We arrived at the portal in the enchanted forest right as dusk was falling. We hadn’t spoken much on the cab ride back to the portal in Magic’s Bend, but I’d felt Cade’s presence intensely.

I was definitely interested. And he might’ve even returned the sentiment.

Which just made me more nervous.

And more curious.

We set off toward the castle in silence. The path back through the woods was lit by the fairy lights, giving the place a romantic feel, which I did my damnedest to ignore.

At the edge of the forest, Cade spoke. “I’ll submit a request to the armory for your charm. If they start immediately, it should be done by morning. Once we have it, we’ll head to Venice.”

“How will we get there?” I hoped he had a transport charm. I didn’t want to spend hours on a plane. Not with this deadline.

He dug into the pocket of his battered leather jacket and withdrew a black stone.

Jackpot.

“How are you getting so many of those?” They were super rare because they were so hard to make.

“I have a wizard contact that I pay well.”

“Handy.”

“Very.”

We walked up the path toward the castle. I called upon the connection charm that I had with my sister, feeling a tug toward the low buildings on the other side of the castle, near the wall.

I pointed to them. “What are those?”

“The stables. They’re now used as garages and storage. If your sister recovered your vehicle, it’ll be in there.”

“She’s in there, too, if the buggy is.” Probably working on it. “I’m going to go check it out.”

“All right. If she’s there, Caro will have shown her around a bit. If you need anything, there’s a small office immediately to the right of the main foyer. They can help you.”

“You’re just going to let me wander around unsupervised?”

“Aye. That’s part of the trust thing I mentioned.”

This was their home, technically. And probably full of all kinds of magic that I could nick.

We weren’t thieves. We earned our livings honestly. But the fact that they would trust us?

Kinda cool, even though I hated to admit it.

Also maybe a little stupid. But that didn’t detract from the cool factor.

“How do you know you can trust us, though?”

“Our potential members are selected very carefully. It’s not easy to get an invitation. It’s an honor really. But once you’ve been chosen, it’s up to you to earn your place with your skill in training.”

“How are we chosen? You didn’t even interview us.”

“That is a secret.” He grinned. He was a devastatingly handsome man who looked like he fit right into the Scottish Highlands. “And if I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

“All right, then.” I couldn’t help my smile even as I swore I’d figure out how we’d been chosen.

“I’m off to the armory. I’ll see you in the morning at six, in the entry hall. We’ll get started early.”

“Thanks.”

He nodded. “Thank you. We’ve wanted to catch Ricketts for a long time.”

As he walked away, I watched his very attractive backside stride off into the night.

Nope! I spun around

Eyes on the prize, Bree. And my prize wasn’t going to have anything to do with Cade’s butt. My prize was going to be the cure for the Lithica poison and getting Ricketts off my back. As an added bonus, we’d get the buggy back.

This would all work out.

Somehow.

I turned down the path toward the stables. The path and grounds were empty at this hour, probably because everyone was eating dinner. It was a beautiful evening, with the sun low near the mountains and the breeze light. Wildflowers rustled, and the castle rose tall in the distance. It was surreal to be walking around such a beautiful place.

I liked it. The whole place felt magical. Not the everyday kind of magic that I lived with, but the kind that I’d always associated with castles and history. Fairytale magic.

And I was here.

Agony exploded in my chest. I gasped and stumbled, barely keeping to my feet. My head swam as I sucked in shallow breathes, trying to get control of it.

Oh, fates.

This was getting bad.

Just the idea of the Lithica poisoning turning my insides to stone made me cringe. I hoped Ana wasn’t feeling the same thing.

By the time I neared the stables, I could hear Ana cursing within. I pulled open the heavy door and stepped into the warmth, breathing in deeply the scent of engine oil. It overlaid the smell of hay and horses that still lingered. Nice.

“Hey!” Ana stepped out from behind the buggy, which looked like a burned-out mess.

“Oh hell! What happened to the buggy?” I frowned and inspected it.

