Page 42 of A Fury Of Shadows

If Serena detected the underlying tension thrumming between him and Mae, she gave no indication of it.

She leaned her elbows on her knees, her expression calculating. “Does that mean Nikolai Stanisic will be freed from the magic that is currently obscuring his mind?”

Mae hesitated for the first time.

“I don’t know,” she admitted in a small voice. Some of the fight drained out of her. “My magic will be affected by Oscar’s core to an extent, as well as the distance between us. There’s a good chance the Illusion Sorcery Nikolai is under won’t shatter completely, even if he comes into direct contact with my spell.”

A tense hush fell in the wake of her words.

“You’ll have another opportunity when we find him,” Serena said quietly.

Mae smiled faintly at the super soldier’s confident tone. “Thanks.”

Vlad’s gut twisted. He looked away.

Shit. I should be the one comforting her.

He knew the reason he was acting like an asshole right now. He didn’t want to lose Mae. And he was petrified he would the moment she undid the spell on Nikolai.

From the shrewd look Serena shot his way from under her lashes, the super soldier could guess what was on his mind. This irritated him even more.

Tarang stirred where he sat on the lap of three super soldiers busy braiding his fur. He made a worried sound, in tune with Vlad’s emotions as always.

“By the way, did you and Anya make up?” Mae asked Cortes.

The sorcerer’s expression turned sour. “She promised she’d listen to me when I come back.”

Popo bobbed his head. “I’m sure the queen of our hearts will welcome us with open arms and hug us to her generous bosom when we—”

Cortes clamped his beak shut with a hand.

“Not one more word out of your trap,” he threatened.

Lou grimaced. “That parrot is a pervert.”

Serena observed Tarang. “He looks handsome with plaits.”

The tiger huffed, pleased. Vlad narrowed his eyes at his familiar.

Tarang pretended he hadn’t seen his accusing look and rumbled something at Brimstone. The demon fox raised his head where he was lying by Mae’s feet. His ears cocked to and fro.

Mae’s expression grew pinched. “No. We’re not dropping by Artemus’s mansion just so you and Tarang can ‘hang out’ with the Hellhound.”

Brimstone drooped. Hellreaver hummed.

Mae took on a long-suffering air. “I don’t know why the chicken is undead, Hell. We’ll find out when we go to Chicago one day.”

“The chicken was the victim of…unforeseen circumstances,” Serena explained diplomatically. She studied Hellreaver with the look of someone who wasn’t sure if the other party had a screw loose. “He wants to meet Gertrude?”

“Yeah.”

“Does that idiot have a death wish?” Violet muttered.

Hellreaver vibrated indignantly against his mistress’s chest.

The van slowed and stopped, bringing the impending argument to a close. The super soldiers spilled out the side doors and started unloading their belongings. Which didn’t amount to much compared to the arsenal they were packing.

Serena opened the rear doors and jumped out. Vlad stepped onto the tarmac after her. His eyes widened.

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