Page 69 of Chasing Stripes

“Then we act normal while investigating,” Bartek agreed after a moment’s consideration. Strategy demanded maintaining the appearance of ignorance. He spotted an apron hanging from a hook near the kitchen entrance and took it, eyeing the floral pattern with resignation.

“You’re going to play baker while hunting magical intruders?” Haavi asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

“Exactly.” Bartek tied the too-small apron around his waist, knowing the absurdity of the image he presented—an alpha tiger shifter in a pink floral apron—but committed to the plan.

Haavi’s surprise melted into a grin as he grabbed an apron himself. “Undercover tiger bakery security at your service.”

“Help me check the inventory,” Artemis instructed as they moved into the kitchen. “If someone’s been probing the magical foundations, they might have left something behind.”

The three spread out, examining different areas while Tilly managed the first customers. Bartek methodically checked the storage room, using his enhanced senses to detect anything out of place. Every few moments, he glanced through the open door toward Artemis in the kitchen, the compulsion to keep her in his sightline impossible to ignore.

She worked efficiently in the kitchen, opening containers and examining supplies. When she reached for a new sack of specialty mountain-grown flour, her movements suddenly froze. Bartek’s head snapped up, catching her expression of confusion before it morphed into pain.

“Bartek!” she called out, dropping something small and dark from her palm.

SIXTY-ONE

Bartek launched out the door and vaulted over the counter separating them, at her side instantly as the object clattered to the floor. A sharp stabbing pain radiated through his chest where her handprints marked him, and he knew she felt the same. Their soul-tether flared in warning, golden light pulsing erratically.

The moment the object—a small obsidian disk etched with unfamiliar symbols—touched the floor, it activated. It began spinning rapidly, emitting an eerie violet light that cast unnatural shadows throughout the kitchen.

“Get back,” Bartek ordered, pushing Artemis behind him as a distorted voice emerged from the spinning disk.

“How touching,” the voice purred, neither male nor female in its pitch. “The tiger and his fae prize, bound by ancient magic.”

“Who are you?” Bartek demanded, positioning himself between Artemis and the mysterious object. His tiger stirred beneath his skin, claws itching to emerge.

“A collector of rare things,” the voice replied smoothly. “And you two have become my most coveted acquisition.”

The disk projected a three-dimensional image of a book—Artemis’s stolen recipe book—its pages turning to reveal handwritten notes and diagrams.

“Your mother’s work is fascinating, little baker,” the voice continued as Artemis peered around Bartek’s shoulder. “Did you know she was researching connections like yours before her untimely death?”

Artemis gasped, the sound piercing Bartek’s heart. He felt her shock reverberate through their connection.

“What do you want?” Bartek growled, his form shimmering as his tiger fought to emerge. Only iron control kept him from shifting as rage built inside him.

“To make you an offer,” the voice replied calmly. “Surrender the soul-tether willingly, and I’ll ensure your separation is... relatively painless.”

Artemis stepped forward to stand beside Bartek, her shoulder brushing his arm. “And if we refuse?” Her voice rang with defiance despite the tremor he could feel through their connection.

The disk spun faster, violet light intensifying. “Then I take it forcibly during the eclipse, and neither of you survives the extraction.”

Before they could respond, the disk shattered with a sound like breaking glass, leaving only black dust and a lingering sense of dread. The air smelled of burnt metal and something acidic that made Bartek’s nose wrinkle.

Haavi, who had witnessed the entire exchange from the doorway, looked uncharacteristically somber. “That... was not good.”

“The flour,” Artemis said suddenly, examining the package she’d opened. “It came from Thaddeus Dartmouth’s supply company.”

“That can’t be coincidence,” Bartek said grimly. Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place.

“Should we alert the council?” Haavi asked, carefully scooping some of the black dust into a small container.

Bartek and Artemis exchanged a look, their bond communicating more than words could express. Bartek sensed her hesitation and shared it.

“Not yet,” he decided. “If there’s a leak in the council, we need to be careful who we trust.”

Before they could continue, another customers pushed through the door, a young couple holding hands and laughing. Tilly greeted them cheerfully, maintaining the façade of normalcy.

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