“Perhaps.” She shrugged. “I don’t know what is happening inside your mind, but I suspect someone doesn’t want you to remember something. That is all I know.”
My jaw tightened, and I stood. “Thank you for your assistance.”
Carrow stood as well, shooting a confused glance between Genara and me. I reached into my pocket, withdrew a golden coin, and laid it on the table. Like many mages, Genara preferred to be paid in the old manner, and I kept a coin on me for such cases.
I turned, Carrow followed, and we wound our way between the tables and down the stairs. We passed through the main part of the coffee shop, and the witches in the book room smiled when they spotted her. They rose, hesitated as their gazes met mine, then sat back down.
Carrow hurried up next to me. “This is very bad, isn’t it?”
“It’s bad.” I stepped out onto the city street and drew in a fresh breath of air, working to calm my mind. The quiet of the garden beckoned, and I strode toward it, finding a spot in the middle that was far from any buildings or prying ears, before I turned to Carrow. “I’ve never been unable to access my memories before.”
She frowned up at me. “Whoever tore those pages out of the book didn’t want anyone to know what they did.”
“And I was the only person who would outlive them, so they had to erase whatever I knew.” Anger tightened my muscles. Having my mind manipulated was an invasion. It made me want to crush something. I clenched my fists, determined to remain outwardly calm. “Who the hell has fucked with my memory? Can you get that information with your gift? Not what Genara taught you, but your gift.”
“By touching you?” She frowned. “I can try, but my gift doesn’t work well on you. The only thing I’ve ever seen is information about us being Cursed Mates.”
“Try. Please.”
She nodded, raising a hand to grip my wrist. Her touch sent heat shooting through me, and I grounded myself with the feeling. Immediately, it calmed some of my helpless rage.
“You feel different,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“Not as angry.”
“I felt angry?”
She nodded. “Like, your aura. I couldn’t see it on you. You never show emotion like that. Cold as ice, like normal. But you had this…energy.”
“I’m fine now. Don’t worry.”
She scoffed. “Hell, I’d be angry, too, if someone messed with my mind.”
“I’ll find them.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. Her magic flowed through me, lighting me up like a bonfire. I shifted, trying to fight the pull that dragged me toward her. Drawing in a slow breath, I focused on my self-control.
Eventually, she opened her eyes and withdrew her hand. “I can’t get anything.” She scowled. “If I could go touch the wall again, maybe I could get more information from it.”
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s too dangerous. Whoever we’re dealing with was powerful enough to manipulate my mind. I don’t want you going up against them.”
“They might be dead. There’s no telling when this happened. Could be hundreds of years ago.”
“Could be. It’s still too dangerous.”
“I’m afraid that’s not your call to make.”
I resisted the growl that had no place in civilized conversation. “More’s the pity. We need to try to find another copy of the book. See what this bastard is hiding.”
“Seraphia said there aren’t any more copies in her library.”
“There could be another copy somewhere else. And if there is, I know someone who would know. Nevaeh Cross, a researcher at the X in Magic Side, Chicago.”
“Is that another magical town?”
“It’s Chicago’s version of Guild City, or the Grassmarket neighborhood in Edinburgh. Hidden from human eyes but visible to supernaturals.”
“Let’s go to her.”
“I’ll contact her and tell her what we’re looking for. It could take her a bit of time to find what we seek.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but her mobile buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket and silently read the text before meeting my gaze. “Looks like Eve is making some progress with Mac and Seraphia. They’re stable.”
“Go check on them.” The sun glowed orange behind her as it sank toward the horizon. “It’s nearly night. Get some rest. I’ll let you know when Ms. Cross has a lead.”
She nodded. “Be careful.”
The hint of concern in her voice warmed me, though I knew such weakness on my part was dangerous. “I will. I’ll update you no later than tomorrow morning.”
She nodded, then turned and left. I stared hungrily after her. Foolish, perhaps, but I couldn’t help myself.
6
Carrow
My mind spun with all that I’d learned as I headed through the winding passages of Guild City. Old cast-iron streetlamps flickered to life, throwing a golden glow on the shop windows that jostled with magic and life.
Bars were filling up—happy hour was a thing, even in the magical world—and cheerful supernaturals passed me in groups as they headed toward their usual haunts.
This was all still new to me. Normally, I’d spend time exploring as I walked, peering in shop windows and daydreaming about my life in Guild City, but my thoughts were on Mac and Seraphia.
I reached Eve’s place in record time, panting, my skin lightly dampened with sweat. I pushed open the door and stepped inside. The main shop was empty, but Eve’s voice echoed from the back room. “Who is it?”
“Carrow.”
“Come on back.”
I hurried through the shop, passing shelves of tiny vials and jars of potion. Eve relegated her dangerous potions to the back room, where she did a lot of her work.
It was chaos.
Every surface was covered with the tools of her trade: small cauldrons, knives, a mortar and pestle, along with jars and bowls of ingredients. The fae’s hair was bright pink. A few days ago, it had been purple and white. The raven that followed her everywhere sat high on a shelf, observing the situation below.
Mac and Seraphia stood nearby. They looked better than when I’d last seen them. Their color was back, and their eyes were brighter.
“How are you feeling?” I hurried toward them, carefully inspecting their faces for any signs of distress.
“Fine now.” Mac grinned to reassure me, and Seraphia mimicked her smile.
Worry and guilt streaked through me. Why were they cursed if I wasn’t?
“I don’t buy it.” I turned to Eve. “How are they?”
“Fine for the moment.” Concern flickered in her eyes. “I got a few clues from the cursed book, enough to make a potion to hold off the effects, but I wasn’t able to cure them.”
“Not yet,” Mac said. “You’ll figure it out.”
“Grey is looking for another copy,” I told them. “Maybe if we figure out what history was erased, we’ll learn more about the curse.”
Eve’s brows rose. “Grey, is it?”
I shrugged. I hadn’t yet confessed that I’d started calling him by his first name, but Eve didn’t stick on the question.