Page 72 of Curses & Keys
“Her name is Arlie. Friend of Charlie’s,” I reply, summarizing her diagnosis. “I’ve been doing everything she said—talking to Hawthorne, taking him outside for nature therapy, touching him.” I reach out and grab Hawthorne’s hand in mine. “There’s been some muscle movement, but that’s all.”
Mathias looks at me sharply. “I see.”
Uncomfortable with the expression in his eyes, I babble on. “I tried to reach all three of you numerous times. When I realized the phones must have been hacked or whatever, I didn’t know what to do. In his vulnerable state, I didn’t want to move him. If one of those groups caught up to us, he would be defenseless. Plus, I wasn’t sure where to go. This was the closest safe house to Athens. I got a new phone and contacted a friend in London to see if you all were alive.” My voice hitches at that last statement.
He reaches out and lifts my chin. “You did everything right. This is my fault. I relied on the beacon in the laptop and your phones to track you. It was stupid. I know things can go sideways in a hurry. It’s my fault you didn’t have another way to contact us. I’m sorry.”
Astonished, I place a reassuring hand on his chest as I stare up at him. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I don’t blame you.”
His eyes drop to my hand, and with a blush, I remove it. Why do I feel this need to keep touching him?
“I’m not used to being responsible for someone else. It has me rattled.”
“You eventually get used to it,” he assures me, turning toward Hawthorne. “I need to see if I can get into his head.” He pauses. “You might want to look away.”
My brow furrows. What is he planning to do? I walk around the bed to get a better angle.
Mathias bends over, turning Hawthorne’s head toward me. Dark eyes stare at me with a question in their depths, but I don’t know what he’s asking until two fangs appear.Oh.I give him a slight nod and watch as he sinks his teeth into Hawthorne’s neck. His eyes turn pitch black. My pulse picks up as I watch his mouth moving against Hawthorne’s burnished skin. This has to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Makes me want to bare my neck to him.
Mathias raises his head and licks Hawthorne’s neck, closing the wounds. “He’s in there. Some sort of peaceful setting, from what I could see in his mind. I told him you were waiting for him. That we needed him to return. His level of awareness increased.”
My gaze drops to Hawthorne. “You think it will work?”
“Only time will tell,” Mathias murmurs. “Did this happen at the temple?” He lifts a strand of Hawthorne’s white-streaked hair.
His words. “Yes. Can you get into anyone’s mind when you drink from them?” I ask with trepidation. “Do they know you’re there?”
“Yes, and yes.”
Damn, that’s too bad.
“Is this place yours?” he asks, looking around.
“One of my corporations owns it,” I reply cautiously. “Why?”
“The council wants our heads,” he reveals with a heavy sigh. “Jamison’s in a safe house right now, but I don’t think we should stay in London. After the fiasco in Greece, they aren’t willing to let him lead our security forces. But there’s no way we’re giving up our investigation. We’re too close.”
He goes on to explain everything he’s discovered about the groups. “The group in Greece is the one that killed Sia. They’re not aware they’re working with vampires. Gatlin went to inform them, hoping they’ll change their minds and give us some information to go on. As for the other group, we haven’t seen or heard from them. They may or may not know about the mages.”
“That’s odd,” I muse. “Vampires have no magic. How did they create portals?”
“With this,” he says with a slight lift of his lips. He pulls out a stylus. “Nolan paid the mages a long time ago to develop a spell that would enable us to create a portal using simple tools. It’s great because we don’t suffer the same side effects as mages when we use it long distance.”
I didn’t realize that was an option. Not surprising for someone who hates portals. “Can anyone wield one of those?”
His eyebrow rises. “Yes.” His gaze drops to my palm. “Do you have an idea about where to go next?”
“I believe so,” I say, peering down at the brand on my skin. “Where are you going to take Jamison and Hawthorne?” I trace the lines of the anvil. The thought of being alone again sucks, but I can’t blame him. Not with two of their team down. When he doesn’t reply, I look up at him.
“Here. Where we can all be together,” he states with a scowl. “There’s no way in hell you’re doing this alone.”
I bite my lip. There’s no need for them to come with me on the quests. Someone else could get hurt or worse. But I don’t want them to stay in London either. Not with the council on the warpath.
“One condition.” His head tilts. “How did you find me?”
“Food delivery,” he says with a twitch of his lips. “You used the same credit card that you had with you when you and Gatlin escaped.”
37
