“The old office area has a couch,” Lucien finally said.
Nadine nodded. “Thank you.”
Jono took that as permission given and made his way to the rear of the warehouse, where the previous owner had built out small, portable-like offices. His nose twitched at the smell of garbage, mold, and the buildup of dust in the warehouse. The place needed a thorough scrubbing and he didn’t hold out much hope for a clean place to tend to Patrick.
Tiny sparks of light drifted ahead of him through the open door of the first office. Nadine’s witchlights gave him more light to see by, brightening the space inside the main office. The sofa in question was broken-down and dirty, with holes chewed through by rats. Jono stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder at Emma.
“Call Leon. Tell him to bring a bed or sofa from your place,” Jono ordered.
Emma peered around him at the garbage in the office and made a face. “On it. I’ll tell him to bring us some clothes as well. I’ll need to step outside to get signal.”
“We’ll be fine.”
Jono turned around and headed back to the cleared area of the warehouse. Nadine gave him a questioning look upon his return.
“Not using the couch?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t let a cat birth kittens on that thing. We’re bringing our own furniture,” he said.
“Should’ve asked first,” Lucien said.
Jono leveled an unimpressed look at the vampire. “This might be your territory, but I don’t trust your intentions toward Patrick.”
“Still pissed I touched what you think is yours?”
“Keep your hands to yourself, or next time I’ll rip them off.” Jono smiled, fangs digging into his lips. “With my teeth.”
Jono didn’t care it was Lucien he was threatening. If the vampire threatened Patrick again, he’d do his best to rid the planet of the bastard. Lucien didn’t seem impressed, but Jono didn’t care. He might not have a pack, nor Lucien’s reputation, but like fuck would he cower before the vampire.
“If you don’t like the accommodations, you can leave,” Carmen said with a disdainful sniff.
“Not with Ethan and Hades out there looking for us,” Nadine said.
Carmen shook her head as she unzipped her formfitting Kevlar-lined leather jacket. “Hiding isn’t going to stop them. It never has.”
Sage touched Jono on the shoulder, and he looked over at her. Her face tipped upward so she could look him in the eyes. “Sit. You need to keep Patrick warm. I’ll stand guard.”
Jono’s eyes flicked down to the artifact Sage wore, the turquoise pendant with its embedded fae magic bright against her tanned skin. It wouldn’t stop her from shifting into her weretiger form, and Jono had seen her fight before. He trusted her to guard them until he could join the fight.
Nodding, Jono settled onto the floor in a cross-legged position, carefully repositioning Patrick so the foil blanket covered his cool body as much as possible. He couldn’t tell if Patrick was getting warmer now that they were out of the storm, but he hoped so.
Nadine knelt beside him and touched one hand to the foil blanket, magic flowing from her fingertips into the material. Warmth grew around them as the heat charm settled into the foil blanket. Even through her magic he could smell the bitterness of Patrick’s, faint as it was. The smell was part of his scent, and Jono took a deep breath, keeping it in his lungs.
“Ta, love,” Jono grunted.
Nadine glanced at him. “It’s not the first time Patrick has hit burnout. He’ll be all right once we get him stabilized.”
“I thought he couldn’t tap a ley line? Did he try? Is that why he’s like this?”
“He didn’t tap a ley line. He can’t. The coins were gifts from the gods.” Nadine studied Jono with tired eyes. “The only things the gods have ever given Patrick are weapons. Somehow, I don’t think you’re any different.”
Jono didn’t know how to react to that statement. “There’s more coins back at his flat. He didn’t take all of them with us today.”
“I’ll go retrieve them.”
“Patrick set a threshold around the place.”
Nadine stood up, waving aside his words. “That won’t be a problem. He always grants me access when he lays them down.”
