“Sorry,” Saros rasped. “The connection is established now but tell me if this gets to be too much. I’m going to start the locator spell.”
I peered over my shoulder at the now pulsating lines of my tattoo. Crackling sounds flickered from my body, the ink’s magic feeding into Saros’s palm. With each passing second, I felt weaker, like my chest might cave right in, but I pushed through.
I needed to find my sister.
The searing spread through my back until it wrapped around my front. I must have flinched because a second later he’d taken Aspen from my arms.
“I told you to stop me if it got to be too much,” Saros said through gritted teeth, fury rolling off him in waves. Only a small slip of evergreen shone in his narrowed gaze. “You didn’t have as much magic to use as you let on. You should have told me.”
Was hemad?
A twinge of guilt bounced off my ribs. He was right, but we were just so close to finding Hazel. I would push that limit as far as it could go if it meant locating her.
When I reached my shaking hands out, Saros refused to give Aspen to me, keeping him seated in his lap, arms crossing his small frame. “Not until you’ve at least had some water.”
His tone was gruff but gentleness and worry blended in. I nodded in agreement, touched by his concern. Something about it made the space between my ribs shudder.
He shifted Aspen to his hip and stood up, bouncing to the fridge. Just as I went to warn him, ablechechoed within the confined space and projectile milk burst all over Saros and the side of the countertop.
“Shit. I’m sorry,” I said, using the counter to pull myself up and grab Aspen. Saros let out a choking sound, only it wasn’t aimed at the tiny spewing spawn in his arms. His eyes were wide atme.
My gaze dropped to my boobs still out to party.
Shit.
A little too delayed, Saros cleared his throat and took off his shirt, diverting his focus to wiping up the spewed leftovers of Aspen’s meal from around the interior. A map of constellations and swirling stars were scattered across his upper back and chest, wrapping their way down one arm.
I suddenly had the urge to know what each one was and trace the swirls with my tongue—
“Looks like I missed out on all the fun.” A smooth drawl filtered in from the open door, Lynx staring at us both half dressed, Aspen the only thing strategically blocking my nipples. He chuckled with amusement at our mutual mortification, stepping inside while Saros continued to clean up the truck.
“Spit-up,” I said with a shrug and a matching awkward smile.
“I see.”
I held the top of my halter up, positioning Aspen in front of me to keep it pinned in place.
“Hazel is alive,” Saros said, drawing both our attention. “And not far.”
“Thank Goddess.” I let out a loud sigh, a few tears tracking down my cheeks. “Could you see anything else?”
“Not without hurting you.” His jaw ticked.
I swayed back and forth with Aspen who’d begun babbling in my arms. “This is all my fault. If I didn’t have such a hang up about my gift, I could have fully recharged last night. Then I would have had more for you to use for the locator spell.”
Both of their brows shot to the tops of their foreheads, but before they could say anything more about what that would’ve involved, I cut in. “We would know more right now if I had. We could have a lead.”
“You can’t think like that.” Saros shook his head. “She wouldn’t want you to either. She’d want you to get your magic back on your own terms. Your choice, not a forced decision out of fear.”
This was true. But it had never felt more selfish of a choice than it did right now.
Lynx came behind me and rested his hands on my shoulders, playing with Aspen, who was peeking over my left one. Calm washed through me, and I knew he was directing it. “We will figure it out.”
I took a deep breath. “What are the chances we find her?”
“Honestly? Exponentially lower than if this were within the forty-eight hours of her disappearing,” Saros replied, and Lynx cut him a glare.
“Great—”
