Page 20 of The Mating Frenzy
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The following morning,Kieran was ready for the world and hisassignment.
So the wizardssaid.
Tonight they planned to accompany him to dinner at the restaurant where Ella worked. He was free for the day to do as hepleased.
“As long as it does not involve nudity,” Xavier hadwarned.
With the aid of a little magick, they got him fully up to speed on contemporary America. The blizzard of changes in technology and people themselves astounded him. In the Winter Kingdom, change happened at a glacial pace. Magick was constant, steady andreassuring.
This world had a dizzying array of technology, from palm-sized objects called cell phones that demanded everyone’s attention, to machines that flew in the air like angry bees and took overheadphotos.
“Drones,” he muttered, climbing into the car Xavier had conjured forhim.
He started the engine, and it purred. The Jaguar, for what else would he drive, pulled forward with a jerky motion as he drove out of the parkinglot.
Kieran had used the machine called a laptop and the service called the internet to do something called Googling the area. He found the local academic library and plugged the address into the Jag’sGPS.
The car could almost driveitself.
At the imposing stone building, he parked and walked inside, jingling his keys. Several patrons frowned at him. Kieran pocketed the keys and headed for the frontdesk.
An attractive blonde, her hair pulled back into a severe bun, glanced up. “May I helpyou?”
Only last week he might have suggested she could help him in bed. But after meeting Ella, he had no desire to even flirt with otherwomen.
“I understand you have a section for ancient manuscripts dating back to the 7thcentury,” he told her.Or beyond. Manuscripts that have to do with a certain prophecy and the will of the goddessDanu.
The woman looked him up and down, and then her gaze widened as it fell on the leather bracelet around his wrist. “Yes, we do. Special access only. Our secret archive room is specially climate-controlled to preserve themanuscripts. ”
She leaned on the counter, displaying her ample cleavage. “But you seem quite special, so you may gainentrance.”
Uncomfortable with her scrutiny, he nodded. This woman had a touch of Fae in her, along with shifter blood he did not recognize. And did not trust. It mattered not how lovely sheappeared.
“Thankyou.”
“My name’s Danica.” She smiled at him and whispered the code to unlock the door downstairs. “The room has little lighting and is air-tight with lowoxygen.”
“Because humidity and heat can ruin vellum and parchment,” hefinished.
“You certainly know your ancient documents,Mr…”
“Thrace.”
Danica lowered her voice. “The books you seek are in the very back. There’s another door you have toenter.”
She gave him the code. Kieran memorizedit.
“My assistant is working there. You will find the books quite useful. And, Mr.Thrace?”
Heturned.
“Enter the second code with your left wrist. The one with the leather band.” She pointed to the bracelet Gideon had placed there. “That will gain you access to thespecialbooks youseek.”
Thanking her, Kieran headed to the elevator. As he walked, he felt her gaze burn into hisback.
Inside the elevator, he fought the urge to bolt, his jaguar snarling to be free of this tiny cell that moved up and down. He knew the beast feared and hated confining spaces because of the past, and it took all the man’s logic and reasoning to combat theinstinct.
