Page 99 of Moonlit Nights & Northern Lights
“Hmm. Well, you need to go call him,” I said firmly. “Go on. Go.”
Rory’s eyebrows shot up, his lips curving into a smirk. “God, you’re so bossy,” he said with an exaggerated eye roll, his tone carrying more than a hint of flirtation that made my pulse quicken. Something must have shown on my face because he immediately straightened, clearing his throat. “Right, then. I’ll go upstairs. Be right back.”
As his footsteps retreated, I drained my tea in three long gulps.
The second I set the empty mug down, Priya’s eyes lit up.
“No, Priya.”
“What if I massage your temple for you?”
“No.”
“What if I promise not to tell Rory about that adorable little smile you give him when he’s not looking?”
Every molecule in me froze, ice cold.
“What?!” I managed, heart seized into a tight ball.
“What if—”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” I shoved the mug toward her, desperate for any distraction from what she’d just said. “Fine. I don’t care. It’s all rubbish anyway.”
I glanced at Felix, wondering if he was listening. As he was shaking with suppressed laughter, I’d say he was.
Priya turned the mug three times counterclockwise before peering inside. Her face remained completely blank. After a few more seconds, she silently placed the mug on the table.
“Well?” I snapped.
“What?”
“What did you see?”
“I thought you said it was all rubbish? Why would you want to know whatI saw?”
I glared at Priya, trying to push past her innocent expression to the thoughts beneath. But all I encountered was an absurd mental image of yellow rubber ducks floating in a bathtub, complete with little sailor hats. One of them was smoking a tiny pipe.
“I didn’t know you were such a fan of rubber ducks,” I said, rubbing at my temple as the beginnings of a headache formed.
“Sure you don’t want that head massage?” she asked sweetly, wiggling her fingers.
“No thanks,” I muttered, reaching for my phone. The last thing I needed was Priya’s hands anywhere near my head while she was broadcasting rubber ducks doing the backstroke.
“Five minutes or so,” Felix announced, not looking up from his work. “The encryption’s tougher than I expected, but I’m getting there.”
I nodded and stepped away, scrolling through my missed calls. Several from Seb. Brilliant.
I called him back, moving toward the kitchen.
“Teddy!” Seb answered immediately. Hearing my code name coming from him felt odd, after all Rory’s teasing. “I’ve been trying to reach you since yesterday!”
“Sorry, Noctule,” I said, keeping my voice low. “We were busy searching the woods. We’ve found Dev’s phone.”
“I gathered as much from Magpie’s messages. I tried to call last night to tell you they were on their way, but you didn’t answer.”
“Sorry about that. Reception’s spotty out here. Anyway, Magpie thinks he can crack the phone in the next few minutes. After that, they’ll probably need to leave. To be honest, I was surprised to see them on our doorstep after you said you couldn’t spare anyone for this mission.”
“Well, that was before you sounded the alarm about Terrier’s pack knowing your identity, but most importantly,knowing that you’re a telepath.My mind is still reeling from that news.”
