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  In the main entry hall, I stopped, grabbing Lachlan’s arm. “Hey, stop.”

  He turned to me.

  “Where are you sleeping?” I asked.

  “I’ll find a place. Maybe in the city.” He seemed to sway slightly on his feet. “I’ll take the portal in the forest.”

  As I’d guessed, he’d completely drained himself making the potions for the ghosts. He didn’t have the magic left to make a portal, so he’d take one of the ready-made ones into Edinburgh. Except that would cut off at least an hour or two of his sleep time.

  “You can stay with me,” I said.

  His eyes widened just slightly.

  “On my couch.” Idiot. I should have made that clear. The last thing I needed was Lachlan thinking I was coming on to him. “I have a great couch. And we’re colleagues, so it’s fine.”

  Yeah, that was a stellar example of saying too much to try to diffuse the awkwardness and only make it worse.

  “Ah.” He hesitated briefly, but I could tell that he wanted to stay. It was clear as day on his face. “Aye, I will. Thanks.”

  “Great.” I turned and started walking toward my apartment, assuming that he’d come along.

  Yeah, we were just colleagues. Totally.

  Except that the truth was staring us right in the face, and we were both just ignoring it.

  We weren’t just colleagues. We might not be acting on anything, but we weren’t just colleagues. I blushed to the roots of my hair, so hot I could feel it.

  Get it together, nerd.

  The hall was quiet as we walked, which just made the tension in the air thicker. I pushed open the door to my tower and led the way up to my apartment. It was empty inside, with no cats on the couch. Normally, they’d be there, and I’d been wondering what kind of complex bargaining I’d have to perform to get them to vacate for Lachlan.

  It was unnecessary, apparently. Maybe they were running a racket down at the docks, or robbing a jewelry store on the Royal Mile.

  I swept out a hand. “Well, this is it.”

  “It’s lovely,” Lachlan said.

  And he was right. It was. I still marveled at the pretty apartment the castle had created for me.

  Lachlan’s gaze traveled across the artwork on the walls. “You did those?”

  “Most.”

  “You’re very talented.”

  “Thanks.”

  His eyes fell on the painting of the dead mouse that Princess Snowflake III had made for me. “That one is…interesting.”

  I grinned. “A present. From Princess.”

  “Ah.”

  I pointed to the couch, which already had a blanket draped over the back. “Well, that’s yours. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Don’t let the cats bully you.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  I turned to go, but he reached for my arm, gripping gently.

  I turned, looking up at him. My breath caught in my throat.

  “Thank you.” His voice was soft.

  “Yeah. No problem.” I tried to keep my eyes off his lips. It wasn’t easy.

  His own gaze flickered down just briefly, then he let go of me.

  My heart thundered as I hurried up the stairs. As soon as I reached the top, I closed my eyes and tried to get myself under control. I was being ridiculous. Acting like a teenager.

  Lachlan was just a dude.

  Well, not a dude really. A man. Definitely a man.

  A man that I was losing my mind over.

  Sighing at my own ridiculousness, I opened my eyes.

  The Cats of Catastrophe stared at me. All three were sitting on my bed, leaving almost no room left for me.

  Well, that was no surprise.

  11

  The dream came quickly and quietly, so subtle that I didn’t realize it was a dream at all. One moment I was in my bed, the next, I was walking barefoot across the cold wet grass outside of the castle.

  The stone circle was calling me, and I was powerless to resist.

  Wind whipped at my hair, blowing off the sea so strongly that it threatened to carry me away. But I kept going, drawn by the circle that was bathed in the moonlight. The stones repelled me normally, but today, they called.

  The stones rose tall, piercing the night sky and looming overhead.

  They seemed bigger, as tall as skyscrapers.

  Or maybe they were just bigger to me, because they were so important. This place had called to me before, but I’d resisted, repelled by something.

  But I could resist no longer.

  I kept going, the wind cold against my skin.

