Page 76 of That Mafioso Magic
“I’ve located Lacey, but she’s in Orlando,” I said.
“Orlando? Well, that’s going to be a problem.”
“Why?”
“Well, depending on where in Orlando, I will have to make negotiations to travel into their territory and that’s if they let me,” Sage said.
Oh, that was right. Mages pretty much had free rein to travel anywhere. Sure, it could get touchy if the covens mixed, but we didn’t need each other’s permissions. There was no territory, so to speak. Sage being a lion shifter and now a vampire was going to be interesting. Would we have to get Salino involved? Oh, this was going to get complicated.
“It looks like Lacey is staying at a home near Universal Studios for now,” I said, giving Sage the exact location the stone had given me.
“Well, damn, that’s detailed.”
“I used one hell of a locator spell,” I said.
“No doubt the Wolf’s Scent helped. Let’s hope she’s still there when you arrive,” Sage said, having a lot of confidence in me, which made me feel even more special to him.
“What do you need to do?” I asked. I wasn’t sure how these sorts of things worked themselves out.
Sage was silent for a little while, then he answered. “Do you think you can go there without me? I’m not sure if my presence will start a problem. The wolf pack there isn’t welcoming to other shifters, especially not lions, and being that I’m also a vampire… I just don’t know about stirring those pots. Salino may have to make the negotiations and that’s one favor I don’t really want to ask of him right now.”
“So, what about Jewel? Will she be able to go with us?” I asked.
“I might be able to arrange that. She will be less of a threat than myself.”
“Because she’s a woman?” I asked.
“No. Because she isn’t my queen. And by not being me, she isn’t a lion king. Her presence won’t feel like an attempt to take over territory. You should know, my females are quite formidable. Believe that Jewel is very much indeed a threat when I want her to be.”
“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult,” I said, feeling like I had stepped over the line.
“None taken. I just wish I could be there with you. In any case, by the time you return, I will have that rare ingredient.”
“Are… are you going to kill a griezel?” I asked. I almost didn’t want to know the answer.
“Yes,” Sage said with such a matter-of-fact tone, it sent a chill down my spine. No matter what, I couldn’t forget that he was dangerous to other people. I knew he would never be a danger to me, though. I supposed that gave me some selfish comfort.
“Do you have to?” I asked.
“I tried to find one on the black market. I couldn’t and there is no telling when one will be available. Don’t worry, this griezel that I’m targeting is scum. I will be happy to rip his heart out.”
God, he was talking about killing like it was no big deal. Made me wonder just how many lives he’d taken over his lifespan. Maybe that was a question best left unasked. “Be careful,” was all I could say.
“You too. I’ll call you once I get permission from Callum and Corteo,” Sage said.
“And what if you don’t? I won’t let Lacey continue to run amok, even if that means just Xavier and I go,” I said.
“I know. Fine. Start heading for my jet. I’ll let you know if Jewel can go with you or not. I don’t like you traveling without me or her, but I understand,” Sage said. I really liked the fact that he didn’t try to stop me. He knew I’d go regardless, because saving lives was what I’d try my best to do, risk be damned. He wasn’t going to try to change me. I now understood even more what Shi meant.
We ended the call and I turned to Xavier and Jewel. “I’m sure you heard the full conversation,” I said to Jewel.
She nodded. “With how powerful you are now, we might be all we need just to capture the girl and bring her back here.”
“What if we can’t?” Xavier asked. “Like, what if it doesn’t give us any choice but to exorcise the spirit then and there?”
“I can’t, not without Sage. We’ll have to subdue it and I’ll freeze the demon until we can get Lacey’s body back here,” I said. “I’m going to kick that spirit’s ass back to hell. I just hope that by the time we get back, Sage will have what we need to restore her soul. Calling her soul from the ether is something I can do. The spell is viewable to me. However, restoring it will require Sage’s power as well.”
“Well, let’s get ready to go,” Jewel said, then she rose.
