“Four at the most, but you’d have to be close to each other. The structure of the ward has a limited range.”
“That will be fine.” It would cover his siblings and himself, along with Wade, though he wondered if it would even work on Wade. Hospitality didn’t, and that was old magic in the sense that a home’s threshold had been around as long as mortals had.
Gwen lifted a violet quartz crystal hanging from a metal chain out of the warded box. The crystal was carved into a flat disk with a sigil etched into one side. She offered it to Wade, who took it and tossed it from hand to hand before he passed it over to Riordan. “You should wear it.”
Wade dropped the crystal onto his palm, the magic lending weight to it he doubted most people could sense. It wasn’t magic he was familiar with—his magic dealt with shifting and the sea—but Riordan figured he could handle it easily enough. “What’s the command trigger?”
Gwen voiced the phrase, the English words easy enough to remember. Riordan hung the chain with the artifact around his neck, letting the crystal settle against his chest. He’d give it to Saoirse once he made it home.
Warning given, temporary artifact acquired, Riordan felt the meeting was done. He stood, nodding politely at Gwen. “We’ll return it tomorrow.”
He didn’t say thank you, and she didn’t seem to expect it of him, judging by the faint quirk of her lips. “I’ll look forward to the delivery.”
They were escorted out of the coven’s home by the same young man as before. The door shut nearly on their heels, which made Riordan snort. Wade seemed just as amused. “I don’t think that guy liked us.”
“He didn’t mind you all that much. It’s more that he probably doesn’t like fae.”
Wade scrunched his nose. “Sage is always on me about manners. He could use some.”
Riordan wasn’t a stranger to discrimination. It was only one of the many reasons fae used glamour to hide themselves amongst mortals. But he thought it was sweet that Wade was affronted on his behalf.
Riordan tugged on the crystal hanging around his neck, the quiescent magic tickling his palm. “Why don’t you travel with something like this?”
“Because I don’t need it. But Patrick is still in DC, and I wanted something for you and your siblings. I figured we had to warn Gwen anyway, and what was the harm in asking for some magical help?”
It was a kind gesture, one Riordan hadn’t experienced in a long time from someone who wasn’t clan. It made him want towrap Wade up in his jacket, offer up his sealskin, and let the younger man keep him. He swallowed against the visceralwantof that desire, knowing it was the fixation talking.
It was so tempting to listen to it.
“Thank you.”
Wade mock frowned at him. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“I know.” He tugged on Wade’s elbow, drawing him close to kiss him on the mouth, just a soft press of lips. “But it’s okay if it’s you.”
“That’s just stupidly unfair,” Wade mumbled against his lips before kissing back a little harder, a little clumsily. Riordan indulged him there on the sidewalk for a few seconds more, tugging him closer, enjoying the warmth that bled through Wade’s clothes. Despite the sun beating down on them, Riordan didn’t mind the heat.
“Come on. I’ll text Ailín we’re heading to the sailing club. He’ll meet us out front.”
“Okay, but I’m bringing some snacks with us on the boat. It’s not like they have a sail-through Dunkin’ out there.”
Riordan snorted. “Are you going to share them, or do I need to bring my own?”
Wade reached up to pat his cheek. “You’re lucky you’re cute. My pack knows better than to ask a dumb question like that.”
Riordan arched an eyebrow, letting himself be tugged down the sidewalk back to the car, Wade’s hand warm in his. “I’m cute, am I?”
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”
“You can say whatever you like to me,mo chroí.”
Wade’s flush at the endearment was almost as cute as the way his ass looked in his jeans. His smile was pleased though, and Riordan was proud of the fact that, when he let go of Wade’s hand to wrap an arm around his shoulders, Wade didn’t pull away.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The driveto the Boston Harbor Sailing Club in Downtown Boston was thankfully uneventful. Ailín met them in front of the building, waving at Riordan as they walked up. Ailín was clan, a selkie who also owned a small yacht they used to take the handful of human members of the clan out to sea to join them for a swim. Riordan had requested yesterday for him to take Wade out onto the water while Riordan did his search around the smaller islands in Boston Harbor.
They didn’t know where Niall might hide Saoirse’s skin, but they were covering all their bases. And Riordan needed to patrol the shoreline anyway, Lady Caith’s warning still stark in his thoughts. He didn’t know if whatever he’d sensed in the water the other day was aligned with Niall, but if Niall was going after Boston, it stood to reason he’d claim the harbor as well.
