“It doesn’t really,” Brenton muttered.“I’m not going to lie, things in Arizona aren’t as open as here.Vampires don’t walk around like regular folks, and magic users are rare.You people even have a college here, which blows my mind.”He held up a hand.“I’m not saying I don’t like it.It just takes some getting used to.”He lifted the strap back on his shoulder.“Thanks for these.”
“You’re welcome.Let me know how they work out.”
Brenton nodded.“I heard you were a bounty hunter for a while.”
“He’s retired to safer things,” Lars said.
Wow, when did his father start to agree with Jaks?The glare he sent him had no noticeable effect.
“Does that mean you aren’t interested in fighting the vampire yourself?”
Quentin shook his head.“No.I can’t be directly involved because of my relationship with Jaks.”He wasn’t interested in fighting anyway, but he wasn’t going to mention that to the bounty hunter.
“Best thing about that relationship,” Lars muttered.
His father’s shoulders lowered.Did he think Quentin wanted to fight?In what world was Quentin a warrior?The only times he fought were when the battle came to him.He had no interest in being on the front line of any confrontation if he could help it.He was more of a supporting character, maybe backup for when things got tough.
“Fair enough.”Brenton nodded.“Not everyone likes a good fight.”
Although his words agreed, his eyes showed incomprehension of such a concept.
They parted on good enough terms, with Brenton promising to keep him in the loop.
He might have sounded like a bigoted ass, but he was willing to work with them, and that’s all they needed.They didn’t have to become BFFs.After a round of manly handshakes, the bounty hunter left.
Quentin wiggled his fingers to regain circulation.He turned around and faced his father.They stood there staring at each other for an uncomfortable minute until his father sniffed.
“Why do you smell like brimstone?”
Quentin frowned.“I don’t?”
Did he?
“You do.It’s all over you.What did you handle today?Were you summoning demons in class?”
“My class is beginning rituals and spell creation.We don’t summon anything.It’s not even in my curriculum.The only thing we did today was examine herbs for rituals.”
“Where did you get them?”
“Hafrey.”He froze.“I was going to visit him.I completely forgot.”
“Why?”
“I suspect he had something to do with Grevin’s accident.He was one of the few who knew Grevin was doing a ritual that day, and he had access to Grevin’s wards.There are only a few people who are cleared to enter, and I wasn’t there that day.”He didn’t have proof, but his instincts were screaming that he was right.
He trusted his instincts.
His father’s grin was sharp and dangerous.“Then let’s go see a wizard.”
CHAPTER13
They landed in front of Hafrey’s house in a smooth wave of magic and a twinge of envy on Quentin’s behalf.Even with his improved teleportation abilities, his transportation never went that well.
“My teleportation is never that smooth.”He complained with a slight whine.
“Wait until the rest of your power settles.”Lars patted him on the back in what he probably thought was a supportive manner, but came off condescending.
He completely forgot his animosity toward his father when he turned and saw that a gaping hole had replaced Hafrey’s front door.He was mildly surprised there weren’t any police or emergency crews standing outside Hafrey’s house, since the front of it was a pile of shattered wood and plaster.There must be magic keeping it out of sight from regular humans.He spotted one of Hafrey’s protection spells clinging to the remains of his house.
