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.

go downstairs, I

***

in the middle of

entourage yet-follow me into the building, while two stay outside to make sure we don't receive

unexpected visitors.

making me feel like I've stepped into some gritty crime movie set. I glance at Kellan, his face

come with us?" I ask,

the metal and concrete.

"Someone needs to stay on Blackwood land while I'm away. Besides,

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200 Ava: Steve (1)

unsatisfied. "Who are

"You'll see soon enough."

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

aesthetic."

"Who's Steve?"

been helping

door that creaks open with an ominous groan. Kellan leads the way down a set of stairs without a

like a professional office, complete with fake

admit as we approach the

"No

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

roll out from

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

an appointment?" he asks, his voice high-pitched

serious.

his head. "No. I'm

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with a sneer. "I

bug under

Blackwood beta's daughter here?

jolts through me. How does

throat. "Ava is

me intently, his eyes narrowed, before

very end. Pausing with his hand on the knob, he turns to us with a warning look. "Stay quiet.

Okay. He's not Steve.

the hell

room. What kind of operation is

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

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

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

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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 Gras necklaces over a