Page 68 of The Darkest Night

“Is there a problem?” Nikolai asked curiously.

He was back from checking the apartment.

“Yeah. I’m gonna need to get a third job to feed the fox and the demonic weapon.”

Violet raised an eyebrow. “You can always ask the New York coven to take care of your expenses.”

Mae brightened. “I can?”

Nikolai pursed his lips. “Is that how you guys landed that penthouse in Midtown?”

Miles shrugged. “Nah, we paid for that ourselves.”

Mae narrowed her eyes at the cousins. “By the way, I never asked, but what do you guys do for a living?”

“I’m an Engineering major at UChicago,” Violet replied guilelessly. “Miles is in the family realtor business. He’s also an MBA student at Harvard Business School.”

Mae and Nikolai traded a look of commiseration.

“So, you’re just stinking rich,” Mae muttered.

“Hey, he’s loaded too,” Miles protested, cocking a thumb at Nikolai.

Nikolai narrowed his eyes. “I don’t rent penthouses in Midtown. Besides, my father never believed in showering his kids with moneyoraffection.”

A stilted silence befell them. Brimstone huffed at the change in the mood. A knock came at the front door.

They froze.

“You expecting anyone?” Nikolai asked tensely, magic flaring at his fingertips.

Mae frowned. “No. And put that magic away before you hurt someone.”

A frail voice carried through the apartment from the landing outside. “Mae?”

Mae relaxed. “It’s okay. It’s just my landlord.”

She strode down the hall and opened the door, ignoring their hissed protests.

Mr. Seong blinked up at her, a liver-spotted hand clutching his walking stick and the other holding a carrier bag. Old age and osteoporosis had shrunk his once prime five-foot-four frame to a more demure five foot two. The wisps of receding gray hair covering his scalp just about reached her chin.

“Hi, Mr. Seong.”

“Hi, Mae. It’s good to see you again.” Her landlord fidgeted. “Are you okay? Mrs. Son-Ha called and said you got dropped off by some strange men in suits.”

Mae masked a grimace. Bryony had insisted the New York coven give them a ride home when they’d parted ways. Had she known this would involve two swanky SUVs pulling up outside her place and her escort practically rolling out a red carpet as they walked her to the door of the building, she would have called a cab. She sobered.

Mrs. Son-Ha’s spy network is scary.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Thanks for taking care of the place while I was in the hospital.”

“It’s no problem.” Mr. Seong handed her the bag. “Here, I madebulgogiandjapchae. There’s somekimchion the side.” His face fell when he noticed the figures crowding the hall behind her. “I didn’t realize you had friends over. I would have brought more.”

“Thank you. And it’s okay to ignore them.”

This was proving to be a hard thing for either of them to do considering thesotto voceconversation taking place in the foyer.

“What if he’s a sorcerer in disguise?” Violet muttered darkly.

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