  Magic sparked on the air as I neared, something unfamiliar, yet not. At one moment, I could have sworn I’d never felt it before. Then another, it was totally familiar.

  My steps slowed as I neared the circle, nerves making my hair stand on end.

  Determined, I stepped closer, stopping at the edge. I laid a hand on the massive rock, feeling magic spark up my arm.

  Though I was tempted to step inside, I didn’t dare. There was too much magic in there. Too much risk.

  The center of the circle glowed golden and bright. I shielded my eyes, squinting.

  A figure appeared within, the same one that had appeared to me in the fairytale world.

  “You,” I said.

  “Aye, Ana Blackwood. I have called you here, through your dreams.”

  “Why? What do you want from me?”

  “What every god wants of a Dragon God.”

  “So you are a god. Which one?”

  “Sulis.”

  “I don’t recognize that.”

  “That is not a surprise. We are an ancient religion, with many factions and many gods.”

  “But which—”

  A shriek sounded, and a light flashed, cutting off my question. At the edge of the circle, a figure hurtled toward Sulis. Another ghost.

  The golden figure of the god disappeared, leaving nothing but the one who had tried to attack.

  I blinked, shocked. “Mom?”

  The ghost turned to me, so familiar it made me ache. I reached out to her.

  “Ana, you must go! Never come to the circle.”

  “But what do you—”

  Thunder cracked and lightning struck, shooting from the sky as a bright white bolt.

  It struck my mother’s ghost, lighting her up like a bonfire. She collapsed.

  Something inside me tore. I screamed, starting forward, but she reached out a hand.

  “No!” The command in her voice stopped me. “Too dangerous.” Her voice was weak, ragged. “I would save you from this.”

  Tears poured down my face, a ragged sob bursting forth. “But I need my Dragon God power. I need to know what I am. I need to help you!”

  I had to go to her. I stepped forward.

  “No! Don’t chase it, Ana. Too deadly. Too much.” The plea in her voice stopped me.

  “Deadly to others? To you?” I couldn’t hurt my mother.

  “To you.”

  Thunder cracked again. This time, the lightning exploded in a burst of light. It struck from the sky, landing directly on her. She screamed. I screamed.

  She disappeared.

  I gasped, my own shriek waking me. I bolted out of bed, sweating and shaky.

  My eyes popped open, meeting Lachlan’s immediately.

  I screamed again, but I had no breath and it came out as a wispy thing.

  Lachlan gripped my shoulders, his touch grounding me in reality. “Ana! Ana, are you all right?”

  Gasping, I blinked, trying to get it together.

  That had been a dream.

  But I’d seen my mother. She’d really been there.

  Tears sprang to my eyes.

  She’d been struck by lightning. Twice.

  Tears rolled down my face, and I gasped. Losing her once had been hard enough. We’d been only thirteen, still on the run from those who had hunted us. Mom had taken us away.

  Then they’d found us.

  Sh
e’d bought us time, letting us escape.

  But she hadn’t made it.

  And I’d just watched her die again. The sobs tore through me, ragged and harsh.

  Lachlan pulled me close, hugging me. I gripped him, unable to let go, and sobbed. The Cats of Catastrophe, who’d clearly vacated the bed when I’d had my freak-out, leapt on and pressed themselves against me. Even Princess.

  Lachlan petted my hair. His touch sent waves of calm through me, slowing my sobs and my shaking.

  “A nightmare?” he asked.

  “It didn’t start as one.” Reluctantly, I pulled back. I needed to get it together. I scrubbed the tears from my face. “It almost seemed like I was going to learn what I was.”

  Lachlan didn’t say anything, though he had to be curious. I’d alluded to getting new magic, but I’d never said exactly what I was. He might have guessed. Maybe.

  But either way, I no longer felt weird about telling him. He’d had my back during the last week, never failing. He’d given his magic to the ghosts, and never faltered when the Cheshire cat had tried to give him his heart’s desire in exchange for me.

  “I’m a Dragon God,” I said.

  His eyes widened briefly. “That’s something.”

