The theater wasn’t busy.With only one person ahead of him in line, he quickly obtained his popcorn and soda.He was heading back to the theater when his arm was grabbed.He frowned at Braed’s tight grip.“What are you doing?”
“What I should’ve done when the trap at the mansion failed to work.Now I can get rid of you and get a favor at the same time.”Braed clicked a cold metal ring around Quentin’s wrist.
Quentin gasped as something yanked at his magic and sucked it away like a demonic vacuum.He doubled over, instinctively curling around the hollow ache in his gut.“What did you do?”
Braed smiled.It struck Quentin that he rarely saw that expression on the vampire’s face.
Not the time.
“Like it?It cost me a lot to buy an iron power limiter.I wouldn’t have known to get iron if your buddy Glenn hadn’t been bragging about your fae heritage coming in.”Braed’s grin chilled Quentin to his soul.
If he got out of this, he was going to sew Glenn’s mouth shut.They were interrupted before he could cut off Braed’s budding monologue.
“What are you doing?Get away from him!”Trina Heart slammed into Braed, pushing him away from Quentin.
“M-mother, stay out of it.”He tried to sound more forceful, but with his magic draining, so was his energy.Before he could say anything else, or at least warn her away, he collapsed.
Before he could speak again, Braed stabbed a syringe into his mother’s neck.“One hostage is as good as another,” he muttered.
Before his horrified gaze, Quentin watched Braed wrap an arm around his mother’s waist and drag her off.
“What’s wrong with her?”he heard a young voice ask.
“She had a little too much to drink in the bar,” Braed replied without pausing a step.“I’m taking her home.”
“Disgusting,” the kid’s mother said.She turned to see Quentin collapsed on the ground.“What about him?”she asked, but Braed had already made his escape.
“Q!”Glenn rushed over and dropped to his knees.
“Braed took Mom,” he blurted out.
“I’m calling Jaks.What did he do to you?”Glenn asked, already dialing his phone.
He thought he heard his name and Jaks’s, before the world faded away.
He woke screaming.The room rattled around him like an earthquake had hit the house.He recognized the room and the cat knick-knack that crashed to the floor.
Good.
Creepy thing.
His mother had bought it at a yard sale years ago, but Quentin had always thought the eyes were watching him.
Another wave of magic rolled through him, shaking the house to its foundation.
“Good thing we didn’t do this at the manor.”Jaks’s comforting voice rolled over him.
“What happened?”Even as he said the words, memories swarmed his mind.“Mother!”
He struggled to sit up, only to be held down by a hand on his shoulder.A hand that belonged to his boyfriend, which he was going to bite off if he didn’t move it right away.His glare must’ve conveyed his thoughts because Jaks snapped his fingers to safety.
“Sorry, darling, but you just got your magic back, and it needs to settle before you rush into battle.”
“Where did he take her?”He rubbed his dry throat.It was as if he’d never consumed a drop of water in his life.
“We don’t know,” Jaks admitted.
“Do you think he’s working with Nikko?”