“Just like you thought. Ricketts sent more men, who lit it up with fireballs. Caro, Ali, and Haris helped me drive them off before they could destroy the whole thing. Then a seriously powerful transport mage helped us get it back.” She patted the hood and scrubbed a cloth over her face, getting rid of some of the grease on her cheek. “But I think it’s mostly cosmetic. I can get it fixed up pretty soon.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. This ol’ boy isn’t doing so bad.” She patted the bumper, as if to prove it, but the thing fell off and crashed to the ground.

I winced. “Going to take some work.”

“No kidding.” She nudged the bumper with her foot. It broke in two.

Ouch.

But at least we had it back. “Caro, Ali, and Haris helped you fight them off?”

“Yep. Pretty cool of them.”

Yeah. It’d been part of the deal for us staying here, true, but I was glad they’d done it. Any time someone stuck their neck out for me was cool.

“How’d it go with you?” Ana asked.

I explained the lead.

“That sounds promising.” She rubbed her chest. “Because I’m really starting to feel it. I took the potion a few hours ago. It helped a bit.”

“I think I’ll take mine soon.” I fingered the pain potion in my pocket, not yet ready to take it. “But I feel good about this lead. And now that you have the buggy and can fix it up, things are looking hopeful for when we leave here.”

“Yeah. Leave.” Her expression was torn.

“You don’t want to?”

“No, I do. Totally. We’re best on our own. But today didn’t suck, Bree. Caro showed me around, and it’s beautiful. And some people—okay, a lot—shot me suspicious looks. But Caro is really cool. And so are Ali and Haris. This place has potential.”

“Let’s just get the cure and get Ricketts off our backs first.”

“Solid plan.” Ana walked toward a wide table set up against the wall and picked up a plate of sandwiches. She turned and offered it to me. “Hungry?”

My stomach growled. “Heck yeah. But where did these come from?”

“Ali brought them down.”

I took one and bit in, sighing happily at the taste. This was high quality ham and cheese—not that crap we used to buy. I swallowed, then asked, “Ali, the same Djinn who helped with the car?”

“Yeah. He came to introduce himself better. You just missed him.”

“And he brought food.” I frowned. “So what did he want in return?”

Ana’s brow scrunched. “Nothing, I don’t think.”

“Weird. He didn’t hit on you?”

“No. Which is also weird.”

“Huh.” Someone had done something nice for nothing. Does not compute. “So he just came down to say hi?”

I couldn’t wrap my freaking mind around it.

“Yeah. And he figured that since the lights were still on, I’d missed dinner.”

I chomped on the sandwich, mulling the whole thing over. Then I shrugged. Some people were weird.

The door creaked open and I turned.

Caro poked her head in. “Hey! Want to come to the pub?”

“The pub?” I asked.

“Yeah. You know, place you drink.” She made a drinking motion. “Everyone’s going. It’s Friday night. You should come.”

“Us?” Ana asked.

“Yeah, dummy. You’re part of the group now. Come on.”

“We haven’t even done training yet. Or officially accepted.”

“You will. Training will kick your ass, but you’ll be official soon enough. So come on.”

I looked at Ana. Her slightly confused expression mirrored my own feelings. We were like freaking feral cats, not trusting that anyone would just want to…be nice.

It made me uncomfortable. But I was also weird. I’d seen TV—I knew that not everyone was like us. And Caro was so genuine.

“I’m pretty beat,” I said. Oddly, regret winged in my chest. “And I have a big day tomorrow.”

“Yeah, same,” Ana said.

“It’s only six fifteen,” Caro said. “Come for an hour. Meet some people. If you’re going to stick around, you’ll want to know the others.”

But we weren’t going to stick around.

Except that the offer did sound really nice. Hanging out with other people. Friendly people.

I looked at Ana, noticing how torn she looked. She wanted to go, too, even though it was so weird for us.

“An hour,” I said. “But then I need to rest up for tomorrow.”

“Great!” Caro turned and left, shouting behind her. “Come on!”

“Okay, this is nuts.” Ana scrubbed the rest of the grease off her face and grabbed half a sandwich. “But I’m kinda psyched. Is that weird?”

“We can just be normal for a little while,” I said. We didn’t party much, and it was tempting to just go have fun. Especially when I was worried about the poison.

We followed Caro outside. The two Djinn waited, kicking a hacky sack around.

“Are those two always playing?” I asked.

“Pretty much.”

