Quinn’s cheeks turned pink. “Ah, right.”
It was so hard to release her hand, but I did, before weaving the energies of the world together to close the puncture hole in my hip. Cayden stepped to her side and pulled her back. I shared an indecipherable look with the Lawson, who, before my most recent nap, had been relying on my orders to function.
“Cover it. Now,” Ezra stated, his gaze focused on the dragon’s horn.
“Yeah,” Quinn wrinkled her nose and pulled a bright yellow textured tube, definitely not from this time, out of her pocket-void. She shoved it on, foam crunching as the excess wobbled from the dragon’s nose.
“Can you cut this down?” she asked the room.
The little dragon whipped its head from side to side, nailing Cayden and then Rowan with the extra bright yellow material. Both looked more offended than hurt, and I’d never worked so hard to keep from laughing.
It was one of my lover’s knives that made the final cut. I beamed.
Abernathy cleared his throat, and I remembered I was in a very official strategy meeting, trying not to give Quinn any extra attention.
I focused on Cayden. “Cayden, I’m going to visit your family.”
Cayden jerked his attention to me. I explained the situation, and the blood drained out of the rune mage’s face.
“Do you want to join us?” I asked.
Cayden crossed his arms over his chest. “Why isn’t getting Quinn’s collar off the priority?”
He was deflecting. He needed time.
I looked at my men. “Take ten.”
Four of the five filed out. Morgen lingered long enough to study Quinn and her dragon before scowling and hurrying through the door. Rowan leaned against my table, daring me to order him to follow.
I didn’t. Instead, I turned back to Cayden. “You made your own attempts as well. Neither magic, a tool, nor brute strength worked.”
A small part of the metal from the collar peeked out from Quinn’s hoodie. If I didn’t know better, I would think it was just a necklace.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Quinn said. “I can use my magic. And I haven’t seen Alex since I woke up, mostly.” An edge of fear madeher voice waver. “It’s not a big deal, Cayden. Your family comes first.”
My blood chilled. Alex. I knew that name too well.
I cupped Quinn's cheek and forced her to meet my gaze. “Who’s Alex?”
Quinn frowned. “I think he made my collar.”
Fear shot down my body, the entire room frosting with it. I took a calming breath. “Let me see. Think of him now.”
Quinn nodded and closed her eyes.
Images of me mixed with an old man with long, white-speckled, cerulean-blue dreadlocks and matching eyes. Bushy facial hair hid most of his face. A song from her time played in the background. Suddenly, the face sharpened in detail and grinned, exposing a patchwork of teeth clinging to receding spotted gums.
Alex winked at me.
“Alex made my collar, I think,” Quinn said a second time, completely unaware of Alex’s presence. “I didn’t really understand what was going on. I was trapped in a loop by Alex, I think, but he didn’t hurt me. He couldn’t touch me or anything. I think he’s lonely. It still scared me, but I also feel bad for the guy.”
Alex made a pouting face and nodded.
I forced myself to take another calming breath and exited her mind. My hands shook, and fear froze my soul. Ezra wanted me to act sooner, but I hadn’t had enough information. Now I knew far, far too much. Alex, who’d barely held onto his sanity a decade ago, had unrestricted access to Quinn.
I wasn’t sure I’d ever experienced true terror before.
“Xan? What’s wrong?” Quinn stepped to my side. “You look like someone died.”
