Page 5 of Shadowed Spirits

“Fuck!” Levi shouts, startling all of us. Archer jumps almost a foot in the air, and I have to smother my laugh at the giant wolf acting like a scared little kitten. Stomping over to Doyle’s desk, rather than explaining, Levi roughly pulls open one of the drawers. After rifling in it for a moment, Levi lifts up a long, glowing black crystal. “Goddamn it! How in the hell did this even get here?”

I’ve never seen Levi this upset. He’s usually so even-tempered and calm. I glance between the crystal and Levi, trying to figure out why he’s so distraught. “Um. What is that?”

Levi closes his eyes for a moment to gather himself. Blinking open his red and black eyes, he focuses his intense gaze on me. “Theobrussais a tool from my realm. It’s used to detect species and magic ability, without the need for active magic. It’s keyed to the user and will tell them in real time what abilities everyone they encounter has. When we saw Doyle on Friday, he had theobrussaon him, which is how he figured out you’re part spirit mage.”

“So, it wasn’t my fault he found out?” My voice comes out small but tinged with hope. I haven’t had time to stop andwallow in my guilt for, yet again, putting my family and mates in danger, but it’s still there, waiting.

“No, little raven. None of it was your fault.” Levi’s face softens as he puts the crystal back in the drawer and walks around the desk to stand in front of me. He strokes my cheek with his free hand before pulling back. “But the question is how he got it. They are exceedingly rare in my realm, and they require magic from there to activate it. Someone had to give it to him.”

Luca steps up behind me and molds his front to my back, providing what comfort he can right now. His dark, woodsy scent envelops me as he asks, “Do you know who did?”

“I don’t.” Levi shoves an agitated hand through his hair as he starts pacing in front of the large mahogany desk. “There’s are multiple blocks in Doyle’s memory that even I can’t get past. But I know someone who should know.”

Archer tilts his head curiously. “Who?”

Levi blows out a harsh breath. “My brother.”

“You have a brother?” My eyebrows are probably at my hairline with how surprised I am.

His lips quirk up in a half smile. “I do. You and he will get along great. He loves mischief, chaos, and starting all manner of trouble. I’ll just have to explain to him why I waited almost a year to tell him about finding my mate.”

“Why did you wait?” I can’t help but wonder if it’s because he is embarrassed of me. Not that I blame him. I’m the human embodiment of a trainwreck and absolutely should not be allowed out in polite society. It still hurts, though, even if I get it.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop.” Levi comes to stand in front of me and pushes my chin up with his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look at him. “I didn’t tell him because he would’ve meddled. I wanted us to get to know each other without my older brother interfering. That’s the only reason,little raven. Now, I need to erase Doyle’s memories, then we can leave and make a plan.”

I duck my head in embarrassment at Levi knowing exactly where my thoughts went.

The black mist creeps up his head again as Levi erases Doyle’s memories of today and me being a spirit mage. Unfortunately, there’s little screaming this time. When Levi is done, he lets Doyle fall to the ground, unconscious, smacking his head into the desk, much to my delight, as he goes. Unfortunately, we can’t leave him like that, or he’ll know something is up. With a grunt, Bishop heaves Doyle and his beer belly back into his desk chair.

Levi tidies up Doyle’s desk, putting it back like we found it. Then he opens a portal, probably back to the Nightshade keep. Or it could be to another dimension. Who really knows at this point?

Levi makes no move to retrieve the tool from his realm from Doyle’s desk. “Aren’t we taking the crystal thingy with us?” I ask. It seems like a spectacularly bad idea to leave a super powerful tool like that with Doyle.

He shakes his head. “No. Doyle will know we were here if we take it from him. Since we don’t know how he got it, that could cause more harm than good.”

I consider what he said for a moment before giving him a reluctant nod.

Archer is the first one to head to the portal. At the last moment, he stops and looks at Levi. “Where exactly is your realm, demon eyes?”

Levi rolls his neck back and forth as he tries to figure out what to say. “Probably the closest human idea of my realm is Hell.”

CHAPTER 4

ARCHER

Iopen and close my mouth, having no idea what to say to ole demon eyes, who swears up and down he isn’t a demon but is from Hell. That doesn’t seem suspicious or anything.

As I’m gaping at Levi, Izzy giggles at me. Warmth gathers in my chest that, despite the tense situation, I’m able to make my mate laugh like she doesn’t have a care in the world. I’m certainly not Luca, but I guess I bring something else to the mate table.

I squint at Levi in confusion. “And you’re sure you’re not a demon?”

“Positive. I have seen many demons, and I am not one of them.”

“Ohhh, so you’re like a prince of Hell.” I nod to myself because that totally solves the mystery. He’s like a high demon prince, so he gets offended by being called an average demon.

Levi pinches the bridge of his nose in exasperation, which is something Luca does all the time when he’s talking to me. “I’m not a—you know what? Just go through the portal, pup.”

I hold my hands up in surrender as the annoyed demon prince glares at me. “I’m going, I’m going. Jeez.” Izzy’s tinklinglaughter follows me until I step through the weirdest portal I’ve ever been through. Much like Levi’s other portals—or rifts, as he called them—I feel like I’m on a roller coaster ride as the ground drops from underneath me and my stomach does somersaults.

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