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I’d lied to my best friend.
Contrary to what I told him at breakfast, I’d raced to the nearest temple location.
At such an early hour, the doors were locked. But wood and steel meant nothing to my powers. If Jack 2 had been here recently, I would sense his energy. From inside the buildings, from upstairs or downstairs, even from within a good fifty feet radius of the surrounding vicinity. Because I knew exactly what I was looking for.
I hadn’t told the others, but I’d sensed Jack 2’s aura in the woods the night before. And it was the same damn one I’d sensed that night outside Ceci’s apartment. It was strange and it was strong.
And since I was the only one who had this ability to detect him—and I had Juniper—my hope was to find and dispose of Jack 2 as quickly as possible.
I had to do this for Ceci. I couldn’t be with her—not like her mother implied, and if her mother truly got to know me, I doubt she’d approve of me for her daughter anyhow—but I could protect her. And bringing Aaron or the others would’ve only slowed me down.
I felt nothing of Jack 2’s presence at the first location, but I kept going, working my way through the list of temple meeting spots I’d made when researching the previous night. My search took me all over New Lincoln but I’d picked up on bugger all.
I drove to the one remaining location: their grand temple, right in the heart of New Lincoln. Below its domed ceiling and soaring, brownstone walls stood a robust wooden sign that had been hammered and cemented among the flagstones, welcomingAll Seekers of Purity.
Its double doors were swung wide open.
I parked and grabbed the ballcap and denim jacket I’d thrown in my car this morning, swinging myself out of my Porsche and throwing them on. I wasn’t famous on the level of someone like say, Bryce Harding, but Fae princes weren’t exactly a dime a dozen. To avoid being spotted, it was best to try to blend in. I tucked my Fae ears up under the cap.
Pulling its visor down to hide my blonde bangs, but not so far it looked conspicuous, I circled around the temple first, as I had the others. If Jack 2 had been inside recently, I’d know.
Nothing, so far.
Finally, back around front and near the doors, I caught a whiff of that energy I was searching for. But the aura was stale, lingering like the scant remnants of fumes from freshly dried paint. So stale, I couldn’t even be certain it was him until I walked right up to it.
Hearing a booming voice echoing from within, I slipped inside and found myself in a large lobby. Beyond it, the grand temple itself. A two-level amphitheater that was alive with cheers, claps and shouts of approval. A sign in the lobby read:Special Lecture Today by our EsteemedOverseer Clyde Blunton.
Still not detecting anymore of Jack 2—only that he’d walked through those doors sometime recently, in the last few days was my best guess—I began taking photos of the fliers posted around the lobby as I listened.
“Thank you, all. It is my honor to speak to you as your overseer and provide guidance in these dark times. We must stand together. Because they”—he shouted out—“they hate what we have here! They hate the flawless logic of purity. They accuse us of being fearmongers, peddlers of racist ideologies!”
He paused. A wave of boos and angry shouts washed over the crowd, not directed at the overseer but in agreement with him.
“But what would they have of us, of all our beautiful breeds? They would have each of us deteriorate, disappear into the void, into oblivion. Replaced with disgusting sorts of mongrels and halfbreeds. Worse than humans themselves. We must fight back!”
What hateful and empty-headed nonsense he was spewing.
Unable to tolerate his bullshit, and having finished taking photos of every scrap of paper on the walls, I raced back home to Ceci.
I arrived at the penthouse to a rather confusing sight.
Ceci was pressing her janitor’s uniform on an ironing board in the living room, her class notes all arranged in folders on one of the couches.
She looked up, set down the iron and raced over. “We were worried about you!” She didn’t stop until she was within inches of my chest, her arms fidgeting at her sides as if she wanted to reach for me. “Where were you? Didn’t you get Aaron’s texts?”
“Oh, yes.” I patted my pocket where my phone was. “I knew I’d be back soon enough.”
“You should’ve replied.” The words were accusing, but not spoken harshly.
“I didn’t know you’d worry. You were busy with everyone else.” I waved a hand around at the guys, as well various coven members and NN Lupines, who were sitting around the living room and kitchen, milling about, eating and drinking.
“I did worry.” Concern in her eyes shifted to a bit of sadness as she looked away.
She turned back to her ironing and notes. Surely she wasn’t making preparations for a regular college day, the next day? That was ludicrous, given the situation.
Aaron gave me a shrug, as if he’d given up trying to persuade her from acting like tomorrow would be just another day.
I walked over to her ironing and asked in a manner probably a tad too stern, “And what do you think you’re doing?”
