Chapter 21

21

M y idea was probably the literal worst idea ever.

Especially since I couldn’t actually do it alone.

I needed Laina’s help, as a witch. Yet the pieces percolated in my mind throughout our conversation, only solidifying with Laina’s offer.

She didn’t shut me down once I explained, either, which meant there had to be at least a little merit to what I proposed. Even if it was crazy.

But it sure beat going around the city and trying to meet every single citizen in an attempt to find one who looked like her. It wouldn’t be so easy as scrolling through social media.

I settled myself on the floor in front of Laina once everyone else fell asleep. Exhaustion rode me hard, the ache in my arm now spreading along my spine and down the back of my legs.

I definitely didn’t want an audience for this kind of thing. Not only would we be doing some woo-woo stuff that no one expected, but we were talking blood magic.

We shouldn't be working spells in the room, but with all the wards and protection we each layered together, I wasn’t comfortable going anywhere else to attempt this kind of thing.

Big magic, Laina assured me.

Yeah. Much bigger than I should be working. It was way beyond my paygrade.

Yet she sat in front of me with the folds of her trousers hiding her legs and rested her palms on her knees, her eyes closed. Drawing energy into herself until her breath evened out.

“This ritual is going to use your blood to search out anyone in the city who shares the same genetics you do,” Laina reiterated. “It sounds like a simple concept but it’s not going to be as easy as you hope. This sort of magic takes a lot of power behind it to generate, as we’re covering a large territory.”

“I’m ready,” I assured her. Trembling on the inside where she couldn’t see me. Sick to my stomach and pale and weak.

Noren was there for me regardless. He’d scooted closer until his body heat pressed through my back and into me, lending me strength.

No way would he let me out of his sight when I needed protection. He was the only one I trusted to be able to have my back no matter what. Okay, that wasn’t exactly true, but I couldn’t do this without him.

Laina and I sat close enough to touch and our knees form a circle between us. She’d found a map of the city in the lobby of the boarding house, a thoroughly modern thing that kinda left me reeling when she brought it out. She placed it between us.

“Do we need anything else?” I asked, worrying my lower lip. “Like a crystal to guide us where we need to go?”

Laina chuckled softly and tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her pointed ear. “There’s no need for a crystal. Our magic is going to do the work for us. Trust me to guide you. Although I may have to borrow a little bit of your power to sustain it if it takes too long.”

“You have whatever you need.” I hid my tremor from her. I barely had any magic left to donate.

“A little pinprick of your blood will do, to start,” she replied.

This was it. I held out my hand for her and Laina drew a decorative pin from her braid, tapping it against my index finger. A quick flash of pain lighter than a bee sting and it disappeared in an instant.

This was the moment I’d actually find my mom.

I’d thought about it too many times to count, dreamed about a reunion, but face to face with reality left me reeling. Nerves gathered in my gut and nibbled on my insides.

Would Mom even want to see me once we found her?

What would happen to me, mentally and emotionally, if she decided not to talk? Or worse, if she outright denied it and made me leave?

Those possibilities were suddenly too real as Laina went through the steps of her ritual.

She held my finger over the map and squeezed until a drop of blood came free. With her eyes closed, Laina chanted under her breath, and the fine hairs on my neck, temples, and forearms lifted to attention.

Magic buzzed and crackled from her in a powerful wave. Much stronger than anything I’d seen her do before but not outward, not showy. It was all on the inside.

The street lines on the map began to glow. They seemed lit from within, the luminescence radiating from the drop of my blood and weaving, pulsing, until a specific location began to sparkle.

Laina opened her eyes and pointed. “Not nearly as bad as I thought. Your mom is here, Tavi. She’s here and your connection is strong. The energy bonds between you…”

I gulped. “What does that mean?”

“It means she’s been looking for you, too. Otherwise we wouldn’t have found her so quickly.” Laina’s voice seemed far away.

“She’s not looking for me. She’s in the city, hiding.” Everything else faded and I stared at the spot on the map until dark dots danced in front of my vision.

It was more than I’d dared hope for and easier than I deserved. Another lucky strike, except nothing in my life felt like luck, only a series of missteps that eventually landed me where I needed to be. Or somewhere close.

There were too many scrapes and near-misses in my life to call me lucky. But I felt like it right now. Even when Laina smiled sympathetically at me like she knew something I couldn’t possibly understand yet.

She snapped her fingers and the magic dissipated, sparks flying up away from the map. “We’ll look for her tomorrow. At least now we have a location to start.”

“Are you certain it’s really her?” I asked.

“I’m fairly certain, yes. Unless our friends in the Unseelie Court have mastered the art of replicating blood bonds with their spells…but have hope, darling,” Laina replied. “Have hope that everything will work out because it’s not just you and Onyx anymore against the whole of Faerie.”

No, she was right.

I had Bronwen. And Mike and Laina. Melia, wherever she was now. We had an entire team.

I reached behind me and scratched Noren between the ears before getting up. Rather than heading toward my empty bunk, I changed direction and crawled in beside Mike, on top of the sheets.

