The Magic of Discovery: Emerald Lakes Book One

by Britt Andrews

  “Permission to speak, sir?” Cam asked.

  Larson nodded once in encouragement.

  “Forgive me, sir, but is this woman a witch or human? Is she dangerous?”

  Larson stood from his chair and turned his back on us to walk over to the minibar that was stationed in the corner of the large room. Kaito quickly slapped the back of his hand against my bicep, drawing my attention. He raised his eyebrows up to his hairline as if saying what the actual fuck? I shook my head quickly just as a deep sigh pulled my focus from Kai to Larson. He plucked a crystal decanter off of the gold bar top, removing the half moon-shaped crystal topper. Selecting a tumbler, he poured a healthy amount of the amber liquid into the glass, placing the decanter back in its rightful spot. His shoulders tensed, and I swore to the gods it looked like his entire body just expanded. He was one scary motherfucker. Spinning back around, his green eyes had darkened. Evidently, the more he thought about this woman, the further enraged he became, the fuse on a bomb getting shorter and shorter. Interesting. He swirled the scotch before raising the glass to his lips and taking a generous drink.

  “She’s a green witch, and she’s extremely dangerous. Once you do locate her, don’t believe a word that comes out of her mouth. She’s captivating. For years, I’ve wondered if she shared blood with a siren. I knew her as Laura Walker, but that was obviously an alias. We were romantically involved for about a year, and then she just vanished. I’ve used every available resource to track her down, but they only helped me discover that she was a lying bitch.”

  Christ, his anger pulsed through the room, spilling off of his body in waves. I didn’t need to be a fucking empath to feel that level of hatred and loathing. I didn’t think any of us had dared to blink since we realized how personally invested our boss was in this assignment. This woman must be talented to have pulled one over on Khol Larson. Dude was a beast. People had disappeared for much less than fucking with him.

  “About two months ago, facial recognition picked her up on camera at a bank that’s ten hours north of here.” He slid a photo to Cam who glanced down at it. “She was wearing a disguise, but I know damn well it’s her.” He slid another photo over, I’m guessing one of her with more detail. When the photos made it to me, I stared at the grainy ATM camera image. A woman with short, dark brown hair was smirking with her eyes downcast, likely grabbing her cash. She looked as though someone had just told her a joke and the smirk was as much emotion she was capable of giving when the punchline was delivered. K slid the second photo to me. This woman was younger, looked happier, and had long, strawberry blonde hair that was pin straight. Holding a glass of alcohol, her focus was on something out of the frame of the shot.

  “I took it upon myself to fly up to this town, Emerald Lakes. The closest airfield is about sixty miles outside of the city limits. I wanted to deal with this on my own, but trying to get into the town itself was impossible. I was about fifteen miles from Emerald Lakes and physically could not take one step further without feeling like my skull was about to split open. My mind screamed at me to turn around, and I had to pull over to be sick before I could do so. I’ve never encountered anything like it in my life.” He stopped to take another drink from his glass, just in time for Fischer to chime in.

  “A warding spell?” he mused, pursing his lips in thought. “Smart. But to also layer that with a revulsion spell? Someone very determined and talented did that.” Fish leaned forward in his seat, resting his bronzed forearms on the table as he spun a pen around his fingers.

  “Emerald Lakes is the key to this mystery. You four will move there, get to know the locals, and investigate the perimeter to see what kind of fuckery is going on. Make up a cover story, I don’t care what you go with. We need intel. Seems like a one horse, one stoplight kind of place. The town’s website is from the stone ages and mostly has tourist information listed. Luckily, there was a classifieds section, and I was able to find a furnished apartment in the downtown area; I already set up everything for you to move in tomorrow. Get packed and get your asses to this shit hole town. Stay sharp and use your skills. I know this is a vague mission, but for now, it’s really all about information. Contact me directly if needed.”

  Understanding the dismissal for what it was, we all rose from our chairs at the same time, ready to head out. Before we could leave, he spoke again.

