“I doubt Joe would be interested in a thief. He has more important worries.”
“This wasn’t a regular thief,” Maya insisted.
There was no missing the edge in Maya’s voice. Tia arched a brow. “It sounds personal.”
Maya pinched her lip, confirming Tia’s suspicion she held a personal grudge against the burglar.
“She hit Witch’s Brew last night. I had a trap set for her but she managed to walk through my magical locks and shield as if they weren’t there.”
Tia blinked in surprise, recalling the painful bonds of air that had wrapped around her just moments ago.
“The same one you set for me tonight?”
“Well, it wasn’t intended for you, but it was the same spell.” Maya deliberately paused. “Along with help from Peri.”
Tia’s attention was fully captured. Peri’s wild magic could hold a feral vampire captive. If there was a creature out there who could bust through both Maya’s and Peri’s combined strength, then she needed to know about it.
“What did the mystery thief steal?”
“Junk.” Maya waved her hand toward the open door that led to her private lair. “I have a hundred powerful charms, potions, and spell books in the vault but she grabbed the least valuable objects. I think it was on purpose.”
“Why would she do that? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Yeah, well, it makes even less sense that I tracked her to a nearby alley where her trail disappeared.”
“Did she leave anything behind?”
Maya reached into the pocket of her slacks to pull out a small plastic bag. “A strand of hair. I tried a locating spell but there’s an annoying buzz that blocked me. It might be the same interference you’re experiencing.”
Tia held out her hand, watching as a silvery-blond strand floated out of the plastic bag to land in the center of her palm. It looked human, but there was no way to tell for sure. Not without using her magic. Right now, however, she was more interested in whether or not it could lead her to Joe.
Closing her eyes, Tia tapped into the tumultuous power that flowed through her blood. The magic sizzled and snarled, demanding to be released even as she grimly wrestled for control. Every mage was different when they spoke of their magic. For some it was a sweet, gentle surge. For others it was a bubbling pool. For Tia it was a crushing avalanche that cascaded through her, threatening to explode the moment she was distracted.
It was a dangerous, intoxicating sensation, but it demanded her full concentration to avoid disaster.
With care not to destroy the strand of hair, Tia released a trickle of power, forging a mental connection. Almost immediately the image of a woman with pale hair pulled into a braid and startling lavender eyes formed in her mind. Tia had never seen her before, and even with her magic blasting through her it was impossible to determine if she was a demon or a mage.
Locking on the image, Tia called up her memories of Joe. His long, coppery hair and elegantly sculpted features with eyes that burned with an emerald fire. And his tall, muscular body that was too perfect to be human.
The image of the unknown woman blurred before re-forming to reveal her standing in the center of an apartment.
“There she is.”
“You found her?”
With an effort, Tia widened the vision to take in a filthy room that was stuffed with boxes. In the background was a male goblin with long hair and a pale red aura.
“I can see her standing next to Joe,” Tia said, unable to determine if she was witnessing an image or a memory. “There’s a demon there. It looks like he has something tattooed on his face. Flames?”
“Hexx.” Maya spit out the name like a curse. “You’ve got to be kidding me. He’s like the plague. He just keeps coming back no matter how many times I try to scrub the streets of his annoying presence.”
“You know where to find him?” Tia demanded.
“Unfortunately. I’ll grab my satchel.”
Tia didn’t bother to respond, heading outside to where her car was waiting. Lynch, a large goblin who’d been her personal bodyguard for years, was behind the steering wheel, showing no surprise when Maya quickly joined Tia and they slid into the back seat.
Maya gave Lynch the address before leaning back against the plush leather seat, content to allow the silence settle between them. It was nice, Tia decided with a pang of surprise. She’d been so angry with this woman for so long. For decades she blamed Maya for walking away when they could have combined their powers to make themselves invincible. But in truth, she’d been angry that her friend had abandoned her when she needed her the most.
