His eyes grow hazy, and he nods. “Yes.”
I press our lips together, surprised when he parts his and dips his tongue into my mouth. We stay like that for a few perfect moments, until the sound of a clearing throat interrupts. I look over my shoulder to see Auri tapping his foot.
“As much as I love a good show, I do need my amulet. Hurry along, pets.”
“Right away, Master.”
Mac, who was slack in my arms, straightens up and nods. “Yeah. We’re on a mission.”
“Let’s go.”
I slip us between the realms, clinging tightly to my mate as we travel through the void, arriving at our destination in seconds. I have no idea how long it would take to get there in human time, but it couldn’t be faster than this.
We step into the middle of a busy street crowded with people. Atlas, Roman, and Cassius are nearby, all of us looking around, dazzled by the city lights and the cacophony of sounds and voices.
Mac rubs his nose, his brow crinkling. “Oh no.”
“What?”
Roman tilts his head back, sniffing the air. “Damn.”
I sniff too, instantly becoming aware of the problem. Magic of all kinds taints the air, mixing into a fragrance that’s impossible to untangle.
“Look.” Cassius points.
All around us are magic users, identified by glowing fingertips or shimmering auras.
“Guess we know why Rune likes to hang out here,” Mac says dryly. “It’s a haven for his kind.” He shakes his head. “We’re never gonna find him.”
“We will,” I assure him, though I have no idea how.
“Got anything belonging to him?” Roman taps his nose. “I’m pretty good at scents.”
“Just the journal,” Mac says.
“One second.” Atlas disappears for a second and reappears with it. “I’ll hold it since it’s cursed.”
Roman takes a sniff and wrinkles his nose. “Got it.”
“You should keep that with us,” Cassius says. “Maybe it’ll draw him to us.”
“Good idea.” Mac looks around with his hands on his hips. “Any idea where to start?”
Roman walks in a circle, sniffing the air. A slow smile spreads over his face. “I think I got something. Let’s go.”
We take off after Roman, and as we walk, Mac reaches out and grabs my hand. Through the bond I feel his determination, but there’s something else there too. Something new that I can’t quite name. It’s good though; I can tell that much. I can only hope he’s warming to the idea that we’re going to spend eternity together. My patience with him will pay off. I’m sure of it.
We walk down a dimly lit alleyway, stopping in front of a small wooden door. When we step through, it’s obvious it’s the place where Rune is staying. It looks just like his cabin in the woods.
“He’s not here,” Mac says.
“We’ll find him,” I assure him.
He nods, holding my gaze for a few lingering seconds.
“I got another hit,” Roman says. “He’s here somewhere. We’ll search the whole city if we have to.”
“Looks like it’s gonna be a long night,” Cassius says, with a giddy note to his voice.