  “I’ll text you all the information regarding the town and the apartment. Cam, Fischer, and Kaito, Johnny is waiting in his office for a debrief from your last assignment. He’s expecting you. Sullivan, a word.” His olive green eyes locked on my icy blues. What the fresh hell was this about?

  Fish glanced my way with his eyebrow raised, and I gave a subtle nod. Kai clapped his hand on my back a couple of times in a ‘sucks to be you’ kind of way before he walked around my chair and headed to the door. Cam just nodded at me and followed Kai out of the large double doors, leaving the two of us alone.

  “Sir?” I prompted as I lowered myself back down into my seat.

  “Sloane, I heard about your trip to Beijing. Thanks to you, we were able to save millions of dollars by extracting that scientist. Their research is unfounded, and your quick wit and professional skills single handedly made that mission a huge success,” Larson praised, sticking out his hand for me to shake.

  “Thank you, sir,” I replied, grasping his hand. “But it really was a team effort. I don’t deserve all of the glory.”

  “See, Sloane, that’s where we disagree. I’ve been kept apprised of all of your team’s missions. There’s a pattern developing, time and time again, and it’s you that’s stepping up and making the tough calls - the kind of calls a true leader makes. Cam is a solid lead, but sometimes his reserved decisions cost time, and time equals money. You have serious potential to move up in the ranks to a more prestigious role. When you’re done with the spy world, you’re going to want a job that you’ve earned. One that is kinder to your body and really stocks your bank account. With that being said, I would like to offer you a solo assignment, and if you’re able to get this information for me, that will solidify my decision to give you this promotion. When you get to this town, there may be people who can lead us to Laura. I want you to figure out who these people are and milk them for any details you can get. Someone in that town knows something. I’ll check in with you periodically to get updates on your progress.” He stood up, clapping his large hand against my shoulder. “Keep up the great work, son.”

  The sound of laughter broke my flashback. Real laughter. Not that fake shit girls do to try and look sexy or coy. I cleared my throat and side-eyed Fischer, but he was already studying the redheaded goddess as she made her way down the few steps out of the magic shop.

  Observant fucker.

  Kai was guiding this girl over to our moving truck, and I spied the keys dangling off of her finger. Oh shit, this is the landlady? Cam was a few steps behind them, looming like the huge stoic motherfucker he was.

  The threesome reached us and came to a stop just in time for Kai to say, “Saige, these are our brothers, Sloane and Fischer.” He nodded to each of us respectively. Saige’s eyes widened slightly before she schooled her reaction, a smile lighting up her heart-shaped face.

  Oh yeah, I saw that, baby. You can’t hide from me.

  Fischer stepped forward and held out his hand. “Hi, Saige. Thanks for meeting us so early. I’m Fischer, and it’s nice to meet you.”

  Gods, he was always so damn pleasant. I watched Saige with interest, not that you could tell by the bored as fuck look I was broadcasting. I’m good at that, not giving a fuck. She was wearing a t-shirt with an awful pun scrawled across her chest and a pair of faded skinny jeans with cheetah print flats on her feet. I knew she was aware of my eyes trailing down her body because the longer I stared, the more pronounced the flush became on the creamy skin of her neck. Cam cleared his throat.

  I realized everyone was awkwardly shuffling around, obviously waiting for me to take this opportunity to int
roduce myself to her too. Quickly deciding that I didn’t have time for this shit or this woman, I raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. A blush instantly bloomed on her cheeks, and she quickly cast her eyes toward the ground.

  And now my cock has a pulse.

  I lifted my chin, giving her a bro nod like a royal douchebag, and walked off to the back of the truck, adjusting myself before my dick gave me away.

  “Don’t mind him. He’s just... well, he’s a dickhead,” Kai reassured Saige.

  “Okay, well, let me show you where the entrance is for the apartment, and I can give you a quick tour. Then I’ll have to get back to The Pig since I’m the only one working today.” Her sweet voice carried to me, and I noticed the strain, no doubt a product of my less than polite attitude. A pleased grin stretched across my face. It truly is the little things in life.