  I chuckled weakly. “Isn’t it? But I have no idea what pantheon I’m part of. I think I was about to find out in the dream. I think one of the gods called me there. He was called Sulis.” I really needed to get into the library to figure out who the heck he was. “But then my mother appeared, driving him away.”

  “She did?”

  I nodded. “Her ghost, at least. Or her spirit. I don’t know. I told you that she was killed when I was thirteen.” I sucked in a ragged breath, blinking to keep the tears in my eyes. The last thing I needed was more weeping. “But I didn’t mention that she was murdered.”

  Grief flashed in his eyes. Not pity, but grief. The empath in him?

  “I was being hunted by someone who wanted me because I was a Dragon God.” My sisters, too, though I didn’t mention them. I trusted him not to reveal them, but protecting them was second nature, and it was easier just not to bring them up. “My mother sacrificed herself to let us get away. Then she came back now, sacrificing herself again to keep the god from telling me which pantheon I’m part of. She doesn’t want me to know.”

  “Why not?”

  “She was a powerful seer, so she must have seen something.”

  “She fears it’s too dangerous.”

  “How’d you know?”

  “It’s not hard to guess. She died to protect you the first time, so she’d do it again. Danger to you could bring her to this plane.”

  I nodded, my mind playing the lightning strike over and over again, like a horrible movie. Tears spilled over my eyelids. I clenched my teeth and scrubbed them away, pissed at myself.

  “I’m such a wimp,” I muttered.

  “I’d say you’re human.” He smiled. “And you’re tough. Stalwart. You never complain. You always take care of business. Those are all very unwimpy qualities.”

  A smile tugged at my lips. “You sound like you don’t use the word wimp very often.”

  “I can’t say that I do.” He gave me one last look, searching my eyes to make sure that I was all right.

  I tried to give him a reassuring smile, which he seemed to buy, thank fates.

  He stood. “Ready to find Grimaldi’s?”

  “Totally.”

  We met everyone in the main entryway at eight a.m., as planned. Bree, Rowan, and Caro waited for us, each holding a steaming cup of coffee. Bree and Rowan each held an extra cup, and I eyed them hopefully.

  I grinned when Bree passed one off to me. Rowan handed one to Lachlan, raising her brows.

  The question was clear. Why the heck are you coming downstairs with my sister early in the morning?

  He just smiled and murmured, “Thanks.”

  I chugged the coffee, nearly burning my throat, then said, “Everyone ready?”

  There was a chorus of yeses, and we all set our coffee cups on a ledge. Eventually, they’d magically disappear back to the kitchen, a spell that I wished my apartment had.

  As a group, we set off toward the enchanted forest. There was a portal there that would take us straight to Magic’s Bend.

  Lachlan led the way through the twisted old trees. Though the sun was bright in the sky, it was shadowed and cool in here, the fairy lights dancing in the air. It smelled of damp earth and greenery, a scent that I was growing to love.

  Rowan grabbed my arm to slow my walk, and I looked at her, confused. Caro hurried ahead, starting to talk to Lachlan, while Bree hung back with me and Rowan.

  Ah, of course. “Question time?”

  “Duh,” Rowan said.

  I eyed Caro’s back. Clearly, my sisters had put her up to distracting Lachlan.

  “So…” Bree whispered. “He came down from your room this morning.”

  “Nothing happened.”

  “You don’t let strangers sleep in your apartment,” Rowan said.

  “We’re not strangers. We’re colleagues.”

  “Like Cade and I were colleagues?” Bree said.

  “That’s different.” I scowled. She and Cade had ended up together. It was clear to anyone that they were a perfect match. Me and Lachlan?

  Yeah, I might’ve wanted to jump on him, but that didn’t mean we were the perfect match.

  “It doesn’t seem different,” Bree said.

  “Well, it is.”

  “I’ve seen the way he looks at you,” Rowan said. “It’s not platonic. Let me tell you that.”

