Origin of Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Protector #3)(41)

Within minutes, sweat dripped down my spine. Though the sun was inching toward the horizon, the late afternoon was still hot as Ares with his shirt off. My muscles ached and my breath came fast as we climbed.

Finally, after what felt like ages, we reached the summit. It was more of a ridge then a point, and we crested it.

“Damn.” Ares raked a hand through his hair.

I gazed out at more mountains. We were going to have to go up and down, up and down to reach the edge of the range. “Damn is right.”

“Hopefully Death Valley’s magic will fade out before the mountains do.” Ares started down the other side. I followed, hurrying to keep up.

Halfway down, he reached for my hand. “Let’s try again.”

It didn’t work, but fortunately, one ridge later, it finally did. The ether sucked me in, throwing me through space alongside Ares.

We stumbled out onto the main sidewalk in front of Ancient Magic. The cool winter air was a shocking change from the heat of Death Valley. The sun was setting behind the trees.

“Holy fates.” I shivered. “Let’s get out of the cold.”

My stomach grumbled as if it agreed.

“And let’s get you something to eat,” Ares said.

“Ha. You can’t say you’re not hungry, too.” We hadn’t eaten since earlier this morning.

As we hurried toward P&P, my dragon sense tugged me back toward my apartment and my trove. A visit sounded really good right about now, but we needed to eat and hand this potion recipe over to Connor.

As we made our way down the sidewalk, I kept my eyes peeled for any of Drakon’s minions. Though they couldn’t track me because of my mother’s bracelet, they knew I lived here.

Across the road, there was a flash of movement. I stiffened, calling upon my magic.

Ares touched my arm. “It’s okay.”

“There’s someone there.” I pointed to a large tree. A man leaned against the base, his body braced for battle.

“He’s one of mine.”

I glanced at Ares, confused. “A vampire?”

“I set several guards along the street. They’ve orders to wait for Drakon’s men to show and take a prisoner if possible.”

Though I appreciated the sentiment, I didn’t like the secrecy. “You didn’t think to mention this to me?”

“To be honest, it slipped my mind. Once you disappeared, that was all I could think about.”

I sighed. “Fine. But next time, tell me. That’s an important thing for me to know.”

“Agreed.” He gestured to the man who leaned against the tree.

The guy approached. As he neared, I realized that he was almost as big as Ares. Not many people could claim that.

“Got your best men on the job, huh?” I asked Ares.

“Of course.”

The man stopped in front of Ares. “Sir. Nothing to report.”

“Not a single demon or any of Drakon’s men?” Ares asked.

The man shook his head.

“I wonder if he’s distracted?” I said. “Otherwise, wouldn’t they wait for us here? He can’t track me as long as I wear my mother’s bracelet.”

“Distracted by what, though?” Ares asked.

“Can’t be good for us, whatever it is.”

“Definitely not good.” Ares turned back to the vampire. “Thank you for the report. You may return to your station.”

The vampire gave a sharp nod and turned, walking back to his post. We headed into the warmth of P&P. It was business as usual here, with a small crowd of weeknight regulars and music selected by Connor. The Grateful Dead, tonight. Connor’s shirt even matched the rainbow bear strutting across the black background.

The sight of Connor behind the counter and Claire slinging drinks while dressed in her mercenary wear made warmth fill my chest. Though I was still missing Ademius, it was good to see my friends.

Connor’s face brightened when he saw us. “You’re back!”

“Safe and sound,” I said.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Claire asked.

“I did.” I approached the counter and handed the paper off to Connor. “Do you think you could make that?”

He stared down at it, dark hair flopping over his forehead. “Yeah. It’ll take a little time to brew, but I could have it ready by tomorrow morning. Midday at the latest.”

“Thank you. You’re a hero.” My stomach growled loudly.

“Your stomach agrees.” Connor grinned. “Cheese quiche with a side of cheese scone?”

I slid onto a barstool, my hunger now clawing at my insides. “Definitely.”

“Now you’re really a hero,” Ares said.

Connor bowed. “I do what I can. You want the same?”

“Yes, thanks.”

Connor saluted and headed back into the kitchen. I touched my fingertips to the comms charm at my neck. “Del? Cass?”

“Are you all right?” Cass demanded.

“Fine. I’m fine.”

“Whew.” Del’s voice echoed from the charm. “Aidan told us more about Death Valley and we freaked.”

“You’re going to have to give us all the details,” Cass said. “Sounded rough.”