His chest rose and fell evenly in sleep, his eyes fluttering behind his closed lids in whatever dream he found himself.

He looked innocent sleeping like that. Lightly snoring and twitching slightly.

Our magic hadn’t woken him, thanks to his mom’s shielding, and I was grateful. Things between us hadn’t always been easy. Hell, from the start there were so many obstacles that sometimes it felt like whatever world we were in wanted us to stay apart.

But as I snuggled at his side, curling close as Noren stretched out on the floor, a sense of peace blanketed me.

Tomorrow things would be better. Whether they actually looked better or not remained to be seen. For tonight, we’d accomplished something incredible.

Sleep crept up quickly enough and when I woke in the morning, Mike had wrapped his arms around me, my head on his chest and nothing but safety in his embrace.

There was no stopping anyone once we woke for the day. They all wanted to be part of the search, no one left behind. The argument between Mike and Bronwen, short and easily ended once Laina returned with breakfast, brought a fierce grin to my lips.

Food solved all manner of small irritations. Even I had to admit it felt way too good to have food in my belly.

Those nights of sleeping on the ground and half starving were for the birds.

Bronwen wanted to look for weapons, dividing and conquering so that we covered more ground. Mike wanted to stick together because we had a definite location in mind. In the end, Onyx was the voice of reason, although Mike bristled whenever my wolf friend spoke.

We’d stay together, and we’d go disguised, just to make sure we were covered in case some Claw & Fang members were out looking for us. Which they most certainly would be.

Covered and disguised from any prying eyes, we ventured out into the city.

Chances were good that Dorian Jade already knew of the boarding house, and the moment the thought birthed in my mind, goosebumps ran up the length of my spine. After what happened yesterday?

I was almost positive he was coming for us.

We had to make sure to watch our backs and fronts and everywhere in between.

Although hands down, this place was on par with other massive cities I’d seen in the mortal realm, places like Boston or Baltimore. Of course, fae cities were filled with magic, the kind entwined in the land and felt with every inhalation. There were flowers growing out of buildings, and houses with no roofs, kept dry during a storm with shields of hardened air.

There were fae with wings and scales and all manner of clothing.

But only fae of a certain class, I realized looking at them.

Nothing on the outside marked them as above their Unseelie counterparts, but they were distinguishable now that I’d keyed into the differences. Their energy signatures were different, which meant they worked their magic in another way from the Seelie.

I kept my mouth shut rather than pointing them out.

People of all walks of life crowded the sidewalks with the return of the sun. The rain from before had dried up and left the landscape bright and verdant. In the distance, the rolling and crashing waves were inaudible but their loamy white caps broke through the rich navy of the ocean.

People went unnoticed.

There were too many bodies crowded together in a single area for anyone to stand out from the crowd. Even us, in our disguises. We huddled together as much for a sense of safety as because the crush of life left no room for us to spread out and maneuver.

No wonder my mom came here to disappear.

We stopped close enough to the sea to see the bobbing of boats on the horizon. Although we were on a different part of the coast, away from Sea’s Deep, my skin prickled in discomfort.

I held out my hand to Laina. “Let me see the map.” My cheeks flushed, realizing I just gave the damn queen an order. “Please.”

My rushed remembrance of manners passed right over their heads. Laina rustled in the pocket of her cloak and held it out to me.

The lines etched in magic were the same crimson-brown as dried blood. Duh, blood magic, I realized with a start.

They converged on a small square at the end of the nearest block, leading out to one of the piers where boats docked.

“Where does the line end?” Mike asked.

He pressed closer and the wind brought a gust of his scent to torture me, I was sure.

The slightly citrusy undertone to his scent wound straight through me and stroked claws along my heart. I shuddered. “It looks like we're only a few blocks away.”

“Great sense of direction must come with the territory,” he joked with a weak grin.

My own smile was genuine when I gave it to him. “People like me have built-in compasses. It’s kind of our thing.”

Onyx harrumphed his agreement to the statement.

We hurried, checking our surroundings every so often.

I wasn’t sure how we’d determine friend from foe unless someone came at us with a knife to the throat. Or wearing one of those medallions to cross through the wall. That might be our only signal.

Worry dogged my steps over uneven cobblestones. Bronwen made some noise of approval in the back of her throat and when I turned around to face her, she stared at the horizon like she wanted to shift and fly toward it.

I ground my back teeth. Focus! We had limited time before—well, before everything turned to shit. I had to find my mom and if the blood magic worked, then we were getting close.

I kept the map in hand and traced my finger along the route, marking every sideroad we passed.

The road curved around following the natural lines of the shore. It reminded me of those places in Scotland, the medieval harbors we learned about in history class.

The shore did have a certain charm, along with the stench of brine and the salty breeze rolling in from the water. I saw how easy it would be to sink into one of those stone buildings facing the water and lose an afternoon. Or two.

A good book and something cool to drink?

Or maybe Bronwen had a point, and the image of floating over the ocean waves bobbed along by an unseen wind held so much appeal my magic began to tingle, heralding the change.

