Page 41 of A Witch-ish Guide to Protectors and Pendulums

“Even if it involves me andmy mate?”

“Even then. I hate that it’s that way, but itisthat way. I don’t make the rules. You get an audience with the big guy upstairs, feel free to ask him why. Until then, my hands are tied sometimes.”

Connor chuffed a couple of times. “Can we go back to Simone’s powers?” Given the chuffing and the tone of his voice, it was clear he vacillated between sulking and wanting to tear Luc’s office apart in a fit of anger. “Tell me more about your theory.”

He turned thoughtful eyes on me. “It’s just something that I’ve been thinking about.”

“Why did my powers only show on the full moon?” I asked.

“Because it’s the most powerful time of the month. With your strength and the power of the full moon, the binding couldn’t hold. And you both know you two are more powerful together. That’s the purpose of mates.”

“But we’re not regular mates,” Connor said, stepping closer to me. He wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me taut against his chest. Luc waited, hands folded over the map, for Connor to finish. “Agatha—that’s the witch we sought out to help us—she told us that I’m her protector.”

Luc raised his eyebrow. “You’re Agatha’s protector?”

“No, come on, man.” Hetsked. “I’m Simone’s protector. That’s why we’re mates.”

“But protectors are saved for?—”

“Important people,” I finished for him. “Yeah, we heard. Who else besides fallen angels get protectors?”

“You don’t have to be fallen. Anyone important to the world, you know, that whole good-versus-evil dynamic, gets a protector. But when you’re mated to your protector…” He trailed off as if forming another thought. “That’s huge,” he finally finished.

Huge. Of course. Why would it have been anything different?

“Who is this Agatha?” Luc asked next.

“She’s a very powerful witch,” I said. “Old family. Goes back centuries.”

“Did this Agatha tell you anything else?”

“Only that we need to get to Ireland. Her relative should be able to help me access my memories again. We need to find out who my parents were so I can find out what I am. Agatha, Connor, and I believe that whatever I am, it’s relevant to what’s going on.”

Luc pondered this a moment. “At the end of your shift, you can take her through the catacombs. It’ll be the fastest way for you to get her to Ireland without being seen.”

“Catacombs?” I asked.

He nodded. “They connect the quadrants. A lot of us don’t go topside often. It tends to lead to trouble. But that doesn’t mean we don’t take meetings.”

I looked to Connor. He dipped his chin once. Although we were still new to this silent communication thing, I thought he got me. We didn’t have time to wait until his end of shift. Even as much as I hated to leave Luc in the lurch, he had to understand why Connor would do that.

People attacked us tonight.

To kill us.

Kill.

Us.

I let that thought sink in. I hated that thought.

“I’m showing Simone around the place,” Connor said. “Call me if you need me.” Then he held his hand out to me. The moment I grabbed it, Connor started pulling me out of the office, and with his long stride, I struggled to keep up with him.

“Take it down a notch there, Beethoven. There’s plenty of time to show me around.”

“Beethoven? Now you’re really reaching.”

“Huh—I thought it was a cleverly used example of a lesser-talked-about dog movie.”

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