Page 79 of A Fury Of Shadows

Howard flashed a dazzling smile at the unseen woman. “Coming.” He looked at the camera. “I’ve gotta go.” His grin widened. “I’m looking forward to seeing you, Mae.”

He disconnected.

“Why do I feel like I’m the one who lost the bet?” Jordan said stonily in the ensuing hush.

“It’s alright, Jordan,” Eva comforted him. “You will always be my favorite. Despite the fact that you’ve lost 40:60 to Howard so far.”

“She has a mean streak,” one of the super soldiers observed while Jordan entered into an argument with the AI.

“Is this it?” Serena was scrolling through the data the Immortal had sent through, a frown marring her brow. The list was short. “There are only three companies?”

“I believe you should focus on the last one,” Eva said. “No, Jordan. You definitely ceded that chess game to Howard last month. Your memory is failing you. Maybe you should stop inhaling doughnuts and start eating more fish. I think your brain needs the omega-3. You’re also growing a paunch.”

Vlad grimaced. “Remind me never to upset her.”

Serena pursed her lips. “Eva, is there any particular reason why I’m looking at that address?”

“Because I have a satellite view of that location.”

An image blossomed on the computer screen. Eva zoomed in.

Mae’s pulse quickened. It was a parking lot.

“New York is about three hundred square miles.” Serena looked at Mae. “Think you can useRevealover that surface area?”

“Yes.”

CHAPTER30

Bryony puther cup down on the desk.

“Stop doing that,” Abraham said.

He was sitting at his table at the other end of the office.

“Stop doing what?” she said sharply.

“Your knee. If you keep moving it like that, you’re gonna dislocate something,” the aide muttered. “Nobody wants to see a High Priestess on crutches. Besides, Penley looks like he’s gonna be sick. He’s been watching your leg for five minutes and I swear I saw his eyes roll just now.”

Bryony stopped bouncing her knee and looked down at her familiar. The black cat seemed distinctly queasy.

She narrowed her eyes at Abraham. “You know, you’ve grown rather gutsy lately.”

The sorcerer signed a paper and put it in his out tray. “Better gutsy than a wall flower.”

His owl Shiloh pulled another document out from a pile with her beak and placed it dutifully in front of him.

Bryony’s expression tightened. “It must be that Raven’s influence. You never used to be so shameless.”

“How about you leave my girlfriend out of this conversation?” He sighed at her crabby expression. “Look, I get that you want to help Mae, but the best thing we can do right now is stay out of her way. You said yourself she can trust those super soldiers. And Vlad and Cortes are with her. She’ll call for us if she needs us.”

The old-fashioned phone on his desk rang before she could come up with a suitable retort. Abraham picked it up.

“Hello?” The sorcerer stilled. He narrowed his eyes slightly. “They are?” He glanced at Bryony and seemed to arrive at a decision. “It’s okay. Let them in.”

“Who was that?” Bryony said warily.

“Friends of yours. They might cheer you up.”

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