Page 27 of Witch Untold
Mircea’s expression is cold and dead. “You won’t have a choice.”
“Jasper…” Conah turns his head to face me, fighting the force holding him in place. “Don’t let them—”
Mircea flicks his wrist in Conah’s direction. The reaper’s eyes flutter closed and his body sags against the wall, unconscious.
Once again, the vampires flank me, and my body lights up with a different kind of fiery pain.
Chapter Eight
Cora
Isipped my hot chocolate. The strange feeling was gone, leaving nothing but an echo of foreboding.
We were in a private room on the first floor that Leana rented out for Outlier Liaison meetings.
Ursula popped my blood, hair, and cheek swab samples into a bag. “I’ll get the results back to you as soon as I can.”
I rolled my sleeve back down. “Thanks.”
Leana entered with a plate of warm cinnamon buns. “Just out of the oven.”
Tor smiled up at her. “Thank you.”
She set the plate down but didn’t leave.
Ursula sighed and looked up at her. “I don’t have any news.”
Leana nodded curtly. “You’ll tell me when you do.”
Ursula’s expression grew solemn. “I promise.”
The pink fae left the room, shoulders slumped.
“What was that about?”
“Leana’s lover went missing a few days ago. Human male.”
“Wait, Leana’s dating a human?” Humans generally saw what they wanted to see when faced with an outlier who was overtly physically inhuman. We called the phenomenon a universal glamour, but really it was simply how most human brains rationalized inexplicable or otherworldly things. But that glamour wouldn’t work for long when dating an outlier like Leana. She was pink. Like, all-over pink.
“Jamie is a clairvoyant,” Ursula said. “One of the few humans aware of the supernatural world. They’ve been dating for a couple of months. Last week he just vanished.”
“And you think there’s a supernatural reason?”
She winced. “Honestly, I don’t know.” She picked up a bun, bit into it, and chewed for a moment. “Leana said she last spoke to him just before midnight. He was at home. They were meant to meet up in the morning for breakfast before she opened Lumiers. He didn’t show and he’s been missing ever since. There’s no sign of a struggle at his flat. We can’t find any magical residue in or around his home to suggest a mystical attack. He’s just gone.”
“You think he left?” Tor asked.
“We don’t know. But I’ll keep looking until I have answers. Leana deserves answers.”
A wave of anxiety washed over me, and a fist closed around my lungs. “Fuck.”
“What is it?” Ursula asked.
“Jasper…” I rubbed my knuckles against my breastbone as if I could massage away the tightness in my chest. “It’s Jasper again.”
Tor gently cupped the back of my neck, his thumb sweeping across my skin soothingly. “Have you sensed him like that before?”
“No.”
