Page 10 of Ember's Claim

“No worries.” I smile. “Did you want to sit out here while I pick your brain?” I nod to the chairs on the back deck.

Wraith’s head tilts, and his huge void-like eyes blink repeatedly.

Nadia snorts. “Come on, you know this one. It just means ask you some questions.”

Wraith nods. “Oh yes, of course. Pick my brain.”

Seriously, living in Haven is ridiculous sometimes.

Wraith knows a scary amount of information about species I’ve never heard of. Unfortunately, I’m not able to give him a ton of information to go on.

He continues for so long that my brain starts to wander. My date with Veryn is in only a few hours, and I still need to run home, shower, change, and get ready.

“…anything from dark fae to demons. If it’s some species evolved in the human realm, it could be a druid or even a lich. Both are ancient magic users. Druids actually predate witches and warlocks. From what I understand, they’re elven high mages who migrated to the human realm and evolved very different magic here over thousands of years when compared to their ancestors in Faere.”

“Gotcha.” I sigh. “Thank you for trying to help. I think I need to do a little more investigating and see what I can come up with that could narrow it down.”

Wraith nods. “If you were in danger, you would ask for assistance. Am I right in that assumption?”

I snort, pushing myself out of my chair. “I always ask for help when I know I’m in over my head.” Which is clearly a lie, but Wraith doesn’t call me on it.

“Be well, Ember,” he says, disappearing before I can even blink.

Damn.

Siphoning would be a killer ability. Walking and driving get old, but I’ve got a date to get ready for.

Chapter Five

Veryn

“You look like a total douche,” Chaos says, shaking his head when he spots me. “Get your ass back in there and change.”

My hands slide down my dress shirt, but my head whips up to glare at the incubus. He’s one of Ember’s little brothers. Occasionally, I’d call him a friend, but I’ll still murder him if necessary.

“This is not the time to fuck with me,” I growl, trying to shove my dragon down.

He’s a petulant assholeallthe time lately, and he made it clear not too long ago that he wouldn’t let up until I made things right with our mate. Not that we aren’t on the same page about that, but I have a small amount of tact, where he does not. We’re slowly working toward the end goal, but if we push too hard, she could shut us out forever.

My dragon just refuses to acknowledge that fact. If she tried, he would kidnap her. Probably try to keep her hidden in a cave somewhere until the Stockholm syndrome kicked in.

That fucker has no shame. It’s like dealing with a psychopath who does what he wants and has no understanding of morality.

Only, we share one fucking brain.

It’s exhausting.

“I’m not fucking with you, man.” Chaos pops off the couch. “I’m trying to help.”

“It’s weird to me that you can disassociate Veryn, the friend, from the guy going on a date with our sister,” Dash growls, rolling his bright red eyes. He’s a hellhound and another of Ember’s little brothers.

“They’re mates.” Chaos shrugs. “He waited a fuckton longer than I would have if I knew where my other half was. Come on, I’ll help you find something that doesn’t scream,I’m a pretentious dick.”

“I wore this to your parents’ recommitment ceremony,” I grumble, following him toward my bedroom.

“Exactly,” Chaos says, disappearing into my closet. “We need something that saysI’m sexy, a little dangerous, and completely feral for you.That suit doesn’t hit even one of the points we’re going for.”

I roll my eyes, shoving my hair back from my face.

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