Tangled

Unshift 200

Unshift 200

200 Ava: Steve (1)

The phone rings.

And rings.

All I get is voicemail, three different times.

Knowing that Lucas is busy with the Council, I just send a quick

text for him to call me back when he can.

A knock on my door interrupts us, and Jericho pokes his head in with his typical scowling face. "All good in here?"

"Good," I confirm, as Selene rubs her nose against the ground.

The older shifter watches her as he closes the door behind him.

"What's wrong with that?"

The way he emphasizes the 'that'has Selene freezing

mid-movement, her lip curling above her teeth in a silent snarl.

Did he just call me-?!

"She is fine. Just sniffed the book and got a little too much magic in

her nose."

That grizzly head nods, like it's a normal occurrence. "Every pup has to learn sometime, I guess." After seeing the blank stare on.my face, he says, "It isn't unusual to run into the occasional magical artifact. Witches magicked just about everything they put their hands on. One fellow even found a pair of magic underwear."

I stare at Jericho, my mouth hanging open. Magic underwear? Seriously?

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200 Ava: Steve (1)

He just shrugs, completely unfazed. "Witches are an odd breed."

Shaking his head, he changes the subject. "Your Mrs. Elkins is having breakfast downstairs. Care to join her?"

My heart leaps. "Yes, absolutely! Eager to talk to her, to ask her more about this book, about magic, about everything, I almost fall back into an old routine.

Secrets.

Tell him, Selene murmurs.

we go downstairs, I had

***

a strange building in the middle

biggest entourage yet-follow me into the building, while two stay outside to

unexpected visitors.

as we walk through the dimly lit warehouse. Shadows loom in every corner, making me feel like I've stepped into some gritty crime movie set. I glance at Kellan, his face an

couldn't Jericho come with us?" I ask, my

the metal and concrete.

to stay on Blackwood land while I'm away. Besides, Jericho's a lot less tech

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200 Ava: Steve (1)

frown, unsatisfied. "Who

"You'll see soon enough."

mutter under my breath about the building belonging in a movie, and Kellan actually

aesthetic."

"Who's Steve?"

been helping us

an ominous groan. Kellan leads the

professional office, complete with fake plants, paintings on the walls, and several

admit as we approach

nods. "No one ever

young boy dressed in a suit and tie pops out from beneath the desk, startling me. He can't be more than ten years old. As he climbs onto the chair, my heart drops to

to roll

he stands on the seat and stares at us over the counter

appointment?" he

serious.

head. "No. I'm Kellan Ashbourne, and this

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off with a

bug

Blackwood beta's daughter here?

through me. How does

his throat. "Ava is

aback. He studies me intently, his eyes narrowed, before grunting and waving us

a long carpeted hallway to a door at the very end. Pausing with his hand on the knob, he turns to us with a warning

Okay. He's not Steve.

who the hell is this

ever as we step into the room. What kind of operation is this? And

my mind, grumpy and petulant. She's still upset about being left behind, but Kellan was very firm about

with a large wooden desk dominating the space. Bookshelves line the walls, filled with anything but books. Instead, there are action figures

way around it. This isn't a woman, or

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200 Ava Stove:!!)

woman.

hair on the other side of it. She has what looks like a cartoon pony temporary tattoo on her cheek, and Mardi