Two days later…

“So what’s it like?” Emily asked, grabbing another cookie off the plate on the bookstore counter.

“Not having a soul?” Nicole said. “You mean besides sucking?”

Emily nodded. “Sure, besides that.”

“Weird,” Nicole admitted. “It was like being in two places at once, but at the same time not being in either. You experience everything happening around you, but nothing matters.”

“So, it’s like being a robot?”

“I guess,” Nicole said. “But less like a cool Terminator style robot, and more like a Roomba that’s capable of feeling pain.”

“Yeah.” Emily paused between bites of her cookie. “That does sound like it sucks.”

“I don’t recommend it.”

Emily’s gaze took a turn for the serious as she chewed. “But even after all that, you’re sure you still want to hang around a jinni.”

“Positive.”

Nicole had never been more sure of anything in her life. Her relationship with Shay brought a level of joy into her life that she’d never known before. He might be dark and serious—not to mention more than a little dangerous—but she loved him just the way he was.

Just like he loved her.

Emily sighed and reached for another cookie. “So, nothing I can say will talk you out of staying with him?”

Nicole laughed, one loud enough to echo off the walls of the bookstore. Mr. Sands, one of the shop’s dour-faced regulars, poked his head out of one of the aisles of bookcases to shoot her a glare.

“You doing all right back there?” Nicole asked even though she knew exactly what his problem was.

But if the man was expecting an apology, he was bound for disappointment. This was Starling Books. Her family’s store. Not a library. She hadn’t risked her life for this place just so other people could tell her what she needed to do with it.

“When is your father coming back?” Mr. Sands asked.

“In about a week.”

They’d spoken on the phone a day ago. Well, they didn’t speak so much as blubbered, making sure that everyone was okay, and no longer being hunted by fae soldiers.

A moment later, the bell hanging over the door chimed. Nicole turned her attention and smile that way as three men walked in—Shay, Fenrir, and Merlin.

Mr. Sands took one look at the imposing group and harrumphed loudly.

“Perhaps I should wait and come back when he does.” He slid the book in his hand back onto the shelf.

Nicole had to choke back her laughter as the poor man made sure to stay close to the wall and far from the exiles as he made his way out of the store.

“Maybe we should be the ones to go,” Emily said. “I hate to think of you losing customers because of these guys.”

“Nice try,” Nicole said. “But Mr. Sands doesn’t count as a customer. He’s been coming in here for years, but he’s never bought anything.”

“Is Emily still trying to get rid of me?” Shay asked with a wink as he stepped behind the counter.

“Just trying to look out for the safety and well-being of my friend,” she said.

“And why wouldn’t she be safe with Shay?” Fenrir asked, moving in close to Emily’s side. “You know firsthand what it means to be protected by an exile.”

Emily rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. “Yeah, that’s why I’m worried for her.”

“Of course, we could all be safer if she were to allow one of us to access the magic in that grimoire of hers,” Merlin said.

“No,” she and Shay answered simultaneously.

“I told you this conversation was over.” Shay glowered at the magician.

Merlin didn’t seem to care. “And I was hoping that your better half would be the one to see reason.”

“It’s not going to happen, Geoffrey,” Nicole said.

He grabbed a cookie and went on as if he hadn’t heard her. “If we had access to even a fraction of the grimoire’s power, we could shatter Oberon’s curse and be home in a matter of minutes.”

“And I’d be dead,” she said. “It’s a tempting offer, but I’m going to pass.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Geoffrey Merlin said, looking down innocently at the cookie he was turning over and over in his fingers. “I would be there to draw all the magic out of you again.”

Nicole pressed her lips together tight. Of course. That’s what he wanted. More power. She should have known.

“I think you still have plenty of magic leftover from last time.”

“See, Geoffrey,” Shay said, looking down at her with pride. “She did see reason after all.”

Merlin grumbled something to himself before taking a bite of the cookie. He had just swallowed when a brilliant flash of light lit up the inside of the store.

Then another.

And another.

For half a second everyone froze, waiting to see what otherworldly disaster was about to pop into existence inside the store…but nothing did.

Because this time the light wasn’t coming from some magical source. It was coming from a camera.

“Somebody’s taking pictures,” Nicole said.

She jutted out her arm and pointed at a woman standing on the other side of the front window. The woman was dressed all in black—shirt, pants, hoodie pulled up high to obscure her face. Nicole couldn’t make out any of her features. Not that she had that long to try.

The moment the woman saw her pointing, she took off running like hell down the street.

Nicole frowned and turned to Shay. “What do you think that was about?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “All I could sense was that she’s afraid we’ll find out.”

Merlin slipped another cookie into his jacket pocket. “Then I suppose that’s exactly what we should do. Anyone care to join me?”

“Oh hell, no.” Emily said. “I’m done with my adventure quota for the month. I’m going home before anything else bad can happen.”

“Fenrir?”

The wolf shook his head. “I go where she goes.”

“I won’t bother asking you two,” Merlin said glancing over at Nicole and Shay. “Then I suppose I’m on my own for this one.”

They all watched as he turned on his heel and headed out the door in a flash. Emily and Fenrir followed behind him at a far more leisurely pace.

“Once we’re home we can finish that conversation about why you’re so uncomfortable with se—” Fenrir started.

“No,” Emily cut him off as they walked out into the street. “We won’t. We will never have that conversation.”

Nicole waited until the door closed behind them before she started to laugh.

“Have they always been this way?” she asked Shay.

“No,” he said. “They used to be much worse. The wolf has a way of growing on people.”

Nicole chuckled. “And Emily has a way of digging in her heels.”

“Reminds me of someone else I know.” Shay stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He nuzzled his face against her cheek. “It’s getting late.”

Nicole’s cheeks warmed at the low, suggestive rumble of his voice against her ear.

“Almost time to close up shop,” she said.

“That’s true.” He pulled her in closer, until her back was flush with his chest, his strength and warmth surrounding her. “And how would you like to spend your evening, Miss Starling?”

“How else? Playing games.”

“Another one with twenty-sided dice?”

“Of course,” she said. “Is there any other kind?”

One of his hands dipped lower. Suddenly, Nicole was glad she was behind a counter tall enough to shield her from the waist down.

“Oh, there are plenty of games I could teach you, my love,” he whispered. “More than you could ever imagine.”

She turned around in his arms. “Let me keep the dice, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

He bent his head down and pressed his lips against hers.

“How could I refuse you?” he said.

Nicole smiled. “You can’t.”

“You’re right,” Shay answered. “And I never will.”