Page 124 of Anchor

“So what do youthinkhappened?”

That’s the part that sucked. “I think he left on his own.” There was no way anybody could have just taken him without me hearing it—or if they put a spell on me or something, there was no way anybody would have taken him and leftmethere, sleeping. The same people who were after him were after me, too.

No—Taland left because he wanted to leave. He left without his mother’s charm, too, but instead transferred it to me. However its magic worked, it now mademeinto someone else, and I had no idea how long it was going to last.

“I just…I don’t understand why.” He would have told me if he needed to go take care of something…wouldn’t he?

“Maybe he was called back. Maybe he was sent on another mission or something,” Cassie said.

“Did they tellyousomething?”

She shook her head. “Nope. They didn’t mention it. Didn’t tell me to keep an eye on cameras or reports or anything like that.”

I nodded. “I need to ask you something and I wish I didn’t,” I said, butthiswas my only option, the only one I had left. There was literally nowhere else for me to turn right now, so…

“Anything,” Cassie said, and I appreciated it more than she knew.

“Where are the Tivoux bothers?”

Because there was a good chance that they knew where Taland was, and while I waited for Cassie to get in touch with her cousins, I could go find them. Maybe I could even talk to them. Not like I had anything better to do, anyway.

Cassie flinched. “You sure that’s a good idea? They kind of hate you.”

That, too, made me laugh. “Oh, trust me, I know. I know it very, very well, but I have no choice.” I wasn’t going to just sit on my ass when there was still something I could do. Something that was probably going to get me killed, butsomethingnonetheless.

“Last I heard, they’re staying at this famous hybrid club-slash-strip club-slash-brothel, which is connected to a warehouses, too. It’s somewhere in Pittsburgh, but I’m not sure exactly where, just that the club is called The Diamond Club. That’s all I know,” Cassie said.

“That’s good enough. I’ll find it.” I had planned to buy a phone anyway.

“I’m sure you will,” Cassie said. “I don’t know what it is about you, but trouble seems to love your name, girl. I’m jealous.”

If she only knew what it was like inside me, she wouldn’t be. “I’m special like that,” I said instead.

“You sure are. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me the truth about Taland before.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were a spy.”

She rolled her eyes, but it was just for show. “Whatever.”

“I gotta go, Cassie. Thank you so much for coming, but I gotta go now.” I needed food and sleep and I needed to make my way to Pennsylvania as soon as I could without getting caught.

“Hey, no problem. Any time. You got my number?”

We stood up together.

“I memorized it,” I said. “And I’ll text you my new one when I get it tomorrow so you can reach me if you need to.”

“Do that. I’ll send you anything I have, when I have it,” she said.

I swallowed hard. “Hey—do you know anything about my grandmother, by any chance?” I forced myself to say.

I didn’t even want to think about Madeline right now, but she remained one of my biggest threats, and since Cassie was already here…

“Saw her coming in yesterday. Didn’t stop at all, went straight to Hill’s elevator. She looked pissed off, though,” Cassie said.

“Yes, I imagine she is.” And there was a voice in my head that was happy and proud to imagine it, but I pushed it away until it disappeared completely.

I thanked Cassie another three times until she told me I wasn’t allowed to saythanksagain. That’s why when we went our separate ways, I had a small smile on my face. For a moment there, I didn’t feel so utterly alone anymore. It wasn’t just me against the entire world. She was there to give me a hand, too, whenever she could.

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