Chapter 14

That morning, Asire and I brushed our teeth together again before heading downstairs. We met up with Reggie, who was deliberately making a lot of noise because Henrik was hung over. The big man didn’t get angry, though. He only glared at her, and then went back to sipping his coffee and contemplating a pack of pills.

Reggie stood at the dining room table, with a stack of folders in front of her. She was talking and throwing the folders down to make as much noise as possible. “We’re,” slam, “Just waiting for Billy,” slam, “to come down so we can start looking,” slam, “For Millie again.” Slam.

Everyone but Billy and Regory were down already, and they watched this with a mix of amusement and disbelief. Why was this woman going through all this trouble just to make him regret a hangover? Everyone regrets a hangover. It’s the nature of said hangover.

Henrik glared at her again, while popping four pills into his mouth and swallowing with a gulp of coffee. “You’re insane,” he said. “And rude.”

Slam.

“What’s with all the folders, Reggie?” Asire asked, taking a seat next to the glowering Henrik.

I sat on her other side.

“I brought them home from work,” she explained. “It’s just some portfolios I’m supposed to look at. Too many artists, too little time…” she sighed. Before slamming a folder down right next to Henrik.

He sighed.

Reggie smiled and then looked at Asire. “Oh, you didn’t get any sleep last night, did you?” she asked, sounding sympathetic for once.

“Nope,” Asire said on a shrug.

“I didn’t either.” Reggie smiled and winked.

“Thanks for letting me know that…” Asire said dryly.

Before Reggie could retort, Dovie walked in, wearing a skirt she couldn’t bend down in and a tank top that she shouldn’t bend down in. Dovie smiled grandly at us all, but greeted Asire, only. “Hello Gorgeous,” she sang, with a smile on her face. Then she, and I was pretty sure it was meant to be coy, took a sip off her coffee, to cover the bottom of her face, but keep her eyes revealed.

Unfortunately, the coffee was really hot and she sputtered after burning her tongue.

Reggie patted her on the shoulder and said, “Aw. Poor Dovie. If it makes you feel better, flirting with Asire is like flirting with a cardboard cutout. Ya get nothing out of it. She’s not interested.”

“Doesn’t stop you from trying,” Asire said.

“And nothing ever will,” Reggie said on a grin. “Now, since you didn’t sleep, I’m gonna get you some coffee.” She sauntered from the room. Despite all of Reggie’s innuendos and outright come-ons, there was no way she’d sleep with Asire. I knew she wasn’t attracted to her that way.

We get our sense of smell from vampires and werewolves.

I’d know if she was attracted to her in that way.

“Hmm,” Dovie said, taking Reggie’s seat. Her eyes raked down my body with curiosity. “I found it interesting that Asire didn’t sleep. Because you look like you didn’t either, Loki.” Her red eyebrows rose up her forehead. “Care to explain what the two of you were doing?”

Asire lowered her head. “They aren’t the same… Yet, I can’t help but think I have to deal with two Reggie’s now.”

I laughed.

“Which means you get two Dovie’s.”

I grimaced.

“Watch it, Loki,” Dovie warned. “We’ve been best friends our whole lives. Don’t want me to start with the embarrassing secrets.”

“I got dirt on you too,” I informed her. “Bring it on.”

She opened her mouth to do just that, but Reggie appeared, carrying coffee, which she placed in front of Asire. “As much as I love watching you guys go at it, I do believe Billy’s on her way down.”

Heedless of burning her tongue, Asire drained half the coffee in one go.

Billy and Regory came down the stairs. Billy’s eyes were still that bright, bright almost white. She was jittery as well, and kept grabbing onto Regory and letting go. Like she wanted to drag him around with her, but changed her mind. Regory, for his part, stood stoically while she did this.

“Can we do this, now?” Billy asked.

“Yep,” Asire said, grabbed Ella’s phone from the table. She looked up in surprise, but didn’t say anything. Her eyes were still that sad, red rimmed haze. Like she was here, but she was far, far away at the same time. Her mate kept rubbing her shoulder and whispering reassurances.

Asire flipped through the phone until she found the same picture from the day before. She handed it over to Billy. Everyone stood up, preparing to leave as soon as Billy found the signature.

Billy held her hand out in the air and took a deep breath. I felt her power rise around her and I felt her energy slide through the room. All warm and static filled. My senses felt along the edges and I knew instinctively what to do to break the magic apart, but I held it back with little effort.

Billy’s power level rose again and I watched her eyes dim a little. Going from almost white, to ice blue. Then her hand clenched and she smiled. “Got her, again. Let’s get go—” She cut herself off. Her brow wrinkled and her blue eyes narrowed. “Something’s… wrong,” she gritted out.

Then I felt it.

A foreign power slipped in through Billy. I felt it strangling around her, constricting around her power until I couldn’t tell the two apart. Until I couldn’t block it without hurting Billy. I said as much, quickly.

Wynn launched to his feet and held his hands out and I felt his magic slide through the air, probing at our tracker.

Billy’s fisted hand was clenched tight and her jaw was cranked down. Regory had both his hands on her shoulders and whispered to her, “You got this. Just hold onto it for a moment longer. Wynn will fix it. Don’t worry. Keep going.”

Asire was next to Regory, her brow furrowed in confusion and concern. She was as helpless as the rest of us. Everyone was moving, talking, but we couldn’t do anything. And I didn’t like how useless I had become in less than a second. I couldn’t let her get hurt. I couldn’t let this child go missing, again.

Billy’s fist started to shake.

“Oh, god,” Asire said. “Look at her eyes.”

I did.

Billy’s eyes were rapidly darkening. I could sense the energy she poured into keeping hold of that signature, but she was losing the battle. Her teeth were clenched tight and her fist tighter, but she couldn’t…hold it.

“I don’t know what’s happening,” Wynn finally said.

“Billy,” Asire said. “Let it go.” At this point her cousin’s eyes were ocean blue and only getting darker.

“I can’t,” Billy said. “I won’t find it again.”

Midnight blue.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,” Asire said.

“Don’t lose my baby!” Ella screamed.

Almost black.

“Billy,” I said. “We’ll find her some other way. Drop the link.”

Her fist unclenched and all the power washed out of the room like it was slowly circling the drain. “I’m sorry,” she said, looking at Ella. “I tried, but I couldn’t hold it. I’m so sorry.”

Ella screamed and started yelling obscenities at Billy. Reggie and her mate grabbed hold of her and started hauling her out of the room, leaving Henrik, Asire and my Family behind.

“What do we do now?” Henrik asked, looking distraught.

“I don’t know,” Asire said.