Page 52 of Of Flames and Crows

Mae’s pulse quickened at that.I wonder if that’s one of the reasons it’s so hard to pin down the location of the Dark Council when they’re close by!

She already knew from her clash with Oscar and Barquiel in Philadelphia that one of the ways the demon helped conceal dark magic users from herNullifyspell was by creating a portal to Hell her magic could not penetrate around them.

It might be, Brimstone said.Time warping is advanced magic.

“There are certain herbs Raya has to consume to feed her core and enable her to use her powers,” Cortes continued. “It’s not exactly the kind of stuff you find in a drugstore. I have my men searching the city for places that sell them.”

Vlad frowned. “There’s a chance she’s still in Budapest.”

Nikolai shook his head, his face grim. “She’s in Prague. One of my contacts messaged me this morning. She was seen leaving Budapest with Oscar, Dietrich, and—” he paused and glanced at Mae, “Rose, a few days ago.”

Mae clenched her jaw at the mention of her best friend’s name. She suspected the demon possessing her knew she was in Prague too, after last night’s debacle. She’d felt Barquiel’s rage when she’d put an end to whatever torture he had been putting Roman through.

She hadn’t told Budimir the details of what she’d sensed through Filomena’s core. There was no point tormenting the guy more than he was already suffering.

“The local gangs working for the Bratva are looking into strange deaths that may have happened in the capital these past couple of months,” Budimir said. “They’re also canvassing the streets to find out if there have been any unusual sightings of a group we don’t know about.” The old man faltered as he met their gazes, his own face dark. “I don’t know if it will be of any help to you.”

Mae could tell he was frustrated at his helplessness in the face of a foe he had never encountered before. “Right now, even the smallest clue would be of use.”

Budimir looked grateful at her words. His gaze shifted to Filomena where the chameleon was clinging to Nikolai’s chest.

The sorcerer had used his Moon Magic to soothe her strained core last night and this morning. The familiar seemed to have formed an attachment to him as a result. Alastair looked like he had mixed feelings about this. He perched on Nikolai’s shoulder, his beady eyes examining the chameleon intently, like she was about to snatch his sorcerer away at any moment.

Nikolai’s cellphone chirped. He looked at the screen and took the call. “Hi, Marlena.” His face relaxed. “Yeah, I’m okay. No, our cores are fine. Mae checked us over this morning.”

Mae found herself the focus of Vlad’s stare.

“He stayed the night?” the incubus said in clipped tones.

CHAPTER22

“He slept on the couch,”Mae said defensively.

Vlad lowered his brows. “Why couldn’t he have stayed in Miles’s room?”

Mae lifted her chin. “Because I wanted to keep an eye on his and Alastair’s cores.”

“Is this a lover’s spat?” Budimir asked Cortes in a low voice.

“It seems so,” the Colombian replied. “You could have cut the sexual tension with a knife when we were flying over here.” He shrugged at Mae and Vlad’s expressions. “What? It’s the truth.”

Budimir turned to Violet. “I thought she had a thing going with him.”

He indicated Nikolai.

“She has a thing going with both of them,” the witch said wryly. “They’re equal contenders for the position of the Witch Queen’s consort.”

“Is there a rule that says she can’t have both of them?” Cortes asked curiously.

“You guys know I can hear you, right?” Mae told Cortes and Violet coolly.

Hellreaver snickered.

“Is her weapon laughing at her?” Budimir said dully.

Miles grimaced. “They have a complex relationship.”

Mae noted Nikolai going suddenly still.

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