Page 70 of The Witch and The Blood Oath

“A luxurious one,” Marie explained. “A yacht imbued with the best of technology and magic alike.”

“Could you provide us passage to the yacht?” I asked.

The SUV was not going to cut it, and we couldn’t all fit on Arion. Marie rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Must I feed and clothe and wash you too?” She glanced at Freya. “Oh wait, I already did.”

Freya stood with flames swirling in her eyes. Only she could successfully appear indignant wearing the slightly too big clothes borrowed from others. She had tucked the blue, collared shirt into cuffed jeans that stretched up to her waist.

“We appreciate your help most dearly,” she spat, “but we must be going. Thank you.”

Cady and Ryder rose from their chairs, and Arion hurried to Freya’s side. As Ryder snagged one last piece of bacon, I couldn’t shake the feeling I had forgotten something. I checked the Sol Sword, but it was strapped to my side. Freya looked at me questioningly, and I followed my friends back into the dank, smelly sewer.

It was not until we had traveled across the sprawling city to the port that I remembered what question had plagued me.

What the hell is an Anchor?

???

“Twenty minutes,” Cady grumbled, “twenty minutes you all have stood here, arguing about what to do. Every minute, the chimera gets farther away.”

Freya, Ryder, and I paused our bickering. We stood on the wooden docks of the port. Birds squawked, and waves lapped hungrily at the docks. This early in the morning, only fisherman passed us by. Some of them eyeballed our eclectic group, but most of them were too engrossed in their work to notice us.

“Cady’s right,” I said.

“Yep,” Ryder agreed, “so let me and Freya get to work.”

As Ryder’s wolf rose to the surface, his amber eyes glowed. My own magic heated my veins and rumbled in my ears.

“Why don’t you two go measure your dicks?” Freya bit out. “It would draw less attention.”

I took a deep breath and forced myself to release my anger. We all worked toward the same goal, even if we disagreed on the means of achieving it.

“Regardless of the ethical impurities of it,” Freya continued, “we’ll never be able to make up for lost time and catch up to the chimera by stealing a boat.”

“But not all of us will fit on Arion’s back,” Cady said. Again.

My sister did not want to be left behind, and neither did I.

“I won’t stay here,” Ryder said and shook his tense shoulders. His eyes still glowed. “I can…I can sense its nearness. Ihaveto get closer.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of the desperation in his voice. I doubted it was simply because he didn’t want me alone with Freya. No, he and the witch had actually figured out this friendship thing, unlike Freya and me.

Memories of Freya’s creamy skin, soft curves and taut muscles flashed back to me.

Friends don’t admire other friends’ naked bodies.

“I won’t leave anyone behind in this goddessdamned city,” Freya said and shuddered.

Her response sobered me. She still hadn’t spoken in detail about what happened at Madame LaLaurie’s mansion. I brushed my hand against hers in silent comfort, but she pulled away.

“If only we all had an Arion,” Cady mused.

“No thanks,” I muttered.

The demon-cat scratched my leg, and I hissed. When I looked at Freya to tell her to reprimand her pest, her gaze was fixed on the waters behind me. When she finally met my stare and grinned, I knew we were in trouble.

“You still got your cowboy skills?” she asked.

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