At the sound of our voices, the guys looked up and grinned.

“Hey!” Ali stepped forward. “Good to see you.”

Haris grinned and waved.

Something about the guys made them feel familiar. Warm, almost.

It was weird.

I didn’t want to like this place so much, or these people. But I did.

“Come on, this way.” Caro led us down the path toward the enchanted forest.

“Where’s the pub?” Ana asked.

“In Edinburgh. We’ll take a portal,” Ali said.

“Cool.” I glanced at Caro. “So, you really like it here?”

“Love it.” She gazed around the grounds, her eyes shining. “I was skeptical at first, too. I had a good thing going, working as a mercenary in Magic’s Bend. But this is way better. And I hear they’re really excited to have you on board. You must be important.”

I laughed. “Doubtful.”

“Dangerous, then,” she said.

“Probably that.” I looked at her. She’d changed out of her battle attire, which had been all black leather, into jeans and a black T-shirt. “But you’re pretty deadly too. What are you?”

“Half water sprite, half demon.”

“Ah,” Ana said. “That’s why you can shoot water that will cut straight through a person.”

Caro wiggled her fingers. “Yep!”

We passed a man with tired eyes and flyaway blond hair. His pale skin was creased with stress wrinkles, and his clothes looked like they could use a good wash.

“Hey, Stanley!” Caro said.

He just grunted, absentminded.

“Stanley’s always been a bit in the clouds,” Caro said. “Likes to wander the mountains most of the time.”

“Not content in his work here?” I asked.

“I think he likes it, but he’s a magical theorist. They spend a lot of time with their minds elsewhere.”

A magical theorist? This place had everything.

We kept chatting as we walked down the path toward the forest. It was friendly. And nice.

Ali liked weird sports like frisbee golf and curling, while Haris was into computers. Caro just seemed cool in general, with a penchant for talking about old battles and music. Pretty bad music, but who was I to judge? My favorite song was “Mississippi Squirrel Revival.”

Ana and I kept shooting each other bemused glances. We knew that people behaved like this, but we’d never experienced it. Death Valley Junction was full of criminals, so our social scene had been way different.

Like, nonexistent.

This kind of easy friendship and acceptance was…unusual.

Caro led us all through the pretty forest, down the path surrounded by gnarled old trees. The lights led the way, and little creatures skittered through the underbrush. Something with large eyes peered out at me.

“Terrier mouse,” Caro said. “Cute and creepy at the same time. I’ve heard they’ll grant wishes if you can catch them.”

“No one’s ever caught one, though,” Ali said. “But there’s loads of magical creatures in the forest. After the walls were built, it became a sanctuary for them.”

“That’s awesome.” I’d always hated that magical creatures and non-magical creatures alike were threatened, with more becoming extinct every year as development grew. The fact that this was also a sanctuary was awesome.

Ugh, this place was so cool it was killing me.

We stopped in the clearing near the portals. Magic pulsed against my skin.

“Come on.” Caro stepped through the portal.

I followed, gasping at the feel of the ether sucking me in. It was a short, whirlwind ride through space, then it spit me out in the middle of a bustling city street.

Magical signatures buffeted me from all directions.

Immediately, I pressed my back against the nearest wall, scouting my surroundings.

Beneath the golden street lamps, the street heaved with supernaturals of all species. Shifters, mages, fae, and even a few demons—who shouldn’t actually be walking the earth. They all bustled down the sidewalk, splitting off into pubs and shops. Wings and tails and feathers were out in full force, and no one’s magic was dampened.

Though I scouted for a threat, none came up.

This was just a hell of a lot of people out for a Friday night.

“Festival.” Ali groaned. “I forgot.”

“What’s that?” Ana asked.

“The humans have a big culture festival in August. The city becomes a madhouse. About ten years ago, the supernaturals decided they should be partying just as hard. So now they hit the Grassmarket hard during festival time.”

Caro caught sight of the confused look on my face and grinned. “The Grassmarket is what this neighborhood is called. It’s the all-supernatural zone of Edinburgh. A powerful spell diverts humans from coming here.”

“Cool.” Slowly, I relaxed my fight stance and took in my surroundings.