  I enjoyed that. Getting under people’s skin. It made my black heart dance in my chest like a virgin about to get laid for the first time. That rush, it fueled me. From the corner of my eye, I watched her as she led the guys away, the way her hips swayed seductively. Damn, the woman was packing hella junk in the trunk, and those jeans were sinful in the way they hugged her lush hips and cupped her ass cheeks. Saige stopped about ten feet short of the entrance of the magic shop and raised the key in her hand to unlock another tan-colored door that must lead up to the apartment.

  As sexy as this witch was, we were here on a mission, and I wanted to stay on point so we could limit the amount of time we spent here. I’d already spotted six elderly couples, all walking fluffy dogs, and they all looked like talkers. I fucking hate socializing.

  I must avoid those wrinkly fossils at all costs... but on second thought, they probably have a ton of information, and they’ll just love to tell whoever will listen. The sooner we solve this mystery, the sooner we’re out of this boring hell hole and back to doing big boy missions. I’m going to infiltrate their little old chit chat circle. Phase one begins tomorrow.

  What a freaking buttlord. A hot as hell buttlord with a smile that was fucking criminal. My face was still burning as I climbed the stairs to the apartment. I mean, honestly, what a jerk. The days of letting smug assholes walk all over me were done. He might be devastatingly sexy, but that was the only pass he was going to get from me. Sloane could kiss my big ass.

  Each of them was incredibly powerful. Their magic swirled around them without any effort on their part, invisible waves that felt like pulses of strength. I’d only ever met a handful of magical people who gave off that kind of palpable power. My gran and Laurie were two of them. Shit-lick ex-boyfriend was another. Some people used that to their advantage, giving off a ‘don’t-fuck-with-me’ vibe, and while I clearly knew these men weren’t to be fucked with, I wasn’t afraid of them. The way their energy coiled around me, colliding with my own power like ocean waves seeking out the sandy beach, felt natural and unstoppable. I was having trouble processing exactly where all of these hot mages had come from and why they were renting an apartment in this completely predictable little town. At least Kai was funny, and Cam and Fischer seemed nice enough. My hand trailed along the banister at the top of the stairs as the room opened up into a large open floor plan set up. Gran had hired a contractor a couple of years ago to spruce this place up, and it really was a beautiful apartment. The living room and eat-in kitchen were immediately to the left of the landing. Then there were three small bedrooms, a pull-out sofa bed, one and a half baths, and a large deck with a grilling area and hot tub. Not a bad place to live at all.

  “This will be perfect,” Fischer said.

  “The kitchen is stocked with essentials. We usually rent on short-term leases, people looking to escape the city for a week or a weekend. Linens and towels are in the closet in the bathroom.” I pointed to the right, down the hallway. “There are only three bedrooms, but this sofa does pull out into a bed,” I explained as I walked around the room. The screen door slammed, and footsteps thudded on the stairs, so I braced myself for Mr. Sunshine to make his entrance.

  “Everything looks great, Saige,” Cam assured me as he sat down in one of the navy blue armchairs.

  The whole place was decorated in a color scheme of blues, whites, and grays with small pops of yellow sprinkled here and there throughout the place. Kaito plopped down in the other armchair and picked up the remote control, the television kicking on a moment later.

  Fischer disappeared down the hallway with his duffel bag, probably to investigate the bedrooms. Sloane looked in all of the cupboards in the kitchen before opening up the refrigerator. I could hear him grumbling about there being no food or drinks under his breath. Jackass.

  “There’s the diner next door if you guys are hungry, and then there’s Dinner Thyme, our grocery store, over on Oak Street. It’s a couple of minutes walk from here. They’re open until eight tonight. I do have to get back downstairs to work, so if you have any other questions, just pop on into the shop. I’ll leave the lease agreement here on the island for you guys to review and sign. Drop it off when you’re done, and I’ll make sure it gets to Gran.” I started to make my way back over to the stairs, suddenly feeling overwhelmed being in an enclosed space with the four of them.

