Page 193 of Monsters in Love

Some of his work looked familiar. Coventry had been tracing runes that alluded to a source of magic. However, ever since the days of the sleeping one and the chaos being known only as darkness, there have always been talks of opening up portals.

That was the job for the scholars. Out of my domain, however, when I was new when we were needed for a special kind of hands-on work, we were there to deliver.

We exited the study and added another note to the pile on his door.

A young tiefling paused in the hallway when he saw us. “If you’re looking for Snowden, he’s like never here.” The student slipped a sheaf of papers into a drop box set at Professor Snowden’s door.

“Wait,” I said. “You give papers to him, though. When does he arrive?”

“He won’t. Hasn’t in months. He teaches the class remotely from his office.”

Jalen said, “We’re at his office?”

“No, not this one. I mean like his office-office. Like the one at his house or something? His TA does his grunt work, comes by to pick stuff up and drop stuff off, that kind of thing.”

Hope seared through my chest. “His TA?”

The tiefling’s face broke into a knowing smile. “Yeah. Her name is Capricorn, and she’s a top tier pile of sweetness that gives a whole new meaning to T and A. You feel me?”He licked his lips in a lascivious way.

Rothgar grabbed the young male by his shirt front and slammed him against the wall. Nearby, a professor stuck her head from her office. Her eyes rounded upon seeing us here.

I smiled at her. “Apologies, madam. Coventry business.”

Without a word, she retreated into her office and locked the door.

“Watch what you say about her, boy,” Rothgar snarled. “If I ever hear you disrespecting her in any way, I will skin you while you scream. Do you feel me?”

The tiefling smartly nodded.

“Now where the hell is this second office?”

“Was this where we were supposed to go?” Rothgar asked.

Jalen chuckled. “Yes, this is the way. He was barely coherent after you scared the piss out of him, but lucky for you, I can navigate fairly well.”

I did not like where this house was located and thinking that it was both close to the campus while also being off radar was concerning. We should have seen this house, this street, countless times. How many times have we walked this campus, not realizing this place existed?

Usually, when there was a supposed triangulation of magic and ley lines, the elves at least would have noticed. They gobbled up magic as a fine cuisine.

“I think it’s peculiar that we had never been here before,” Jalen said.

“Those were exactly my thoughts.” I powered ahead. There was a sense of urgency that I could not place. Something was wrong.

A sharp pain stabbed my heart. It stole my breath. I doubled over, seeing stars.

What was happening?

“Declan? Declan!” Jalen tried to see what was wrong as Rothgar became the shield.

As suddenly as the pain appeared, it was gone. I stood, feeling as normal as I had before.

“What was that?” Jalen asked.

“I’m not sure,” I said, massaging the pain in the middle of my chest. “It felt like something was stabbing me, just here.” Right between my hearts.

A dark look came over Jalen’s features. “Stabbed? Or did it feel like something was pulling you? As in pulling at a newly formed mating bond, perhaps?”

Capricorn!

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