Paralyzed by a sense of helplessness, Tia abruptly froze as an unexpected heat brushed against her back. It wasn’t a physical touch, but someone had passed by with an enormous amount of magic. Spinning around, she studied the mist. She couldn’t see anything, but she wasn’t fooled. There’d been a presence behind her. A powerful creature who’d been close enough to set off her instinctive warning bells.
“Who’s there? Show yourself,” she commanded, her voice echoing eerily through the vast emptiness. The mist continued to swirl, stubbornly hiding whoever was lurking just out of sight. A shiver raced through her even as she straightened her spine. She’d wondered how she could help Joe. Now she knew. Remaining in the mist, she reached out to her companion. “Maya.”
A second later Maya appeared, glancing around in confusion. “You rang?”
“I need to remain here and protect the Watcher.”
Maya’s gaze at last landed on the green pile of slime, her eyes widening as she realized that it was Joe being smothered under the thick tenacles.
“Dear goddess,” she muttered. “What is that?”
“I’m not sure, but we don’t want it getting loose.”
“No shit.” Maya shuddered. “What do you want from me?”
“It’s too dangerous to try and interfere in Joe’s battle, but I’ve sensed a presence in the mist.”
Maya arched a brow. “Now?”
“It’s able to stay hidden from view, but I felt a pulse of their power just moments ago. The fact that they’re lurking out of sight means that they aren’t here to do anything good.” Tia moved to stand as close to Joe as she dared, slowly lowering herself to sit on the ground. “I need to stay here, but that leaves me vulnerable.”
Maya nodded. “I’ll weave a layer of protection around the building. Nothing’s going to get in or out without me knowing.”
Tia held her friend’s gaze. “It will be stronger if we weave the spell together.”
“You’re right,” Maya agreed without hesitation. “I’ll start outside and weave it toward the roof before adding another layer around the apartment.” She paused, her brows pulling together. “Be careful.”
Breaking their mental connection, Maya disappeared, and Tia impatiently waited for the younger mage to tap into her magic. Once she felt the familiar tingles, Tia released a burst of power to join with Maya, working together with an ease that only came from years of practice. Patiently they weaved the delicate strands of magic to form a shield that should be able to keep out any enemy. Then, with one last burst, they sealed the barrier in place.
Once she was done, Tia released her magical link to Maya and heaved a harsh sigh. It hadn’t been that difficult, but she was more frustrated than she wanted to admit that she could do nothing to stop the violent magic that was crushing Joe. What if he didn’t survive? What if...
“Tia.”
Clearly sensing her rising panic, Joe’s voice whispered through the air, easing the knots that had formed in the pit of her stomach. With an effort, she squared her shoulders and scooted so she was facing the mist.
She was Tia. The most feared mage in the entire world. She didn’t give in to hysterics. Joe was going to defeat the nasty, slimy evil. And she was going to make sure nothing happened to him while he did his thing.
“I’m here, you annoying pest. I’ve got your back,” she assured him. “Just take care of your business so we can go home.”
Chapter 6
Wynn was shocked when she reappeared in the alley across from the Witch’s Brew. The glitches in her magic usually meant a spell didn’t work or that it repeated itself over and over. It didn’t often do something completely unexpected.
Leaning against the side of a Chinese takeout joint, Wynn waited for Azh to make his appearance. It was becoming a familiar trend. She disappeared and then he followed. Even if she hadn’t actually intended to disappear on this occasion.
But as the minutes ticked past she slowly accepted that he wasn’t coming. Either her impromptu vanishing act had hidden her trail too well to follow, or he’d lost interest now that he realized she didn’t have the mysterious dragon statue.
Telling herself she was happy that the intrusive male wasn’t around to pester her, Wynn darted across the street and pressed her way through the layers of magic wrapped around the Witch’s Brew. Last time she’d been in the building she’d been focused on finding the vault where the powerful relic was supposedly being hidden. She didn’t have time to stop and enjoy the yummy treats that filled the shop with a mouthwatering scent.
Her stomach rumbled with anticipation as she entered the coffee shop and silently crossed the tile floor to the walk-in fridge. She paused, listening for the sound of footsteps. Silence. As far as she could tell there was no one in the building.
Determined to take full advantage of the unexpected opportunity, Wynn grabbed a couple blueberry muffins along with the last of the flaky croissants. Then, heading to the door at the back of the shop, she cautiously pulled it open.
Once again she paused, making sure she was alone before heading up the stairs to enter one of the empty bedrooms. She assumed they had once belonged to either Peri Sanguis or Skye Claremont, the two mages who’d helped Maya try to capture her, but thankfully they’d moved out long ago.
Munching on the treats, Wynn searched the closet and the dresser for something that she could use. Either a magical artifact she could pawn or cash left behind. She didn’t find anything of value, but she did score with a pair of cutoff shorts that looked like they would fit her along with a New Jersey Devils T-shirt.
Polishing off another muffin, Wynn headed into the attached bathroom and hopped into the shower. She was hot, sticky, and in dire need of a good scrubbing.
