Chapter 8
Marcus
I peered outside my gym’s window through the teeny-tiny unfrosted gap in the logo. Sure enough, the guy Arcane Development had sent had not returned.
I guess he was still dealing with his new wasp friends.
“It’s going to be a while before he can move his car,” Declan said. “Considering there’s a wasp nest in his front seat.”
We’d made sure there were no cameras in the area. Who’d believe someone would launch a wasp nest through a car’s windshield? Can you imagine the stings the perp would amass? Totally unplausible.
“I had one witness, though,” Declan said. “But she works next door at the Witch’s Brew. After I shifted and dressed, I went in to check, and she was behind the counter.”
“I don’t think she’s going to say anything considering her job is at stake. No coffee shop, no job.”
The mirrors had finally arrived, and we’d spent the day putting them up. We’d learned the hard way that all mirrors in gyms, dojos, and dance studios had to be glued down in addition to the mounts. All it had taken was one accidentally flung weight. Glue prevented the mirrors from shattering into a billion impossible-to-clean-up pieces.
“So the witch next door knows your story now?” Declan asked casually as we lifted the large sheet up, fitted it inside the mounts, and held it to the wall.
“Yeah. I had to tell her. I didn’t expect Elise to show up when she did. We’ve been hiding so well.”
Up until this point, Declan had been the only one I trusted with my secret.
“I wonder how Elise found out. We were so careful to edit out your face in all the gym photo ads.”
“What if it’s not the photos?” I wondered.
If it was, how had she known where to look? Bullseye Fitness could be owned by any minotaur. And I was all the way here in America; the last time she saw me was in Europe.
“Maybe it wasn’t Elise herself,” Declan suggested. “The dragon could have a team working for him. Maybe they’ve exhausted all their leads in the old world and came here.”
I’d originally decided to hide in plain sight as a minotaur because it seemed almost silly. Surely a minotaur going into hiding would pretend to be a human or something, not another minotaur. It had worked. I’d been free for almost a decade. But had it really worked? Perhaps the dragon had simply let me believe I was safe until I needed to do my duty.
We were just finishing up trimming out the larger wall of mirrors and were about to start putting up the smaller one when my phone chimed multiple times, signaling that someone was at the back door. My hackles raised immediately.
The video feed didn’t show my mother, but my little witch, her brows furrowed and looking visibly tired.
“It’s Gigi,” I said, tucking the phone back into my pocket and heading toward the back door.
“Wait. It could be a trick. I’ll come with you too, just in case.”
“You’re right.” I reached for the charmed earring Gigi had given me, rubbed it three times and whispered the ridiculous words, hoping Declan didn’t hear them.
The familiar feeling of a glamor spell settled on my face. Unlike the magic of The Wall, which hadn’t felt like anything at all, most single-use, ready-to-wear glamor spells available in stores were heavy and uncomfortable. Some have likened it to dry contacts but all over the face. I’d never worn contacts, so I couldn’t confirm. Gigi’s spell was lighter, feeling more comfortable as time went on instead of the other way around.
With both Declan and me in the stairwell, it was cramped, but I liked knowing that he had my back.
Gigi’s face greeted me behind the door. She made to step inside, looking relieved, but I stopped her.
“Wait. What are the magic words?” I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
“Magic words.” Her brows furrowed in the cutest way.
I scratched my neck under the earring to give her the hint.
“Oh! Hot-crossed man-buns,” she said.
Behind me, Declan let out an almost girly giggle. “Hot-crossed man-buns? So that was what you were mumbling!”
I let Gigi in, and Declan backed out into the main area of the gym.
“We weren’t sure it was really you,” Declan explained.
“I’m going to go on a limb and say that Declan is the other person who knows, considering you’re in your glamor.”
“Yes. I guess I don’t need it anymore.” I reached up, rubbed the earring, and said the silly words again, sending Declan into another laughing fit. Just because he was the type to get straight A’s when he was in school didn’t mean he wasn’t also a total clown at heart.
“It’s best you were careful. Someone’s been trying to knock down my wards all afternoon. That’s why I’m here. I tried to contact you. I didn’t have the phone number, so I called the gym, but it went straight to voicemail, saying you guys are closed for the next two weeks.”
“Oops.” Declan fished the gym cell phone out of his pocket. “I had it on silent.”
We exchanged our personal numbers, something we should have done before, and sat down in the office area. It was one of the few walls I’d left up. People would have to go through the office to access the stairwell leading to my home. The door to the other stairwell was kept locked.
