Page 84 of Protected By Her Mate

My mind has undergone a transformation since meeting Lennox, my horizons forcibly expanded, but the old Charlie is still in there and the old Charlie is scoffing at the idea that divination is real. Still, I’ve seen and heard too much not to accept the things Lennox says as truth. So in all seriousness, I say, “You’re a fortuneteller?”

She bursts out laughing, which I suppose is better than taking offense. “I haven’t heard that quaint term in a while,” she says, her eyes lingering on me. “Tell me, small human – “

“Investigator Lopez,” I snap.

She bows her head briefly. “Investigator Lopez. Do you believe I can read your future?” She curves her fingers, stroking them in the air as though cupping an imaginary crystal ball.

I look to Lennox, hoping he’ll help me out in the comment section of our shared thoughts, but he leaves me on my own with this one. “Can you?”

She remains silent for a moment and I think she might be toying with me, then she says, “There’s no point. Your future is unclear.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means, there is a choice that must be made and hasn’t been made yet. Once it has, your future will become clear.” She looks at Lennox. “Have you told her nothing? The entire witch community is abuzz with gossip when it comes to your mate and she doesn’t seem to know of her own importance.”

“What?” I look between them with confusion.

Lennox takes my hand and squeezes it reassuringly before replying to Sherilyn, “Let’s stick to our case.” For my benefit, he adds silently,She’s baiting us over a vague prophecy an Oracle dreamed up. There’s nothing to worry about.

Sherilyn dutifully dives into the case, starting with our uncrackable suspect, Shane Gibson. “He spilled his guts like he was taking part in a medieval quartering. I barely had to concentrate with him. He simply needed a reminder that his mother still loves him and hopes he’ll come home to the family farm in Kansas.” She meets my gaze as she explains, “I’m able to read a person’s deepest desires, which I then use as a launchpad to dig deeper into their psyche. I give them a sympathetic ear and they give me the information I desire. It's how I knew to needle you about the mating curse. More than anything, you desire Lennox to become part of your family.” She smiles mischievously and I realize she’s probably one of those interfering witches Vanessa warned me about. Sherilyn bears watching.

“Stick to the case,” Lennox says from between gritted teeth.

“Ah yes, good idea. What I have to share with you is quite urgent actually.”

Then why the hell didn’t she lead with it when we came in here?I explode in Lennox’s head.

Witches tend to do things differently from the rest of us,he explains.

Like talking in riddles and pushing buttons?

Exactly.

“If you two are done your cozy head chatting, I think we should discuss the issue at hand.”

“Which is?” Lennox growls.

“The bombs hidden in key buildings around the world. ASHRA intends to quite literally blow-up human-shifter diplomatic relations.”

Chapter 32

10-33

LENNOX

“When are the bombs set to go off?” I demand.

“Soon,” Sherrilyn says, no longer baiting us. “This morning some time. Each bomb is set to explode within minutes of the others. I saw a clear image in Gibson’s head of a time-bomb in a suitcase.”

“Time-bomb?”

“A bomb with a timer attached,” Charlie explains. She turns to Sherilyn, “Do you know where the bombs are hidden?”

“According to Gibson, there are bombs in six locations, but I could only get three out of him. He didn’t know the rest, but he did admit the locations were chosen because of their significance to human-shifter relations. Places where peace treaties were negotiated.”

“The UN building here in New York,” Charlie gasps.

Sherilyn nods. “Correct,” she says. “As well as the bomb at the UN building, there’s a bomb at the Peace Monument in Washington, and another at the Peace tower in Edinburgh, Scotland. It’s anybody’s guess where the others are, but I’d get people searching buildings and monuments around the world related to peace negotiations.”

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