Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Daisy’s family filled the kitchen. Boman, a light bender, stood at the island. He wore a black T-shirt to match his black cargo pants, the pockets stuffed with all the wonders of a Mary Poppins’s carpetbag.
“What’d you do to make Mordecai rat you out?” he asked Daisy.
“He’s got an underage girlfriend, apparently,” Lexi said to the room.
Bria, sitting at the island beside Boman, spat out a laugh.
“She’s not underage,” Mordecai said adamantly. “Or my girlfriend.”
“Bang-buddy?” Thane asked, his smirk showing through his bushy beard.
Dylan sat beside him at the end of the table, watching the show with a grin.
“Who is this girl?” Lexi asked Mordecai.
He gulped. “She’s a woman and I’m getting to know her, that’s all. She’s a friend.”
“Friend with benefits?” Donovan stood at the stove with Jack. He looked over his shoulder with a glittering smile.
Zorn sat at the table with his back to the window. Kitty-corner to him, at the end, sat the Demigod of Poseidon, co-ruler of Magical San Francisco and extreme political player in the magical world. Kieran.
He had the power to change the tides and control vast quantities of water and the air under which it moved. He could bring in clouds and control the weather. The pain his magic administered could kill (and had). This man’s power had a literal undertow. His grandfather was an actual god, said to have been placed in this realm by the old gods to rule the humans, an easily manageable lot compared to what festered in the wylds.
He sat at the end of the table in a white T-shirt, with tousled hair and threadbare jeans. Only their family ever got to see him like this. It was the only place he was relaxed and casual and real.
“Terrible weather we’re having today, Demigod Kieran,” Daisy said as she stopped beside Boman. “Didn’t feel like bothering to make a pretty day?”
Kieran shrugged. A little smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Not really, no. It’s my day off.”
Half the guys in the kitchen huffed out a laugh.
“I think I have fog burn,” Bria mumbled.
“No, no, no.” Lexi grabbed the back of Mordecai’s shirt as he tried to scoot out of the kitchen. “No way. Who is this girl—woman, I mean? I want to hear more. I’m so excited for you!”
Daisy’s heels clicked across the tiled floor. She stopped behind Henry, Mr. Charming. His magic as a level five Reflector wasn’t why he was so useful to this crew. His powers of espionage and information gathering had few rivals. Papers were spread across the table between him and Zorn. Henry’s open computer showed several grotesque images Daisy had already seen. The little dove feather lay atop the person’s ruined chest.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
It was Amber who answered, standing in the far corner. “Another death, as you know.” She lifted a manicured eyebrow at Daisy. “I almost didn’t notice you going through my files. If I hadn’t been on my computer at the time, I wouldn’t have. You need to wait until your subject is not using what you are after before you try to slip past their defenses. How’d you get my passwords?”
“By being sneaky,” Daisy answered, then mimicked Amber’s expression. “While you were cleverly forcing me out and blocking my re-entry, I grabbed what I’d actually been after. But thanks for the pep talk, coach.”
Amber’s eyes narrowed slightly. The twitch of her head was barely noticeable. The woman hardly ever showed emotion. When she did, it meant she was thrown off her game.
“Ooh burn,” Jack said delightedly, his big arms flared as he cooked. “Gremlin, one. Amber, eight hundred and sixty-three.”
“You just killed her moment, bro,” Donovan told him, laughing. “She’ll get you for that.”
“I do love me an angry gremlin.” Jack’s laughter filled the kitchen.
Daisy had gotten the garage code to Amber’s secret residence. Now she needed to decide how she’d unnerve Amber with the information. These little games kept them all vigilant. Also, they were fun. She’d gotten very good at them.
Zorn, wearing all black, smirked as he stood. It meant Daisy had done a good job.
“Time to go.” He picked a pair of gloves off the table. He would ride with her in the limo before switching to the car he’d left close to the event center. There he’d wait in case something went wrong. Hopefully he wouldn’t be waiting long.
“Be careful,” Lexi called after them as Daisy followed Zorn to the door.
“Don’t take any chances,” Kieran added, his stormy blue eyes concerned.
“I got this,” Daisy told the kitchen at large.
The guys whooped and cheered her on, and she felt that warm glow of family. She loved this place and these people. She loved it when they all gathered together for dinners and cheer, celebrating their tight group. Most of all, she loved that they would take time out of their busy schedules to support her. This was her second mostly solo job, and they were giving her encouragement for it. That meant so much.