Page 88 of Discovered Magic
Wilder was one heartbeat away from ripping the fucker’s head off when Damian touched his arm.
“I’ll handle this one, Thorne.” Rising, he faced the pimp. “Molly no longer chooses to be in your employ, Pete. She has a brighter future ahead of her, as do your other staff.”
“If you’re thinkin’ you can just come in here, an?—”
The fucker dropped dead.
One second, he was bristling; the next, his skin turned ashen, and then he was on the floor at their feet.
“Was it something I said?” Damian asked drolly.
More like something he did, and Wilder shared a shocked glance with Molly.
She recovered faster, grinning as she dug into her stew.
Christ, to be so jaded! It reminded him of Abbie’s new matter-of-fact attitude.
“Mortals in this century don’t have the luxury of softer feelings, Thorne,” Damian telegraphed via their link.
He nodded a response, mentally preparing himself for the coming shitstorm.
“Molly, my dear, would you be so kind as to round up your friends to dine with us? I’d like to tell them about their good fortune,” Damian said.
She eyed her empty bowl with regret.
“There will be more for you when you return. Promise.” After she darted away, he rose and pressed a hand to Wilder’s shoulder. Perhaps it spoke to the power the Aether wielded, but he could swear a current swept through him. “I’ll leave you here, Thorne. I need to pay a call on Evie and Nate to tell them about their new school for unfortunate souls. Also, the bill for the children’s meal will be covered.”
“Appreciate it.” Wilder waved him off with a grin and dug into his stew.
28
Daughter.
How odd was it to discover her father after forty? And to find out he was the Traveler, one of the most powerful time hoppers in existence, was mind-boggling. Stands-in-Shadow’s moniker for Abbie made sense now.
Traveler’s child.
Somehow, he’d known who she was. Perhaps his otherworldly connections gave him an insight few possessed, but she wished he were here now, so she could thank him for his assistance.
As Wendall and Frank wrapped Jennings in a blanket, Morcant watched her, likely hoping to pick up on any squeamishness remaining. He’d be in for disappointment. Abbie’s time here had been a lesson in brutality. Other than noting the surprising speed of Silas’s draw, she hadn’t been upset by his slaying of Jennings.
No, it made a crazy sort of sense to eliminate the disruptive element.
In the short time she’d been with the Silver City Gang, she’d noticed Jennings always questioning orders both behind Silas’s and Royal’s backs and to their faces. Quite honestly, she was surprised Jennings had lasted as long as he had with a cold-blooded killer like his boss.
Royal was different. Softer, yet not. He had a steely resolve, but didn’t possess the cruelty she’d seen in his brother. Maybe Silas’s ugliness came from losing his wife. He’d had over two years to grow into the bitter fucker he was.
The second the two grunts hauled Jennings out the back door, Morcant spoke.
“Silas will kill you and your new suitor eventually.” His reptilian-like eyes with their hypnotic light were focused on her, as he probed for weaknesses. “What do you think of that, woman?”
She shrugged as if she didn’t care, all the while attempting to build a wall around her emotions to keep the Arcane Devourer from consuming her worried energy.
“I’m a novelty. The only woman within miles. There’s no real interest on their part,” she lied.
His grin was chilling. “You’re a terrible liar. You’re hoping they save you, but they won’t. And eventually, Royal will tire of protecting you, too. Wendall and Frank will enjoy taking turns.”
The threat didn’t hold water. She’d already gotten a bead on Royal’s true nature.
