“I think we need to talk to Nick again too.” I refused to believe he was involved in this.
“Agreed. I want to ask him about that footage.”
I grimaced.
“I don’t think he’s involved any more than you do, but he might know how someone is altering your memories.”
“Because he’s a witch?”
“Yes.” Max reached for his phone. “I’m going to ask Nick if he’ll come to see Rys with us. We can talk to Axel while we’re there.” He nodded at my phone. “Can you let Rys know we’re coming?”
“Yeah.” I hesitated. “Should we let the Chief Inspector know?” I didn’t want to tell her, but this was Max’s job. There were protocols to follow, even in the paranormal police force.
“Not yet.” He tapped his fingers on the desk. “As soon as she knows, she’ll have to inform the fae.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. I’d be whisked through the gateway in the blink of an eye, mate or not. While Max called Nick, I pulled up Rys’s number and hit Call.
It rang and rang, but Rys didn’t pick up.
He’d had pack business to take care of. Maybe he wasn’t done yet. I sent him a text instead.
Gabriel: Call me when you get this. x
I waited for Max to finish talking to Nick before gesturing to my phone. “Rys didn’t answer. I left him a text telling him to call me, but he’s meeting with his pack today. I don’t know how long that’ll take.”
“I don’t want to wait.” Max cracked his neck from side to side, expression tense. “I don’t have a good feeling about this, Mase.”
Neither did I, but hearing Max say it sent a shiver down my spine.
“We’ll tell Rys as soon as he’s done. I want to go see Nick now.”
I nodded. “Okay. Where are we meeting him?”
“At his house.”
* * *
Nick livedon the outskirts of the forest, probably midway between Rys’s and Falon’s pack territory.
When we’d lived in Cornwall, Nick had lived above his parent’s garage in a self-contained studio apartment. His whole coven had lived within a couple of miles of each other. As we pulled up to Nick’s house, I could see a couple more homes dotted throughout the trees.
I pointed to them. “Do they belong to the rest of his coven?”
Max nodded. “It’s not a big one, five, maybe six members including Nick. The main one’s in Nottingham.”
“Will he be on his own?” It’d been a long time since I’d had to deal with witches. Some covens were more tightly knit than others. I hadn’t asked Nick much about his home life the last time we’d been together.
Max made a seesaw motion with his hand. “Depends if he’s told them we’re coming.”
Nick met us at the door. “I take it this isn’t a social call?” He didn’t seem unduly bothered that we were there.
Because he has nothing to hide.
Just like you.
“Not exactly, no,” Max answered. “Are you happy to accompany us to the Clumber Park Pack territory? I’d like Rys and Axel to be involved in this.”
Nick frowned at that. “What’s going on?” His gaze switched to me. “Mase?”
