Page 51 of Jacinth

Niko and Skyler both nodded, and I let out an indignant squeak.

“Angel, we all love you, but you have the attention span of a goldfish,” Orion said in a faux gentle tone.

“I’d say that of a crow, really,” Niko said with a grin.

I went to deny it but got distracted by the glimmer of gold from a coin he was holding up to the firelight. It was pretty, so shiny the way it glinted and... damn it! He probably had a point.

“You suck, Niko.”

“Actually, that may yet be Orion. We still haven’t got a straight answer out of him,” Skyler added with a mischievous glint in his eye.

“He’s concussed, doesn’t know what he’s talking about. So, the book.” Orion was suddenly studiously keen about solving the riddle of the amulet. I had seen the thing in action and was honestly terrified of the day when he came for me.

Gladys, a centuries old sea witch, was taken down like it was nothing.

I was a human in life. What chance did I have?

“There’s a library in town. We may be able to find answers there,” Orion said.

“We could go to the covens and see if they have any information,” Niko suggested.

Gradually, we all focused and devised a plan we hoped would save the spirits, Silver Springs, and probably me.

In the early hours of the morning, when my men could barely keep their eyes open, I sent them to their sleeping bags. Niko wanted to cuddle, but I felt more comfortable sitting up, standing sentry over them while they slept, as though I could protect them from all that could come for them.

The sky darkened, and I watched as morning frost settled and the first spot of orange tinted the horizon. Pinks,purples, and yellows painted across the sky, and I marveled at the waking of a new day.

It was only as my men started to stir and the distant sounds of cars on the nearby street heralded the citizens of Silver Springs heading to work and starting their day that I realized.

Birdie never came.

CHAPTER 36

Jacinth

The boys woke shortlyafter my realization and agreed it was not the time to ignore any anomaly in routine.

“Every morning she comes. There’s no way after six months that she slept in on the morning after we pissed off Alisdair. She’s in trouble, I’m sure of it. He saw her too that first day.”

“Let’s not panic, one of us will head around to Birdie’s place, the rest will start researching.” Orion attempted to be the voice of reason.

I was reasonably considering kneeing him in the junk for sounding condescending. Stupid lack of body.

Skyler promised to check in on Birdie and headed off straight away. That left Orion and Niko to head to the Silver Springs library.

“I want to go too.” I knew I was being unreasonable, and it probably wasn’t even do-able, but...

“I don’t want you staying here alone. Here...” Orion reached for his amulet., but Niko stopped him.

“No, it’s not safe. You have taken it off too much lately. The last thing we need is for Jace to have to give it back halfway through the outing and return here alone. Or worse, for you to go nuclear. Besides, there’s another way.”

We all watched curiously as Niko spread his arms wide. “Babe. Possess me.”

I pulled a major double take as his meaning sank in. I knew he could be possessed—he had spoken about it happening to him as a kid—but I never thought he’d volunteer for it.

“Are you... sure?”

“I trust you,” he said with a wink and wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug.

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