“We’ll be right back,” Riordan said as he and Donal left the kitchen. They trudged up the stairs to Donal’s room, where their mother’s small travel trunk sat at the foot of the bed on a rug that hid enough sigils for spells and wards carved into the wooden floor to take out most threats.
Carved from the wood of a tree found in their homeland past the veil, it was held together by nails made of a metal not found on Earth, one that wouldn’t harm them like iron. It used to be easier living in the mortal world before all the cities replaced the forests. Riordan still wouldn’t trade the life they’d created for themselves here on these shores for one where they’d be treated as lesser.
Riordan shrugged out of his jacket, shaking it out into the sealskin it truly was. Donal did the same, and they tucked their skin away inside that trunk with its own spells carved on the inside—ones for protection and keeping safe the most precious things they owned so no one else would own them. Donal locked the trunk, no key needed since the trigger command was spelled to activate by the three of them.
They left the bedroom, Riordan missing his skin already, but he’d rather it be left behind and safe than torn from his body by a vampire. Saoirse and Wade were waiting for them by the front door when they made it downstairs.
“Where are your jackets?” Wade asked.
“Safe,” Riordan said, not minding sharing the truth with him. He knew, deep in his bones, that Wade wouldn’t use that information for any nefarious reason. Fixation, sure, but Riordan wanted to believe Wade was kind.
Wade nodded slowly. “You could wear them if you wanted. I won’t let anything happen to you or your siblings.”
“Better to be cautious,” Donal said.
“All right. Then let’s head out.” Riordan locked up behind them, and rather than ride with Donal and Saoirse, he followed Wade to his Audi. Wade glanced over his shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow. “Going to play tour guide again?”
“If you want,” Riordan said.
Wade flashed him a smile that lit up his face and nearly made Riordan bite his tongue, fighting the urge to smile stupidly back. “Great. Maybe we can get something to eat along the way.”
“Not Mike’s Pastry’s again.”
“You wentwhere?” Saoirse shouted from Donal’s car. “Traitor!”
Riordan hastily got into the front passenger seat while Wade cackled. “This is your fault.”
“It’s cannoli. I don’t care who makes it, so long as I get to eat it,” Wade said cheerfully as he started the engine. “Any other places you can recommend?”
Riordan had lived in Boston for a long, long time, had seen many restaurants come and go. “Plenty, but there won’t be enough time to go to all of them before you head back to New York.”
“I wouldn’t mind taking a trip back here to eat with you.”
Riordan stared straight ahead, telling his traitorous heart that Wade was offering to return to Boston for the food scene and not him. “Sure. It’s a date.”
He only hoped he wouldn’t have to stand Wade up if they couldn’t win back Saoirse’s sealskin.
CHAPTER TEN
They metElla on the street across from the office building where the Boston Night Court’s human servants acted as their proxy during business hours. The building overlooked the water, and Wade could smell the saltiness of the sea on the air. It made him want fish and chips.
He squinted up at the building, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand. “What kind of business does a vampire like Abby Boy run?”
“Who knows? We don’t pry. We just try to steer clear of his territory and guard our own,” Ella said.
“It’s got to be a shell company of some sort.”
“You seem awfully interested in how Abhartach makes his money.”
Wade scowled. “I’m just curious if it’s through drugs or trafficking or white-collar crime. I’m not above snitching to the government.”
“It doesn’t matter. His human servants will never disclose proprietary information.”
“You sound like a lawyer.”
Ella shrugged. “I was going to be one before I got mauled and became infected with the werevirus. But the law isn’t goingto help us with Niall, so let’s deal with the human servants and figure out if their master is still running around free.”
She gestured at the three god pack werecreatures who had arrived with her for this unexpected visit. Everyone’s wolf-bright amber eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, and while they didn’t look like they could probably bench-press a car, Wade knew looks could be deceiving.
