all night, perhaps it was actually a blessing in disguise. I’ll call it a true blessing if Cara is safe.
Before I can answer, he returns with a warm, wet towel and takes a seat next to me. He starts cleaning the dried blood off my legs without a word.
“They were worried about what would happen if I stayed,” I mutter as I watch him work. His touch is tender, careful.
“And look what’s happened.” When he finishes with one thigh, he applies a mixture of the ingredients he retrieved and swaps sides to treat the other. “I know it must have been hard to make that call, but they had good intentions. They just didn’t count on you going and throwing yourself straight into a monster den.”
I force a laugh, because they should have known better. “They must not know me very well then.”
Ignatius cracks a smile. “Apparently not. But the good thing is you made it out. Most aren’t so fortunate.”
“So, you’re saying everyone there was a… a monster of some kind?” All the curious eyes watching me hungrily at the club make sense now. It wasn’t just mild curiosity behind all those irises.
“Not everyone,” he assures me. “The bodyguard is human.”
“And the dancers?” I question, thinking about the girls with fake horns and tails.
He nods. “Human. But unlike the bodyguard, they won’t make it back to work tomorrow night unfortunately.”
My stomach turns and bile creeps up my throat as I stare at him, but he doesn’t look up. He’s completely focused on treating my wounds, and when he finishes with my leg, he turns his attention to my shoulder.
“When can you find out about Cara?” I ask, changing the subject before my Sex on the Beach from the bar makes a reappearance. I don’t want to imagine what will happen to those dancers at the end of the night.
“If he couldn’t find them I would have heard from Darius already,” he explains. “I promise she’s in good hands. Once you’re resting, I will go.”
I don’t like that plan, but something about his calming tone eases my concerns. Aside from my mates, there’s no one I trust more than Ignatius. If he says she’s safe, I believe him. After all, he just saved my life. I at least owe him some level of confidence.
Once my wounds are clean, he gestures for me to follow him down a short hallway where a tiny bedroom awaits.
