Munro closed in on her. “Only because I was fading! Rather than fight those newlings, I should have just hied your arse away without raising a claw against them.”
“How far would you have gotten with my knife in your back?” By now they were toe-to-toe.
“We both know you want to bargain with Dorada to return to your time. Why should I take you?”
“Because you’ll also be getting a chance to convince your mate to stay with you and accept eternal life.”
“Aye, but you’ll be getting the chance to persuade me no’ to turn you.”
With a challenging lift of her brow, she said, “Ah, you doubt the strength of your convictions, and you’re afraid that an organic will outmaneuver you mentally.”
His lips curled. “I warn you now: You will fall for me. And when you do, you’ll be begging for eternity.”
“Or perhaps you’ll fall for me, becoming more sympathetic to my needs.”
“So which one of us is the most determined and persuasive?” He leaned down.
She went to her toes until their lips were inches apart. “Bring me with you, devil wolf, and let us find out,” she said, even as her expression told him, Oh, silly boy, you’re going down.
“You plan to use your wiles on me?” Had his tone sounded hopeful?
“If by wiles, you mean my blade, then yes. Often.”
He parted his lips to lay into her. Or kiss her. Impulses tangled in his muddled mind—
Loa cleared her throat. “Kids, kids, as much as I love to witness unadulterated sexual tension between species, we only have so long before the warlocks arrive.”
Munro pulled back from Kereny before he did something to make her stab him yet again. Her glare told him she was considering it.
Loa blithely continued, “I just texted the nymphs at the inn, so they’ll be awaiting you with a bounty of food.” She tossed Munro the duffel bag. “I’ve packed two cuffs to conceal you from scrying and some witchly products that will conjure all the clothing you two might need. There’s also a phone for Kereny and a werewolf treat for you. Anything else I can help you with?”
Munro retrieved one of the cuffs and clasped it on his wrist, shuddering from the feel of magic. He handed the other one to Kereny. After a hesitation, she donned it with a shiver.
In for a penny, in for a pound. “Do you have something that can tamp down my beast during the next full moon?” An adult Lykae could control the beast during that night—unless he or she found their mate. Then control became impossible. “Mayhap you’ve got a cuff like Prince Garreth wore.” Garreth had bought one from the witches to keep his beast leashed as he’d chased Lucia, his Valkyrie mate, around the world. It’d worked like the charm that it was—right up until it hadn’t.
Loa shook her head. “After the failure of the prince’s control cuff, the House of Witches made a pact never again to meddle with a Lykae’s beast. His talisman was the last one. If you need that magic, you’d have to find that very cuff.”
Not likely. After Will and Chloe had left for Scotland to work through their issues, Munro had made inquiries about that control cuff for Will’s beast. He’d learned it had been lost.
Seriously lost.
On the night of a full moon in the Amazon basin, a shifter had attacked Garreth. The two had grappled, landing in the water, which had teemed with supernaturally large caimans. One had eaten the shifter. When Garreth surfaced, his cuff had disappeared.
Also presumed to have been eaten by a multi-ton caiman.
The witches had told Garreth that the cuff might work for days or years, but eventually it would fail because fate would have her way. Munro had hoped for even a single night’s control. He’d have to figure something else out. There must be some means to keep Kereny safe—from him.
Loa stiffened, drawing him from his musings. Her irises grew white. She was communing with a spirit, borrowing its senses. Her voice sounded like a child’s as she said, “The warlocks have come! The warlocks have come! Five minutes away.”
Wares crashed to the floor as torrents of icy air whooshed through the shop. All the candles guttered out.
Munro wrapped his arm protectively around Kereny. “Priestess, what’s happening?”
Loa’s eyes returned to normal. “My invisible guests and coworkers are agitated. It seems the Forgotten have laid their hands on a spirit trap.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Ren’s gaze darted as unseen spirits continued to ransack the shop.
Over the commotion, Munro asked Loa, “Is Jels with them? Have they brought vassals?”
“No and no.” She dispatched a telephone telegram. “A dozen heavy-hittin’ warlocks have portaled a few blocks away, without a care for traffic cameras.”
Traffic cameras?
Munro bit out a curse. “They’ve lost their bloody minds.”
A chime sounded from Loa’s phone. “Desh will be here in two minutes.”
Though Ren didn’t like to run from a fight, she and Munro were outnumbered, especially if the warlocks could neutralize her blade. Besides, Jels was the real target, and he hadn’t been spotted among his forces. Ren would retreat, then regroup in order to strike.
And she would strike. Nothing could be more delicious than a replica killing her own creators, and Jels was exactly the type of high-value target Ren had aspired to challenge.
As was Dorada.
Munro said, “And what about you, Loa? Desh can just as easily take three.”
“Once you’re gone, I expect the warlocks”—the priestess raised her voice—“will leave me and my haunts alone.”
At that, the shop settled down. Ren imagined the ghosts sheepishly saying, “Oh. In that case . . .” A number of them began to clean, swooping up merchandise and righting displays.
Ren was not so relieved. She had less than one hundred and twenty seconds until she was to teleport with a monster from hell. But what wouldn’t she do to evade the warlocks?
And what wouldn’t she do for that wishgiver?
Well, anything except sell her soul for it.
The Queen of Evil sounded like a confidence artist, offering a fantastical dream. And if something seemed too good to be true . . .
A carnie like Ren offered deals like that—she didn’t accept them.
But she would let Munro think she intended to bargain with Dorada and that he and Ren were locked in a battle of wills over her future as a human. In fact, she planned to use Munro to get close to the sorceress. Once Ren located the Queen of Evil, she’d take Dorada’s head and her ring. If the wolf got in her way, Ren would stab him yet again.