“I still can’t believe that they haven’t raided this building yet.”
“Hey,” Audrey interrupted, and shot Henry a sharp look. “Don’t jinx it.”
He raised his hands. “I’m just saying, if this is the house you stayed in last time, it should’ve been Quill’s first target.”
“He probably thinks that we won’t be stupid enough to use a busted safe house a second time,” I said. “And besides, this house is no longer for rent.”
“Exactly.” Audrey smirked and held out her glass of wine towards me. “Because it’s now owned by a very well-respected couple from Malgrave.”
A low chuckle rolled from my chest, and I clinked my glass against hers. “Indeed.”
Henry raised his eyebrows. “You faked your ownership certificate?”
“Obviously.” Audrey lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “We couldn’t very well tell the couple we bought it from who we really were.” After taking another sip, she waved her hand in front of her face. “I’ll just ask Paige to forge us a real certificate later.”
“It’s not a real certificate if it’s forged.”
“Don’t let Paige hear you say that.”
A click sounded from the front door as someone unlocked it, and then Paige strolled into the dining room as if us merely speaking her name had summoned her from the night. Stopping a few steps from the couches we were currently occupying, she flashed us a grin that looked like trouble. Hopefully, though, it was the good kind.
“I’ve just heard from my sources and…” Trailing off, she looked around the candlelit dining room. “Where’s Levi?” Before any of us could reply, she sucked in a breath and bellowed, “Oi! Levi! Get down here. I have news.”
I cringed slightly. Levi didn’t exactly like being summoned. What was it with these people? First Audrey, and now Paige too. Did they really not have any sense of self-preservation at all?
A door banged shut somewhere upstairs. It was followed by slow thumping footsteps coming down the stairs. I steeled myself and got ready to intervene before things could get out of hand.
In the armchair next to me, Henry stiffened slightly too. Draped across the couch, Audrey just sipped from her glass of wine again. Golden light from the mass of candles throughout the room reflected against the dark windows and glittered in her eyes as she looked towards the doorway.
Two seconds later, Levi prowled around the corner. He looked about as happy as I had expected him to be. His dark brows were drawn down, and his eyes were sharp as he locked them on Paige. The sleeves on his black shirt had been rolled up, exposing his forearms, and the muscles there shifted slightly as he brushed his hands together.
My whole body tensed, ready to leap up from the cushions at a moment’s notice.
A wicked-looking blade materialized in Levi’s palm. With his eyes still locked on Paige, he moved towards her while twirling the blade in his hand.
“If you want to speak to me, you ask politely,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
Paige just looked back at him, entirely unfazed. “I was being polite. I could’ve just told everyone else the news without bothering to let you know.”
He held her gaze as he continued towards her. But then he just walked right past her without doing anything. Letting the blade in his hand disappear, he threw himself down on the couch next to me and raised his eyebrows expectantly.
“So, as I was saying,” Paige began as if she hadn’t just narrowly avoided Levi’s wrath. “I’ve just heard from my sources and Quill has moved the Blade of Equilibrium from the academy.”
We all sat forward in our seats.
“You’re sure?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes. They moved it this afternoon.” With a smirk on her face, she flicked her hair back behind her shoulder. “They thought they were being sneaky, but we’re better. The underworld sees everything.”
“Where did they move it?” Audrey asked.
“Yeah, uhm, that’s the thing… They moved it to the parliament building.”
Silence fell over the room. Paige, who had been standing this whole time, finally wandered over to the couch and dropped down next to Audrey.
“I take it that’s not a good thing,” Levi said when the silence began to stretch.
I sucked my teeth. “No. Well, it’s easier than the academy at least. But it’s still gonna take one hell of a plan to breach it.”
“Isn’t that the same building you kidnapped Lance from?”
“Yeah.”
“So how did you get in then?”
Audrey and I exchanged a look, and amusement pulled at her lips at the memory.
“We just walked right up to the front doors and handed them our invitations,” I replied, sliding my gaze back to Levi. Then I shrugged. “I doubt it will work a second time.”
Another short silence descended over our cozy living room as we all no doubt considered our situation. Outside the windows, the night was dark and quiet.
“I hate to say it,” Henry began. “But we should probably get the others here too. I know that Malcolm is an insufferable prick, but he’s smart. And so are the others. None of them would’ve survived this long if they weren’t.”
“Another dark mage gathering, huh?” I chuckled. “I wonder how many more of those we can manage before someone finally snaps and takes that first shot.”
Audrey let out a low laugh. “Yeah.” Then she tipped her head towards Henry. “But you’re right, we do need them.”
We let out a collective sigh as we all pushed to our feet.
“Alright.” Audrey gave us all a nod. “Let’s go get them. It’s time to plot the very last stage of this war.”
