Page 22 of Curses & Keys
My stomach growls as the meeting ends, and I head to a bakery in town to grab a sausage and egg bagel, a special treat, and a coffee. The true nectar of the gods. Scrolling through my phone while I eat, an alert pops up, telling me the council is giving a press conference in ten minutes.
I rush through the rest of my breakfast, then head back to the university. Not wanting to use my computer, I slip into the library. A few clicks later, and I’m on the council’s site. Protected by a magical password, only supernaturals can access it.
Jamison’s father stands at a podium. “Dr. Letz Samuels was a respected member of our community, a friend to this council, and a powerful mage. We all mourn his passing.” He looks at the other councilmembers, who nod back at him. “I, personally, mourn the loss of a great man and trusted friend.”
I roll my eyes at his statement.
“Unfortunately, we have to inform you of the circumstances surrounding his death. We debated whether to bring you this news, but we believe transparency is necessary to ensure your safety. Letz was working with council security to uncover a theft from the museum. There was a skirmish two nights ago, and he was killed by humans. This was not a random attack. They purposely targeted him,” he reveals, outrage in his voice.
Are they covering up Letz’ theft because he was a high-ranking mage? Or do they not care?
“Letz isn’t their first victim, either. They attacked one of our security men at the museum earlier this month and killed a young demon named Sia when she surprised them during a burglary.” He pauses to let the crowd express their outrage.
Sia. I hadn’t realized they’d also killed her. An image of the studious young demon flashes in my mind. Dark hair, small build, she wouldn’t have hurt a fly. Killing her proves this group will go to any lengths, but for what? The key? Could they possibly suspect it’s real? De Vere starts talking, and I shift my focus back to him.
Holding up a regal hand, he reins in the chaos erupting around him. “This new group is resourceful, connected, and powerful. They have the means to detect magic and, apparently, strike against it. We’re doing everything possible to find out whothey are and eliminate the threat they pose to us and our way of life.”
While I don’t like the man, I can appreciate his tactics. With their ability to detect and nullify magic, these humans present a huge threat to supernaturals. Exposure is the least of it. Elimination is likely their end goal.
The crowd roars in his favor. In the background, I see two councilmembers clapping, but the other three are stoic. A divided council. Probably the only thing unifying them is the pact they made with the gods. Eliminating the human group will prevent the world from finding out supernaturals exist and keep magic contained. It’s a harsh reality, but in order to live together, here in this world, we all had to make pacts with the gods.
Photographs flash up on the screen behind him. Most of them are men dressed in familiar camouflage, but it’s the single solitary figure covered head to toe in a black bodysuit that makes me want to bang my head on the table.Shit.That’s me. The gods aren’t going to be happy about my appearance on a council press conference or the reward they’re offering for any information on me. Thankfully, I’m completely in disguise.
I’ll have to lie low for a while. Easy enough to stay here and do my university job or go on the Egyptian expedition. Better yet, I could lie low at the farmhouse. Catch up on the objects in the vault that need curses removed and give several of those to the university to maintain my cover. Plus, it would give me time to research the key. Figure out what the gods want from me. It’s not as if they’ll suddenly appear and tell me. They believe in making me work for the answers.
My alarm goes off, and I hurriedly click out of the screen and delete the history. I bring up a website about Dr. Kathleen Martínez’ search for Cleopatra’s tomb. It’s truly a fascinating story. My gut says she’ll find it. Right now, though, this is just a cover in case anyone snoops on my browsing.
I run out of the library and head to my office to grab my things. As I fumble to get the key in the lock, I realize it’s already unlocked. Cautiously, I enter the room. It’s empty. I did lock it, right? I remember grabbing my things earlier, but I don’t remember if I stopped and actually locked the door. I grab my lecture notes, then step outside and lock the door. I jiggle it twice to be sure. Then I practically jog back to the library.
Sun glintsoff Hawthorne’s dark brown hair, bringing out the natural red highlights. Broad shoulders block the sun from hitting the book in front of him. Several female students sit nearby, gawking at him, but he doesn’t glance in their direction.
I set my peace offering on his book, then sit beside him.
He looks at the white bag suspiciously. “What is this?”
“Open it.”
Flicking a glance at me, he plucks the bag off his book and slowly eases it open.
I laugh. “It won’t bite you.”
He stares down into the bag, then reaches in and grabs the cupcake. Holding it up, he raises an eyebrow. “Why are you giving me food?”
“It’s not food,” I snort. “It’s a double chocolate mocha cupcake from the best bakery in town… It’s also a peace offering.”
He stares at me, as if trying to decide whether I’m sincere or not.
“Take a bite,” I urge him. The air is filled with the sweet scent of chocolate intermingled with his earthy smell. All of which smells delicious.
A small smile replaces the stoic expression. With a discreet flick of his wrist, two forks appear in his hand. “Share it with me?”
Smart man. “Only if you take the first bite. I’m dying to see the expression on your face.”
He purses his lips but gives in to my request. The moment he puts the bite in his mouth, his sea-green eyes light up. Not a word passes his lips until he swallows. “This is hands down the best cupcake I’ve ever eaten. It’s pure bliss. You’re forgiven.”
I watch his tongue slide across his lips to catch the lingering frosting and almost groan at the thought of how delicious he must taste. With a shake of my head, I lean in close and whisper, “There might be a teensy bit of magic in the recipe. A Fae owns the bakery.” I snatch up a fork and take a bite. Flavor explodes in my mouth.Mmm.
A knowing look passes between us. “I’ll need the address of this miraculous place.”
