Chapter 8
PHAEDRA
Gleaming in the soft museum light, the magnificent Kritonios crown silently waits in the dimly lit room.
Made entirely of gold, the base is comprised of intertwined ivy, roses, myrtle, and convolvulus.
A golden-winged goddess tops the crown with a Greek inscription that states “Kritonios dedicated this crown.” Four male and two female figures float over the flowers at various locations, all pointing to the goddess.
It’s the epitome of worship and divine right.
Delicate. Feminine. Powerful. Perfect for Hera.
With a murmured spell, Charlie reaches a hand through the liquid surrounding the crown and slowly pulls it out of its secure nest as he simultaneously slides a small teacup onto the pedestal. Once free, the liquid solidifies into glass again.
We all breathlessly stand there in silence for a second to make sure we’re still in the clear. I meet Gatlin’s golden gaze, and he slowly nods. At his cue, we all turn toward the door. Sliding the gadget out of my pocket, I wait until the last person is out, then lower the infrared net.
After the crown, we move to the room with the necklace and raise the infrared net, so Charlie can perform the same magic again. This time he’s wearing gloves to protect him from the curse. He replaces the necklace with a perfect replica. Not one alarm goes off during the entire heist.
“Nine minutes.” Gatlin’s low voice sounds in our comms, and I shiver at the timbre of his voice in my ear. Calm. Steady.
I motion everyone to step out and grab the infrared reflector to reposition the net.
“Disconnect the laptop,” Maverick tells Gatlin, who immediately pulls the cord from the panel on the wall.
Charlie gathers us close and opens an almost transparent portal, eerily similar to the one Mercer and Harlequin use, and we transport out of there and back to the plane.
The second we step out; I turn toward Charlie. “When you brought me back from Italy, the portal was thicker, less translucent.” When he looks at me with a raised eyebrow, I continue. “Just now, it was practically transparent. Why are the two so different?”
Charlie glances at Gatlin, who moves closer to me, his brows lowered in suspicion.
“Different spells. The first one is mine. Taught to me at birth. It’s less complicated.
Second nature. Easier to use, especially for long distances like a hop across the pond.
The second, I received as payment for a smuggling job we did about five years ago.
It’s intricate and takes more power, so I only use it when the portal needs to be invisible to cameras. Why?” Charlie asks, tilting his head.
“Do you have the name of the mage you got it from?” I ask, but when he hesitates, I explain further. “Harlequin uses that same portal. So did the mage who stabbed me at the airport. I’m trying to figure out if it’s more or less common.”
“Very few know about it,” Charlie admits with a sigh.
Maverick moves in next to him. “You think Harlequin is involved in this rebellion?”
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “But I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Neither do we,” Maverick replies. “We won’t give you his name, but I’ll check into the mage and see if there’s a connection to Harlequin.” He motions to the steps on the plane. “Where to next?”
I look at Gatlin. “Any word from Hawthorne?”
He looks at his phone. “Looks like there’s a voicemail. Hold on.”
As he listens to it, I dig Charlie’s necklace out of my bag. The gold circular pendant has a picture of Hecate engraved on its surface with a crown depicting three stones that are supposed to stand for the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone.
When my hand grips the pendant, the curse reveals itself to me.
It’s designed to ensure only one child is born to each descendant.
That’s harsh. With a soft exhalation, I dissolve the magic binding itself to the object and remove the curse, then hand it to Charlie and wipe the beads of sweat from my brow. That was a tough one.
“All clear.”
He looks at Maverick and grins, then shatters the necklace with one flick of his finger. Gold dust rains down onto the tarmac. “Now it’s up to us.”
Maverick pulls him close and whispers something into his ear that makes him blush. The scene is so intimate and full of love that I look away to give them privacy and hide the twinge of jealousy running through me.
My eyes find Gatlin, who’s standing nearby, and I can’t help but wonder what he would be like if he fell in love.
Fierce. Protective, of course. I think about the meals he’s made me and the mornings I’ve woken on the couch after having fallen asleep at my desk.
He loves taking care of those lucky enough to be in his circle.
My gut tightens when I see his tight grip on the phone. It’s not good.
I turn back to Charlie and Maverick. “Looks like we need to go to England.”
Gatlin chimes in from behind me. “How fast can we get there?”
