Page 72 of Midnight Witch

Nikolai’s eyes grew hooded. He slipped a hand behind her neck and lowered his head to take her mouth in a kiss that made her soul hum. Mae sank into him with a sound of pure need, her arms rising to lock around his nape. He groaned, clasped her face, and angled her head so he could deepen the kiss.

The door creaked open on a forceful swing. They froze.

“We found her! She’s in—”

Vlad rocked to a halt when he saw them.

Mae disengaged herself awkwardly from Nikolai, unable to stop the guilt that twisted her insides.

Nikolai’s face grew inscrutable as he met Vlad’s hostile stare. “I’ll get ready to leave.”

He walked past the incubus and entered the house. Mae hesitated before following.

“Have you chosen, princess?” Vlad said in a stilted voice when she drew level with him.

Mae’s chest tightened at the bitterness underlying his words. “I—” She faltered and bit her lip. “Vlad—”

“Don’t.” The incubus shuddered and closed his eyes. “I’d rather you not lie to me.”

CHAPTER29

The clamorof an excited crowd washed over them as they stepped out of the SUV they’d rented at the airport. A dull roar preceded the sound of distant clapping to the far left, where a large tent decorated with strings of colorful lights rose against the dark sky.

Mae pulled up the collar of her jacket and tucked her cap down as they crossed the parking lot. Though night had fallen, there was a risk the bright lights illuminating the fairground could expose her identity to curious eyes.

“A circus in Pittsburgh is the last place I’d have thought we’d find this woman,” Alicia remarked. “She chose a good hideout.”

Mae had to agree. It was unlikely the Dark Council would look for the witch who had escaped Raya Medeiros’s death trap here.

They’d ended up having to hire a private charter from one of the smaller airfields outside New York to avoid the attention of the authorities searching for them. The pilot hadn’t batted an eyelid when he’d seen the strange get-up of sunglasses, hats, and scarfs Mae and Nikolai had donned, like this was a regular thing for him.

Vlad’s mood hadn’t improved during their short flight to Pittsburgh, something Cortes and the others had noticed but thankfully not commented upon. Mae knew they needed to talk and soon. She couldn’t just leave things as they were.

The incubus meant too much to her.

Violet scanned the sea of booths and stalls around them. The kiosks were spread across three central lanes with about a dozen side alleys branching off each one.

“Should I go ask someone where she is?”

“There’s no need,” Mae said. “I can sense her core. She’s on the far side of the fairground.”

“Oh.” Violet eyed her dully. “I keep forgetting you can do that.”

“Are there any other magic users around?” Nikolai asked guardedly as they navigated the noisy carnival grounds.

“A few,” Mae replied. “But none with dark magic. They must belong to the local coven.”

“Let’s hope they don’t cause any trouble,” Violet murmured.

The hubbub died down when they turned into a passage next to a muddy field where the circus staff had parked their trailers and trucks. From the looks of the shabby stalls and booths they passed, this was where the least popular gigs were located.

Mae’s gaze landed on a rundown purple tent at the end. There was a small queue outside it. Faded, gold lettering announced the title of the booth: “Lady Luna, Seer of Secrets.”

This close up, the blue flames that characterized the core of the witch and the cat familiar inside it blazed even more brightly. Mae frowned.

She’s definitely someone who can use Illusion Sorcery.

They earned a few curious stares as they got in line.

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