Page 95 of Bright Dark Curses

“You promised they were part of my salary.” His voice lowered into a dark smoothness that lifted the hairs on my arms. “Are you going back on your word?”

“Absolutely not. You are one of my best employees and you absolutely will get the focus potions free of charge as part of our agreement.” In that moment, I missed Dru something fierce, even if she was sitting one room away. She’d been so much easier to work with. “Please relay the message and thank you very much.”

“Hmph. You’re welcome.”

“Hey, Jeremy.”

“Yes?”

“Do you have any friends who deal with charged crystals?”

“No.”

He hung up, and I returned to the kitchen, feeling like the day was already a hundred hours old.

Everyone spared me a glance, then went back to whatever they were discussing now. From the sounds of it, it was how to find proof of McKee’s possible criminal acts.

Trying to appear casual, I slid up to Hutton, who was still leaning against the long counter.

“Hey, does anyone in the pack happen to deal with crystals?” I asked with nonchalant smoothness while the rest of the group discussed different ways to break into people’s homes, work offices, and how to find secret death ritual spaces.

“Isn’t that your field?” he asked, uninterested.

I shrugged one shoulder. “Everyone can keep crystals. Even if you don’t need them for spells, they’re pretty and can help with the general atmosphere surrounding you. That’s why humans love to keep them around, you know?” Uh-oh, I was talking too much. Dead giveaway that I was up to something. “Think about it. Maybe someone outside the pack that has helped with magical stuff from time to time?”

“Can’t think of anyone.”

“Are you sure?”

“Why do you need a crystal, anyway? Don’t you have suppliers for that kind of stuff?”

“It seems to be in low supply.”

“You should ask Mr. Preston, seriously,” Alex said, coming up to the counter. He rinsed his cup and left it on the drying rack. “I bet he has one.”

“Preston?” Dru immediately asked from the table. How had she heard that over the other conversation? She was a demon, not a shifter.

I wanted to tell her it was nothing, but I was also aware she wouldn’t let it drop. “Preston might have a crystal I need.”

Dru abandoned the table and joined us. “What kind of crystal?”

“The one I need to do the urgent special potion that broke when Ethan called?” I didn’t want Hutton to know about the Council’s test—who knew how he’d try to hold it over me for the purposes of nefarious blackmail?

Dru mulled the information for a few moments. “The bastard does like to keep crystals around.”

“You don’t mind if I ask him?” I asked tentatively.

“Nah.” A devious grin curved her mouth. “Make sure you write down his full address, though.”

Oh, boy. Someone was about to be signed up to a dozen random catalogs. “Thank you.”

Dru crossed her arms and cocked one hip. “Go ahead. Call him.”

I guess we were doing this right now. “What’s his number?”

“Here, use my phone,” Alex said, handing it over.

“Thanks.” I found the number in his very, very long list of contacts, and made the call.

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