“But I…”
He held up a hand. “I get why you kept it hidden, and I don’t blame you for that. I would’ve done the same. Gray Mappleworth isn’t me, though. Your unofficial partnership with him is a different dynamic than what you and I have.”
I couldn’t resist a smile. “We have a dynamic?”
He glowered. “You know what I mean. I see this as an opportunity to mold you into the perfect agent. You’re powerful and you’re smart. Gray isn’t looking at you the same way.”
No, Gray wasn’t looking at me at all. My heart sank as the realization settled in. While I loved my new life at the academy, I really loved my time with Gray, and I already missed it.
“I need to get back to work,” Armitage said. “If you’re still standing there the next time I turn around, you’re definitely being handed a shovel.”
I pushed away from the fence. “I’ll leave you to it, Warden. There’s somewhere else I need to be anyway.”
I paced outside the gorgeous Muldoon home, trying not to dwell on the lingering sadness inside those four walls. Although I debated the options all the way here, I still wasn’t sure what I intended to do. I knew I wanted to alleviate their pain somehow, without breaking any paranormal rules. No need to draw the League’s attention again.
“What about a glamour?” a familiar voice said, and my heart leapt in response.
“You think we should disguise ourselves?” I asked.
Gray joined me on the pavement, looking every inch the alluring vampire that he was.
“Not that kind of glamour,” he said. “The kind that reworks their memories.”
“You can do that?”
He nodded. “Memory manipulation tends to stay below the League’s radar, and I can do it, so you won’t be held responsible if anyone finds out.”
“I feel torn,” I said. “I don’t want to give them false hope, and let them believe Karl is alive somewhere and choosing not to contact them.”
“But you also don’t want them to suffer without some sort of closure,” he said. “I get it.”
“Doesn’t the AMF have a branch for this sort of thing?” I queried. “When humans get tangled up in a paranormal mess?”
“Depends on the circumstances,” he said. “This seems to be a case where the Muldoons will fall through the cracks, unfortunately.”
I inhaled deeply. “So, what’s our best course of action then?”
Gray stroked his rugged jawline. “We don’t want them to forget his existence or anything that extreme. I’d suggest a death doing something he loved. They couldn’t recover the body because it was too dangerous, but we were witnesses. I can erase their earlier memory of us. It’s easy to manipulate humans. That’s one of the reasons paranormals have so many rules and regulations regarding Terrene.”
I bit my lip, unsure whether to come clean. In light of recent events, I knew I had to. “Okay, we’ll go with that, except with one modification. He died doing something he loved, but the body was recovered.”
He gave me a sharp look. “What do you mean?”
I produced a jar from my satchel. Well, actually it was Robin’s satchel. “His remains are in here.”
Gray’s jaw dropped. “How did you…? Where…?”
I cringed. “I may have broken another rule.” With Alana’s help, of course, but I wasn’t about to throw the druid under the bus.
“I can see that.”
“He was already cremated,” I said quickly. “It’s not like I destroyed evidence. The case is closed. It seemed cruel not to return him home.”
Gray pressed his lips together. “I agree. Let’s go then. The sooner we get this over with, the better.”
I craned my neck to look at him. “Why would you do this for me? Because I’m trying to be good?”
“Because you’re inherently good,” he replied. “You don’t have to try, Bryn. You’re so far from darkness. You have no idea what real evil is, and I hope you never have to find out.”
Although I wasn’t convinced, I didn’t want to argue the point. He was here now, and that was all that mattered.
“Does this mean you’re not angry with me anymore?” I tried to keep the hope at bay. The Muldoons had enough sadness on their plate right now; they didn’t need a distraught sorceress wandering aimlessly on their front lawn.
His cheek muscle pulsed. “I was never angry, Bryn. Just hurt. I thought we…” He exhaled loudly. “I thought we’d gotten to a point where we were honest with each other. It was hard to accept that you’d lied to me…more than once.”
“I’m sorry I took the healing stone without telling you.”
His jaw tightened. “It isn’t about the healing stone, or the fact that your father is the Shadow Sorcerer.”
“Then what is it about? You don’t want to hang out with a woman who can kick your ass? Does it ruin your street cred?”
The hint of a grin appeared, and I immediately relaxed. He didn’t hate me; that much was clear. “You’re powerful, don’t get me wrong, but you have a lot of training to do before you could hope to kick my ass. Raw talent can only take you so far.”
“The academy wanted to assign a mentor to me, to keep me in line,” I said. “They settled for Robin as a tutor, but if I screw up, I’ll end up with someone like Professor Langley.” Perish the thought.
“Library guy’s a good choice,” Gray said. “If anyone likes to walk the straight and narrow, it’s that uptight wizard.”
“He may be uptight, but when it came to supporting me, he didn’t hesitate,” I said. And I’d never forget it.
Gray nodded. “Good. Those are the friends you need in this world. Someone to have your back, no matter what.”
“Do you have that?” I asked.
“Don’t need it,” he replied gruffly.
“That’s sexism if I ever heard it,” I said. “I need protection, but you don’t?”
“That came out wrong. It’s not about protection, although that’s a benefit.” He took a moment to organize his thoughts. “It’s a big world out there. I guess it’s about feeling less alone while we’re in it.”
I longed to take his hand. To make some sort of intimate overture, but I resisted. Instead, I said, “I’m here for you, Gray. I have your back.”
He gave me a half smile. “Good to know. I could use a badass sorceress on my side on occasion.” He inclined his head toward the jar. “This won’t be easy. Are you ready?”
I sucked in a breath. “I am.”
Also By Annabel Chase
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the continuation of Bryn’s adventures in Outclassed, Warden of the West, Book 2. Please be sure to look out for Outlast, Book 3.
I would appreciate a review on Amazon, as that helps other readers decide whether this book is the right choice for them.
Also, be sure to sign up for my new releases via e-mail here http://eepurl.com/ctYNzf and like me on Facebook so you can find out about the next book.
You may also enjoy my paranormal cozy mysteries series—Spellbound and Starry Hollow Witches. The idea for Bryn and the Spellslingers Academy of Magic world came from the Spellbound series—
Curse the Day, Book 1
Doom and Broom, Book 2
Spell’s Bells, Book 3
Lucky Charm, Book 4
Better Than Hex, Book 5
Cast Away, Book 6
A Touch of Magic, Book 7
A Drop in the Potion, Book 8
Hemlocked and Loaded, Book 9
All Spell Breaks Loose, Book 10
Starry Hollow Witches series:
Magic & Murder, Book 1
Magic & Mystery, Book 2
Magic & Mischief, Book 3
Magic & Mayhem, Book 4
Magic & Mercy, Book 5
Magic & Madness, Book 6
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Outclassed: Spellslingers Academy of Magic (Warden of the West Book 2) Page 18
