Joining us at the table, Fish grabbed the phone next, Sloane leaning forward to also take a look. “Yeah, I think that’s about as solid as it’s going to get, and the excuse of corporate secrecy might deter people from prying too much,” I agreed.
“Sounds like a plan. We should reach out to the listing agent just to cover all bases,” Sloane chimed in. “Send me the link to this, and I’ll give the dude a call later this evening.”
“This town is like Sleepy Hollow. It’s a great place to hide anything. Why would anyone think to look here? The population is what? A thousand? Fifteen hundred?” Fischer spun a pen between his fingers, his eyes locked on it despite his focus wholly being on us. The man was always fidgeting. Being a cognitive mage, he had the ability to feel what everyone around him was feeling, and getting a glimpse into others’ heads wasn’t always the best for his own.
Mental distraction was the only way Fish was able to stay sane: fidgeting, tapping, bouncing his leg, anything to keep himself from getting overwhelmed. After being a part of his life for so many years, we all were able to effectively keep our mental shields up, but the habit was just a part of him now. Radical Training Academy had been amazing in teaching us how to fortify our shields, and not just for his benefit. In our line of work, it was just safer to keep that shit on lock. You never know who could be watching or listening in.
Cam hummed in agreement with Fischer’s thought process. “Larson was vague about what we’re supposed to be looking for here, but that’s what we do best. If there’s something here, we’ll find it. It’s only a matter of time.”
Cam’s fingers flew over the screen of his phone, and a moment later, all of ours went off. We opened the messages, finding the images of Laura that Khol had shown us. There was something about her causing a niggling in the back of my head, but when I mentioned it to the guys, nobody seemed to get the same sensation I did. I stared at it a bit longer, tilting my head as though there was some magic angle that would reveal the secret to me, but it seemed I was shit out of luck for the moment. Maybe it’ll come to me later.
The others had already moved on, and I focused back on them in time to catch Sloane’s question. “Did you guys get a look at the elderly couples mulling around the town square yesterday? I plan to start there; old people love to gossip. If someone’s shady or hiding something, they’ll be a great source of information. I’m going to be good boy Sloane and schmooze the fuck out of these villagers.” He laughed, his face lighting up at the thought.
“I hope you’ve got some solid acting skills. You have to work harder than the average person to achieve good boy status,” I countered; everyone laughed because it was true.
“I’ll open up my walls when we’re out and about today. If anyone feels off, we can keep an eye on them. Saige will also be an asset for information,” Fischer said as he looked to Cam.
“Agreed. This location is actually perfect for this assignment.” Cam nodded as he went to stand from his chair.
Okay, now is probably the best time, so best to just rip the bandaid off...
“So, you know how we’re going to explore the town today and have a barbeque at the park later?” I asked sheepishly, and instantly, I had three gazes burning through me. Thank the stars none of these feral bastards had the power to shoot freaking laser beams out of their eyes. I’d be one sliced up son of a bitch.
“Yes, Kaito. We all remember the conversation we had about that nine hours ago,” Cam deadpanned.
“Well, I invited Saige,” I blurted out.
Sloane snorted. “Of course you did.”
“Don’t be a dick, Sloane. She’s nice, and we all just agreed that she’ll be useful.” I leveled a stare at him from across the table, the animal inside of me sending pulsing waves of warning to everyone in the room.
“Fine.” Sloane raised his hands in mock surrender, looking to Cam as he said, “But we all know that she can’t become a distraction. I don’t care if you guys want to mess around with her, but we’re not here for sex. We’re supposed to be working.”
“Nobody said anything about screwing her,” Fischer spoke up, running a hand through his curly hair.
“Nobody said anything about not screwing her, either. She’s sexy as fuck, and you all know I have these urges.” A huge grin spread across my face, and they all rolled their eyes and groaned.
“Don’t get distracted. This town may seem sleepy and boring, but Larson is a thorough bastard, and he wouldn’t have sent us here if there was nothing to be found. It’s not a vacation,” Cam said, taking his coffee mug to the island to get a refill.
“What’s the plan then, lover boy?” Sloane asked me, holding his coffee cup in the air and waving it around until Cam saw him and grumbled about 'the nerve of some people' before bringing the whole pot to the table.
