Page 15 of Magic Unrestrained

With that, Falwell nodded and stood, giving O’Riley a brief nod and a wad of cash before leaving the bar, his long coat swirling behind him like a shadow.

O’Riley let out a low whistle as soon as the door closed behind Falwell. “Well, that’s one way to get involved.”

Gage clenched his jaw, his thoughts already spinning. “I need access to the tunnels.”

O’Riley studied him for a moment before nodding. “I can get you down there. But be careful, Gage. If Falwell is involved with Madame Vesper, this is bigger than you think.”

Gage exhaled sharply. “I know. That’s why I need to stop it.”

Gage headed down the stairs into the tunnels beneath New Orleans, which were a world unto themselves—a labyrinth of forgotten pathways, underground rivers, and ancient magic that pulsed through the very stones. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, and the walls seemed to hum with an eerie energy, as though they were alive with the echoes of the past. Pathways and rooms appeared, disappeared and transformed at will and often without warning.

Gage moved through the tunnels with purpose, his senses on high alert. He had been in places like this before, where the lines between the supernatural and the mundane blurred, but therewas something different about these tunnels. The magic here was old, far older than anything he had encountered before.

As he ventured deeper into the underground, the sound of footsteps echoed ahead of him. Gage tensed, his hand hovering near the dagger hidden beneath his jacket. He turned a corner and froze.

Savannah.

She stood in the middle of the tunnel, her eyes narrowing as she spotted him. The tension between them crackled like a live wire, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

“What are you doing down here?” Gage asked, his voice low, careful.

Savannah crossed her arms, her gaze hard. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I’m looking for an artifact. Something Falwell wants,” Gage said, his eyes never leaving hers.

Savannah’s expression darkened. “So, you’re working for him now?”

“Not exactly. I’m trying to figure out what he’s planning, and this artifact seems to be a key part of it.”

Savannah took a step closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “That artifact is dangerous, Gage. If Falwell gets his hands on it...”

“I know,” he interrupted, his jaw tightening. “That’s why I’m down here.”

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. Gage could feel the pull between them, the undeniable attraction that had simmered beneath the surface since they’d first met. But there was also something more—something darker.

“We’re on the same side, Savannah,” Gage said softly, his voice laced with frustration. “You have to trust me.”

Savannah’s eyes softened, but only for a moment. “Trust isn’t something I give easily.”

“I get that,” Gage replied, taking a step closer. “But if we’re going to stop whatever’s happening, we have to work together.”

The air between them crackled with unspoken words, with desire and distrust all tangled together in a confusing mess. Gage could see the conflict in Savannah’s eyes—the war between her instinct to push him away and the undeniable connection that drew them together.

Before he could say anything else, Savannah sighed and turned, her voice tight. “Fine. We’ll work together—for now. But the second I think you’re playing me, I’m out.”

Gage nodded, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched her disappear deeper into the tunnel. He wasn’t sure if he could trust her any more than she could trust him, but for now, they needed each other. He fell in behind her.

He had a feeling that their partnership was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

Chapter

Eight

SAVANNAH

Savannah moved cautiously through the dark tunnels beneath The Thorny Rose, her senses heightened as she scanned for any signs of danger. The dim light from the occasional flickering bulb cast eerie shadows along the walls, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. The air was damp and heavy with the scent of mildew and old earth. Every now and then, the ground trembled slightly, as though something ancient and restless stirred beneath them.

Beside her, Gage moved with the kind of fluid grace that only a predator could possess, his eyes darting between the shadows, his muscles coiled and ready for a fight. Their alliance, though uneasy, was necessary. They couldn’t afford to fight each other, not with the dangers they both knew awaited them in the labyrinth of tunnels and sewers that lay ahead.

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