Page 90 of Winterfall Destiny

"Hello, Silas," I say stiffly. "I don't want to be rude, but I have to go. I'm late for a meeting."

He arches a brow. "Not staying to tell me where the fuck you've been? I hear you joined the Dominion. Bunch of psychos. I'd never get involved with them."

Maeve's hand slides into mine, having joined us. Shit. She's back from her mind-reading spell and lucid.

"Then I heard you got kicked out of the Dominion for not controlling yourself," he continues, and I give him a tight smile. "Where've you been?"

"Travelling." I place a hand on his shoulder. "We can catch up sometime soon, Silas?"

"Back to old haunts while in London, huh?" He steps to one side as a couple pass by to re-join the dancers. "Unfortunately, the place is more popular with vamps targeting humans these days. Fewer witches come here. Less pickings for us."

I swallow, every hair on my arms lifting as Maeve hears every word.

"Right. You've found somewhere better to go?" I force a smile. "You could show me around. Meet up tomorrow?"

Silas leans around to look at Maeve and chuckles. "Trust you to find a witch this early in the night."

I need to move now.

"Hello, sweetheart," he continues. My skin goosebumps when she doesn't respond. "Keeping her subdued, Whitlock? Nothing changes, huh?"

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Still no response from Maeve. My heart lodges in my throat.

Is she in Silas's mind right now?

"You local now or visiting? I'm still in Camden with Rem and Dalziel," continues Silas, eyes still on Maeve. "You should come over tonight. Bring your witch." He leans forward and whispers, "Look at your control over her. We need your skills. Get the team back together."

I give another tight smile. "I'm more into one on one these days."

Silas runs his tongue along his bottom lip and whispers again, "She's one you should share. That energy..."

Alright. Enough. "Yeah. Not this one. Excuse me." I attempt to push past Silas and hope Maeve doesn't knock into him because he'd sense how she's more than a young witch seduced by a vamp.

"I'll buy you a drink before you go!" he calls. "One for your witch, too."

Without responding, I shove my way through the throng, my palm sweating around Maeve's hand.

Do I leave?

Yes.

Weaving my way through those moving into the club as we walk out, I tug Maeve after me and burst out into the witch and vamp free air. The moment we're away from the people queuing, Maeve tears her hand away and stands close to a wall, arms crossed.

I'm too fucking scared to look at her, but I turn.

"Why did you leave?" she asks icily, and before I can reply she adds, "Didn't you want to catch up with your friend?"

"Ah. Not a friend. Someone I used to know."

"You never told me you'd visited the place before," she says coolly.

Because everywhere blurred into one. Towns. Clubs. Cities. Parties. "The place changed a lot."

Maeve regards me for an uncomfortably long time. "So have you."

"Yeah." I smile. "As you know."

"Mmm." Maeve steps closer. "You looked different with long hair."

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