Page 7 of Magic Unrestrained

Griff smirked and, without warning, leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Like I said, same difference,” he repeated, before turning to leave.

Savannah watched him go, her blood boiling with frustration.I’m going to make him regret that.

The following night, The Obsidian Lounge opened with great fanfare and was a hive of activity, packed with humans and supernaturals alike, their energy mixing and swirling in the air like a storm waiting to break. The clientele ranged from well-dressed elites to shadowy figures who lingered in the darker corners, their eyes gleaming with something more dangerous than alcohol.

But throughout it all, her attention kept drifting back to the bartender—Gage.

As the night progressed, the lounge became even more packed, the crowd growing rowdier, and Savannah kept a watchful eye on the people moving through the dimly lit space. She wasn’t just working anymore—she was hunting. Searching for the smallest signs of demonic activity, her senses tingled with the possibility of danger.

But her attention kept straying back to Gage. The pull between them was growing stronger, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was watching her. There was something undeniably magnetic about him, something dark and alluring, and despite her best instincts, she was drawn to it.

They exchanged flirtatious glances and banter throughout the night, their words laced with double meanings and unspoken tension. Savannah was playing with fire, and she knew it. Fire was really her sister Phoenix’s element, but hers was water. If things got too hot, she’d simply quench the flames.

That’s when she saw her—Madame Vesper.

The vampire moved through the crowd with an ethereal grace, her dark eyes scanning the room with a calculated intensity. She was accompanied by a group of elite clientele, all of them dressed to the nines, their auras practically crackling with power. As Savannah watched, Madame Vesper led them to a private room at the back of the lounge, where the shadows seemed to swallow them whole.

Savannah’s supernatural senses went on high alert, danger prickling at the edges of her awareness. Something was off about that group. Something dangerous.

Without thinking, she followed, slipping through the crowd and toward the private room. She kept her distance, trying to blend in with the guests as she approached, but she couldn’t ignore the growing sense of dread that coiled in her gut.

She pressed herself against the wall near the room, straining to catch snippets of the conversation through the thick door. She could hear voices, low and hushed but too muffled for her to make out clearly. She needed to get closer.

Just as she edged forward, a voice stopped her cold.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Savannah froze, her heart leaping into her throat as she turned to see Lyrion Thornheart standing just behind her, his arms crossed and his expression severe. The fae enforcer was tall, with dark, elegant features, and his eyes burned with the cold, merciless fire of the Fae Council’s justice.

“Thornheart,” Savannah hissed, her hand instinctively moving toward the dagger hidden beneath the apron she wore while waitressing. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” he replied, his voice low and dangerous. “The Council sent me to bring you in. You’ve been avoiding your duties, and they’re not happy about it.”

Savannah glared at him. “You and your council lost the right to give orders to my family before I was born. Our duties are what we decide they are. If the Council doesn’t like it, they can kiss my ass.”

Thornheart’s eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a sneer. “Don’t make this difficult, Savannah. They simply want to talk. If you don’t play nice, you know how this could end.”

Savannah snorted. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” she growled, turning away from him and back toward the private room.

Before she could take another step, Thornheart grabbed her arm, his grip iron-tight. “You don’t have a choice.”

Savannah’s blood boiled, and without thinking, she spun around, slamming Thornheart against the wall. Her dagger was in her hand in an instant, the cold silver pressed up under his chin.

“I said, I’m not going anywhere with you,” she growled, her eyes blazing with fury.

Thornheart stared back at her, his expression hardening. “You think you can defy the Council forever? You’re a fool, Savannah.”

Before Savannah could respond, a voice interrupted them.

“Need any help?”

Savannah glanced over her shoulder to see Gage standing in the doorway, his dark eyes gleaming with curiosity and something darker. He took in the scene—Savannah pinningThornheart to the wall, her dagger pressed against his throat—with an arched brow.

Savannah quickly sheathed her dagger, stepping back and releasing Thornheart. “No,” she said, her voice calm, though her heart was still pounding. “I’ve got this.”

Gage nodded slowly, though the suspicion in his eyes told her he wasn’t convinced. “If you say so.”

With that, Gage turned and headed back toward the bar, leaving Savannah alone with Thornheart once more.

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