Page 101 of Bones

This is getting old.

“The light, the fire, and the books clued me in.” I repeated my unanswered question. “Why am I here?”

Levi shrugged as he walked around the room, picking up books from the stretching shelves just to toss them haphazardly back down. Or to the floor. “I asked for Aurora to be brought here.”

I went alert as jealousy seared in my gut like I’d been stabbed by that damn sword. “What business do you have with my mate?”

“Juno sent a message that your mate is under the impression she was created by me. I’ve had my fair share of parties down there, but I feel like I would’ve remembered creating a child.” He shrugged. “Or not. Happy hour and body shots were definitely two of my better ideas.”

Uriel shook off his confusion. “Juno also got in touch when you found them. Where have you been since we lost sight of you in Salem?”

“Everywhere.” I took a seat across from him, and we both tuned out Levi’s destruction as I shared about my search for my siblings across the globe and my frequent moves. “I tried to putout word to the powers-that-be for help, but the only angel I was sent was one trying to destroy me.”

“Communication with Earth and our view there has grown strained.”

Levi moved over to a couch and flopped down, waving his hand over the coffee table in front of him. A French press, delicate mug, and a large churro appeared. At Uriel’s raised brow, he lifted a shoulder. “You’re the one who mentioned them.”

Uriel kept staring.

Letting out a long-suffering sigh, Levi swirled his finger until a small vortex appeared. He reached in and pulled out a fluffy pastry covered in powdered sugar. Both the pastry and the plate were shaped like the head of a mouse.

Juno mentioned a churro obsession, but I didn’t take her seriously.

“You should’ve,” Levi said. “Who doesn’t love the happiest place on Earth?”

“Tell us about this angel,” Uriel ordered, powder smeared across his pale face as he dug into the snack.

Levi gave another sigh as he repeated the vortex process and pulled out another pastry, handing it to me.

As I ate, I thought about Marissa.

She’d been ballsy and independent.

Not shy and sweet.

Tall and classically beautiful.

Not short with mesmerizingly beautiful and unique features.

She’d sworn almost as frequently as I did and had boldly pursued me.

No cheeks flushing at every muttered half swear. No tentative touches.

We could go days without seeing each other because we were both driven—me with my restaurant and her as a partner in an investment firm.

It hadn’t felt like I was leaving behind half my soul and losing my mind just by being in a different room.

She’d thought she’d crafted herself to be my perfect mate, but she’d been wrong.

Because she hadn’t been Aurora.

“A handful of years ago, this woman showed up in my restaurant in Mississippi, claiming to be my other half. That she’d been guided to me. She knew things I thought only my mate would know.” My gut clenched when I remembered the way she’d tried to play me.

How she’d almost succeeded.

She’d made a massive mistake, though.

“We were seeing each other for a few months when she came over one night. She excitedly told me she thought my siblings were over in the UK where I’d been stationed when our territories were split before the curse. She said that was where we needed to be, and that she would leave behind everything to go with me. That she’d help me sell the restaurant. I’d already ignored my instincts when it came to her because I was desperate for my mate, but I was completely blinded by my desire to find my siblings. I began packing immediately.” I felt like a fool all over again, but I pushed on with my story. “I was supposed to leave the following morning, but at the last minute I decided to stop into Barley to let them know I was stepping away. When I got there, she was showing it to someone. I heard her say how well it would franchise. That they could switch to cheaper ingredients, raise prices, and cut the wages to increase the profit margins.”

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