Page 1 of The Magic of Discovery
It had been twenty-seven years, but the anger I experienced at Laura’s betrayal felt like it had just happened yesterday. So help me, when I got my hands on her...
Love. Fucking pathetic. I should have known my black heart had no business delving into such pleasures. She had gotten under my skin, wormed her way into my veins, and given me hope for a future that I would never have. I was furious every single time her face flashed in my mind.
I’d told Cam’s team that she’d stolen from me, and she had. She’d stolen whatever decency I’d had left in my body. When I met her, I’d had hope, something that I never would have given a second thought if she hadn’t fucking pushed me. Then she humiliated me.Broke me.Now, I was going to find her and break her. The final conversation we had face to face constantly played over and over in my head, and I couldn’t just banish it and move on with my life, my never-ending existence.
“Khol.” Laura looked up at me when I entered our bedroom. She’d moved in with me only six months ago, but now a suitcase was open on the bed, almost full of her clothing and toiletries.
“Where are you going, darling?” Walking around the king-sized bed, I reached out for her, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her into me. She melted against me like butter, and my heart warmed. I loved this woman. I dropped a chaste kiss on the top of her strawberry blonde head.
“I have a business trip I have to take. My boss called, and while it’s been fine working remotely for the last several months, I’m needed in person for this job,” she explained, running her fingernails down my back. “I wish I didn’t have to go. I’ll miss you. And I’ll missthis.” She cupped my erection with her palm and squeezed, summoning a moan from deep within my chest.
“How long will you be? Don’t forget we have our engagement party in two weeks. It would be a bitch to have to reschedule at this point,” I reminded her, my hands kneading her voluptuous ass. Gods, the woman was sculpted.
“I could never forget, Khol. It should take four to five days, tops,” she reassured me as she closed the lid on her suitcase and zipped it up. I lifted it off the bed and put it on the floor for her.
“I’ve gotta get down to the airfield. My jet is waiting. I’ll let you know when I land.” She wrapped her lean arms around my neck, rose onto her toes, and planted her lips on mine.
That was the last time I saw her in person. The other five times had been through shitty camera snapshots using facial recognition software. I’d never come close to catching her slippery ass, but now I knew she was keeping secrets. Someone had put protection spells down to keep me out of that town. The guys had had no problem crossing that imaginary boundary, which just backed up my suspicions that this particular spell was keyed to me.
Or others like me.Now that’s an interesting thought.
Sloane had texted me earlier to let me know they’d arrived, gotten settled, and were coming up with a game plan to tackle this mission. The kid was hardworking, one of the best I’d ever employed, but so was every single spy in my company. He was just easier to manipulate into doing this for me. He constantly sought approval, fame, and glory. He didn’t do anything just to conquer it; he wanted to be the fucking legend. I’d read his file.
I knew everything there was to know about all of my elites.
Sloane Sullivan, thirty years old. Pyro mage. Top ten percent of his training class. Anger issues, loyal, broken family, only child. Master of wards.
Fischer Bahri, thirty years old. Cognitive mage. Interrogator, ability to not only read emotions but also push them, alter memories, hypnotize. Valedictorian of his training class. Loving family, one sister and two nieces.
Cameron Jacobs, thirty-one years old. Storm mage. Protector, fierce fighter, relentless. Can manipulate weather within a seventy-five mile radius with the ability to create more localized storms. Generates lightning from hands. Severe childhood trauma. Fear of loss.
Kaito Mori, twenty-nine years old. Shifter mage. Black panther: Bagheera. Heightened sense of smell, vision, and hearing. Oldest of five children. Struggled with depression in the past.
Pacing around my apartment, I swirled my glass of whiskey. Finding out about this town had me completely obsessed. I’d yet to have a lead this promising, and it was all I could think about. Once I found her, I could be free of this fucking weight.
Come out, come out wherever you are.
The Devil. I was staring down at the Devil.Well, that’s just a fantastic start to my Saturday.
At least he’s in tarot form and not an actual manifestation of the dark lord?
Gran had insisted she do a three card tarot reading for me this morning before I left for the shop, so I indulged her request as I finished drinking my coffee. Ah, sweet coffee, the root of every witch’s power supply.
“I knew something was brewing! I felt it throughout my body from the moment these starry eyes opened this morning,” Gran proclaimed. She slammed her tiny hand down on the table for emphasis, causing me and our filled to the brim coffee cups to jump.
I gave Gran a killer side-eye, but she was much too far down her own rabbit hole to pay any attention to my facial expressions. She started clapping her hands together, squealing like she did every time a man stepped foot on our property.Anyman. Even her ex-husband who she momentarily forgets that she can’t fucking stand. Gran has got mad love for the ‘D.’
“Your emotional body is the Fool. Are you ready to take new chances? Experience change? Find a new man?” Gran’s eyebrows rose up so high at the end of her question I thought they were going to blend right in with her wild and curly copper hair. Even her fine wrinkles seemed to be trembling with excitement. That’s just how she was though, eccentric and unapologetically free. I wouldn't change her for the world.
“Gran! You know there isn’t anyone in this town that I’m interested in. Even if there were, that piece of shit Bryce would do nothing but cause all kinds of drama just to make sure that I never got laid again so long as I live in Emerald Lakes,” I retorted, stirring sugar into my liquid gold. My ex, Bryce, had been a two-year complete waste of time that I had only freed myself from six months ago. He was a total shithead. I’d taken my dear friends, Frank and Arlo, with me when I’d ended things, just in case.
“I’m so glad you’re out of his clutches, but you don’t need to kill the coffee mug, dear,” Gran replied as she reached out and grabbed my hand to stop my violent cycloning motions. “And fuck Bryce, he’s nothing but a limp dick noodle wand.”
I laughed suddenly, startling my pet arctic fox, Maven. He released a low angry growl and lifted his head from his bed in the corner of the kitchen. I could always tell when he was pissed because his tail fluffed up to three times its size.
“Aww, don’t be mad, Mave. Come over here, boy,” I called out to him as I patted my thigh in encouragement. He hopped up and lazily meandered over to where Gran and I were sitting at the breakfast table. My long red hair spilled over my shoulders as I bent over to scoop him up. He nuzzled into my chest as I ran my fingers through his thick, silky, white and gray-streaked fur. Lifting my mug to my lips, I sipped the warm liquid and settled into the wave of contentment that burrowed deep in my heart. Gran, Mave, coffee... the three loves of my life.
“The Sun is lining up with your spiritual body. Positive outcomes, child. Success and optimism! Today is going to be a star-blessed day,” Gran continued, moving down the line of cards, not fazed by Maven’s antics at all. They didn’t always see eye to eye anyway, so if they wanted to ignore one another, that was totally fine by me.
