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Fenris’s Private Villa
Isla Lobo, Panama
Fenris, Walter, and Abi returned the next day, just in time for the late lunch Val and I made. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing; we hadn’t planned on making anything special, but cooking together the night before had been so…needed. It seemed silly not to take advantage of the relative peace of the island to do it again while we had the chance.
“Wow! It smells great in here!” Abi chirped as she bounced through the door, a bag slung over her shoulder. I grinned, happy to see Fenris had taken her back home to get her things. “Ohhh, did you guys make hush puppies? Yum!”
“Sure did,” I said, grinning. “Val’s family recipe. Come eat before it gets cold.”
Abi didn’t have to be told twice; she swung her bag over the back of the chair. She sat down and reached for a plate, already helping herself by the time Walter and Fenris finally sat down.
Walter looked at the small spread and smiled over at us. “What a nice surprise,” he said quietly. “This looks lovely. Thank you. Both of you.”
Val beamed, taking her place. “You deserve to have someone cook for you sometimes, too, Walter,” she murmured, helping herself to the fresh salad I’d prepared as a side.
I had to bite down a grin at seeing them look at each other like that. “So, how did the meeting go?” I hoped the answer waswell. No one lookedtoostormy.
“I believe we’ll have several new allies,” Walter reported, looking quite pleased.
“Yeah, and I got a newsensei!” Abi added before Walter could say anything else.
I frowned, glancing at Fenris, who hadn’t said anything so far. He seemed both exasperated and amused. My frown deepened, and I looked back at my friend. “You’re…taking up karate? Here? On Isla Lobo?”
She snickered and popped another hush puppy into her mouth, making me wait until she finished eating. “Nope. I met Fenris’s hunter-gone-rogue, and he said he’d take me on as an apprentice.” Her grin widened. “The next time a witch comes at me, I’ll be able to give her what for!”
“Uh huh.” I had no idea what she was talking about, but she looked really pleased. And if this was about self-defense, I couldn’t argue with that.
“I got my phone back, too,” Abi added. “Canceled the service so we can’t get tracked by the man or whatever, but I’ve left myself a lot of notes, and I want to get through all these voicemails.”
“Were you able to get in touch with your family before you guys left Florida?” I asked.
“Yeah! My grandpa is out of the hospital.” Abi’s smile softened a little. “I was really glad to hear that. I was able to get in touch with Kevin, too—he seemed way more normal than the last time we spoke. Liana’s back in Tallahassee—oh, that’s right! Fenris picked up your bill there.”
“What?!” I swallowed hard, giving Fenris a look. “I was going to take care of that.”
Fenris shrugged. “I was there, and Abigail was able to transfer the money through an app once I sent it to her. It was quite simple, and now your friend has been paid and you don’t have to worry about it.” His amber eyes twinkled. “We took care of all the outstanding bills. Your rent is also paid through the year.”
I sputtered, but Abi just smirked at me, looking like the cat that got the canaryandthe cream.
Was this her idea or Fenris’s? Are they…are they conspiring?
Nowthatwas a scary thought. I’d have to grill my friend later.
“You two are dangerous together,” I finally said, taking a bite of my lunch.
Fenris just rolled his eyes, but Abi cackled. “And don’t you forget it!”
After lunch, Fenris asked me to meet him in the library, which seemed a bit odd to me. If he wanted a private conversation, his bedroom would’ve been the better choice. But I adored the library, so I had no real complaints.
When I arrived, he was already sitting in one of the chairs by the window, a nondescript bag sitting in his lap. I felt a tingle of curiosity and walked over as if magnetically drawn. “What’s that?” I asked, taking a seat next to him. “Did you get a souvenir on your trip?”
Fenris gave me a fond smile, and for a moment, my heart stopped. I forgot all about the bag, even though I could hear him unlatching the leather strap. I couldn’t look away from his warm amber eyes. “Not as such,” he murmured, his voice as soothing as honeyed whiskey. “But I did bring something back for you. My contact—the former hunter Abigail mentioned—retrieved this for me while trying to look into your background.”
I finally tore my eyes away from Fenris as he handed me a tome, but not just any tome. The book was absolutelystunning. My hands trembled as I held the dark leather and let my fingers brush the embossing. There was a moonstone the size of my palm in the middle, looking as pale as the moon until I angled it. Once it caught the sunlight, it seemed to transform, becoming almost luminescent in its soft blue glow. Every color of the rainbow appeared trapped within it.
“What’s this?” I asked quietly.
“This is an old Handmaiden grimoire,” he replied. “It’s been magically sealed. As one of the only known remaining Handmaiden witches, we reasoned you might be able to open it. It does have a blood seal, mind, but I believe that inside, you may find the context and the spells you were asking me about earlier.”
