“Yeah.” I propped my hands on my hips. “It looks so danged normal, you’d think we were freaking out for no reason.”
On the other side, the jaguar lounged, half his steak uneaten and his gaze on us. The expression on his face very clearly said, Overreact much, ladies?
One minute, you’re about to die, the next, a freaking cat is making fun of you. Life.
I stuck my tongue out at him, then turned to Nix. “What do you say we get back? I think I need a bath.”
“Yeah, you and me both, dude.”
CHAPTER TWO
By the time Nix and I arrived back in Magic’s Bend, we were dragging. Exhaustion was a monkey on my back—one of those stone monkeys we’d narrowly escaped back in Honduras.
But that didn’t mean we were sleeping. Oh no. It was party time.
I showered quickly, switched out my lucky bracelet for a lucky necklace made of fae silver, then grabbed my keys and hurried out of the apartment and down the stairs. By the time I stepped out onto Factory Row, the sun had set fully and the night was brisk. I shivered and zipped my leather jacket up to my neck, then turned left and headed to Potions & Pastilles.
Lights spilled out from the windows, illuminating the sidewalk out front with a golden glow. I pulled open the glass door and stepped into the warmth of the coffee shop. In honor of the occasion, the interior was done up in twinkle lights and balloons.
My friends had pushed the tables aside and were gathered in the middle of the room. Cass, Aidan, Nix, and Claire stood around the birthday guy, Emile. Connor, resident music expert, was in the corner fiddling with the sound system.
“Del!” Cass cried. “You’re back.”
“Yep!” I grinned as I approached. “Mission accomplished.”
“Nix was telling me.” Cass nudged Nix with her shoulder. “Not bad, all in all, huh? With your new power, the sky’s the limit in terms of the artifacts we can recover.”
It was a big responsibility, and normally that might have given me hives, but warmth filled me at the idea. I turned to Emile, the man of the hour. He was a skinny guy with dark hair and a kind face. A black and white rat sat on either shoulder, each wearing a tiny paper party hat that matched Emile’s. Emile was an Animus mage, and Ralph and Rufus were his buddies.
“Happy birthday, Emile!” I said.
He grinned. “Thanks.”
I scratched Ralph under the chin, then Rufus.
“They like you,” Emile said.
“I like them.” More than most humans, really. And it seemed that my connection to them was possibly growing.
Claire hiked a thumb toward the bar and grinned, her dark hair gleaming under the twinkle lights. “Help yourself. There’s a box on the counter.”
“You know me so well.” I headed toward the counter, grateful for my awesome friends.
I was fiddling with the spout on the box of red wine when Cass approached, silver can of PBR in her hand.
“So, when will Roarke show up?” she asked.
“Not sure. Once he’s done with the problem in the Underworld. Some minor demon uprising.”
“Those common?” Cass asked.
“I think so? I really need to ask more about it.” Roarke and I had known each other only a couple weeks. He wasn’t technically my boyfriend, but he was the closest thing I had to one.
I finally got the little tab of silver foil off the wine box spout. “Jackpot!”
“Any luck with your dragon sense and finding Draka?” Cass asked as I poured wine into the coffee mug I’d snagged from behind the counter.
My shoulders slumped slightly. “No.”
I’d been trying every day—every hour, almost—to get a hint of Draka’s location, but my dragon sense was too weak. Like always.
I tried to shake off the crappy feeling of failure. Moping would do no good. And it was possible that she was blocked from me somehow, which scared me more than anything.
Concern darkened Cass’s eyes. “You really think something has happened to her?”
I leaned against the counter and clutched my wine. “Yeah. I mean, I don’t know her well. Just through my dreams and the few times she helped me a couple weeks ago—but why the heck would she just disappear like that? She came to me as soon as she escaped the Underworld and helped me when I was in a bind. Then, nothing. Zip. Nada. She’s gone. And I’m really worried.”
Cass squeezed my shoulder, and I leaned into her touch, but it did little to banish the chill of concern that iced my skin. I just had this feeling. And for someone as superstitious as me, that meant something.
“You know we’ll do whatever we can to help, right?” Cass said.
“Yeah, I know.” I just needed to do more. It was my responsibility.
As I raised the coffee mug to my lips, the blue light flashed in my eyes again. My grip loosened on the cup, and it crashed to the counter, shattering. I staggered, my eyes blind. Cass’s grip saved me from cracking my chin on the counter.
I panted, blinking to clear my vision as Cass helped me stay on my feet. My knees felt like jelly.
“What the hell was that?” she demanded.
“Again!?” Nix cried.
Cass’s head whipped toward Nix. “What do you mean, again?”
“She did this before! Back in Honduras. And last night.”
Cass glared at me. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t think it was anything!” I rubbed my forehead, trying to dispel the ache that had set up between my eyes like a troll crouching under a bridge. “Apparently I was wrong.”
“What do you think it is?” Nix asked.
Behind her, everyone else had gathered, their concerned gazes glued to me. The front door opened, and Aerdeca and Mordaca stepped inside, looking like light and dark in their usual outfits of icy business woman and Elvira, respectively.
Great. Just what I needed. More people to witness my descent into madness. At least Roarke wasn’t here.
“Well?” Cass demanded. “What do you think it is?”
“I honestly don’t know.” I sighed. “But it’s getting stronger. And…and more familiar.” It felt crazy to say it, but it did feel familiar. “I don’t think it’s bad.”
“Hmmmm.” Skepticism flashed on Nix’s face, her brows drawing close and lips pursing.
Ralph and Rufus hopped off Emile’s shoulders and landed on the counter, then ran across and jumped onto me. They scaled the sleeves of my jacket, perched on my shoulder, and rubbed their little faces against my neck. Warmth filled my chest.
“Thanks, guys.” I stroked each on the back, then met the gazes of everyone staring at me. “Just give me some space, okay? I’ll figure it out.”
Everyone frowned, even Aerdeca and Mordaca, both of whom usually appeared aloof regardless of the circumstance.
I stared everyone down, and eventually the party started up again. Despite the drinks and music—curated by Connor, of course—there was a heaviness to the air. Like something was about to happen.
I collapsed into bed and slept like the dead.
Except for the dreams. Because of course I wouldn’t get a break. I almost didn’t even realize I was dreaming, except that I’d banished this place from my memories long ago.