I wasn’t frightened of Zane, no matter what he’d done. Maybe that was foolish of me, but whatever. And like David said, his magic was disabled, even more so than mine.
“What about me taking over at the bar?” I wasn’t asking their permission, but neither did I want it to be an issue.
David smirked. “You mean the position you’ve already accepted?”
“That’s the one.” I shrugged, unapologetic. “I think we all need Midnight back open.”
“Agreed.” David’s comment was accompanied by murmurs of ascent from around the room. “As Zane’s coven is refusing to cooperate in this investigation, if they give you any trouble regarding Midnight and your new position, please don’t hesitate to involve us.”
Fuck me, that wasn’t something I’d even considered. Would they interfere? Did they know what Zane had been up to? I met David’s eyes and nodded. “You’ll be the first person I come to.” And I meant it. The last thing I wanted was to be on another coven’s radar.
David smiled, obviously pleased with my answer. He looked surprised too. Had I really been that much of an arsehole over these last few years that he assumed I wouldn’t accept his offer of help?
As much as I didn’t want to admit it.
I really fucking had.
* * *
The driveto the paranormal police headquarters took less time than I’d have liked. I pulled into the car park still unsure what I was going to say to Zane. Seeing my coven had been more eye opening than I’d bargained for.
David and the others weren’t quite the bad guys I’d painted them in my head. Theyhadstood by while the council inked the mark on my wrist that had bound my magic for the last six years, but that was a consequence of my own actions and they’d had no choice but to let it happen. Maybe it was time to put the blame where it belonged.
Pulling back my sleeve, I ran my thumb over the black circle, almost three quarters of it already disappeared as the years passed. A quick glance at it wouldn’t tell the casual observer exactly what it was, but any magic user would be able to identify it if they got close enough to study it for any length of time.
I retrieved the leather cuff from the glovebox and snapped it over my wrist. Imbued with enough magic—courtesy of Jasmine—it hid my mark from prying eyes. Then I got out of the car and went to meet Mase.
And Dathal.
Meeting with my coven had made me forget who else would be there today, and the thought of seeing Dathal again was more than a welcome distraction from what waited for me inside. Maybe if I focused enough on that, I could get through coming face to face with Zane.
“You ready for this?”Mase stood beside me outside the interrogation room where Zane had been moved to. He was the only one who’d come to meet me, giving the illusion of privacy, but I knew the others would be monitoring us the minute I stepped inside the room.
I didn’t like it but had little choice if I wanted to see him.
“As I’ll ever be, I guess.”
Mase nudged his shoulder against mine. “You don’t have to go in there alone if you’ve changed your mind.”
I snorted. “You sound like David. The head of my coven,” I added at his questioning look.
“Ahh, Smart and reasonable you mean?”
I ignored him, steeling myself instead. This wasn’t like me. I didn’t shy away from facing things, no matter how hard they were. Zane’s betrayal had cut deep. Still did.
Even more reason for me to get in there.
“How long do I get?” I reached for the door handle.
“Thirty minutes.” Mase put his hand on my shoulder. “We’ll be watching. I know it’s not ideal, but apparently it’s protocol. I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. He’d already warned me, so I’d expected as much.
“The door will automatically lock when you close it. Press the buzzer on the wall if you want to come out early.”
“Okay.”
He patted me on the shoulder, giving me a quick squeeze before letting go. “See you in a bit.”
