Page 79 of That Mafioso Magic
“My only concern is my vampires and any humans they kill. As long as they aren’t sloppy, which could cause trouble, I could care less about humans dying,” Corteo said.
“Okay, so trying to appeal to your good nature was a mistake. How about if I give you a barrier spell? One that will protect your home from intrusion?” I offered.
“Well, now that would be something worth my time. You can do that?”
“My lover is a powerful mage. He would be able to grant you that favor,” I said.
“What will he need? Will he need to come to my home?”
I told him the same thing I told Callum regarding what Adrian would need. “Once it’s spelled, keep it in your home. He will also need to know how large your home is to be able to give the proper measurements to the spell,” I said.
“I don’t know you or your lover well enough to take your word for this. I want him to give me this spell before he tends to his business.”
“I never go back on my word. I know you don’t know me, but my lover, his friend, and my pride member are going to be in your territory. I’m putting my trust in you first. The least you can do is the same,” I said. “Let him save the girl, time is already running out for her. Then he can do your spell.”
There were a few seconds of silence before Corteo responded. “Very well, but if you screw me, Lion, I will have blood.”
“Understood,” I said. The fact that he knew I was a lion shifter let me know that he was familiar with who I was. Good. My reputation wasn’t one to fuck with. Even if I wasn’t a mobster, I would have to be as ruthless as I was in order to protect my pride.
Of course, his threat to me felt like something small considering how powerful I was now and that an attack on me would also be an attack on Salino and he was one of the most feared vampires in the world. A reputation well earned from what I’d heard and knew. I guess you could say that was another perk being linked to him gave me.
“Oh, by the way, one of Callum’s wolves will be accompanying them. I take it, that’s not a problem?”
“Ugh, it’s not, but he should have told me himself. I will be speaking with him once we’re done,” Corteo said.
“Then, I’ll let you get to that. Thank you.”
I ended the call with Corteo and contacted Adrian. “You’re all clear, but you will need to provide barrier protection spells for them before you leave. It was their price for allowing you all to enter their territories,” I said when he answered. “And Callum will have one of his wolves join you. I wouldn’t be surprised if Corteo has one of his vampires do the same. Just to make sure you don’t try to leave without fulfilling the promise. And of course, to make sure you don’t do anything not agreed upon. Supernals are extremely overprotective about our territories. Can you manage?”
“If that’s all they want, I can certainly manage. Barrier spells are easy for me now. Thank you for arranging this. I really want to save that child, so I’m going to need you to be ready when we return, Sage.”
“Oh, I’ll be ready with everything that you need. You just be safe. Watch your asses out there.”
“We will.”
“Do you have the grimoire?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll see you when you get back. Let me know when you’re done and on your way home,” I said.
“I will. Sage…”
“What?”
“I… I miss you,” Adrian said.
I smiled, because the feeling was so fucking mutual to the point my heart ached just to hear him say those words. I felt them so keenly. “I miss you, too,” I said. When the call ended, I smiled just thinking about what his face must have looked like when he said those words to me. I couldn’t help but wonder if “miss” was the four-letter word he really wanted to say. I was curious about that, because I wasn’t so sure it was the four-letter word I wanted to say in return. What I was feeling for Adrian went far past a fondness the word “miss” represented. Far deeper and all-consuming.
I slipped my cell back into my pocket and I waited for Tom to show up.
“You two are sounding like some corny ass lovers,” Shi commented.
I laughed. “I’m good with that.”
She rolled her eyes, but smiled. We continued to chit-chat until an hour had passed and a familiar car pulled up. I saw Tom’s beat-up Toyota pull in front of his home. He got out and so did his john for the night. My vision as a lion was always impeccable, but now it was sharper. I could actually see the unnatural multicolored glow in the griezel’s eyes behind his sunglasses. All griezels’ eyes had that telltale feature. No matter what eye color they had when they were human, their irises took on those light, iridescent flecks. To a human, it was just something pretty and unusual. To other supernal, it was just another identifier. We could all tell what each other was. Either it was a scent, an aura, a look, or all of the above. We used it as warnings to other species to back the fuck off. For humans, it was just something that drew them to us.
“It’s showtime,” Shi said from the driver’s seat.
