Dark Secrets - Linsey Hall Page 0,24

here. We definitely want to avoid their goons. They don’t like me any more than they like you, and Carrow is an outsider, so she won’t be welcome either. But I can get us in by boat once it’s dark.”

“By boat?” I asked.

“The Dockside Den occupies the area around the old freighter docks, which the thugs now use for whatever they want to smuggle. The Great Lakes reach the sea, you know.”

I nodded, finally starting to get a more complete picture of Magic Side.

Neve finished her sandwich, leaving a bit of crust on her plate. “Ready to go find a boat?”

I ate the last bite of mine and stood. Grey joined us, laying a stack of bills on the table.

“It was on the house,” Neve said. “Diana sometimes feels bad for me because of how hard I work and throws me a bone.”

“Then it will be a tip.” Grey turned toward the door.

I shrugged and followed him. The gesture didn’t surprise me. He wasn’t the type to owe anyone.

But I definitely owed him.

It took Neve the rest of the afternoon to rustle up transportation, a sleek wooden speedboat we rented off an older gentleman at the local yacht club. It cost Grey a pretty penny. By the time we were ready to depart, the sun was sinking behind the horizon. Waves gently rocked the vessel as we climbed on board.

Neve took the wheel.

From the dock, the owner scowled at us. “Be careful with her,” he said.

She saluted. “You can count on me.”

He grumbled and turned away, as if he couldn’t bear to look.

“Can he count on you?” I asked.

Neve shrugged. “I’m not bad with driving. It’s the docking that’s hard.”

The old man groaned. “Just bring her in slow.”

“Will do, Cap.” Neve pulled away from the dock and looked at the dim sky. “This timing should work well enough. The moon won’t rise until a bit later, so we should have some good darkness.”

Grey stood on the other side of the boat, staring out at the lake ahead. The cool breeze swept his hair back. He looked like a movie star headed to the Venice Film Festival. I’d always liked looking at those pictures in magazines—images of far-off travel I’d never get to do.

Now I was in America, and I’d been in Romania before that. My life had taken an adventurous turn.

The breeze was cool as the boat sped over small waves. Neve directed us toward the Dockside Den, looking like an expert at the wheel.

As twilight faded, I stared out at the city. It rose tall from the shore, shining skyscrapers reaching for the sky. Lights gleamed in the windows, more and more flicking on as the hour grew later.

“It’s beautiful.” I said.

Neve nodded. “Yes, at night. And some parts during the day. This is your first time in Magic Side?”

“Yep. It’s quite different to Guild City. The people are so open with their magic. I mean, I saw a blood sorceress striding down the street. Magic radiated off her. It was clear as day what she was. You could never be openly…powerful…like that in Guild City.”

Neve shrugged. “Never been there. Heard stories, though. It doesn’t make sense to me. This is a magical city. We’re a magical people—it’s literally who we are. Why hide our powers?”

“Except you do.” The words were out of my mouth before I had time to think. Neve’s jaw tightened, and I instantly regretted it.

She was silent a moment, then she spoke, not making eye contact. “It works for me.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

There was a long, awkward silence. Grey was far enough away that the wind drowned out our conversation.

“I’m still mastering my powers.” I was trying to offer up something, but that didn’t get any result, either. She had locked up. I continued anyway, trying to smooth the moment over. “Sometimes I just sense things. About people. Objects. I wanted to join the police, be a full detective. It didn’t work out. Maybe it would have been better for me here.”

Neve gave me a sympathetic look and shrugged. “This place has its own pitfalls. I’ve been trying to make investigator for years. Haven’t managed it yet. It sounds like you have some interesting talents for it.”

“None that have helped me in Guild City. I didn’t have a lot of options, so I kinda had to strike out on my own—start my own detective agency.”

Neve gaped. “That’s amazing. Your own agency! I’m jealous. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be