“Magic.”
“We think so.”
I held up a finger. “What’s your name?”
“Jace, miss.”
“Give me a quick second to get some jeans and shoes on, and we’ll go, alright?”
“I’ll wait outside.” Jace hurried to the door, and I turned the opposite way.
It took me less than a minute to throw on some suitable clothes and a pair of sturdy tennis shoes. After tying my hair in a quick braid, I dug through the hall closet to see if there were any sturdier jackets.
A smile tugged at my lips when I saw several of Ethan’s jackets lined up neatly on the cedar closet rod. I took the warmest and put it on, zipping it up as I headed outside to meet Jace.
He stood in human form with two massive silver-touched wolves. “I’m a good tracker, but I bet your noses are better than mine. If you want to lead, I’ll follow. I may sense more magic than you, so try not to get too far ahead just in case I sense we’re about to run into a trap.”
Jace nodded. “Ready?”
I tied the string at the top of the jacket and tugged on Ethan’s gloves. “Ready.”
Jace shifted in a flash of silver light and jerked his head.
A moment later, we were off.
Ethan’s scent had saturated the woods. The years he spent here had soaked into the soil, making the tracking difficult for me, but the wolves seemed to have no trouble picking up his most recent trail. I followed behind as they loped away,occasionally looking over their shoulders to ensure I was close behind.
I rarely shared my full speed with anyone, but we were on the hunt for Ethan. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep up. Just pay attention in case we need to pivot.”
I wasn’t worried yet. The feeling in my chest was still there, Ethan’s presence still warm and alive. He’d run for a reason, so maybe all he needed was time. If we got there and we saw he was safe and sound, I’d quietly return to the house and give him the space he needed. No harm, no foul.
But his shifters were worried. Tense, anxious energy surrounded all three wolves as they ran, which made me nervous by association. I kept my breathing slow and steady, repeating to myself over and over that everything was fine. Ethan was a Lord. He could handle whatever problem someone threw his way.
At the fifteen-minute mark, the hint of something off skittered across my shoulders. “Slow down,” I said quietly.
The wolves resisted at first, their animal instincts overriding their human ones, but when I repeated myself, Jace and the other two slowed and turned to face me. I crouched and touched my fingers to the earth.
Magic had touched the ground here. Faint but noticeable to someone sensitive to magic. I couldn’t tell where it had come from. “Do you smell anyone else?” I asked quietly.
Jace put his nose to the ground and took off at a trot. The others investigated around me in a tight circle, widening the area with each lap they took. When Jace was back, he shook his head.
Odd. Why would there be magic on Ethan’s land in the same area he’d run. “Do your mages come out here?”
Jace didn’t move. He must not know. “Alright.” I stood back up. “Let’s move at a slower pace. Something doesn’t feel right.”
I took the lead this time, taking off at a measured, almost silent jog. The others ran behind me, their noses on the hunt for something off. I stopped again a few minutes into the run.
“The magic is growing stronger.” Dread pooled in my stomach. Familiar magic.
“Listen to me,” I whispered. “I think there’s a witch following Ethan. A dangerous one. Do not approach her. Stay to the shadows and downwind. She won’t have senses as good as yours, so the best thing you can do is keep the element of surprise.”
Jace nodded. I put my fingers to my lips and took off at a slower jog this time, each step a painful reminder of the last time I’d tangled with my mother.
Voices came a few minutes later. I came to a complete stop and crouched. “Stay here,” I whispered almost inaudibly. The two wolves behind Jace bared their teeth. I couldn’t risk showing off the glow of my eyes, but I stared them down until they dropped their gazes.
“This is for your own safety.”
Jace nodded and sat on his haunches. I reached over and touched his fur. “I’ll be back. Don’t interfere unless I call for you.”
