A streak of tawny gold and black darted across the penthouse. Patrick barely had time to brace himself before Fatima flung her twenty-five-pound body at his legs, paws planted firmly on his left thigh. He stared down at the psychopomp, watching her tail lash back and forth, golden eyes unblinking. She’d taken the shape of an ocelot when she chose to work with Spencer, though the intelligence in her gaze was one no animal would ever have.
“Shit,” Patrick said. “I forgot your bone.”
Fatima growled deep in her throat before swatting at his stomach in a reprimand. She shoved herself away from him and pranced over to where Wade sat on the other couch, Jaffa Cake boxes scattered around him, and a look of pure adoration on his face as he held out one of the treats to Fatima.
“You can’t keep her,” Patrick warned Wade.
“But she’scute,” Wade cooed, watching as Fatima demolished the Jaffa Cake, getting crumbs everywhere.
“She’s a spirit guide and belongs to Spencer.”
“The fledgling can have her. She was annoying the entire flight over. That’s the last time I fly economy with only one seat,” Spencer said.
Fatima yowled at him and flicked her tail in disdain. Spencer ignored her.
“Sit up,” Nadine told him as Jono and Sage came out of her bedroom. “You go to sleep now and you’ll be a mess tomorrow. You know that.”
Spencer flapped his hand at her before heaving a loud sigh and reluctantly sitting up. He blinked tired blue eyes at them, the small Band-Aid over the bridge of his nose not doing much to hide the bruised cut there. The circles under his eyes could’ve doubled as bruises, and his dark blond hair resembled a rats’ nest. He stretched out his long legs, digging his socked feet into the trendy rug beneath the coffee table.
“What have we told you about kissing the ground with your face?” Patrick asked.
Spencer raised both middle fingers at him. “Like you have room to talk. When’s the last time you’ve taken a case and come away with no bruises?”
“He hasn’t,” Sage said calmly as she crossed the space to greet Nadine with a hug and an air kiss on each cheek. “Good to see you again.”
“Wish it was under better circumstances,” Nadine said.
“If only.”
Jono came to a stop between both couches and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at Patrick. “How did the meeting go?”
“It went,” Patrick said.
Sage turned to face Patrick, tilting her head in Spencer’s direction. “You were right. Spencer took one look at Jono when he arrived and asked about the soulbond.”
Patrick shrugged. “He’s a soulbreaker.”
“Can he be trusted?”
“Hey!” Spencer protested.
“He’s one of the few who knows about Ethan, so yeah, he can be trusted,” Patrick said.
“Apparently not enough that you’d tell me you got a pack.”
“When do I ever see you? You live on the West Coast.”
Spencer made a face. “You could visit me.”
“Setsuna still owes me a trip to Maui. You’re a flyover state when it comes to my vacation time.”
“Just for that, you owe Fatima two bones now.”
“She’s a spirit guide. She doesn’t even need to eat.”
“Tell her that when she’s growling across the Atlantic Ocean because she’s hungry and won’t eat airplane food. I got no sleep on the flight over.”
“That’s your fault for not packing her food.” Patrick watched as Spencer stood, raising his arms over his head to stretch. His spine cracked loudly, and Patrick winced at the noise. “That doesn’t sound comfortable.”
