Page 325 of Primal Bonds

“Will you require anything else, my lord?”

“No.” Langdon dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Crossing to an antique mahogany hutch, he removed a scrying mirror wrapped in soft cotton. He unwrapped the mirror and sat down again, the mirror cupped in his hands. The mirror was carved of pure obsidian, the edges beveled, a flowing white frame around the stone’s glossy black.

He gazed into the dark center. The shiny surface threw back his own reflection, his mouth a line of concentration.

He slowed his breath. The reflection blurred, transformed to dark-edged clouds that raced across the obsidian’s surface like a fast-approaching storm.

Change is coming. The old traditions will be no more.

Both Cleia and Dion had let Langdon believe his granddaughter was dead.

And Adric had told Langdon a flat-out lie, which must have made him deathly ill.

Langdon now knew differently. Merry was alive and still at Rock Run, as she’d been for the last seven turns of the sun. And soon, he’d bring her to Dark Moon to raise as his heir.

Centuries of tradition were about to be shattered. His grandfather would roll over in his grave.

Langdon’s mouth edged up.

He tightened his fingers around the mirror, drew deeply on his Gift.

“Show me Merry Jones.” He spoke her full name aloud to increase the power, his voice echoing in the small room.

On the mirror’s shiny black surface, clouds swirled and piled upon each other into a towering thunderhead—and then parted to reveal his granddaughter.

Chapter 13

“Have a good trip?” asked Zuri.

He and Adric exchanged a look. They were at the Full Moon Saloon again, standing near the long wooden bar. It was Monday evening and the tavern was nearly empty. No humans. No river fada, even—just a few of his own men and a couple of visiting earth fada. Claudio was serving as the only bartender, and instead of a band, the TVs on either side of the bar were tuned to the replay of a soccer game in Madrid.

“I did.” Adric took a gulp of beer. “Anything happen that I should know about?”

“Other than my alpha going A.W.O.L. for a night—and then nearly being captured by the night fae?”

Adric’s fingers tightened on his bottle. “Everyone’s allowed a fucking night off, even me.”

The lieutenant acknowledged that with a tight nod. “You are. But as your head of security, I should have been informed.”

“Jani knew.”

Another short nod. Then his friend sighed. “Did it work?”

“Did what work?”

“Did you get the woman out of your system?”

Adric’s mind went to the sea-green swirl in the quartz tucked out of sight beneath his T-shirt.

Hell, no. I only want her more and my cat’s insisting she’s the mate.

And I can’t do a damn thing about it.

He took another swig of beer. “None of your fucking business.”

“Hey, I’m the one who told you that if you wanted her, take her. But now you need to put her behind you. This thing with the night fae following you to Lewes? That’s messed up.”

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