  “Don’t you think we should exchange phone numbers?” Kai proposed as he turned his body in the chair to look at me. When I raised an eyebrow, he put his hands up with his palms out, trying to convey his innocence. “I simply meant that we’re your renters, and say something were to happen here while the shop was closed. How would we contact you?”

  “Hmm. Well, that does make sense. Here, give me your phone.” He stood to meet me halfway, and I held my palm out. Placing the phone in my hand, his fingers brushed along mine, my stomach flipping at the contact.

  Quickly typing my name and number into his contacts, I shoved the phone back toward him and spun around to get out of there, Kai’s eyes widening at my haste. My foot had just hit the top step when I heard Sloane. “What about me, Red? You going to come back over here and give me that number, too?”

  His smooth voice was patronizing and dark. This fucking guy. I stopped my descent down the stairs and turned my head to look at his smug face as he rested his arms on the kitchen island. He was blasting me with that megawatt smile, but it wasn’t kind. It was arrogant and assholish and... sexy as fuck. Ugh! Alright, Saige, time to let this dude know that you’re not a pushover. Do not let him intimidate you.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry about that, Sloane,” I began with so much sweetness in my voice it was practically dripping with honey. His smile somehow grew even more, probably thinking he’d one upped me, so I continued, “But I don’t give my contact information to dickheads. I learned my lesson a long time ago. If you’d like to adjust your crappy attitude, I may reconsider in the future. If not, you can just go eat a bag of bat dicks.”

  Fischer had just turned the corner coming back into the living room to hear my final comment, and all three of the other guys busted out laughing. Kai bent forward, holding his stomach, while Cam called out, “Ooooooh, burrrrrn!” Meanwhile, Fischer just chuckled and shook his head, his beautiful, thick curls bouncing slightly with the movement.

  I turned my focus back to Sloane, registering his shocked expression and mentally fist bumping myself. His index finger began tapping on the countertop, the only sound in the room besides the low murmur of the television in the background. A moment later, the corner of Sloane’s lips lifted slightly, and his blue eyes focused on me even more so, like he’d found prey and the hunt was on. Oh, fucking hell, he needs to stop looking at me like that.

  “This town might not be so bad after all,” Sloane quipped despite the other guys still making fun of him. Saying nothing else, he turned his back to me and walked out of the room. Why do I feel like I just whacked a bear in the nose with a stick?

  “So, I’ll see you guys later!” I squeaked and sprinted down the steps, my pace not slowing until I was back inside The Pig, the sounds of masculine laughter chasing me with eve
ry step.

  The guys didn’t have much at all to move in, and I tried to ignore them as much as possible throughout the day. It was hard. The rest of the town was taking notice of them, too. A couple of hours after they’d arrived, the shop was packed full of customers. I hadn’t had a day with this many sales in ages. People here were nosy as fuck, not that I could blame them; there was definitely something worth looking at.

  Miranda and her daughter showed up around three. Anna was licking a vanilla ice cream cone with sprinkles, losing the battle to the warm air. Snapping into action, I snagged a few paper towels and handed them to my friend. She sighed in relief. “Thanks. She insisted on having a double scoop, like usual, but she can never eat it fast enough.” Miranda bent down and wrapped the cone in the paper towels before handing it back to a smiling Anna.

  “Like I always say, double or nothing. It applies to both shots of alcohol and ice cream cones.” Miranda laughed and nodded her agreement.

  “Speaking of self-indulgence… where in the stars did those four dudes come from? Did you see the one with all the tattoos?” She raised a hand and fanned her face dramatically. Haha, ohhhh, I saw. A flash of white from the corner of my eye drew my gaze to the back of the store, finding Maven scampering out of the tarot room.

  Anna spotted him immediately. “Mom, can I go play with Maven? Please?”

  “Sure, but don’t touch anything with your dirty hands. I’ll stay right up here.” Anna squealed and took off down the aisle toward Mave. His ears perked up, and I caught his desire to run away from the little girl, but once he saw what she had in her hand, that disappeared. He was always willing to put up with her fussing over him if there was a chance he’d get some ice cream out of it.