“The power looks like yours. No one else’s.”
She frowned. “I’ve never adjusted the wards. I’ve never needed to.”
“Hmmm. Weird.” My phone buzzed and I glanced down at it. “Vas just messaged, asking when I’m planning to leave.”
Evie grinned, gently placing Lia back on the couch. She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, closed her eyes, ripped up the piece of paper, and I gaped as her hair slowly began to darken.
She lost a couple of inches and her skin turned slightly darker, matching mine. Her hair lost its curls, and while she’d never pass as my twin, from the back, hurrying toward my car, people would see what they expected to see.
I took a moment to marvel. “God you’re good. Hold on, let me grab some clothes.”
My sister was wearing a white sundress, and I handed her a pair of my jeans and a t-shirt. She pulled her gun from her purse. “Do you have a spare holster?”
“You know your gun’s not doing you much good in your purse. By the time you reach for it–”
“Dani. I’ve got approximately half an hour before this spell wears off and I need a nap.”
I winced. “Point taken.”
She pulled on my clothes, and I handed her a holster. “Okay,” she said. “I’m ready. So, I’ll just drive around?”
“Yeah. I’ve told Vas we’re heading back toward Hope Valley. Once you get there, circle for a while if you can, but make sure you get home before that spell drops.”
I felt bad tricking Vas, but if he found out that I was researching rowan, he’d be forced to tell Samael. As loyal as he was to me, not passing on that little information to Samael would get him in deep shit. And I didn’t want it on my conscience if he kept it from Samael and the demon found out.
This way, Vas would be oblivious, and I could head to my meeting in peace.
“Okay. How do I look?”
“It’s scary how well you can do that.” We swapped keys, and Evie gave Lia one last pat before she sauntered toward the door.
“What, exactly, are you doing?”
“What? This is how you walk. You think I should swing my hips more?
I let out a low growl but we didn’t have time to bicker. By the time Evie got downstairs, I was wearing her sundress and a large hat. I peered out the window, careful to stay out of sight just in case Vas happened to glance in my window.
My sister climbed into my car and drove out of the parking lot. A figure shot into the sky behind her and I grinned. Vas had been hanging out on my roof, waiting for me to leave. I’d been lucky he hadn’t decided to simply knock on my door.
Hopefully my luck would hold.
I hauled ass out of my building and into Evie’s car. Except the residual magic told me it wasn’t Evie’s at all, which I should’ve remembered, since her car was destroyed. No. This was Gemma’s car.
Ugh.
I put the car in drive and headed southeast toward the Durham Green Flea Market. The market was closed, but the rowan seller had told Cara he would meet me in the parking lot.
Distantly, I wondered if I was heading into a trap. But I trusted Cara. Besides, just because I was wearing a sundress didn’t mean I wasn’t armed.
I’d rather be preparing for the auction tonight, but, according to Cara, the seller was leaving town in a few hours. He hadn’t wanted to meet with me at all, but she’d managed to convince him. I couldn’t waste this opportunity.
I circled the lot and parked. Within a few minutes, a human guy appeared. I watched as he strode toward me. The slight bulge on his hip told me he was carrying at least one gun. I gritted my teeth. My Colt 1911 was tucked into a thigh holster under Evie’s sundress. Pulling up the dress would slow me down.
I hopped out of the car and leaned against it, ensuring no one could come up behind me. The rowan seller nodded at me, his sunglasses covering his eyes.
I let my gaze scan him. I’d put him in his sixties, although he looked healthy and fit. He was a white guy, but the tan line that poked out from beneath his t-shirt and the freckles on his forearms told me he spent a lot of time out in the sun.
“You’re not what I expected,” he said.
