For whatever reason, she’d asked me to visit each spot and identify that exact point, where they would later perform the ritual for raising the wards around Boston. All twenty-one of them. Sure, I could teleport and get it done quicker, but I could’ve just as easily said no. I could’ve stayed in bed with Lexi instead of going to Salem at the crack of dawn to collect these damn rocks in my pocket.
“Why it had to be me and not some lowly peon, I don’t know,” I grumbled to myself, studying the chunk of tourmaline in my palm. “No one ever asks Loki to do this crap.”
“No one asks me to do what?”
Loki yelped and grabbed his face as the black gemstone bounced off his forehead and rolled across the grass. I glared at him and snatched it back up. A small part of me wanted to laugh that he got what he deserved, but a larger part was annoyed that I’d never felt him arrive.
“I thought you were supposed to wear a bell now.”
The god of mischief shrugged and shook his head, chuckling. There wasn’t even a mark where I’d pegged him. “It was a bit itchy. Is that Miranda’s magic I sense?”
I held the tourmaline chunk up for him to see. “She made these markers last night for the ritual, said I needed to set them in place a week before so it could absorb natural energy or something. Honestly, witch magic tends to get overly complicated.”
“That’s why it’s so effective,” Loki countered smugly. “If you can follow each step of a complex spell, from the cleansing to the closing, you’re essentially proving your dedication to the craft. The goddess blesses those who prove themselves worthy.”
“I don’t think Hecate cares one way or the other, personally.” Turning away, I entered a smaller grassy area along the Harborwalk, closer to the water. The warm energy I’d felt ended there, so I knelt and inserted the stone partially into the ground per Miranda’s instructions. “Magic is magic; you’re either born with the gift or not. If you do a spell or whatever, it should work regardless of her opinion.”
Loki just smiled and followed me to the next site on Rainsford Island. The energy was chaotic on the outwardly calm strip of land, but I managed to find that thread of warmth that would lead me to the right spot. I didn’t like the feel of the place, all the death that lingered here, but Lexi’s mom knew what she was doing and had a powerful grimoire to guide her. Surely, she’d already taken the history of the small island into consideration.
“Oh, have you had lunch today?”
When I looked back, Loki held two hot dogs buried under brown mustard and sauerkraut—a New York dog. Where the hell were they a minute ago? He held one out to me and I cringed away from it. “Do you have any idea what the humans put into those things?”
His expression fell flat. “You and I both know a hot dog isn’t the worst thing that’s been in either of our mouths.”
A laugh burst from my mouth so suddenly, I actually flinched at the sound. Then I let it out, because he had a point. The sheer delight that passed across Loki’s face almost made me regret my decision, but it was out there now. It occurred to me that this man was responsible for Lexi’s twisted sense of humor, and I squashed the urge to thank him for it.
I did accept the hot dog, though.
“Finally!” He lifted his hands victoriously. “Getting a laugh out of you is harder than sitting through thatCatsremake with all the CGI.”
The tourmaline chunk glistened as I set it in place. Something in the island’s energy shifted uncomfortably, scraping across my nerves like nails on a chalkboard, before it settled again. I grit my teeth and shook the feeling off.
“Why a New York hot dog?” I asked, nodding toward the city across the water. “I hear Boston’s are pretty good.”
“They are,” he replied, shrugging one shoulder, “but New York’s are my favorite. The American South is a close second, but New York puts love into theirs.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s what I’d be afraid of.”
Loki cackled and elbowed me as I stepped away from the stone and ate the dog. It wasn’t my preference, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. Certainly better than the greasy burger and fries Lexi loved, though I did enjoy watching the enthusiastic way she adored food of all kinds. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner at the bakery, even if we’d never gone further than that.
My back pocket started vibrating and I yanked my phone out. “It’s Miranda.” Without waiting for Loki’s response, I answered it and put it on speaker. “I’m almost done setting the markers—”
“The wards,” she said, interrupting me. She sounded breathless, like she’d been running, which was never a good sign. “Something huge just breached the wards, and I’m afraid you’re the closest to deal with it. My coven and I aren’t suited for this level of power.”
Loki leaned toward the phone, shoulders tense, eyebrows tilted with worry. “Miranda, are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, I’m fine. It was just so sudden and I’m still fielding calls from the coven about it. I’ll text you the approximate address. Would you mind—”
“We’ll be right there.”
“Be careful,” added another voice, one that sent chills running down my spine. Lexi was with her mother for training, which meant she was in Salem during whatever this breach was.
“We’ll be fine.” His eyes burned like verdant flames. “Stay inside and protect your mother.”
I hung up and looked at Loki. “You’re coming?”
Any lingering humor had abandoned his face, and he nodded once. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
