My mother makes a face. “I doubt it. Saints are frustratingly hard to pinpoint—they’re famously into giving without getting any recognition and tend to fall off the radar of any government entity entirely to carry out their gods-given missions until they choose to show up again. They're also pacifists who wouldn't want to engage in combat. It doesn’t help that any holy magic is untraceable, even for someone like Douglas.”
Perhaps that explains our prophetess friend slipping past Silas’s magic wards after First Placement,Crypt muses telepathically.
Silas frowns.Just because someone’s magic is untraceable does not meantheyare. My wards would have stopped a typical prophetess. It still makes no sense how she was able to get into our apartment.
Maybe your magic’s just not as impressive as you think,I tease.
Or maybe Maven is right,Everett sends through the bond, frowning at the map as he adjusts one of his sleeves repetitively.Maybe some of the things that have happened to us have to do with the will of the gods.
Those meddling fuckers,Maven grumbles telepathically.
Snowdrop,he groans.You know what? Maybe theyaremessing with us just because you blaspheme so much.
Maven ignores him as my mom makes me promise that I will stay in touch with her—since, according to Maven, all the shit that's about to happen is about to happen really damn quickly.
Maven and my mom continue to talk as Crypt begins putting back several of the little pieces he removed from the board when no one was watching. He also returns the packets of suppressants that he apparently swiped from my back pocket out of boredom during this little meeting.
Fucking pickpocket.
Either use those or invite me in to at least watch next time,he sends just to me.
I'm about to tell him there's no fucking way he's going to ever see me in a rut with my mate, but I pause. With how far gone I was, it honestly would’ve been weirdly reassuring to know he was there if Mavendidhave to put me in stasis.
Maybe, I reply telepathically.
Maven finishes speaking with my mom and announces that we’ll make any necessary preparations and leave tonight for Baltimore for her final “mark.”
As in, Natalya fucking Genovese.
36
EVERETT
I can't sayI mind waiting in the car for hours when Maven is sitting in the passenger seat beside me in that tight black crop top, gloves, and dark leggings. A jacket waits for her at her feet, but I'm purposely keeping the vehicle toasty just so I can have this view.
It's before dawn. We're in an unmarked SUV parked down the street from the luxurious safehouse where Maven thinks Natalya is hiding out, based on Engela's detailed letter.
Baltimore is practically abandoned, with all the buildings on the historic roads left lightless. At first glance, the emptiness might seem like it's just because it's the early hours—but nobody else is parked out here on the street overnight. This is typically when humans would be getting up and leaving early for work to get ahead of city traffic, but the roads are empty.
A light snow flurry settles on the defrosting windshield as Silas and Baelfire talk quietly in the back seat. Crypt is unseen but probably hanging around in here somewhere, if he's not busy eating the dreams of anyone who ignored the evacuation warning and stayed in Baltimore.
The Garnet Wizard mentioned you bought something from him for an empath years ago,Maven muses through the bond just to me.
I tense. What else did that old eccentric tell her? If he brought up the whole thing with Silas?—
It was for your sister, right?She glances at me.
My keeper is always so sharp. I nod.
That's a rare gift,she notes.
I make a face.Not sure she'd call it that.
You seem protective of her.
I am,I admit.She went through a lot as a kid. Had it much tougher than I did. As an empath, she experienced everyone else's emotions constantly, even when she was a baby. Empaths tend to overload and get severe panic attacks. Most of the legacy community accepts that and has been raising awareness about it for years to end the negative stigma about empaths being weak, but my parents never got the memo. They punished her anytime she couldn't handle everything she felt from others, which was way too fucking much in that house. So, as soon as I had the means to step in, I did.
Maven studies me, her expression soft.You keep saying you're not worthy of me. That's bullshit. The reverse is true.
