Thankfully, Asher offers a distraction. “Did you know it was her birthday today?”
East’s brows spring up. “No, I didn’t.”
“Neither did I,” Arrow says in surprise.
“I actually did,” Maxton states, reclining back in the chair.
Asher’s attention snaps to him. “How the hells did you know?”
“Yeah, how did you?” I ask, wanting to know myself.
Maxton lifts a shoulder, his eyes roaming to me. “I’ve been tracking her for a while, and you learn stuff about creatures when you track them.”
“True,” I agree, unsure why I hadn’t put that together myself, considering I found out all sorts of information about Asher, East, and Arrow before I tried to steal Asher’s lamp. “What else do you know?”
Again, Maxton shrugs. “That you had a best friend named Jason. You spent a lot of time living on the streets. You were known as an excellent thief.”
All of what he said is basic information, so I’m not too impressed at first. But then he adds, “You hate the color pink. Love the smell of rain. Love the taste of vanilla frosting, even though you’ve only tasted it once. You hate seeing people and animals get hurt. You’re tough when you need to be, but still kind. Stubborn. You hate the smell of rust, for whatever reason. And you think that cauliflower is a disgusting vegetable.”
“It is a disgusting vegetable,” I mutter, shifting my weight, feeling kind of exposed at the moment. “How did you find all that out about me?”
He merely shrugs. “I told you. I learned it while I was tracking you.” He stares out the window with his jaw set tight.
Asher looks at Maxton then gives a glance at East and Arrow. The three of them exchange an indecipherable look, leaving me to wonder what they think about this.
Asher moves over to the table. “Max, how long were you tracking her?”
Maxton looks at him. “For a couple of years.”
My jaw nearly bitch-smacks the floor. “A couple of years?”
“Don’t worry,” he tells me. “I didn’t tell my father any of that stuff I just said. I … I only know about that.”
“Oh. Okay.” But if he wasn’t collecting that information for his father, then why was he collecting it?
Asher studies his brother with his hands resting on the table and a strange, an unreadable look on his face.
Maxton glances at him. “What?” he asks almost defensively.
Asher shakes his head, his gaze boring into Maxton. “It’s nothing.” He presses his lips together for a trickle of a second before stepping away from the table and turning toward Arrow, East, and me. “We should make a plan to get that crystal ball.”
Talk about subject change whiplash. The question is: why? Why did he change the subject so quickly?
“What crystal ball?” East wonders as he sits on the edge of the bed.
“The one at the front desk,” Arrow explains, stepping away from the door. “It’s a security one.”
“You think you can get it away from the succubus?” East questions with a cock of his brow.
Asher looks at me. “Our little thief thinks she can.”
“Knows she can,” I correct him.
“I guess we’re about to find that out,” he tells me, crossing his arms.
I grin. “Yep, you sure are.”
He smiles, but worry fills his eyes as he turns to East again. “Did you find out anything about an energy reader?”
Wisps of East’s blond hair fall into his eyes as he shakes his head. “The entire town is basically shut down, minus a few bars and shops here and there. I asked around about the event, too, and while everyone stated there was one going on, no one would give out any of the specifics. Honestly, it’s almost as if they’re all spelled into secrecy.”
“They might be.” Asher sits down on the edge of the table with his thinking face on. “The question is: why?”
“Well, that answer might lie in that crystal ball,” East says, his gaze lifting to me. “So, you think you know how to steal a crystal ball from a succubus, huh?”
“Not think. Know,” I stress again. “I don’t know why you’re all acting surprised by this. You’ve known from the very beginning that stealing things is my specialty, hence the reason you guys made the bargain with me.”
“Yeah, that was the only reason,” East says while lifting his brows. “It had nothing to do with us wanting to keep you.”
I’d argue with him, except Asher just basically told me that was part of the reason.
“You didn’t keep me,” I say instead. “A bargain was made where I do you favors and in exchange for Asher saving me from dying. But, at the end of the bargain, I get to choose whether or not I leave, so there’s no keeping anyone. It’ll be my choice whether or not I want to stay.”
And for the first time since I met him, East’s expression plummets.
And to be honest, I feel bad. Sure, I hadn’t meant anything by what I said, other than I was just stating the fact. But clearly, something about my wordage upset him.
Maybe because he thinks I’ll leave at the end of all of this.
Will I?
I was once pretty damn determined to do so, had been declaring that I would for most of this journey, but now … Well, the idea terrifies me. Going back to my old life … My life of loneliness … My life without them.
“We need to make a plan first,” Asher states, breaking the silence. “A foolproof one where no one will get caught or hurt.”
I nod. “I agree. But I swear it’s not as complicated as you’re thinking.”
“I hope so,” Asher tells me then looks at Arrow. “Was Ava at the front desk when you headed back to our room?”
Arrow nods. “But she did walk away for a moment. She put the crystal ball inside a magic case while she stepped away.”
“I wonder where the door to the basement even is,” Asher mumbles with a crease between his brow. “I didn’t see one anywhere.”
