Page 62 of Muzzled

Micah remained immobile, her red hair the only thing visible amid the pile of blankets and pillows covering the bed.

She’d been so close to her usual self by the time they’d arrived at the motel, scratching the twins under their chins and complimenting them on their pretty collars until he’d unlocked their rooms and left them to change. The few minutes alone he’d had with her had settled some of the growing disquiet in his chest: the way she’d frowned at her reflection before she opened her purse and wielded the black eyeliner with masterful strokes, her teasing when he plugged in the motel iron and unpacked the stack of folded laundry that had arrived at his door, even the flirtatious smirk she had when there was a knock and he welcomed Alex and Bo in.

He could almost pretend everything was fine.

At least, he could pretend until she would glance toward the window, her eyes glazing over momentarily before the light would return.

He opened his laptop and tapped on the maps and documents he’d been updating meticulously, the sightings of the shade and the scent of the Pirithous color-coded to create a detailed picture of how intertwined the two beings were.

“What are those?” Alex asked, pointing to the numbers attached to each shade sighting.

“Dates and times,” he replied, clicking on one to bring up the notes he’d added to each point. “I tried to ensure anything potentially relevant was included alongside each, as well as Micah’s proximity and any pertinent information I could glean from her.”

Hovering over them one by one, he gave his brothers time to catch up on the minute details of each, his attention flipping between the screen and Micah.

“Why would she say that?” Bo finally asked quietly, hunching forward. “Why would the shade think you’re a danger to her?”

His jaw twitched with the reminder. “If the working theory is that the shade thinks he’s her father, maybe it’s deciding to step into the role of overprotective father figure.”

Alex snorted. “Have you ever heard of a shade with a ‘bad parent’ complex? I’m banking on her being nothing more than a conduit. You know the artsy ones tend to be more likely to channel than you uptight numbers guys are.”

“A conduit,” he parroted, frowning. “It would make sense, I suppose. It’s no stronger than the others physically, so if Micah’s susceptible to underworld influence, the intensity of its mind powers would be nothing more than a perfect storm.”

Bo leaned back and crossed his arms, his eyes on the screen. “Is there any chance the Pirithous scent is coming off the shade?” he asked. “The scent and the shade sightings are concentrated together. The dates and times line up, too. Maybe our only hunt here is the rogue shade and we still have an unidentified Pirithous on the loose.”

Nodding slowly, he stood and walked to the window. “It’s possible, I guess. If that’s the case, this curse isn’t wrapping up anytime soon. Micah was my last lead.”

“You sure you want it to wrap up?” Alex shifted in his chair. “You’ve traded any chance of release you ever had to give me and Bo some semblance of freedom. Would a few more decades topside really be a bad thing for you?”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Fresh from aninvigorating shower, Micah swiped her thumb across her phone screen and fired off a reply to Logan, then waved her cell at Ryan. “He made his first hundred-dollar sale, and he’s decided to do an aggressive takeover of my position by copying my signature and essentially taking over the Maestro name.”

He looked up from his messenger bag with a smile. “Will the new King of the Circuit be at the suite when we get there?”

“Nope,” she replied, tossing the heavy blankets off and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. “He and a few others are going to The Firehall to celebrate his momentous financial windfall. He’ll be crawling in the door around noon, hungover and broke and ever so remorseful.”

Her three-hour nap had cleared the last of the fog from her head, and she was anxious to re-meet Ryan’s brothers while she was feeling alert and on her game. She watched him prowl across the room, bouncing her knee nervously while he tossed things into his bag, opening and closing drawers methodically until he was satisfied he was prepared.

“We’re going to eat first, right?” she asked, jumping to her feet when he grabbed his shoes. “I’m starving.”

“You’ve seen the size of the guys.” He grinned, passing her own shoes over. “If we didn’t eat first, there’d be a mutiny.”

“A mutiny I would lead,” she replied haughtily, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Besides, you need to fill me in on everything while I’m still cohe—” She paused and swallowed. “While I’m rested.”

He held out his hand to her, hesitating a moment before drawing her into a hug. “Can you still feel it?” he murmured into her hair. “Alex scoured the area and couldn’t locate any fresh scent of the shade.”

Sinking against him, she shook her head. “The barrier between its thoughts and mine is completely up. I’m not getting a single stray image right now.” When his grip tightened a fraction, she smiled into his shirt and closed her eyes until there was a knock on the door and he released her. “Okay,” she said, stepping back and tilting her chin up. “Am I presentable?”

He looked her up and down, his eyes lingering on her lips. “Stunning as always.” As he drew her back in for a kiss, the knocking became more insistent while two voices called out insults through the thin walls. Pure exasperation crossed his face, and he gave her a quick peck, opening the door with more force than necessary. “We’re ready.”

The twin with the longer hair body checked the one in the mildly offensive shirt as Ryan led her into the hall, shielding her from the ruckus behind them while they walked to his car. He held the door for her, his brothers clamoring into the back and calling out their food requests before they settled into the cramped seats.

“My wife loves the shit Ryan sent us,” one of them announced, tapping her shoulder to ensure he had her attention. “She’s a huge mythology fan and wicked smart. Working on her museum-curating-doctorate thing.”

She smiled at the pride in his voice. “Sage, right?” she clarified, connecting “wife” with Bo immediately. “If she has her eye on any other pieces, let me know. I’ll send her anything she wants.”

He arched out of his seat and yanked his phone from his back pocket, cursing under his breath as he swiped his thumb across it a few times before turning it to her. “That set there is the one she’s wanting for the guest room.”

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