Charlie immediately slides out of Maverick’s arms. “By jet? We can be there in a little over an hour. Or I can portal you there now?”
“Portal,” I state firmly, holding my hand out to Gatlin. “Do you know where we’re going?”
His hand engulfs mine as he answers, “The Midlands. Carrington Manor. Know it?”
Charlie nods and motions us into the hangar.
Maverick follows. “What’s going on?”
Gatlin hesitates, but when I squeeze his hand, he relents. “Jamison is in trouble. Hawthorne said he’s in some kind of magical stasis and not responding to him.”
Maverick tenses. “I don’t like the sound of this. Jamison’s powerful. Nobody should be able to put him on ice. We’re all going.”
The air is silent and still when we arrive at Carrington Manor. Completely dark with not a single light shining. No cars in the driveway. If we didn’t know Jamison was here, we wouldn’t think to look inside.
Standing three stories tall, the imposing building appears almost ominous in the darkness of night. Built during the 1500s, the paned windows and elaborate spires should give the Elizabethan home grandeur and elegance, but all I get is an eerie feeling in the pit of my stomach.
The windows covering the front appear watchful, as if the house is a sleeping giant, waiting to swallow us whole. As I hold my hand out toward the house, the hair on my arms stands up. Magic buzzes freely, meeting the palm of my hand with a ferocious snap.
Charlie and I exchange glances, then I glance at Gatlin. “There’s a lot of magic in the house. More than just a ward or barrier to overcome. Something is definitely going on.”
Maverick squints at the house. “I sense two people inside and neither of them appears to be moving.”
“Based on Hawthorne’s voicemail, one is likely Jamison, but who is the other? Could Hawthorne have gone inside without us?” I worriedly ask Gatlin.
“I’m here,” Hawthorne says from behind me.
I whirl around and watch as the tall, broad-shouldered Elven prince steps out of the trunk of a nearby tree, looking incredibly well despite the worried look in his sea-green eyes.
Even the white streak in his hair that he got from his magic burn out has been replaced with silky mahogany strands.
His intense gaze locks on me, scanning my face before his attention turns to Gatlin.
I continue to stare at him. Instead of the sweet, inquisitive looks I’m used to, his face is blank. A stranger instead of the wonderful man who almost sacrificed his magic for me.
This last week with Gatlin was easy. So easy that for the briefest of seconds, I shoved Hawthorne’s hurt to the back of my mind.
A temporary way to deal with my own feelings.
But it all comes back, crashing over me like a tidal wave.
My chest tightens at the thought of him hating me, even the tiniest bit.
I wouldn’t blame him. If he were the person responsible for tearing me away from my family, I’d find it hard to forgive him too.
It sucks, though. I long to step into his arms and have him hold me.
Instead, I wrap my arms around my midsection.
Gatlin looks from him to me and back, then shakes his head. He clasps arms with Hawthorne, then jerks his head toward the house. “Besides Jamison, who’s in the house?”
One mahogany brow rises, and Hawthorne gives a slight shake of his head. “I don’t know. The only person I could see through the window earlier was Jamison, but there were quite a few other voices. Are you saying they’re gone now?”
Maverick nods. “Probably took a portal.”
“This might be our best shot,” Gatlin says, scanning the house. “Hawthorne and I will take the front. Maverick and Charlie, the rear. Our goal is to first secure Jamison. Once we see who the other person is, we’ll figure out whether we need to help or detain them. Got it?”
I glare at him. “Fine. I’ll go with Charlie and Maverick.”
Maverick chuckles, and Charlie elbows him in the stomach.
Gatlin, of course, glares at me. “Why can’t you stay here where it’s safe?”
Hawthorne steps forward. “She’s safest with us. There’s a vibration out here, disturbing the land around the house. I don’t like it.” He doesn’t even turn in my direction when he gives the order. “Stay between us at all times.”
Ouch. At least I’m going. I step closer to Hawthorne and see his hand drift toward me before he shoves it into the pocket of his pants.
“Fine. Let’s go,” Gatlin growls.
Hawthorne pulls a leaf from his pocket and drops it to the ground in front of us, creating a portal, while Charlie’s portal appears out of thin air. Maverick’s hands are already up and prepared to fight when they step in and disappear.
Hawthorne’s hand curls around my hip like a brand as he silently moves me into position between him and Gatlin as we step into his portal.