Page 77 of After 5
“We didn’t have time to change,” Ace said.
“The wedding was a farce!” My adrenalin pumped so hard I couldn’t control myself. “It seemed legit, but when Mahlia was supposed to say I do…Caiyan vanished.”
Ace clapped a hand over my mouth. I shoved it aside. “For Pete’s sake, he knows we were at the wedding.” Or at least I assumed he would know, but the look on his face told a different story.
“Why were YOU at the wedding?” Jake’s voice boomed. He shot Ace a menacing look then halted. “Vanished?”
I nodded and followed with, “It’s not Ace’s fault. I can be annoyingly persuasive.”
“Is that so?” The air thickened with the sarcasm in Jake’s tone. “Call Marco back to base. I sent him to Wessex to find you.”
“Why?”
“Because you disappeared off the travel screen.”
I placed my hand to my key and summoned Marco back to base. “Pickles couldn’t see us in Long Island?”
“He wasn’t looking for you there. He can’t watch the entire world, past and present, at the same time. You shouldn’t have gone, Jen.”
“But, Caiyan disappeared.” I was almost giddy.
“My Intel reported in before you arrived,” Jake said. “I know McGregor split.”
Ace shifted toward Jake.
“Not exactly. He ditched all right. Left Mahlia standing at the altar,” Ace explained. “I don’t believe the Scot left on his own terms.”
“Sure, he did.” A wide smile spread across my lips. “Smoke and mirrors, just like Caiyan told me.”
“Her key jumped, or Pickles has lost his touch.” Jake ran a hand through his hair.
“The priest. He had to be Toecheese in disguise.” I bounced on my toes as I relayed my theory to Jake.
Ace and Jake considered for a moment.
“Toches. That little devil. I didn’t recognize ’im, but now that you’ve pointed out the obvious, I agree. The man has bloody scary talent.”
“Incoming,” one of the black suits holding court at the door to the hangar reported to Jake, and everyone took a step back toward the wall.
A rumble of a 700-horsepower motor and Marco’s vessel appeared on the landing pad next to mine. He hopped out and joined us.
“Holy macaroni, you guys appearing in a variety act?” Marco raised an eyebrow at our clothing. “I’d only just arrived in Wessex, where were you?”
I explained about the smoke, and how Caiyan and the priest disappeared, and Mahlia stood there looking all pissed. I was talking so fast my words were vomiting out of my mouth in a stuttering mess.
“You went to the wedding?” Marco demanded more than asked.
I bit my lower lip.
“Jesus Christ, can’t you do something with her?” Marco flailed his arms at Jake.
“What do you suggest? I need her to keep our world from caving in on itself.”
Yoo-hoo, stop talking like I’m not in the room.
“She’s going to end up dead if you don’t do something. Now she’s got Campy doing her dirty work.”
“Actually,” Ace started then stopped when the two men gave him an angry glare.