“Who do you think is trying to mess with your magic?” I asked. “The land development company? Or the dragon?”
She looked pensive. “I’m not sure. But I just realized that you’ve only ever called him ‘the dragon.’ Does this dragon have a name?”
“Not that I know of. At least I’ve never been told his name. But Maman always referred to the dragon as ‘him.’ I hate that I don’t know more about the whole situation. It almost feels like Elise kept it from me on purpose.”
“Perhaps it’s all she knew as well. Elise. That sounds French, especially the way you say it. And you call her Maman, which I’m guessing is also French.”
“It is.” I hesitated momentarily before saying, “I was raised in Paris.”
“You don’t have an accent. At least not until you started talking about your mother. And ‘Pair-ee.’ Aside from these instances, I would’ve pegged you as American, born and raised.”
“Thank you.” I beamed. “I worked hard to make myself sound as American as I could. I’m glad it paid off.”
“That’s why you said she wouldn’t recognize your voice.”
“Yep. Because this is how I used to speak English,” I said, letting the French accent come out.
Even I couldn’t recognize myself anymore. I was so used to hearing an all-American accent when I spoke.
“Yeah.” Gigi rubbed the back of her neck. “Nothing against French accents, and I’m sure tons of people find them sexy. But it’s weird coming from you when I’m used to the other one.”
“It could be Arcane,” Declan said. “They did lose their planted spy today.”
“You mean our Faux Hobo?” Gigi asked.
“That’s right.” It came out rather smugly, as if Declan couldn’t keep his victory in.
“One of my employees said she saw a honey badger launch a wasp nest through the car’s windshield.”
Declan barely kept a straight face. “A honey badger? In this part of the world? Nah. The guy shouldn’t park under wasp nests. They’re dangerous.”
Declan lived his life as a plain human, and if I hadn’t already known what he was, I would’ve believed it. Unlike other shifters, he kept his animal side well hidden. I suspect it was easier because his honey badger, though tough, was smaller than his human.
Or maybe it was because he didn’t smell anything like a wolf or a bear, the most common shifters in these parts. No one recognized the smell of a honey badger. Honey badger shifters, in general, aren’t very well known, even in the old world. They preferred to stay hidden, and the lack of a pack structure meant they didn’t have pack lands or large territories. They were happy to just hide amongst the humans in towns and cities.
“It could be Arcane. But those were some strong pokes I felt into my wards. Do land development companies normally keep wizards or witches on hand?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
Gigi rubbed the back of her neck. “I might have done a little bit of searching on your behalf online last night and at the library today. The reason I asked if the name was French is because I came across a certain Comtesse du Taureau.”
I raised my brow. “Countess of the Bull?”
“She wrote an unknown erotic fantasy in the late Victorian era titled—and I’m sorry if I butcher the pronunciation— Rencontre Avec un Minotaur. ”
“Maybe your great-great-grandmother?” Declan suggested.
“Perhaps.”
“It seemed it was generally ignored as a piece of smut. But it was notable enough to have been mentioned once in a book of urban legends and lore. I didn’t manage to get my hands on a copy, but even if I could, I wouldn’t be able to read it.”
“But I can read it.” It might not be useful, but I didn’t want to leave any stones unturned.
Griselda’s face suddenly darkened.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“They’re messing with the wards again. It’s already weakened, and I haven’t had the time or energy to fix it.”
“What can I do to help?” I tried to tamp down the urge to fight something, anything, just to protect her.
“Food and rest. And physical safety so I can focus all my energy on the ward and not have to worry. That’s why I came here instead of staying at the library or going home.”
Declan glanced around the gym. “We got a lot done today. Why don’t you go support your witch, and I’ll go see if I can dig up anything else on this Countess of the Bull.”
“Be careful,” Gigi warned.
“Aww. She’s worried about me. How cute,” Declan said flippantly.
Gigi narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m worried about you giving us away.”
“I can handle myself.”
Gigi didn’t look too reassured but relented. “Well, if you’re so good, then do me a favor?”
“Sure. What?”
“Look around the building for me and see if you find anything out of the ordinary.”
“What exactly am I looking for?”
“Anyone hanging out inside their cars within sight of the building. It’s possible to cast spells from afar, but it takes a lot more energy, and even then, most casters need to be able to sight their targets. There’s an advance trick of opening a tiny keyhole portal to see the target before casting a spell. But again, that portal location needs to be sighted or relayed by someone else.”
“Kind of like needing an IP address before connecting to it.” Declan nodded like he totally understood. “Gotcha. I’ll take a look around.”