The buildings were old and the street cobbled. To my left, a steep staircase led up through an alley, rising over a hundred feet.

“The Royal Mile is that way,” Ali said. “Human zone.” He leaned right and pointed up the main cobbled street. “The castle is there.”

I leaned out and looked, catching sight of a hulking castle sitting on a craggy cliff over two hundred feet tall. Suddenly, bagpipes blared through the air, coming from the castle.

It was freaking amazing. There was so much here. Nothing like Death Valley.

“Very Scottish,” Ana said.

“Wait till you have the Haggis.” Caro grinned.

“I’ll start with a drink.” I looked around. “Which way to the pub?”

“Right this way!” Caro darted out into the crowd of people and sailed along with them. I joined the masses, easily keeping sight of her platinum head.

She led us to a little pub called the Whisky and Warlock, ducking low to get in through the little door. I followed.

The interior was warm and welcoming. Little rooms branched out from the tiny entry, and we went left, heading into a room with a small bar and a low ceiling supported by beams that looked like tree trunks that had been painted black. A fire burned in the fireplace at the back, and supernaturals were crowded around little tables.

Despite the welcoming feel of the place, I kept my guard up.

Old habits died hard. For good reason, in this case.

The gleaming wooden bar was set up near the entrance. There was a trendy young woman at the counter filling pints and pouring Scotch.

I glanced at Ana. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“Yeah.”

I didn’t want to be impressed, but I was a country mouse at heart. A deadly country mouse, to be fair, but I’d spent most of my life in rural towns. The fact that this place was just a step away from the Protectorate’s home base was amazing.

“Come on, I’ve got the first round.” Caro led the way up to the bar.

I squeezed in next to her, leaning on the shining wooden surface and surveying my options. Golden bottles decorated the shelves behind the bartender. Lots of Scotch. But also a few colorful ones that called to me.

The bartender came over, wiping her hands on a white towel and smiling. “What’ll it be, Caro?”

“Hey, Sophie. Three pints of Tennent’s.” Caro looked at me and Ana. “You?”

“Something sweet?” An umbrella would be ideal, but this didn’t seem like the kind of place.

“A Pink Squirrel?” Sophie asked.

“Sounds perfect.” I had no idea what that was, but I loved me a sweet or fruity cocktail and the sillier the name, the better. So Pink Squirrel fit the bill.

“I’ll have a beer,” Ana said.

Sophie nodded and went to fill the orders.

Caro pulled her wallet from her pocket. I pulled out mine, but Caro laid a hand on my arm. “I’ve got this one.”

“No way,” I said. “We can pay our own way.”

At least for a few drinks. Literally down to what was in my wallet, basically. And maybe it was a bad idea to spend that money, but a tiny bit of fun for exactly one hour wouldn’t hurt.

“You get the next round. And just put it on your tab.”

“I have a tab?”

“Yeah, now that you work for the Protectorate. This is our place. Sophie runs a tab for each of us that is paid off automatically on payday.”

Our place. I liked the sound of that. The bars back in Death Valley Junction had been the territory of grouchy old men. This was way better.

“Nice system.” I accepted the Pink Squirrel with a smile. “Thanks.”

Caro introduced us to Sophie and told her to set up an account. I shared a glance with Ana.

This place might be pretty hard to leave, actually, if we survived Ricketts’s poison.

Caro led us toward the back of the pub, where several small tables were pushed into a line. A group was crowded around one side, leaving seats for the rest of us.

We sat, and Caro introduced us. Names flew too fast for me to keep up with, and people were from all different divisions. While some of the details went in one ear and out the other, it was a good time. The suspicious looks I’d been getting were being replaced with smiles.

After about thirty minutes, I leaned toward Caro. “So, does Cade ever come out?”

“Nah. He’s a loner, and too busy fighting in battles and all that.”

“Battles?”

“Yeah. God of war. He’ll travel the world, fighting on the side he thinks is right.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. He made a load of money as an elite mercenary early on, so now he works for the Protectorate and volunteers. For war. He has a nice apartment somewhere around here, but I’ve never snagged an invite.” Her gaze widened on something behind me. “Speak of the devil.”

I turned to look. Cade had just stepped inside the bar, his dark hair windswept and his thin sweater molding nicely over his muscles.