  “Well, we’ve made a no-kissing rule.”

  “So that means you kissed?” Rowan asked.

  “It means they kissed.” Bree nodded knowingly.

  I sighed. “It was a quick one.” But the best of my life, hands down. “Then he said we couldn’t do it again because we work together.”

  “Ah, I’m familiar with that one,” Bree said. “It won’t stick.”

  “Yes, it will. I’m a professional. I want to become a full member of the Protectorate. I’m not going to screw this up.”

  “It’s not technically against the rules,” Bree said. “And he doesn’t even work for the Protectorate.”

  “I know that.” I scowled. “But I can’t worry about any of that right now.”

  “True story,” Rowan said. “You’ve got bigger shit to worry about. Like this cloaked figure and Arach’s heart.”

  We’d just reached the clearing in the woods where the three portals hovered in midair. Two were active—the glowing blue one went to Edinburgh, and the white one to Magic’s Bend. A third was dark and dormant. It had once led to a fae realm, but had since been blocked off from permanent access. One could still get through, but it was difficult.

  We lined up in front of the white portal and stepped through one at a time. I went last, and the ether sucked me up and spun me around, carrying me through space and spitting me out in a dark alley.

  My friends were already at the edge of the alley, and I hurried to join them, not enjoying the distinct scent of pee that permeated the place. The portal put us out in the Historic District, which was the oldest part of Magic’s Bend. It was also the party district, where restaurants and bars crowded into the old buildings.

  As a result, the alleys acted as last-minute bathrooms for the supernaturals stumbling home from the bars late at night.

  It was gross.

  When I reached the street, I sucked in a breath of fresher air. There were still a lot of supernaturals out. With the time change, it was still party hour here. Magic’s Bend had a totally different feel that even the supernatural district of Edinburgh lacked. There, we had a neighborhood within a bigger human city. Humans couldn’t find it, of course. But people were still aware that there were non-magical folk nearby.

  Not in Magic’s Bend, though. There were no humans for a hundred miles. The little city was blocked by a charm, and as a result, the superna
turals were one hundred percent comfortable with walking around with their wings or their horns on display. I definitely liked it.

  “Lachlan’s getting a cab,” Bree said.

  “Good.” We’d have to go a few miles to Factory Row, where the FireSouls had their shop, and I didn’t want to hoof it.

  When a glittering purple car pulled up to the curb, we all piled in. The pink leather seat in the back extended magically to accommodate the four of us girls, while Lachlan took the front. A pixie with green hair grinned into the rearview mirror.

  “Where are we off to?” she asked.

  “Ancient Magic, on Factory Row,” Lachlan said.

  “All righty.” She hit the gas, and the cab jumped away from the curb. “I seem to deliver a lot of people to that shop.”

  “Popular place,” Lachlan said.

  “Don’t I know it,” she said. “Those three who work there run a good business.”

  That was the truth.

  “What do they sell?” Caro asked.

  “They’re treasure hunters,” I said. “They find enchanted artifacts and sell the magic inside.”

  “That’s illegal,” Caro said. “You can’t just wander up to an archaeological site and take stuff.”

  “Right. They only take the artifacts with the most decayed magic.” Over time, magic degraded. “They take the ones that are about to explode, then remove the magic and put it in a replica artifact. That’s what they sell. Then they return the original artifact to the archaeological site. They’ve got a permit for it and everything.”

  “I like it,” Caro said. “That’s really freaking clever.”

  “And hopefully they’ll be able to tell us where Grimaldi’s is.” I leaned toward the cab driver. “Do you know where Grimaldi’s is?”

  She glanced into the rearview mirror. “Never heard of it.”

  I leaned back. It was weird that a cab driver wouldn’t know, but I wasn’t that surprised. Things were never so easy.

  A few minutes later, we arrived on Factory Row, a street on the outskirts of town that had once been the industrial center of Magic’s Bend in the nineteenth century. Sometime recently, the old warehouses and factories had been converted into trendy apartments and shops.