Mike nudged me in the back and I focused on the feeling. “Isn’t this it?”

He stared over my shoulder at the map and I glanced down in surprise.

The building at the end of the block boasted salt-worn shutters with peeling paint. No amount of magic would make it look like anything other than a handyman’s special. The front stoop sagged under the weight of too many feet to count that had worn the stones smooth from following the same path.

“This isn’t what I thought it would be,” I muttered.

Onyx heard me. “It’s a restaurant.”

“He’s using the term loosely, of course,” Bronwen added.

“I don’t understand.” The door had been closed over and swollen from the proximity to the water, too out of whack to fully shut. “What would she be doing at a restaurant?”

“We go in and we find out.” Laina, determined as ever, adjusted her cowl and stepped up to the door.

One push and it swung open on squeaky hinges, announcing our arrival.

I caught the tail end of Onyx’s feral grin before he limped inside after her. “I could always eat.”

I shared the sentiment. We did need food. The dingy interior of the tavern invited strangers to claim a corner for their own and hide out among the din and gloom. The windows in front had been covered with inches of brine which filtered the sunlight into cool streams that barely penetrated the haze.

Most of the tables, even at this hour of the day, were lit with stubs of candles affixed to the tables with dried wax.

We grabbed a table near the door and sat ourselves.

From somewhere nearby, a man roared in laughter, the sound followed by the distinctive thud of a fist striking flesh. Someone else yelled in reproach before the first man could follow through on whatever hit had accompanied his laugh.

Three fishermen perched at the table beside ours. One of them had shaved one entire side of his head, and another had an array of fish hooks pressed through his left eyebrow. They stared at us. Knowing instinctively we were not the kind of patrons who frequented a place like this.

Felons. They looked like felons.

Well, we were in the same boat. We might not be rough and tumble but we were certainly on the run from the law of the land.

I scooted over when Noren nudged at my arm, making room for him beside me.

“Hi, welcome to the Black Dog.” A chipper young man came over with pad and pen to take our orders. “What can I get you to drink?”

Noren’s tongue lolled from his mouth and the poor guy didn’t even notice the direwolf until his paws scraped against the floor.

Blood leached from his face and rather than jumping, the way the tightening of his muscles indicated he wanted to do, the fellow took a massive step in the opposite direction.

I rested a hand on top of Noren’s head. “I hope you don’t mind. There wasn’t a sign about no animals allowed.”

The two of us watched him gulp over a huge knot in his throat like predators sizing up a tasty, easy treat.

“Waters,” he squeaked, the sound like air hissing through a balloon. “I’ll get you waters.”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone move so fast,” Mike commented as he watched the server’s hasty escape.

“Coming face to face with a direwolf will do that to a person,” Bronwen replied. “Even if he doesn’t look like one.”

Laina remained silent through the ordeal, her gaze sweeping the restaurant from the smoke-tinted rafters to the scuff marks on the floor. Searching the faces of every patron, every server.

Searching for my mother. So was I, but I didn’t see her. Or anyone who might be her. “Do you think the spell failed?”

She tensed at my question. “I’m not sure. I don’t see anyone who looks like you in this place.”

“You read my mind,” I muttered.

Mike scraped his palm against his chin. “It’s possible Tavi’s mom has disguised herself with a better spell than ours.”

“We haven’t really searched the place yet.” I craned my head to get a glimpse at a door set into the rear wall. “Maybe there’s a kitchen here and she’s working the stove. The spell might not be wrong.”

“I’m casting my power out in a net as we speak,” Laina whispered, dropping her tone. “I don’t dare risk doing more and drawing attention to us.”

Her willingness to do even the smallest magic warmed the splintered pieces of my heart grinding together in my chest. “What do you feel?”

“Nothing yet.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

I ignored the way my gut plummeted and disappointment followed soon after, filling the empty space. “It’s fine.”

Mike threaded his fingers through mine and squeezed in a silent show of commiseration.

“I’m sure we’ll find her soon.” Bronwen, ever helpful, grinned around at the table.

The young male carried a tray of water in two hands and dumped the plastic cups at the center of the table before darting off again.

“Look, he didn’t even bring you a dish, bud.” I clucked my tongue for Noren. “Maybe it would have been better for you to wait outside.”

Even surrounded by my friends, the people I trusted the most in this world, I still didn’t want to let Noren out of my sight.

“I’m sorry about Glenwood. He’s new and he spooks easily,” a new voice piped up. “I’ll be happy to take your order. Have you had a chance to look at the menu?”

The sweet feminine tone stole my breath before I looked up at the newcomer. Slowly, I peeled my gaze from the belt of her trousers up the long line of buttons to the base of her delicate neck. Rich brown hair had been pulled up into a messy bun at the top of her head, leaving tendrils free and curling around her pointed ears.

The eyes, the nose, the lips—they were exactly the same as Nexa, Coral’s mother. They had the same wide-legged stance that somehow managed to look feminine and brutal at the same time.

I narrowly resisted lifting my hands to my bust, the same size as the woman in front of us. I knew it. I knew it in my bones and in my blood.

Mom .