“Am I putting you guys in danger by being here?” Scarlett asked.
“I…” Shoshanna sighed. “I don’t know. I think maybe the protection spells are helping, but they’re not going to keep it at bay forever. And if that’s the case, you’ll be a magnet for danger no matter where you go. So I’d rather you were here safe.”
“That’s not terribly reassuring,” Scarlett said wryly.
“Babe, at this point, truth is better than reassurance,” Shoshanna said. She blinked slowly. “I need a nap, you guys.”
Suppressing a smile, Julian nodded. “How soon can you break the curse? Tomorrow?”
The witch tilted her head. “Two days.”
“What if we don’t have two days?” Julian said quietly.
“Well, I won’t be any good to you if I give myself an aneurysm,” Shoshanna said sharply.
Misha squeezed her shoulder lightly. “We’ll have you back on your feet as quick as possible. Why don’t you go get some rest, and I’ll send you any notes you need.” Then he smiled at Scarlett. “As for you, I think it’s best if we get another dose of pagos in your system. It’s worn off, and I’m willing to wager that it’ll keep the curse from closing in on you temporarily. At the very least, you’ll get a good night’s sleep.”
Scarlett nodded, watching as he took a vial from the fridge under his workbench. Wrinkling her nose, she tossed it back and handed him the container. Then she took Julian’s hand, letting him lead her back to the main building.Misha’s potion had her swaying on her feet, and he suspected that the adrenaline of the night had worn off, leaving her exhausted.
“I could help you work,” she said as he took her into his bedroom.
He smiled and shook his head. “I think you’ve had enough excitement for one night.”
With a soft smile, she held out her hands, beckoning for him as she sat back on the bed. Enticed by that lovely scent, he leaned in for a kiss, chuckling as she drew him in tighter, teasing at his lips until he deepened the kiss and stole her breath. “Not quite enough excitement,” she said.
He held her face gently, drinking in the sight of her. Brilliant green eyes, flushed cheeks, waves of hair cascading out of a loose braid…the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. “Believe me when I say I would much rather be here in this bed. Inside you,” he teased. She laughed brightly. “But I have to stay on top of this. And it’ll help me focus if I know you’re here resting and safe.”
“Okay,” she said. “You know I hate sitting back and not fighting.”
“I know, and it means the world to me that you can control that urge and do what’s right,” he said.
Her brow arched. “That sounds very condescending and patriarchal, just so you know.”
“I’m four centuries old. Keeping beautiful women safe is a hard habit to break,” he said, kissing her brow. “Get some sleep.”
“Good night,” she called after him.
He lingered at the closed door, listening as she slid beneath the covers. Her heartbeat slowed, and he double-checked the lock before returning to his office.
Back in the administrative building, he found Paris in his office. The small room smelled faintly of smoke and gasoline, likely courtesy of the discarded jacket he’d been wearing to meet his stranded lover. The Frenchman shook his head at his oversized computer monitor and said, “This is such a shitshow.”
“Any sign of Sasha and Kristina yet?”
Paris glanced up. “We found fresh blood at the Constitution building. Lots of magic. Nothing else. Dominic’s been trying to follow the trail, but he’s coming up short.”
“Can we track their phones?”
“They’ve been turned off,” Paris said grimly. “Jonas hasn’t heard from her either. Armina might use them to get to us.”
“They wouldn’t turn on us,” Julian said.
Paris cocked his head. “Not willingly. But you heard what Kova and Scarlett said about Armina and her experiments. If they can turn Carrigan Shea into a puppet…” He shook his head. “I think we need to prepare for the possibility that Sasha Morozov is gunning for us. And they know where we sleep.”
“Do we pick up and run again?” Julian asked.
His old friend threw up his hands. Frustration marked his handsome face, but Julian could feel his roiling fear through their bond. “I don’t know. Where do we go? Do we tell the whole fucking court to leave town? Now we’re back to leaving Atlanta for the biggest asshole in the room to take over. But it’s your call.”
Julian sank into the oversized leather chair across from Paris, wishing there were someone older and wiser to make these decisions. He closed his eyes, trying to push away all the noise.
