Concentrate. “Look” harder.
I grit my teeth and look so hard my eyeballs feel like they’re about to shoot out of their sockets. Exhaling, I rub my forehead. This isn’t working. I need more power. More juice.
Leo’s golden eyes flash in my mind.You’re seeing through my glamour,he said.You’vebeenseeing through my glamour. That’s how powerful you are.
That’s how powerful I amwhen I harness.
The unusual guests edge closer to the front doors, all three heads bent over the tall one’s phone.
Will it work? Can I do this?
I clench and unclench my hands, frantically searching the hotel lobby like someone or something nearby can help me. Electricity buzzes from my hands to my shoulders, from my feet to my thighs.
There’s no one to draw emotional energy from. No one but me.
Good thing there’s a veritable hurricane of feelings churning inside of me.
I don’t have time to make myself inconspicuous. I just have to hope no one looks my way as I close my eyes and gather all my anxiety, heartbreak, and fury into my center. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, until I’m quivering like a bowstring.
And then I open my eyes.
EPILOGUE
LEO
A loud poundingwakes me just before midnight. For a moment I lie there, hoping Rime will take care of it. But when the knocking comes again, I force myself out of bed and yank on a pair of sweats. I can’t imagine who would be coming to see us so late at night. There’s no one else from home slated to join our team.
I pull on a t-shirt as I stumble down the dark hall. There are no signs of life from Topaz’s room. She won’t come out of there unless the building’s on fire. In the living room, Rime lies on his back on the couch.
He mumbles, “You have rude friends.”
“You can’t answer it?”
“This isn’t my apartment.”
I glower at him, but I pause before I unlock the door. On the off chance it could be an ‘emissary’ from Brier, we might want to be prepared. I smack Rime on the leg and order him to sit up and be alert. Evidently, he was thinking the same thing because he cooperates without argument. At his nod, I turn the lock and open the door.
I’m dreaming. There’s no other explanation. Because therestands Betts, her yellow hair piled on top of her head and her perfect thighs barely covered by a sparkling blue dress.
I breathe out her name, but she’s frozen and speechless, alarm in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I smell alcohol and men’s cologne. I smell Zander. If he’s hurt her again, I’ll break both his arms.
“I had to come and tell you,” she gasps.
My eyes scan her whole body for bruises, then settle on her face. She’s been crying.
“What happened?” I uncurl my fists and pull her gently inside, surprised she lets me touch her.
Rime is on his feet, concerned and alert. He brings in the suitcase standing behind her and invites her to sit down, but she doesn’t seem aware of him.
“I…I didn’t think it could wait,” she stammers.
“Didn’t think what could wait?” I’m trying hard not to show how much her confusion is scaring me. “What’s going on? Where were you?”
“Asheville.”
“Asheville? How did you get here?”
