“Kit-what?” Danny asked, looking confused.
I grabbed Danny’s wet sleeve and began to lead him off the bridge. “Kitsune. He’s part Japanese fox,” I told him. “Like I said, we have a lot to fill you in on. You’re going to have to be patient.”
Danny met my gaze, and I registered the pain and loss in his eyes. “Patience is not my strongest virtue, Jessica.”
I tightened my grip on him. “I know. You’re worried about your mate, which is totally understandable. But we’re going to find her. My guess is she’s staying strong for Jax. I can only assume Enid put them together for a reason. The Hag must not have wanted Jax to be alone. Either he’s too innocent or too strong. Either way, they’re together.” Maybe Enid had some redeeming qualities after all. I hadn’t had a chance to tell the group about our encounter in the piling, but I was hopeful she let me go because she wanted to give me a chance. “And, just so you know, I’m prepared to swap my life for theirs, if that’s what it takes.”
Danny looked both horrified and relieved. He shook his head. “It won’t come to that, I’m certain.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked.
“Because after Naomi and I…consummated our bond,” he said, trying hard to not be his normal, Danny self and reveal too much, which I appreciated, “our internal connection sprang to life. I’ve been calling to her since you told me she was gone.” He grinned. “I’m finally getting something back.”
14
“Just try relaxing,” I coaxed. “It could take some time to establish a connection.” We were walking along the Arno, moving toward the meeting point with the driver. Danny had just lost the tenuous connection he’d established with Naomi.
“I’m telling you she’s gone,” Danny said, fear and anger ringing in his voice. “It was there one moment, gone the next. Like a plug had been pulled from the socket. Enid has to be controlling this. And she’s taunting me. That blasted Hag!”
I rubbed his shoulder. “It’s been five minutes,” I consoled. “Enid might be moving her. We don’t know what’s going on. Take a break and try again in a little while.”
Before he could respond, Marcy let out a shriek from behind.
My head whipped around, my fists automatically going up. “What? What is it?”
Marcy gestured wildly toward a crowd to her right. “I just saw that witch from Tally’s coven! The haughty one. Oh, dang it, what’s her name? Exotic-looking and a total nasty-pants. Ceres, the Goddess of Fertility, is her sister. I think she was the one who made you get on that joke of a scooter and ride into the lake.”
“Angie?” I asked, darting a glance at Rourke. “If it’s her, we need to find her.” This was big. I addressed the group. “Rourke and I will go after her. Tell Ray to take the sky when he gets here.”
“I’m going with you,” Marcy insisted. “She’s a powerful witch. If we try to capture her, we’re going to need my spells. There’s no way you’re taking her otherwise.”
“If Marcy goes, I go,” James said.
“Okay, fine.” I couldn’t argue with sound logic. “The rest of you head back to the Compound. We’ll find our way back when we’re done.” Tyler looked like he was getting ready to argue, and I held up my hand. “You’re wasting time debating this. There’s no way we can all go, we’ll attract too much attention. Head back to the Compound, get Danny some fresh clothes, keep an eye on Julian, and wait for Dad. We won’t be long. We’ll either find her quickly, or we won’t.”
Tyler nodded once. “We’ll see you back there.”
Rourke was already halfway down the street, and I hurried to catch up, careful not to run too quickly. We had to blend in with the humans around us. Marcy and James had gone down to the next block over. We were tracking the witch’s scent and would meet in the middle. Once I was shoulder to shoulder with my mate, I asked, “Sense anything?”
I received a growl in response. “I never forget a signature. And hers is all over here. There’s so much of it, my guess is she is staying somewhere close by. When I find her, she’s going to be sorry she ever met me.”
“Easy there, big fella,” I told him, grabbing his hand. “You’re not going to be able to tear her head from her shoulders today. Plus, we’re going to need her for questioning. If she’s here, alive and well, it has to have something to do with Ceres, which, in turn, has something to do with Tally. It’s a lucky break Marcy spotted her.”
When we’d first met Angie, she’d tricked us into going out under heavy sorcerer fire on a moped that wasn’t spelled, putting both our lives in danger. And, in general, she was a royal pain in the ass. We’d almost died. Rourke had vowed that if he ever set eyes on her again, he’d kill her.
“Her being here doesn’t surprise me in the least,” Rourke said, his emerald irises flashing, his predator side at the forefront. “If she’s dumb enough to stay in this city, we’ll find her. I can’t guarantee I’m going to be magnanimous when I do, but I’ll allow you to question her before I end her life.” As much as I disliked Angie—and I did wholeheartedly—I was from a different era than Rourke. Settling our differences with death wasn’t my first choice. But I was going to reserve judgment until we found out what Angie had to say.
Rourke wouldn’t kill her unless we agreed, no matter how angry he was.
We followed her scent trail for a few more blocks, turning right, coming face-to-face with Marcy and James. “Pick up on anything new?” I asked Marcy.
“No,” she groused. “Nothing concrete. My nose is not as good as yours, but she’s left a magic signature around this neighborhood. When a witch casts spells, they leave a residue, especially if the witch who is casting doesn’t give a crap who finds her trail. As a child, you learn to clean up after yourself. But I guess I’m thankful she’s a sloppy amateur. Her signature is particular, too, which is why I remembered it. It tastes like onions and Pop-Tarts.” I made a face. “Yup, it’s as unappealing as it sounds.”
Rourke stalked across the next street, his nose in the air. “Her scent ends here.” We all looked up, scanning the buildings.
In the next instant, Ray was beside me. “Errant witch on the loose, I heard?”
“That’s correct,” I answered, proud of myself for not startling. “A particularly scheming one too. She’s the one who led Rourke and me astray when we were trying to escape the Coven when the sorcerers attacked. She is Ceres’s little sister.”