Page 193 of Magic of the Damned

His jaw ticked while he sealed his lips into a tight line to suppress his laughter.

“Even you don’t believe you have that ability.”

He shrugged. “It was worth a try.”

I was pleased when our conversation wandered from discussions of other worlds to another of his endeavors.

“You know, I’ve considered writing. Recently your life has been so fantastical and interesting, it would be fun to?—”

“Don’t,” I rushed out in a tone harsher than intended. It was different than the Discovery of Magic Reginald had given me, which was steeped in misinformation. Forest knew intricacies of the world that demonstrated insider knowledge, and if it was ever discovered that he was my brother, it would put him at risk. “I don’t want to give anyone any reason to be concerned about you and your knowledge of them.”

“And that precisely is the concern.”

I cringed at the people who’d invaded our space. Their imperceptible movement gave the illusion that they glided with the wind. Vampires. And we were surrounded by them.

They were unfamiliar to me, but it was likely that I’d seen them before. The faces of the supernaturals who attacked me were etched into my mind. I’d never forget their faces. The two male vampires were dressed casually, one in a textured pale green polo shirt and jeans, the other in a relaxed white button down and chinos. The third, a woman, wore navy ankle pants and a peach-color Henley tucked in. Each wore a pleasant warm smile that would lead casual observers to believe we were friends engaged in conversation. However, there weren’t any casual observers, just me, Forest, and the vampires. Moments ago, there had been a stream of traffic and a few pedestrians. I wondered which witch I had to thank for the privacy.

The woman’s smile widened to expose her fangs, prompting a sharp intake of breath from Forest. Her cool, calculating eyes jerked in my direction before she sneered at my lack of reaction.

I wasn’t fearful. Instead, I felt increasingly annoyed. That response didn’t go unnoticed by the other vampire. His gaze lingered on me for a long moment, his lips dipping into a rueful frown.

“We’d like to invite you to come with us. We have questions that need answers and concerns that need to be addressed,” the frowning vampire said.

My eyes trailed over each one of them before I blew out a breath. “This feels more like a demand than an invitation.”

“You’re free to decline,” the vampire in the jeans offered. Predatory cold eyes swung in Forest’s direction. “But he can’t. We need to discuss the information he has about us and how negligent he’s been in guarding that information.”

Color drained from Forest’s face when I glared at him.

Forest, what did you do?

As if he’d heard me, he tore his gaze from me and lowered his head.

There was no way I’d let Forest leave with them alone. From their restrained predatory looks, I knew they were waiting for us to bolt so they could engage in a chase.

Filled with disappointment, I acknowledged to myself that I was once again being pulled into their world and that Dominic’s assurance had been wrong. That was the hardest part to accept. Was Ophelia right? Had I weakened him or ruined his standing among the supernaturals to the point they didn’t feel the need to abide by his requests?

I parted my lips to agree, which they seemed to take as a tacit agreement, and before I could actually commit, Forest and I were swept away. The mode of transport didn’t bother me, but being in an unfamiliar room did.

Forest grabbed my arm, trying to steady himself from the disorientation and the unsettling feeling from vampire travel. Looking around, I knew this wasn’t the Conventicle’s new headquarters; it wasn’t pretentious and luxe enough. The room was a simplistic modest office. A long oak desk was placed in the middle of the room where five people sat in inexpensive-looking task chairs. Their stern cold eyes fixed on us.

Bookcases flanked two tall cabinets. Sunlight struggled to stream through the small windows framed by raised blinds. In the opposite corner was a chevron-patterned lounge chair with a small side table next to it and an arched floor lamp. The set-up was incongruous with the rest of the room. Pristine white painted walls contrasted with the forest-green carpet that was in desperate need of replacement. I couldn’t determine if this was their actual headquarters or a borrowed space.

Out of my periphery, I spotted two wolves to our right, positioned to attack, which ushered in fear I hadn’t had before.

“Those are werewolves,” Forest whispered in a low, tremulous voice. The wolves monopolized his attention, causing him to ignore the other threats.

One of the vampires who snatched us made a show of running his tongue over his teeth. Two of the five people I remembered as being aligned with the New Conventicle. I had no idea what camp the vampires were from. Dominic told me that defected Awakeners had been captured and dealt with. He didn’t elaborate, and I chose to believe they had a speedy trial and had been sentenced to detainment by the Conventicle.

“You all are a pain in the ass. What do you want?”

It wasn’t bravado, it was true anger. Some of it was directed at myself. I’d advocated for their safety and had been truly naïve about their potential to harm me. Dominic and Anand had captured the shades, who were no longer a risk to the supernaturals. Had that act emboldened these assholes? Now they were working without any fear.

A man, I suspected a witch, sauntered toward me. Shifters had an assured, predatory gait that made a person feel like prey even if they weren’t. Vampires had a mesmeric fluid movement. Witches and Seers were the most human in their presentation, although witches possessed a distinguishable arrogance.

“You have the confidence of someone who still has Dark Caster magic. We were assured you didn’t and that you were not a concern. But I am very concerned,” he asserted with the certainty of someone who had proof. No one had proof, just speculation. I had no idea if Peter or Ophelia had ever confirmed that I could wield Dark Caster magic.

“Well you’re wrong. I don’t have magic. What I have is a headache from dealing with you all. Leave me and my brother alone. You don’t bother me, and I won’t bother you. Deal?”

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