he didn’t believe me.
“Both of us,” I repeated. I tugged on him. “Come on. Let’s go.”
I stepped out from the little alley, looking up and down the street.
“Do you know where the Dark Necromancer lives?” he asked, referring to the person that the queen had said could give us the Aranthian Crystal.
“No idea. But I do have a friend here who might.”
“Lead the way.”
We started up the darkened street, following the slope to the top and then taking a right. It didn’t take me long to get my bearings since the whole place was quite small. We passed all sorts of shops that I’d frequented in the past—potions, ingredients, weapons, clothing—and a few that I hadn’t—shrunken heads, body parts, and torture devices.
As we walked, he raised his wrist to his lips, speaking into his comms charm. Now that we were on earth, the magic in the charm finally worked. Within seconds, he had Luna dispatched to Puck’s Glen to help with the search.
“Thank you.” It could only help to have other Fae looking for a Fae portal.
We continued up the street, moving swiftly. A few mages and shifters passed us, though none of them paid us any mind. A few moments later, we reached Madame Mystical’s Magical Mementos’ tall, ornate doorway.
“You have a friend called Madame Mystical?” Tarron asked.
“No. That was some aunt of hers or something. She is Melusine.”
I pushed open the door to the shop and stepped inside the hollowed-out, three-story space. Shelves soared all the way to the ceiling, each packed full of various strange and random magical objects. Their signatures filled the space, hundreds of different scents, tastes, sounds, and auras.
Glass cases filled the middle of the space, along with a few chairs, and colorful pixies floated near the ceiling. At the far end, Melusine bent over a desk, filling out a form with a quailed pen, cursing up a storm.
“Be with you in a moment,” she said, never once raising her head.
Brilliant green hair spilled down her back—a switch from the scarlet she’d worn the last time I was there. It matched her emerald leather jumpsuit that was as tight as a second skin. Silver stilettos completed the look.
I’d always liked Melusine’s style.
“I’m afraid I don’t have a ton of time, Melusine,” I said.
“Mordaca!” Shock sounded in Melusine’s voice as she raised her head. “You never come through the front door.” Her eyes met mine and they widened. “You also never look like that.” She hurried to us, her green eyes wide. “What happened to you?”
“I’m going to assume you don’t mean my attire?” She didn’t normally see me in fight wear, but it wasn’t that crazy.
“No.” She shook her head, stopping in front of us and looking us up and down. “You look…strange.”
“We’re not technically totally alive yet,” I said. “We’ve got our bodies, but the afterworld still has a hold on us. We need to find the Dark Necromancer to fix that.”
“You sure do. Because you look like you’re about to fade away.” She walked in a circle around us. “How long do you have?”
“Only an hour and a half or so.” I pointed to Tarron. “This is Tarron. Tarron, this is Melusine.”
They shook hands, and Melusine shivered. “You’re cold as ice.”
Shit, this was bad. The clock ticked, every second lowering the blade over our heads.
“Come on back,” Melusine said. “Let me make some calls. The Dark Necromancer moves her business frequently, and I’ve no idea where she is now.”
“Thank you.” I followed her through her shop. She led the way into the back room, which was where I normally entered. It was almost as high-ceilinged as the other space, with a dome at the top. Glittering lights hovered near the arches there.
An enormous mirror stood against one wall, and I grinned. I couldn’t have planned this better if I’d tried. “I’m going to pop home for a moment while you make your calls, all right?”
Tarron gave me a quizzical look. “Pop home?”
“Go ahead.” She grinned at me. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”
“Thanks.” I walked toward the mirror, glancing back over my shoulder at Tarron. “You coming?”
“Where?”
“My house, of course. I have a few things I need to pick up.”
“All right.” He looked at the mirror. “We’re using that?”
“We are indeed.” Years ago, Aeri and I had hooked this mirror up to Melusine’s shop. We used it to transport back and forth easily and without expending any magic.
I walked straight at the glass, stepping through as if it were a raised doorway.