They all eyed her with various levels of confusion.
She sighed. “The average person on the street, or on the Internet, doesn’t believe in magic, guys. When they hear people talk about it they either think they’re a Satan worshipper or a lunatic. So where can people who know magic is real go to connect with each other? The deep Web. In fact, I found some interesting conversations on the darknet while I was searching for nocturnis. If any of the missing Wardens are even remotely tech savvy, that’s the place where you should be looking.”
Ella started to look excited, and by “excited” Kylie meant “awake.” “Oh, wow, that makes perfect sense. If even a few of them are on the darkwhoosie, if we contact them there, then they can spread the word to others they might already know of. I mean, it’s not a guarantee of anything, but I think it’s the best lead we’ve had in a while.”
Fil nodded. “Agreed. Can you show us how we can get hooked in to the ‘darkwhoosie’ there, Koyote?”
“Only if you all swear never to call it the ‘darkwhoosie’ again. At least not in my hearing.”
“Deal,” Wynn said firmly. She flashed her old friend a smile. “We really lucked out the day you became a Warden, Kyle E. Woyote. I don’t even know where we’d be right now without you. We wouldn’t even know that a third of the Seven had been set free, let alone about the attacks here and in Dublin. You’ve helped us save some lives.”
“Not enough,” Kylie said.
“It’s never enough.”
Kylie felt the sad silence stretch between them, but Dag let it go for only a moment before he hugged her tightly.
“You Wardens might be lucky to have Kylie join your ranks,” he said, smiling down at his mate, “but none of you have half my luck, for I have had Kylie join my heart.”
Kylie returned his smile and added a roll of her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Back at you, big guy. You know, for such a tough Guardian-type dude, you can be a real sap, you know that?”
The others laughed while Dag tickled her in retaliation.
“This is perfect then,” Wynn said, snuggling against her mate’s chest and nodding to the rest of the group. “Kylie will get us on the darknet, we’ll intensify the search for the missing Wardens, and continue to dig up everything we can on those last three Guardians. I think Ireland is as good a place to start as any. And who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky again.”
Kylie grinned and leaned in to whisper in her mate’s ear. “I know what would make me feel lucky. Having the house all to ourselves again.”
Dag laughed and whispered back. “At least we have the third floor to ourselves. Perhaps we should be thankful for small mercies.”
Looking up into his flaming black eyes, Kylie felt her heart melt and the rest of the world recede. This Guardian, this mate, this man had burst into her life in a shower of stone and violence and changed absolutely everything. He had opened her eyes to an entire world she had never known existed, and opened her heart to feelings she had never thought were possible.
Really, the only thing she had to be thankful for was him.
And she would be, for the rest of her life.