I squatted for a better look at the tapestry of violet lines. Upon closer inspection, I realized the violet had an amber core, meaning there were two power signatures laid one on top of the other. The violet belonged to Peter, I knew. The amber must have been his master.
He was also the person responsible for the scale and intricacy of the spell. Peter’s magic had come much later, refueling what was already established.
“The kind that results in our injury or death,” Liam said dryly.
I looked up at him with a grin. “Ah. That.”
“Yes, that.”
“We’ll be fine as long as we don’t do anything the spell views as hostile.”
Like treat an unsuspecting bar goer as a slurpy straw.
I wasn’t sure what would happen if the spell was triggered. My talents only revealed a limited amount of information. Enough to know a spell had been lain over the area and that it was the source of our unease. I also got a glimpse into the caster’s intentions which was how I knew the spell’s primary function was to protect Easton’s visitors.
Beyond that, I was blind.
The only way to tell what repercussions it held was to trigger it. Given the magnitude of the working, I wasn’t a fan of that idea. I suspected the consequences of setting it off would be devastating, if not lethal.
“The longer we stay here, the stronger our feelings of not belonging are likely to get,” I added.
“Then we should move quickly.”
I wasn’t going to argue with that.
A whistle came from the end of the street as a trio of men rounded the corner. “Lookie there, boys. I told you we weren’t alone out here.”
Liam’s jaw tensed, his expression alert as he took in the strangers’ approach. “I’m going to make a guess and say that spell also effects our senses.”
It was the only explanation for how the humans got so close without either of us knowing.
“I would say so,” I said from my crouch on the ground.
My senses were still there. That much I knew. I could hear the sound of their footsteps as they walked toward us. The murmur of their voices as they whispered to one another, but I couldn’t quite catch what they were saying. It was like listening to a radio whose volume was turned down just low enough that you could tell a song was playing but not guess its title.
The other thing that was missing? Their heartbeats.
This close, I should be able to tell a lot about them. Like whether they were nervous or not. Or if they spent their off time going for runs like a lunatic or whether they preferred to act like a sloth on the couch.
Instead, I was grasping blind.
One of the group nudged another in the side, jerking his chin at me. Whatever he said caught the others’ attention and they all looked in my direction.
What did I want to bet that wasn’t a good sign?
“Liam, I don’t think there are any bars in that direction,” I whispered.
“They’re also armed.” At my look, he smirked. “I smell the oil on their guns.”
I gave an experimental sniff and frowned. “I’m not getting anything.”
Vampires weren’t the best when it came to detecting scents. With the spell muting my senses, I could barely get a whiff of Liam. Much less the humans that were still a dozen feet away.
“You have your methods; I have mine.”
I dismissed that arrogant statement, locking my gaze on the trio. “Should we run?”
Liam shook his head. “Not yet. I want to see if we can learn anything first.”
