I sink down onto the bed and close my eyes, feeling the threads of our bond.
I thought you would come for me. As embarrassing as it is, I let him feel the full weight of the disappointment and rejection throbbing inside me. And then, Drax responds. It feels like a warm, comforting hug through our bond, the reassurance I needed more than the change of scenery.
They didn’t give up on me.Hedidn’t give up on me. They just needed a better plan than battering themselves against Rune’s illusions and magic. The knots in my chest loosen and I stroke my energy along our connection, like I’m stroking my fingertips over his arm.
I sit back down on the bed and pick up the sandwich to nibble on it, closing my eyes every few bites to feel for Drax again. And every time I do, he’s right there, like he’s holding on to our bond as tightly as I am right now.
My dragon is lethargic and hard to reach, but even he purrs from the comfort of Drax’s invisible presence. He won’t give up on me. He’ll come for me.
I finish eating and set the tray aside again before laying down in bed. It’s a large, comfortable king bed now, but if I try hard enough, I swear I can still feel the rickety cot underneath the illusion.
The lights go out and I gather the blankets around me, imagining I can feel Drax in bed next to me, stroking my hair and whispering promises to find me and bring me home.
SIXTEEN
DRAX
As soon aswe step foot in the underworld, I’m marching towards Auri’s office. It’s all his fault this is happening to Mac anyway. Well, it’s probably Mac’s fault, but I’d rather blame Auri.
Cassius snags my arm. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, my friend. You know as well as anyone that stomping into the boss’s office is not the right move.”
I want to pull my arm away and continue, but he’s right. Confronting Auri is an exercise in futility. I rub my chest, sending waves of reassurance back to Mac as strongly as possible. To know he thought I’d left him behind, even for a few minutes, tugs at my heart. Doesn’t he know that would never happen?
“What’s the plan then? I need to get back to him.”
“I think we start by seeing if there’s any information in the archives about the mage,” Cassius says. “Or we look in his book.”
I start to object, because we tried that, but Atlas snaps his fingers, calling our attention to him.
“Guys.” He’s at the table with a parchment scroll unrolled before him. “I found something.”
I cock my head. “How did you do that?”
He shakes his head. “I had to. Ever since his magic got in my nose, it’s felt like I need to know more. I called up the archives while you were talking.”
I hurry over and sit beside him. “What did you find?”
“His given name isn’t Rune,” Atlas says while Roman and Cassius gather around us. “It was Ignatius Delaport.”
“Delaport,” Cassius repeats. “Of the Louisiana Delaports?”
Atlas nods, tapping on a section of the scroll. “He’s a descendant of Colette Delaport, one of the original Bayou Mages who settled in Louisiana.”
“The Delaport family is no joke,” Cassius says. “I had a run-in two hundred years ago with Amadeo Delaport.” He shudders. “They are powerful.”
“Even I’ve heard of them,” I murmur. “The few who make it to the underworld have quite a reputation.”
“This is not good,” Roman says.
“How did you find this?” I ask, peering at the paper. “We looked him up before.”
Atlas shrugs his large shoulders. “Like I said, his magic is in my nose. I feel like the information found me, not the other way around.”
“Is there more?” Roman asks. “Some way to get to him?”
Atlas returns his gaze to the paper, dragging his finger down the page as he reads. My leg bounces with nerves under the table, but I blow out a breath to calm myself. I can’t let Mac feel my unease.
“Oh.” Atlas scratches his chin. “Rune was cast out of the Delaport family, hence his name change. He’s been traveling the world collecting powerful and dangerous magical items, but for what reason, only he knows.”
