Page 76 of Malice

“Get weapons ready.”

“Which ones?”

“All of them.” I end the call and hyper focus on the Patrick drama for the next several miles, telling Xavier about the jerk who breaks up with Leo anytime they start to get close. Xavier listens intently, reaching over to take my hand. He knows I’m not really telling him about my brother’s situationship drama but am trying to distract myself.

God, I love that man.

We go around back, entering the Russo compound from the side door. Right before I can punch in the code, Leo opens the door. Xavier steps right in, holding my hand as we enter.

“Um, I was going to say I invite you in,” Leo starts. “But I guess you don’t need to be invited?”

“He’s been here before,” I quickly explain, moving in so the others can follow. “I invited him and I think I had just been, uh, removed so the house maybe thought I was still a resident? I actually have no idea how that rule works.”

“Ditto,” he says and welcomes the rest of the party inside.

“This is where you grew up?” Devon asks, though it’s more of a statement as he looks around. The compound gives both bootcamp and boarding school vibes, with an interesting mix of personal items and a sterile, corporate setting.

“Brings back memories,” Mabel says softly, holding Zeke’s hand with an iron grip. “We had a place like this, too.” Right, she was raised in the Order as well…just like a hundred years ago. “Crazy, things haven’t changed too much.”

“The Order can be set in their ways,” Antonio says and sets a bag of weapons down. Leo leads us into the dining room, which looks very much like a cafeteria. I’ve sat at this long table many times, listening to the older Order members discussing complicated hunts, going over rules and a game plan.

“I’m guessing you already know there’s a rumor going around you’re into sisters,” Leo starts, looking at Antonio snuggly.

“Yes,” Antonio replies flatly. “We’re handling it.”

Leo raises his eyebrows, silently questioning Antonio saying “we”. “Of course, those photos are being circulated in our circle, too. No one thinks you and Wren are bumping nasties, but the rumor you’re a vampire seems much more plausible because Antonio Russo, the Order’s golden boy, would never be seen parading around with the Malus vampires.”

I put the bag of spell supplies on the table. “What did you say in response?”

“Nothing yet,” Leo says. “By some miracle, I've been able to avoid it. That’s partly why I chose to stay in tonight.”

Antonio gives him a look. “I’m sure Patrick being in town had nothing to do with it.”

“It was a good cover.”

“Is that all it is?” Now it’s my turn to stare at Leo dubiously.

He looks me straight in the eyes. “Yes.”

“Wren,” Xavier says softly and I nod, knowing I need to get to work. We set up for the spell and I hold a cross necklace that belongs to Vivian. It was a Mother’s Day gift from Larissa years ago, and she wore it any day she wasn’t on a hunt.

I clear my mind, take a breath, and focus on the spell. Everything is laid out and ready. Picking up the necklace, I close my eyes and chant.

“Ad te clamo. Te ipsum revela. Ostende mihi locum tuum. Ad te clamo. Te ipsum revela. Ostende mihi locum tuum.”

The herbs vibrate, moving fast this time. We put out a map of the whole USA, not sure where Vivian would be. From there, we’ll narrow it down. They gather in a spot in central North Carolina.

“She’s still here?” I ask and then wait as Devon and Zeke quickly transfer things to a map of North Carolina. I need to give Devon credit for being so thorough and prepared with all the maps.

I repeat the entire process again, and the herbs move into place.

“The Seely Castle?” Devon questions, looking at the map. “She’s at the Seely Castle right here in Asheville?”

“Fred Seely was a big supporter of the Order,” Antonio explains. “He supported the actual cause of hunters protecting humanity, and it was because of his donations that there are so many hunters in this area today.”

“Huh,” I say, learning something new. I’m sure it was taught to me at some point but didn’t seem important enough to remember. “Why would Vivian be there though?”

“She’s not at Overlook Castle,” Antonio goes on. “But she’s on the grounds. There’s a carriage house kept out of the public eye that has been offered as a safe house for hunters for the last hundred years or so.”