Page 72 of Dragon Unleashed
Hoc drops his hand from my shoulder. “What do you mean?”
Blossom hesitates, and my stomach clenches while I wait to see if she’ll reveal her source. “He came in as a druid...but new information suggests he might be a wizard.”
“I see.” Hoc frowns.
I swallow hard, guilt settling on my shoulders like a boulder.
“We will put the library on high alert,” Hoc says.
“Do we close the library down?” Blossom asks.
Hoc considers her question then shakes his head. “Not yet. That would only deter him.”
“Isn’t that the point?” Blossom asks.
“Not quite. If what you say is true, this Morris could be a credible threat. If that’s the case, I owe it to the library to pursue him. We want him to come back.”
“We do?” I squeak the two words out, hoping I’m not giving too much away with my fear.
Hoc smiles though it’s not a friendly one. “We do,” he repeats. “Because that’s how we’re going to catch him.” He holds his hand over the cover and whispers, “Semita ipsam Apertio.”
Track the opener.
Shit. “Um, exactly how long does this spell take to work?” I ask.
If only they knew the last person to open that book was not Morris but rather the woman standing less than a foot away.
Hoc frowns. “Not long, hopefully.” He looks at Blossom. “Call a staff meeting. All available hands. This is a Level Five Priority. When this Morris returns, we want to know he’s coming so we can be ready.”
“On it.”
She and Hoc hurry off, and I watch them go, a lump growing steadily in my gut until it’s a full-blown brick. This is not going to end well, I know it.
* * *
By the timeI manage to make my way up to my apartment, I’m too exhausted to worry about whether or not some shadow killer waits for me in the hall. After a day of waiting on pins and needles for that damn locator spell to expose me, I am both mentally and physically drained. Not to mention the way I opened and closed that book earlier when I shouldn’t be capable.
My mind is so full of questions, and the worst part is that I can’t ask Hoc any of them. The one person who might have answers is the same person who I can’t let find out about any of it.
The stress leaves me distracted and cranky. In fact, if a shadow killer showed up right now, I’d probably just walk right through his ethereal ass without breaking stride.
Fortunately, I don’t have to make that decision, and the hallway is clear, so I let myself into my apartment, still drowning underneath the weight of it all.
Aries is waiting just inside the door, arms crossed. “You’re late.”
“I had a fucking day,” I say wearily. “I’m assuming it’s safe to be here, or else you’d be hauling me over your shoulder like a caveman.”
“What’s a caveman?”
“Ugh. I don’t have the energy to fight with you,” I warn as I move around and head straight into my bedroom. “I haven’t showered in nearly two days, and I spent all damn day worried that the tracker spell Hoc placed on that book was going to track me down and not the asshole it was meant for.”
He trails after me. “Why would it track you?”
“I’m showering first.” I slam the door behind me and head straight into the bathroom. Honestly? If it wouldn’t make more work for me, I would have stepped straight into the shower—clothes and all.
Ten minutes later, I’m stepping out of my bedroom wearing plaid pajama pants and a baggy t-shirt with the wordsI believe in Tad Cooperprinted on the front along with a bearded dragon in orange.
My comfort outfit. Perfect for a night of uncomfortable conversations. Because even if I can’t tell the others, at least Aries will listen and understand without judging me or worse—punishing me.