“Maybe it’s a portal door,” Arrow suggests, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
As they start bouncing theories back and forth between each other, both Maxton and East remain relatively quiet, which is nothing new for Maxton. East, however, is the biggest blabbermouth I’ve ever met.
I start to turn toward him to ask what’s up when he grabs the back of my shirt. Then he pulls me toward him and down onto his lap, slips one arm around my waist, and uses his free hand to brush my hair to the side.
“I know you have a choice whether you leave or not at the end of our bargain,” he whispers in my ear, “but I want to make it clear that I in no way, shape, or pixie form want you to leave us.” He rests his head against mine, breathing softly as his fingers trace along my side. “If you do go back to your old world, though, take me with you.”
My brows pull together, and I twist around to look at him, figuring he has to be joking. He looks one-hundred percent serious.
“You want to live in the human world?” I question.
He shakes his head. “Not at all.” He slides his other arm around me, looking me straight in the eye. “However, I’d rather live in that hellhole than lose my pet.”
Normally, I’d ream into him for calling me his pet, but I’m way too shocked at the other thing he said.
“East, it’s awful there. Like really, really awful. And dirty. And unmagical.”
“Oh, I know,” he assures me, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Which is why I’m begging you to stay with us. I’m just saying, if you won’t, then I’m going with you.”
“Why would you …?” I have zero idea how to respond.
East, the bassist of East Ash Arrow, the flirt of the band, wants to go live in the human world with me. Well, if I choose to go back there.
“Why would I what?” East wonders, searching my eyes.
I wet my lips with my tongue. “Why would you even want to go with me?”
Instead of answering me, he just stares at me, uncer
tainty and even a trace of fear in his eyes. The sight of it makes my heart start to twist. Or maybe it’s a fracture. Can hearts fracture?
What in the damn crazy trolls is going on?
“East?” Asher says suddenly.
East blinks then slants to the side and looks at Asher. “Yeah?”
I turn around just in time to see Asher’s lips set in a worried line. “Did you guys hear anything Arrow and I just said?”
“Nope. Sorry,” East tells him, although he doesn’t sound very apologetic.
Asher’s gaze bounces back and forth between us, and then he shakes his head. “We were talking about the best way to distract Ava, since she’s a succubus and is immune to our charms.”
I raise my hand, causing Asher’s lips to quirk.
“Yes, little thief,” he says with amusement.
“I was just going to say that, while the succubus may be immune to your charms. She might not be to Maxton’s,” I inform him.
Maxton turns his head toward me. “What charm?” he wonders with a cock of his brow. “Because, trust me; I don’t have any.”
“Oh, I know,” I assure him, and he scowls at me but is struggling not to smile. “Which is my point. Succubus like innocent creatures, because they’re easy to seduce. At least, that’s what I’ve always been told.”
“She’s right,” East says, looking at me with pride in his eyes. “It could work. That is, if Maxton is up to doing it.”
We all look at Maxton, and with the way he squirms, I kind of feel bad for suggesting my idea.
“I feel like I may mess it up,” he admits with hesitancy.
“Give yourself some credit,” Asher tells him. “You spent decades carrying out our father’s plans.”
“Under the influence of his magic,” Maxton stresses. “Almost every single thing I’ve done, minus a few things here and there, have been controlled by him. On my own, I’m nothing but a powerful creature who, trust me, won’t be able to flirt with a succubus.” He lowers his voice to a mutter. “I don’t know how to fucking flirt.”
“I can teach you,” East offers. “I am, after all, the best that’s ever existed.” He lightly pinches my side. “Just ask my little mouse.”
I give him a nasty look, to which he responds with a cheeky grin.
“I don’t know why you’d tell him to ask me,” I say with a smirk. “I’ve always been immune to your charm.”
His brow teases upward as he skims his fingers up my side. “You sure about that? Because I’m pretty sure there might be a few times that contradict that statement.”
I smash my lips together. Damn faerie has me on that one.
I clear my throat. “Okay, maybe he can teach you how to flirt,” I tell Maxton.
East chuckles under his breath. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“So what?” Arrow interrupts. “East just teaches Maxton to flirt, then he goes and flirts with Eva, and then he lets her lure him away from the desk and to a room? Because that still leaves us with the problem of getting into the magic box to get the crystal ball.”
I let out a wicked laugh. “Oh, my dear best friend, that’s not a problem at all.”
Arrow stares at me like I’ve lost my damn mind.
“I know how to get into magic boxes,” I assure him. “It’s easy-peasy. It’s even easier than it was for me to break past East’s magic seal on you guys’ vehicle.”
“She does make a very valid point,” East chimes in. “She got past my seal pretty fucking easily.”
They grow quiet as they consider my idea.
“You’re sure you can do it?” Asher double-checks, his gaze boring into me.
While it’s a little complicated to remain confident while he’s staring at me like an intense lunatic, I make myself stand firm. “Yep, I’m sure.”
“All right then,” Asher says. “Let’s get to work.”
