“Adrianna!” Evalle called out.
Ten feet away, the deadliest witch Quinn knew of appeared out of nowhere in snug denims, a fitted red shirt with a collar, and her white-blond hair pulled back in an all-business look.
“I was right here,” Adrianna complained, shoving a phone she’d been tapping on into her back pocket. “Sorry, Quinn. I had us cloaked for her to get close enough to the Imortik. Then she wanted out to fight it. I was keeping an eye on the weather.”
Evalle stood with a smile in place below the special dark glasses she wore to protect her unnaturally bright eyes. “What’s up, Quinn?”
“I need to leave Atlanta for a bit. Daegan and Tristan were following a lead on their hunt for the grimoire. They were in County Galway, Ireland where they split up to follow different people. Tristan was captured. Daegan said the being Tristan followed had glamoured his identity and cloaked a conversation with the woman Daegan followed.”
As Quinn spoke, Evalle’s smile fell.
She had no poker face. When she worried about someone, her emotions rolled into action. “I’ll go, too.”
“Daegan knows that, but he needs you more here right now. We both do. I’d like you to take my place as Maistir while I’m gone.”
“Me?” She looked queasy.
“Yes, you. Why not?”
Adrianna also turned a frown on her. “Yes. Why not you?”
Evalle returned her dagger to its sheath at her hip and shoved scattered strands of hair off her face. She lifted her ball cap from where it had fallen on the ground and shoved it back in place. Her vintage short-sleeved khaki shirt known as BDU, or Battle Dress Uniform, had gone through a tough patrol tonight based on the claw marks. Dried bloody handprints decorated her black jeans and her boots always looked scuffed.
Blowing out a breath, she shrugged. “I guess so if I’m the only one you can find.”
Adrianna rolled her eyes.
Quinn gave a little shake of his head. “I can find plenty of Beladors. I suggested for you to take over, because you are the best choice as interim Maistir. Daegan agreed immediately with my suggestion. Is there a reason you can’t do this?”
“Of course not.” She narrowed her eyes at his insult.
He smiled. “Glad you agree with us.”
Covering her mouth with a delicate hand, Adrianna snorted. Of course, she also used that hand to wield Witchlock, a power that could wipe out a city with little effort. She taunted, “Wait until Storm finds out he’s sleeping with the North American Belador Maistir.”
Quinn smiled in spite of wanting to finish here and move on.
“Okay, okay. Very funny, you two.” At the sound of a noise, Evalle looked around the run-down area she used to travel through to reach her apartment beneath one of the crumbling buildings.
Just a homeless man digging through a garbage can.
Quinn had offered her nicer accommodations time and again, but it had taken her mating with Storm to abandon the basement home she’d preferred for her pet gargoyle.
Now she and Storm had refurbished a four-story building closer to the center of the city and Feenix had a floor to himself.
Quinn checked his phone. Still no return call from Reese. His gut always defaulted to her being injured. Not a realistic reaction unless the woman you cared deeply for was nonhuman and a living demon magnet, as was his case.
Patience. That was key with her.
She never called just to say hello.
One of her less endearing traits, but he could live with that if she’d just answer the damn phone sometimes. “Now that I’ve got you set, I need to find Reese.”
He’d turned to leave when Evalle blurted out, “Is anything up with her and Phoedra?”
Evalle thought of Quinn as family, which meant in turn, she treated Phoedra and Reese as family. She would step in to protect them with her life if she thought they needed her.
He paused, angling back around to assure her, “No, but thank you for asking. Daegan thinks Reese can help him find Tristan.” Tossing a look in Adrianna’s direction, Quinn added, “I’m exceptionally pleased you are working with Evalle, Adrianna.”
“Happy to do it.” Adrianna seemed amused at the interplay between Quinn and Evalle. Someone might confuse her with being relaxed, but her instincts had only gotten sharper with Witchlock.
Then he gave Evalle his no-bullshit voice. “But before I go, Evalle, I want your word you’ll have backup every single time you are outside your building from here on.”
“Don’t hover, Quinn.” Evalle lifted her eyebrows in a defiant motion. She’d fought hard for her independence and relinquished not an inch without a battle.
“I’m not hovering,” he snapped. “I’m telling you what I do as Maistir. If I put myself at risk with no backup, then I put all our people in jeopardy if I am taken down during an unexpected attack.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “I’m not used to thinking that way.”
“You should be,” he admonished. “You have Storm, Feenix, and many others who depend upon you. It’s sort of like being Maistir of your family.”
“I know you’re right,” Evalle admitted. “I’m just anxious to get Renata and the others back. I’m worried about Devon and that stupid deadline the Tribunal set. Now Daegan has to find Tristan.” Her lips flattened in a hard line. She dropped her hand to the hilt of her dagger, gripping the weapon then flexing her fingers with frustration. “What are we going to do if Daegan isn’t back by Wednesday’s deadline? The Tribunal will kill Devon.”
“We will not allow that to happen. The sooner I grab Reese and head out, the sooner I can be back to deal with the Tribunal if Daegan can’t.”
“Got it.” Evalle stepped up and gave Quinn a hug, whispering close to his ear. “Fix the problem between you and Reese while you’re together, okay? She looks sad even when she tries to hide it.”
Quinn swallowed his own lump of sadness, disappointed with himself for having not figured out what was
