“Then we deal with it,” I said.

Enzo agreed. “I’ll start work on a distraction spell,” he said, and I was impressed with his quick thinking.

Heath started to pace again, running his hands through his hair like it was the only way he could contain his nerves. “I’ll get back home and scope it out, see what they’re planning.”

“I’ll come with you,” Tor offered.

“Umn, maybe you should go out through the front door, though, while Heath takes the portal, since mom only saw you and Enzo arrive. I’ll leave with you guys and tell her we’re going to Warner’s house.”

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you back at my place. I’ll open the bedroom portal on my end, so you can avoid Lyle.”

It wasn’t long before we arrived in Heath’s bedroom, where I was greeted by the smell of rich mahogany and old money.

Tor sat down behind the big, wooden desk and started typing away on his phone, while I took a seat on the sofa in front of the fireplace.

Heath frowned at Tor. “What are you doing?”

“Messaging mom. Keeping her distracted and reminding her to put off speaking to Helene.”

“Good idea.” Heath nodded and took a seat in one of the armchairs by the sofa, while Enzo plopped down in the matching chair on the other side, the leather creaking as his muscled frame landed in it.

“So, what’s the plan now?” he asked, crossing one booted foot over his knee.

Heath started to open his mouth, and we all flinched when banging came from the bedroom door.

“Heathcliff, open this door. I know you’re in there.”

Helene.

My stomach clenched and I looked at Heath in panic. “What now?” I whispered, even though his mother probably couldn’t hear us since he’d cast a privacy spell as soon as we’d arrived.

Heath stood up and sighed, walking over to the door. “What do you want, Helene?” he drawled.

“To know where you’ve been.”

Heath rolled his eyes. “With friends. Same old same old. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like some privacy.”

The banging continued, but I felt a shiver run down my spine when I heard the lock click.

“Heathcliff, this isn’t a request.” Helene’s voice was colder than usual, but her motherly tone remained. “I know what you’re up to.”

Crap.

She pushed the door open, walking in with her eyes trained on her son.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, boy.” Her cold, calculating gaze swept over all of us. “You boys think you’re so clever. But I know you’ve been involved in dark magic. What I need to know now, is how far you’ve gotten with the girl.”

I avoided her gaze, feeling nauseous.

“Dark magic? I guess you would know all about that.” Heath returned her expression, sneer for sneer.

“Don’t lie to me, Heathcliff. Your powers have been fluctuating,” she whispered harshly, glancing at me again. “Why?”

A sense of dread washed over me. Was she suggesting that I had something to do with this? My parents influence, maybe?

“No, mom,” Heath sighed. “It’s not like that,” he shook his head. “It’s . . . different kinds of magic. It’s complicated.”

I held my breath, praying they wouldn’t ask for more details.

“It’s always complicated with you, isn’t it?” She hissed, glaring at him.

“Look, we can talk about this later. I promise.” Heath’s voice was low, pleading.

Helene looked like she wanted to argue but seemed to reconsider. “Fine,” she huffed, shaking her head. “But I’m keeping an eye on you. And so is your father.”

The sound of the slamming door reverberated through the room when she left.

As soon as we heard her footsteps disappear, Heath slumped to the floor, his shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. I rushed over to him, trying not to make any noise as I knelt beside him. He pulled me into a tight hug. Tor and Enzo came down with us, adding to the group embrace.

We stayed that way for several minutes, the bonds between us holding us close, united in fear and grief. Even Tor and Enzo seemed to have come to a temporary truce and equally shared in the comfort we all needed. Comfort none of us had had since Sierra disappeared.

My mind drifted back to the last time we were all together with her and noted the striking difference between then and now. Then, it was all raw emotion and heat. Now, the emotion was still raw, but the heat was gone. The usual desire and arousal I experience in Heath’s and Torin’s arms was replaced by a desire to cuddle, not fuck. It was a testament to how fucked up we all were at the moment that we could just hold each other like that.

Our moment was short-lived though, when we heard Helene screaming. Wands drawn, we hurried out after Heath, down the stairs, following the sound, and came to a standstill when we found the door to the dungeons open.

“Fuck.”

CHAPTER 9

HEATH

WARNER ESTATE

We stood tightly together in the dungeon, as my parents stared us down, their eyes filled with fury. “You knew they were alive?” Helene’s nostrils flared as she accused us, her manicured nails digging into her palms.

By “they” I figured Harold must have already spilled that he didn’t come back by himself, and I grabbed Tor’s hand, feeling his fear through our bond.

Fury pulsated from my father’s face. “Did you honestly believe we wouldn’t find out?” he snarled, his gaze flitting between me, Torin, and Riley.

“Enough!” Harris’s voice echoed through the dungeon, his laughter mocking us all. I glanced at the cell where my once dead uncle was now very much alive, a wicked grin plastered across his face. A shiver ran down my spine. It was unnerving about seeing him again. Before anyone could respond, dad flicked his wrist, sending a bolt of magic that silenced Harris’s taunts.

“Here’s how this is going to go,” he declared, his voice low and menacing. “None of us will breathe a word about Harris or Gerald to Cordelia.” He turned a threatening glare on Enzo. “Or anyone else, for that matter.”

He glared back but nodded sharply.

My parent’s hard eyes tracked him carefully then flicked to each other. Helene’s lips tightened when her husband turned back to Enzo and commanded, “You leave.”