Page 77 of Bones

Test. Test.

Gotta admit, that’s a helluva lot better than the dinky notebook.

I still left the regular one within her reach in case she wanted to tell me something without announcing it to the room.

“It was supposed to be black ink, but…” Juno gave a pleased nod.

“Told you,” Lilith said. “Golden.”

“Want me to take the drink?” I prompted when Aurora got understandably distracted by the magicks pen.

She hoarded it close again as she wrote.

What is it?

“A piña colada,” Denny answered. “It’s from a bottled mix, so it’s not the best, but it’ll do the job.” At Aurora’s blank face, she expanded. “Coconut, pineapple, and rum. And whipped cream, of course. You’ve never had one?”

I’ve never had any alcohol. I wasn’t allowed.

Something uneasy went through her and the room at her phrasing, but she rushed to explain.

I used to take sleep meds that warned about a bad interaction.

Everyone relaxed except Lennon. “How long have you been off them?”

More than a week.

She hadn’t mentioned missing medicine in her stolen luggage. We would have to figure something out.

He sank back. “Then it’s fine. But take it slow.”

“Before we dive in,” Juno said, “my mate helpfully pointed out that I got sidetracked by wanting to break your kneecaps and never introduced him.” She reached over her shoulder to touchher fingers to the stubble that covered his jaw. “This is Stellan. Detective Reddick if you’re nasty.”

He lifted his chin in greeting. “That wasn’t the intro I had in mind, pixie.”

“I know. It was better.”

Nate and Denny took their tainted spot on the bay window. Once he had her situated on his lap, he grabbed a notebook.

Possessive bunch, aren’t they?

Lucky bastards.

When I’d stashed them all over the house and Black Horse for Aurora, there’d been something familiar about them on every surface. Seeing my brother holding one brought it all back. His copious notes, etchings, charcoal-colored rubbings, and impressions. All in shorthand only he could follow.

My gaze went above his head to look out the window. From the porch, I hadn’t been able to see in—which made sense given what they’d been doing—but the longer I looked… “Where are we?”

“Salem,” Denny answered.

Aurora’s entire body went tight next to me.

Teleporting might’ve felt thrilling, but it still had to be disorienting to know she’d traveled all that way in less than a second.

After a moment, she slowly relaxed. Or as relaxed as she could be, all things considered.

“This is where my house stood,” Nate filled in when I kept staring.

That was part of it, but there was more. “I had a restaurant nearby.” I tilted my head and amended, “And still own the building.”

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