Charlotte flushed pink and smiled as she left the room. “I’ll see you later tonight, Grayson.”
Back in the lab, I drummed my fingers across the bench as I waited for Scott. The rest of the lab had left an hour ago, but she was sitting in a room with a flow cytometry machine. Her phone vibrated for the millionth time, a few inches away from me. Irritated with the continual buzzing sound, I reached across and saw Holden’s face on the screen.
A familiar spark of chaos warmed my soul as I answered, “Quentin Scott’s phone. Grayson, Lord of Chaos, speaking. What is it you desire?”
“Where’s Scott?” Holden’s voice was terse down the line.
“She’s with me,” I told him.
“What’s she doing?”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to divulge that information,” I said with amusement.
There was a flash of fury that transpired down the call. It made me laugh to know how close to the edge Holden was.
“What are you doing?” Scott asked, appearing in the main section of the lab and walking over to me. “Is that my phone? Give it here.” She held her hand out, and I dropped the phone into it. “Holden?” Scott put the phone to her ear. “Yeah, we’re on our way now. I had to wrap some things up. See you.” She put the phone down and eyed me. “Let’s get going.”
“How are we getting there?” I asked, head cocked to the side, disappointed that she cut my wings before I caused real trouble.
“I’ll drive us.”
“I have a better way,” I told her with a mischievous glint in my eye. Clearly, there was still trouble to be had.
Before she could say anything, my aura wrapped around both of her wrists and pulled her into me. It consumed us both, drowning us in darkness, and when it disappeared, we were standing in the alley at the side ofMurphy’s.
Scott took in a deep breath, looking slightly shaken. When she recovered, she scolded me.“Grayson! You’re not meant to use your powers outside the institute.”
“I won’t tell if you don’t,” I said, arching an eyebrow.
Scott told me she wanted proof, and I’d give it to her in all the forms I could, just so I could prove her wrong. Nothing would taste sweeter than getting her to concede.
She shook her head and reached into her pocket, pulling out the copper cuff. “I told you if we’re out you need to wear it,” she reminded me before I had the chance to object.
“You also said if I’m with the others, I’m not required to wear it.”
“You just used your powers,” Scott countered. “I think I’m well within my rights to ask you to put this on.”
I hesitated because something told me I’d be the only God that was still restrained.
“We could always ask Gareth and Hunter what they think,” Scott told me, tipping her chin upward.
My jaw tightened. Scott knew she’d won this round. She unlocked the cuff and placed it around my wrist before fastening it again. The copper sat snug on my arm with no way of pulling it off unless she released me from it.
Scott pushed past me and entered the pub. The noise from the place hit me like a brick wall as soon as the door opened and I lost sight of her among the rest of the punters, but I sensed my kin close by.
“Grayson!”
When I turned my head, I saw Ignacio had called my name. His tie hung loosely around his neck, and a lopsided grin graced his face.
I made my way over and took a seat beside him. Our paths didn’t cross often in terms of work, but Ignacio and I had struck up a friendship centuries ago when we were children. Chaos and luck wrapped together in one devious package. I could usually trust Ig to take my side when it came to Hunter and the others.
“Why did you look like you were ready to kill this afternoon?” Ignacio asked. “Other than the usual, of course. Bruna was up in Hunter’s lab, and she returned with some salacious gossip, but I’d rather hear it from the horse’s mouth.”
“Hunter causing yet another inconvenience in my life,” I told him bluntly, not wanting to get into it. “Nothing new and it’s been resolved now. Let me grab a drink.”
I got up from my seat and walked over to the bar, ordering a gin.
“Pace yourself,” Charlotte said, appearing next to me.
