Page 7 of Mirror of Vanity

“Did you see that?” I whispered urgently to Justice.

He frowned, his gaze scanning the sky. “See what?”

I shook my head, my blood turning ice cold. “I thought… I thought I saw Maci. She’s expecting us, and we have to be ready for anything.”

Justice nodded grimly, his jaw clenched. “We will be, Sawyer.”

CHAPTER FOUR

As the plane landed, my stomach lurched, and I felt the pressure in my ears. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sudden wave of nausea that washed over me. Beside me, Justice’s hand found mine, his fingers intertwining with mine in a silent gesture of support and reassurance.

The wheels touched down on the runway, the plane’s engines roaring as the brakes engaged. I gripped an armrest tightly, my knuckles turning white as the aircraft’s force pushed me back into my seat.

“You okay?” Justice asked, his voice low and steady.

I nodded, taking a deep breath as the plane taxied toward the terminal. I rubbed my arm where my tattoo was on red alert. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just nervous, I guess.”

“We’ve got this, Sawyer. You keep rubbing your arm where your rose tattoo is.” He squeezed my hand gently. “But whatever Maci throws at us, we’ll face it together.”

I managed a small smile, drawing strength from his words and the warmth of his touch. He was right. We were a team, and we had each other’s backs.

As the plane came to a stop and the seatbelt sign dinged off, I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood, my legs feeling slightly unsteady after the long flight. We were here, in Scotland, ready to face the challenges ahead.

We were here. Ready or not, Maci, here we come.

Damon stood, flashing us a mischievous grin, and donned an exaggerated Scottish brogue. “Ah, Scotland. Land of kilts, whiskey, and the only place where the monsters in the lochs might wave back at you instead of trying to eat your face off. Makes you miss the good old days of hunting regular monsters, doesn’t it?”

Justice pulled his bag with our laptops from the overhead bin. He flung the strap over his shoulder, then stepped aside so I could slide in front of him. Excitement and dread spun around me as I followed passengers off the plane. It was strange to think I was no longer stepping on American soil.

The four of us made our way to the baggage claim, then we went through customs.

Justice checked his phone. “Our transportation is waiting. Come on, I’ll show you where we can get it.”

He led us through the busy airport to a waiting van with “McDuff Manor Exclusive Transport” emblazoned on its side.

“Justice, it’s so good to see you.” A man with red hair and a beard exited the van and shook his hand. The man turned to the rest of us and clapped his hands. “Welcome, welcome to Scotland. I’m Sean McDuff, owner and proprietor of McDuff Manor.”

Justice introduced each of us. Sean took our bags and put them in the back of the van.

Damon settled into his seat, eyeing Sean McDuff with curiosity and suspicion. “You know him?” he asked, his voice rumbling with wariness. Then, with a sidelong glance that carried a hint of underlying tension, he added, “Because in my book, anyone who drives a van to a place like McDuff Manor either knows way more than they’re letting on, or they’re about to sell us the world’s most bizarre timeshare.”

Justice lowered his voice. “You don’t have to worry about Sean. He’s been vetted with us for a long time. McDuff Manor is a Paranormal Mercenary Corps safe house.”

I nodded as relief and curiosity stirred inside me.

Sean glanced in the rearview mirror as he pulled away from the sidewalk. “Brody, Grady, and Scott are anxious to talk to you.”

Justice frowned, his brow furrowing in concern. “About what?”

“They didn’t share anything with me. They’ve been quite secretive.”

The mention of secrecy sent a chill down my spine. That could mean a hundred million things in the paranormal world. I exchanged a glance with Damon, seeing my unease reflected in his eyes.

Lisa’s eyes brightened. “Do they have news of Aurora or Morgan?”

Sean stared directly ahead. “I wouldn’t know, lass.”

She released a sad sigh and leaned against her seat, a stray tear falling down her cheek.

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