Sin & Salvation (Demigod of San Francisco #3)(23)

Mordecai appeared behind her, his mouth a thin line and his eyes wary.

“You lost your charger too, didn’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured, and bowed a little. If he’d been a dog, his tail would be between his legs.

I hated that now I always compared his body language to that of a dog.

“Well?” I drew out the word dangerously while lifting one eyebrow. It had taken some time to learn that little trick, but it really came in handy.

Flustered, Mordecai stepped into the space between Daisy and the doorjamb, bumping her to the side. He paused, his wide eyes on me, unsure.

“Go find it!” I hollered.

Daisy jumped and turned, all hands and jerky movements. “Mordie, I have one. I have one over here.” She got him angled in the right direction before shoving his much larger body out of the way.

“You don’t always train together, Mordecai,” I boomed. “What if you’re supposed to be working on scent today, and Jack is somewhere waiting for you?”

“I have it,” Mordecai said, his voice panicked. “I have it. I’m plugging it in.”

Another knock sounded at the door. The fact that whoever it was had not yet left meant they A) knew someone was home, and B) had a lot of patience. That ruled out strangers, Zorn, and Bria.

I stalked down the hall as Mordecai called, “It’s charging.”

My knuckles were white around the door handle. I pulled it open.

Thane stood just off the steps to the walkway, giving me a ridiculous amount of space. His face held regret and his eyes an apology. Frank was nowhere to be seen. In fact, I hadn’t seen him since Bria had chased him off the night before. I wasn’t sure if I was thankful or a little sad that my annoying watchdog was gone.

“Hey,” Thane said. He dug his hands into his jeans pockets. Clearly he wasn’t training anyone today.

“Hey,” I said, pushing the door wider open. Memories of the day before flashed through my head. “Want to come in?” I was proud of my even voice.

He glanced beyond me before turning sideways and directing his gaze away. “Nah, that’s okay. Look—”

“Don’t apologize.” I stepped out onto the stoop, forcing down a swell of uncertainty. Now that I had a little distance from the situation, I felt for the guy. He couldn’t have scared me any worse than I’d scared him. I’d made the guy go berserk, for cripes sakes. The least I could do was put on my big girl undies and push through my uneasiness. He certainly was. “You have nothing to apologize for. If anyone should apologize, it should be Kieran for keeping everyone’s magic from me.”

He shrugged those big shoulders and looked at the ground. “He didn’t think you’d feel safe.”

No need to tell him Kieran had been right.

“I should’ve walked away when I felt myself nearing my threshold,” Thane went on. “I knew how close I was, but I didn’t back down. That’s unforgivable.”

“Ew,” I heard behind me.

I spun around and Daisy took a big step back and held up her hands like she was being mugged. I hadn’t even heard her approach. Zorn’s lessons were working.

“Bria was in charge,” Daisy said quickly. “None of that was Thane’s fault.”

“Training is postponed,” Mordecai yelled down the hall in triumph. “It’s postponed! We’re in the clear.” He jogged toward us. “Lexi, did you hear that? My training is postponed, too.”

Daisy studied me for a reaction.

“In the future, check in,” I said in a dangerous tone. “Do not wait for me to tell you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Mordecai said, and I marveled at his use of that term again. It was new and kind of nice. I felt in charge and important.

“Okay.”

The same lesson hadn’t rubbed off on Daisy.

When I finally turned back to Thane, I had his full attention. A small smile was hidden in his bushy beard.

“What?” I asked.

“Has Demigod Kieran heard you use that tone?”

I frowned. “My mom tone? I doubt it. It’s usually reserved for times when my wards”—I turned and raised my voice—“forget that they are no longer children.”

“I guess this is how Mordecai learned pack structure,” Thane said. “Jack couldn’t figure it out.”

“I don’t use this tone very often. It’s just that I’m right in the middle of trying to figure things out, and those lugnuts were lazing around, and you’re interrupting…” I took a deep breath. “What can I do for you, Thane? Besides not accept your apology?”

His smile grew. “For the record, a true leader rarely needs to use the tone, as you call it. Once you garner respect and loyalty, people aim to please. Demigod Kieran could write a book on it. He has very little employee turnover. You’re a natural, too. I wonder if he knows.”

Hearing Kieran’s name sent a little thrill through me, reminding me that I’d been feeling his roller-coaster emotions all morning. He went from aroused to anxious to fearful to excited, then back to aroused, on a constant loop. Add to that my interrupted study of the spirit world, my growing list of questions, and the incessant pounding in my core, and I was not a joy to be around.