Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
“Morning, Holly. I was just waiting to ask Sydney a question.”
“And it’s taken the last two minutes of intense eavesdropping to decide what to say?”
Fuck. “No. Well, she… I wasn’t sure if—”
Holly holds up a hand to stop me. “Come with me.”
I look back at Sydney’s door. I don’t have much choice. Later, before Sydney leaves for lunch, I’ll talk to her, make her see reason, and convince her not to run that story.
With a sigh, I follow Holly.
“Do you have anything personal in your cubicle?”
“Just my camera. Why?”
“Get it.” She walks me to my desk, where I retrieve my camera and keys. Other than that, I’ve brought nothing.
“That’s all, then? I’ll walk you to the door.”
A chill zips up my spine. “The door?”
Holly sends me a glare that says the jig is up as she escorts me to the lobby. “C’mon, MacTavish. You’ve used every angle to learn her source. Hitting on her, going to her apartment, eavesdropping. It’s clear you want to scoop her and—”
“No! God, no. I swear. Holly—”
“Save it. You’re sacked.” Holly opens the front door. Weak morning sun glares in my eyes, blinding me. “Get out. Now.”
I make it back to Lucan’s place, rage barely in check. The minute the door slams behind me, I shout a string of curses. I’ve been given the boot, and I have no idea where to find the mysterious “Blue” restaurant at which Sydney, Aquarius, and another someone—the source?—will have lunch. Translation: Mission failed.
Bollocks! I never learned if Anka was Sydney’s informant. So I’m no closer to locating her and returning my brother to sanity than I was two weeks ago. Lucan is inching ever closer to death’s door. And I’m stuck here, surrounded by magic indefinitely.
Part of me is glad I no longer have to work at Out of this Realm and engage in subterfuge. But Sydney will continue to recklessly pursue this dangerous story, and I’m no longer there to protect her. That’s not acceptable, and Bram will have to assign the mission to someone else.
I’ll continue searching for Anka. I don’t recall any magical detectives, and I know from my own mother that seers can be notoriously unreliable. I need another plan, one that removes Sydney from harm’s way.
I reach into my pocket and pick out one of the white summoning rocks Bram gave me, then shove it back in place. Like anything magical, I came to hate these after Westin’s death. By the time I was old enough to learn how to bewitch one, I was totally against it, despite Lucan offering to teach me. And now that I’ve lived among humankind for so long, tossing a pebble in the air, calling someone’s name, and having them appear moments later seems wonky and wrong.
My magic is coming, I know. Today, after shagging Sydney all night, I woke energized and refreshed for the first time in weeks. But within hours, the shakes, the sweats, and my never-ending sex drive kicked in again—all signs of my coming changes. Until magic forces unwanted powers upon me, though, I’m still a man. And I’ll communicate like one.
Grabbing my mobile phone, I punch in Bram’s number, ready to tell the sod he needs to assign someone else to this errand. But losing my job also means I have no more reason to see Sydney.
God help me, that’s a stab in the heart. Worse, I left her angry and hurt. I can’t let whatever we had—however brief—end this way. I don’t want her regretting me.
Unless…Sydney was furious enough to sabotage my job? She’s been convinced for weeks that I mean to scoop her story. Holly reiterated the same suspicion, and I’ve seen precious little of the editor. The woman couldn’t have fabricated that worry by herself, so Sydney must have fed her that suspicion. Because of my abrupt departure this morning?
“MacTavish?” Bram answers, sounding irritable. “It’s before nine a.m. on a Tuesday, and you’re ringing me? Tell me—”
“I’ve been sacked.”
“What?!”
I reiterate the morning’s events, leaving out the fact I spent last night with Sydney.
Once I’m finished, Bram sighs. “Fuck. We didn’t need this setback.”
“As my American friends might say, I screwed the pooch. Damage done. Now you’re free to send someone else in to snuff the stories. Whomever you send must protect Sydney.”
“We’ve discussed this. There is no one else.”
“Send Sabelle. She and Sydney would get on well.”
“Impossible. My sister is tied up with Council business, god help me.”
I frown. “She’s not a member.”
“But she does have a certain charm for the old codgers who sit beside me that I apparently lack.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, I smile at the image. “She is far prettier.”
“Indeed. She flatters and coos and makes them feel young again. It’s a necessary skill. Word of all the Anarki attacks is leaking out, and the rest of the Council is demanding I stop them.”