Page 8 of Magic Betrayed

Faris didn’t appear upset, but his tone held a mild warning. “My employee is due to clock in. If you have anything more to say, perhaps we could discuss it in my office?”

Shane went silent.

“And if you’re considering coming back, the offer is always open.” Faris’s voice remained a low rumble that I knew couldn’t be heard from outside.

“Coming back?” Shane’s response was quick and bitter. “To what? Your preciousShadow Court?After you let herdie?” He shook his head. “No. I’m only here because, despite all your posturing, you aren’t actually all that interested in protecting those who don’t work for you directly. So I don’t trust that you’ll protectthemeither, and I’d rather not see my efforts wasted.”

Her? Who washer? Who had Faris failed to protect? And why did Shane care what happened to us? I had so many questions, but Faris was holding the door open and jerking his head at me in a clear sign of dismissal, so I had no choice but to squash my curiosity for now.

I turned on my heel and left, emerging from the card room to find no evidence of the violent altercation that had so recently taken place. The table and chairs were already back in their usual positions, all broken glass had been removed, and the spilled drinks had been mopped up. The music was louder, and the bar was even slightly more crowded than before.

Like nothing had happened. A clear message to anyone hoping to cause trouble at The Portal—in the end, their efforts would be meaningless.

The only exception was Kira. My normally effervescent friend was at the bar, hunched over her usual ginger ale, with Draven at her side and suspiciously red blotches on her cheeks.

Something was very wrong.

But before I could approach her, Seamus caught my eye and shook his head in warning. Not the time.

And after all, why would she need me? She was surrounded by family and friends—by countless people who loved her and knew her story. All I could do was make her feel the need to recount something obviously painful.

No matter how thankful I was for the family of misfits around us, Kes, Logan, Ari, and I were still outsiders, and probably always would be to some extent. Our new friends were kind, but they could not change the reality of who I was and where I’d come from.

They were Idrian, and I never would be. I was human, burdened with a hodgepodge of magic that had been stolen from Idrians just like them—magic I could neither deny nor fully control. There were so many things they took for granted that I would never understand. Secrets that I might never be able to share.

All of these served as a barrier between us, and reminded me that, in some ways, I was still very much alone. My parents were long gone. I’d never known any other family, and I could never return to any kind of mundane human existence. I had Kes and the kids, but there were many things I dared not confide in them. Questions they could not answer. Burdens I would never ask them to bear…

But that was enough wallowing. I was past due in the kitchen, so I hurried around the bar and through the swinging door, bracing myself for Irene’s opening tirade as I washed my hands and prepared for the evening rush.

Maybe I would have an opportunity to chat with Kira later. At the very least, I needed to know whether there was anything about Shane that I should be wary of. And after that, if she chose to share more about their past? I would be more than willing to listen.

* * *

Unfortunately,the night turned busy, and I had no chance to catch my breath. About two hours after the goblin incident—with no further sightings of either Faris or Shane—Kira caught me on my way through the crowd, bringing me to a stop with a hand on my arm.

“Raine, we’re headed out.” Her eyes were still a bit red, but otherwise, she seemed to have recovered. “Just wanted you to know that Kes texted me.”

I felt the quick surge of panic that always accompanied any unexpected messages. We’d never really let our guard down after all those months of being hunted, and I doubted we ever fully would. “Is everything okay?”

Kira nodded. “They’re fine, but she said the power is out. There was some construction work on the building next door today, so it’s possible they messed something up. But she said not to worry, they’ll be fine till after your shift.”

Ugh. A power outage in January. It wasn’t as cold as it could have been, but cold enough that I hoped the blackout didn’t last long. Also, it would be no picnic to be trapped inside with two energetic kids and nothing for them to do. Maybe they could play flashlight tag. Make shadow puppets. Kes could be endlessly inventive when it came to keeping Ari occupied.

“Thanks.” I met her eyes. “You okay?”

“No,” she said, with a wan smile. “But it’s an old pain. And thankfully, I’m not alone.” She glanced at Draven, who hovered by her elbow in a protective stance, his gray eyes warm as they lingered on her face.

“I’m glad,” I said, and I meant it. No one should be alone, especially not with the kind of grief I could see lurking behind her forced smile. “Are you off to plan wedding stuff?”

“We are,” she confirmed. “Wedding committee at Faris’s place.”

“Have fun?”

She rewarded me with a far more genuine look of amusement. “What could be more fun than torturing Faris by threatening to bedeck his precious bar with glitter and tulle?”

A snort of mirth managed to escape me. “Just let me know how I can help.”

“Done.” With a final grin, she headed out the door. Ryker and Rath had already disappeared, and even Seamus was packing up, leaving his bar in the hands of a slightly cocky but good-hearted air elemental named Kyle.

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