Arrow
Before we part ways to work on the plan, Asher, East, and I step outside the room to discuss some things. Asher acts as if these “things” are related to the plan, but I’m pretty positive they’re not. And the moment Asher opens his mouth, I get confirmation that I’m right.
“I think it might be time to talk about Harlynn,” Asher says after we’ve stepped out of the room and made our way down to the end of the hallway.
East glances in the direction of our room then looks at Asher warily. “Do you think we’re far enough away that she won’t be able to hear us talking?” The uneasiness flowing off him is foreign.
I’ve known East for a very long time, and he’s usually laidback. At least, he gives off the façade of being relaxed all the time. It’s mostly an act. Asher is that way, too. So am I. We all have a part to play in our band, and we’ve been living that part for a very long time.
Until Harlynn came into our lives.
Harlynn. Harlynn. Harlynn. I swear to gods, my implanted heart beats her name. I’m not a heart expert, so I’m not sure if that’s possible. It feels like it is, though, which is odd and new, and I’m not sure what to do with it.
Asher wavers, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s hard to say for sure if she can … We know so little about her powers.”
“I know,” East mumbles. “I really wish we could find a reader so we can learn more about her powers and then test them.”
“Agreed.” Asher says then drags out a pause. “Also, what about her birthday …? I feel like we should do something for her.” He looks at East and me for confirmation.
“We definitely should,” East tells him. “I can say pretty damn confidently that she’s probably never had anyone do anything for her, so as soon as we get off this planet, let’s have a celebration.”
“Definitely,” Asher agrees. “And I think … I want to get her a gift, too.”
I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point. Celebrations? Gifts? I suck at both of those.
East nods, sinking into silence for a moment. So does Asher. Me? I start stressing about presents.
I have no clue what to get Harlynn, and it feels like, as her best friend, I should get her something epic, like her.
“But back to why I had us come out here,” Asher says, yanking me from my worries. “Things with Harlynn are starting to become … complicated, and I think the three of us need to decide what we’re going to do, and then talk to her about it.”
“The three of us?” East says amusedly. “Don’t you mean four?”
My brows knit, but Asher appears less puzzled than me.
“Yeah, I noticed that, too,” Asher tells East with a weighted sigh.
“Why do I get the feeling that I’m missing something?” The wheels in my arms hum as I cross them.
“Because you probably are.” East smirks at me, then redirects his attention back at Asher. “So you noticed it, too.”
Asher blows out a deafening exhale. “I did. And I’m not sure how I feel about it.”
“Wait … What are you talking about?” I ask, my gaze bouncing between the two of them.
They trade a look, and then Asher releases a sigh and turns toward me. “I’m fairly positive that my younger brother may have fallen for Harlynn during his time trying to capture her for my father,” Asher explains, measuring my reaction closely.
My lips part in shock. “What …? Why do you think that?”
“Because of the way he talks about her,” Asher says with a shrug. “He knows way too much about her. Information that he wouldn’t need to have collected for my father, like the fact that she loves the taste of vanilla frosting and hates the scent of rust.”
“It’s also how he looks at her,” East adds. “And the fact that he went and saved her from Maple the moment he was free.”
Is that what that was about? Gods, I’m so clueless sometimes. Then again, emotions are relatively new to me.
“I … I just assumed that was because he happened to be heading toward our vehicle and saw what was happening,” I say.
East flits
a grin in my direction. “Aw, sweet Arrow, you’re almost as naïve as our little thief.”
I aim a dirty look at him, but then look back at Asher. “You really think he likes her?”
He hesitates then nods. “I do. But I don’t think we need to worry about it right now. Max … he’s been through a lot, and I think it’ll take him some time before he gets used to his freedom. So, for right now, I think we just need to focus on us and what we want. And also what Harlynn wants.” A weird look flashes across his face, and it takes me a moment to decipher it.
“You’re worried,” I state, “that she won’t want this.”
Won’t want us.
Won’t want me.
The last thought is my own worry, and it makes me feel sick to my stomach, which never, ever happens.
“I’m not sure,” Asher mutters with a crease between his brows. “Sometimes it feels like she’ll be okay with it, but then there are other times when I worry she’s too afraid of … love.”
“Aren’t we all?” East says, then shakes his head. “I refuse to get down about this. I know what I want, and I’m willing to try it, as long as our little thief is, too.”
Asher considers what he said with an unreadable expression. “Yeah, I think I am, too.” Silence ticks by, and then he slides his gaze to me. “What about you?”
East looks at me, as well, waiting for my answer.
I smash my lips together, my heart beating loudly in my chest. It’s been doing that a lot lately, ever since Harlynn came into my life.
“I want to,” I admit quietly.
I want her.
I want her more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life, and it’s scary as hell.
Fear. It’s been a long damn time since I felt that.
No one utters a word for a moment, a rare occurrence for the three of us, but so is this entire situation.
“Okay, then,” Asher says, lacking his usual confidence.
East looks at Asher, his brow arched. “I’m going to take that ‘okay then’ as a ‘you’re in’.”
Asher pauses then gives an uneven nod.
Chasing Secrets (Capturing Magic Series Book 4) Page 8
