Magic Misled (Lizzie Grace #7) - Keri Arthur Page 0,48

and slim of hip, the other man smaller and built like a weightlifter or boxer.

“Well, this wasn’t a random act of thievery, then,” I commented. “They were fully prepared.”

“What surprises me is that they didn’t get in,” Harry commented. “They should have, given the mess they made of the door.”

“Watch,” I said, amused.

The passenger kicked at the left edge of the door to widen the gap and then pushed through. There was an immediate spark of light, followed by a bright flare of red that punched him in the chest and threw him backward. He landed on his rump several feet away, close to the truck’s rear.

Harry’s gaze snapped to mine. “You’ve protected the place with magic?”

“Of course we have. Which reminds me, you’ll need to contact us before the door is replaced. We made an exception in the spells for you, but we’ll have to disengage them for the installer.”

“You should have told me.”

“Why? It’s not like you can’t get in there if necessary.”

“But you just said—”

“Pay attention, Harry,” Mac said. “She just said she made an exception for you and that means—unless I’m very much mistaken—that you can come and go as you want.”

“Though not, as we’ve noted before, into the inner unit. Nothing and no one is getting in that. Not fire, not flood, not even a bug.”

“I still think—”

“We’ve signed your waiver, Harry,” I said. “So you’ve nothing to worry about in regard to the inner unit.”

“With that sorted out, can we now get back to the image on the screen.” Mac’s gaze met mine. “I know both men are concealed, but is their build or the way they move familiar? Do you recognize the truck?”

I shook my head. “Sorry.”

“Always a long shot. Harry, I’ll need that tape.”

As he set about making a copy, I said, “Mac, you’ll keep us updated on progress?”

A smile touched his lips. “I daresay the boss will if I don’t.”

Or tell me off for not informing him of the problem earlier, I thought, amused. I touched Harry’s shoulder lightly. “Don’t forget to contact us when the replacement door arrives.”

He grunted, his concentration more on what he was doing. I bid them both good night, then left. Aiden still wasn’t home by the time I arrived, so I made myself a toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich, poured a whiskey, and then settled down to read the books I’d taken from the storage unit earlier.

By the time Aiden’s truck pulled in beside my car, I’d consumed another whiskey and had flagged two possible supernatural entities. While Samuel had said we were dealing with something that held a degree of humanity, it didn’t totally discount the supernatural angle—especially since this woman was using dark magic. There were plenty of nasty entities out there capable of changing their appearance—and even the output of their life force—as necessary.

I glanced around as Aiden stepped through the door. Weariness haunted his expression and scent—my senses were definitely sharpening, and I couldn’t help but wonder what else was changing. Katie might have said I would never become a full werewolf—and I did believe that, as not even the wild magic could make that sort of deep-level DNA change—but it was also fact that not even she could predict just how deep the alterations would go. Was it possible that I could become wolf in all ways except the ability to change?

Part of me hoped so. The other, more realistic, part was more inclined to think that holding such hopes would inevitably lead to heartache.

I snapped the book closed and put it on the table. “You’re late. Was there another problem?”

“No, just the same one—John being ornery.” He kissed the top of my head. “Would you like a coffee? Or a hot chocolate?”

“I never say no to chocolate. I thought you’d realize that by now, Ranger.”

He laughed. “It’s fairly late—I’d actually expected to find you in bed.”

“I was reading up on supernatural nasties.” I glanced across at the glowing blue numbers on the Blu-ray player and saw it was close to midnight. “If I’d realized it was so damn late, I would have been.”

He flicked on the kettle, then made my chocolate and heated it up in the microwave. “Did you find anything in the book?”

“One likely and one remote possibility.”

Once he’d made his coffee, he picked up both cups and walked over. “So, what is the likely?”

I quickly described the Tiyanak—which, according to one of the legends, was a dwarf-like being with one leg shorter than the other and knife-like claws