“It’s probably nothing,” I admitted, knowing there was a good chance I was being paranoid.
Despite that, I dropped into my other sight. The night took on new depth as I glimpsed a layer of reality that was usually hidden. Traces of magic lingered all around me. The bar was covered in it, substantial and powerful enough to make a tiny pulse of pain pound at the base of my brain.
But that wasn’t all.
A tiny bit of magic existed in most things. The trees at the edge of the lot. The metal of the dumpster beside me. Even the concrete under my feet carried a trace.
It was much rarer to encounter something with no magic at all.
Dahlia’s wards hummed at the edge of my senses. Magic leaked from them, leeching into the surroundings and lighting up the night like a hot zone.
I knew if I concentrated, I could unravel those wards. Unmake them before rendering them inert.
It was why my kind were called magic breakers.
It was also why we were so hunted.
Already, the minuscule amount of attention I’d paid to the wards was enough for a few of the anchor points to loosen. Threads unfurled, drifting in my direction.
I soothed them back into place, taking my time to make sure they weren’t going anywhere.
Finished, I examined my surroundings to find a hint of something that didn’t belong at the base of one of the trees whose branches swept low.
It was more than just that the shadows were dense enough that I couldn’t see into their depths. The power crouched at their heart felt familiar in a way I couldn’t put into words. Deep and immense.
For a split second, I was reminded of my dream last night. I stepped forward, drawn to the shadows in spite of myself.
Connor caught my arm, pulling me behind him. “Come out of there while I’m still asking nicely.”
We stared at the base of the trees in expectation.
Connor’s body was rigid with tension, his vigilance no less than mine.
The longer we waited, the antsier I felt.
Until finally, a sharp bark put us out of our misery. My heart gave a startled thump as Alches bounded out of the shadows, sliding to a stop in front of me.
Or at least he tried to. His momentum was great enough that his hind quarters had to back pedal rapidly to keep from slipping out from under him.
He scrambled for purchase, his nails scratching against the concrete.
I buried my face in Connor’s shoulder, trying to stifle the laughter that was more a product of relief than amusement.
Though I had to admit the nonplussed look on Connor’s face was also funny.
“What is this?” Connor asked, staring at the shadow-hound in consternation.
“Connor—meet Alches. Alches—meet Connor.”
The two knew of each other, but this was the first time they were meeting in a formal capacity.
I waited as the shadow-hound drew himself up straight, an arrogant expression settling on his face despite the way he’d almost tumbled ass-over-head moments before.
Connor’s features were impassive as he and the hound studied each other.
“I’m sure I told you about him, didn’t I?” I asked, feeling a little nervous for some reason.
Connor made a humming sound of agreement as he turned to go. “I’ll wait inside. Don’t take too long.”
