Page 133 of Golden Eagle

Mia’s eyes widened, and she scanned the table, and then the bar, like she expected a mage to pop into sight. “Oh, I didn’t even think – the smoke smell…”

“Just so, darling,” Val said. “Has one of you acquired a Familiar? Or is it an adversarial relationship?”

No one responded.

“We don’t–” Nikita started.

Sasha said, “We’ve been at the Institute.”

“Shit,” Lanny breathed.

Shock moved through Nikita like a punch, spreading out from his chest, through his ribs.

Val’s eyes popped wide a moment, and then he carefully smoothed his features. Sipped more wine. “Oh, well, that’s none of my worry.”

Nikita turned to Sasha, whose face had gone pink, but who refused to meet his gaze.

“There’s been a string of murders. Feral wolves killing humans,” he explained. “And we thought the Institute might be involved. We were there earlier.”

Nikita’s pulse pounded in his ears. It took him a long, breathless moment to name the sensation churning in his gut: betrayal.

“And dealt with a mage, obviously,” Val said in a strange tone. He’d dialed the charm back; the vibrancy and enthusiasm. He turned to Mia, and said, “One of Liam’s batch, I suspect.”

Mia’s expression told him that was a significant piece of information. “Val,” she said, softly, almost pleading.

“I know, I know.” He turned back to Nikita. “As you can imagine, I don’t want anything to do with” – he gestured vaguely – “any of that.” He drained the last of his wine, and Mia clutched the halves of her jacket together. “This has been lovely, though. What are you doing for breakfast tomorrow?” The charm returned, if a bit forced. “I hear humans enjoy something called ‘brunch.’”

“We’re busy,” Nikita deadpanned.

“We’re not,” Alexei piped up, gesturing to Dante. “Have brunch with us.”

“There’s a lovely café not far from my apartment,” Dante offered. He still looked ready to go to one knee, or bow, or something equally stupid. “It would be an honor to have your company.”

“Wonderful,” Val said.

Alexei sent Nikita a smug look he didn’t begin to understand.

Val and Mia stood, and Sasha looked a little forlorn, and Nikita thought he might be sick.

“Thank you for an entertaining evening of freedom, all,” Val said to the table. He dipped his head in Alexei’s direction. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Eleven,” Alexei said. “Give me your phone and I’ll put in my number.”

Mia produced a phone, and the swap was made.

The prince and his mate – his princess, technically, Nikita supposed – walked arm-in-arm through the thinning crowd toward the doors.

“I’ll be damned,” Lanny murmured when they were gone. “Did anybody believe any of that? Was that for real?” He looked at Nikita. “Are they for real?”

Nikita felt his earlier numbness creeping back in. He could only shrug.

When he tried, again, to make eye contact with Sasha, he found Sasha’s gaze trained on the table, on the two empty wine glasses.

Tonight officiallysucked.

~*~

When last call came around, it became clear that there wasn’t anything else for any of them to do tonight.

---