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.

His head turned toward us. Before we could make eye contact, I whipped my head back around to face my friends. Heat warmed my cheeks, which did not fit with my otherwise badass persona.

“Hmmm.” Caro’s eyebrows wiggled. “I wonder what he’s doing here.”

Ana’s eyes darted between Caro and me. “What? What’d I miss?”

“Well, Cade and Bree spent the day together. Fighting. Bonding while fighting. As one does.” Caro grinned widely. “And suddenly here he is! At the bar he never visits, to hang out with people he doesn’t like.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said.

“Would you get me another drink?” Caro asked.

Before I could answer, I felt my chair get shoved back. I flailed and nearly tipped over, righting myself at the last moment and realizing that Caro had pushed my stool out with her foot.

“Sneaky.” But I smiled at her. It was good to have another friend. It made me miss Rowan, but it was good.

Ana and Ali both gave eyebrow waggles. Haris caught sight of them, and though he didn’t seem to know what they were waggling about, he joined in, too.

Okay, the good would wear off quick if those three didn’t quit it.

I turned and went to the bar, sidling up next to Cade. His stormy scent twined around me, making my eyes flutter. I snapped them open.

Get it together.

This was the perfect opportunity to make it clear—to myself, mostly—that this was just professional. Any wayward hormones I had regarding this guy—this god—were to be ignored and avoided. I was going to prove it right now.

Cade looked down at me, his full lips picking up at the side. “I heard you were coming out. What can I get you?”

“Nothing, thanks,” I said. “I’m going back in thirty minutes. Need to be up bright and early tomorrow.”

“True enough.”

“Caro invited us. Said it’d be good to meet some people if we were going to stick around.”

“She’s right. It’s a good group of people.”

Deadly people. Their magical signatures had been intense. It really was an elite team.

Sophie came to get his order, and I passed Caro’s along as well. She didn’t even ask me for my name again—just set up a tab. I hoped the Protectorate would pay for it when I left, then felt a bit guilty immediately. I didn’t like to take things that weren’t mine. I’d have to sort this out somehow.

While we waited, I looked up at Cade. “So, I heard you don’t come here often.”

“There was incentive.” His voice was slightly rougher than normal.

“Like what?”

“I was thirsty.” The slight heat in his gaze suggested that he wasn’t thirsty for just whiskey.

Did he mean me?

I shivered, leaning closer to him. Then I pulled back, trying to be subtle about it. Because nope. I wasn’t going to touch that one with a ten-foot pole. Relationships had always made me uncomfortable—not to mention the pickings had been slim in Death Valley Junction. And we weren’t sticking around anyway.

I especially couldn’t get involved with someone as hot and powerful as Cade. It’d be too hard to keep my wits about me.

“Here you go!” Sophie’s voice broke the spell that had bound Cade and I together.

I stepped back, cheeks slightly flushed, and turned to her. “Thanks.” I grabbed the drinks and looked up at Cade. “Good to see you.”

Then I hightailed it out of there.

I delivered the drinks to my friends without looking back once.

“You blew that one,” Caro said.

“It went exactly how I wanted it to go.” I sipped my Pink Squirrel.

“Hmmm. Well if it were me, I’d have wanted it to end out back in the alley.”

Haris and Ali laughed. I choked on my Pink Squirrel.

“What? I know how to go for what I want,” Caro said.

“All right, Dirty Spice.” Ali patted her on the shoulder.

My jaw dropped. “Was that a Spice Girls joke?”

“What?” Ali asked. “Too dated?”

I held up my hand, thumb and forefinger pinched almost all the way together. “Just a little bit. But you do you.”

He saluted, grinning.

Cade had found a seat at another table across the room. Within a few minutes, a dangerous-looking dude joined him. A friend? So maybe he hadn’t come here to see me after all.

But every now and again, the side of my neck felt warm. Whenever I glanced over, he wasn’t looking at me, but I wasn’t convinced that he hadn’t been looking at me.

We spent the next twenty minutes drinking and chatting, and frankly, I really enjoyed it. Like, a lot.

Whatever happened from here on out, it was nice to have friends like this. A community. Too bad it wouldn’t last.