“I texted her last night and asked if she would be willing to meet us here at two to show us around town. Then we’ll head to the park to chill and grill. That gives us a couple of hours to finish unpacking our clothes, make a list of anything we need to grab from the grocery store, and you guys can work out. I already did my yoga this morning.”
With nods and grunts of agreement, they all began shuffling out of the room, preparing for the adventure to come. Meanwhile, I got to work on a list of what we’d need to buy or bring to the park later, determined not to let Sloane’s grumpiness ruin the mood. This is going to be a fun fucking day. I can feel it.
I was walking beside Saige as she talked, pointing out different landmarks and businesses. She had shown up a few minutes after two, her little fox in tow. Her hair was styled into two french braids, and she looked so fucking innocent and sassy that I kept getting distracted every time I looked at her face. I was just glad I was walking beside her and not behind her like the other guys because her ass in those high-waisted shorts was straight fucking sin, and I was no angel.
“Over there is our single grocery store, Dinner Thyme,” she said loud enough for us all to hear, lifting her left arm to point across the street.
“For fuck’s sake, are you people obsessed with terrible puns?” Sloane grumbled.
Saige wisely ignored him. Maven, however, must’ve seen a kindred spirit in Sloane because he trotted alongside the broody ass, staying close to him throughout the tour. They looked like two peas in a pod. But Sloane had already been warned to be on his best behavior, especially since he was going to try to pull off the biggest scam of this decade: be a good boy. The thought alone almost had me shaking in silent laughter. It wasn’t that Sloane was a bad dude, far from it. He loved big. He hated big. He had big feelings, much to his disgust, and often just didn’t know what to do with all of them, so emotional explosions were fairly common with him. We loved him anyway. He was fiercely loyal and would do anything for someone in need. I just wasn’t understanding why he was having such a fun time poking at Saige every damn moment.
I heard a muffled ‘oomph,’ and then I did let out a chuckle because I knew Cam had likely just punched him. Good. Keep him in line.
“Actually, could we run into the grocery store? I need to grab a couple of things for the picnic,” I asked her. Not waiting for an answer, I grabbed her hand and bounded across the street. Her laughter was music to my ears.
“We’ll just stay out here. Make sure you grab some beer, too. It’s been a minute since we got to relax for an afternoon like this,” Cam said to me, but his gaze bounced back and forth between myself and Saige. He smiled when he looked at her before turning to walk over to Sloane and Fish who were sitting on a bench a little ways down.
Oh, I see you, Big Man.
“What all do you have on your list? I know this store like the back of my hand, so let’s see what we’re looking at here.” She grabbed a shopping cart, and I stepped up right beside her, making her scoot over so we could both push it. She smelled like sunshine, coconuts, and straight up sass.
I grabbed the list of supplies from my back pocket and handed it to her. Just then, her
phone pinged. Pulling it out, she glanced at it and rolled her eyes before stuffing it back in her pocket. It wasn’t the first time today I’d heard her phone blowing up, and she had ignored each and every message. Raising my eyebrow, I silently asked the question, but she waved her hand. “Just a douche. Let me look at your list.” Opening it up, she scanned it quickly. The guys and I were planning to come back, either this afternoon or tomorrow morning, to do a large shop to stock up on everything, so we only needed a few things now.
“Oh, I love sweet corn! And burgers? I’m glad I agreed to come to this cookout; the food sounds like it’s going to be amazing.” Her whole face lit up when she got excited. It was contagious, and I wanted to make it happen as often as possible.
“The food will be spectacular, the company will be superb, and dessert... well, that is to be determined.” I flashed a wolfish grin at her, and her cheeks immediately went rosy.
“You’re an animal,” she whispered.
“You have no idea,” I growled, forcing myself to take a step forward, away from her. In my head, the pacing of four big paws, an agitated flicking of a long furry tail, and the words, ‘Mine, mine, mine, mine,’ played on repeat.
Mother of Saturn, we finally made it to Peridot Park. It was only a ten-minute walk from the downtown area, but I was overwhelmed by the hotness surrounding me. Kai had been looking at me like he wanted to devour me, and I was here for it. Fucking hell.
So far, all of the guys had been chatty with me today, even Sloane. After Cam had punched him for his snark, he had really changed his tune. Thank the stars, because I honestly just wanted to have a fun afternoon with these guys. Cam gave off some serious I’m-always-in-control alpha type vibes. He observed every little detail around him and silently eyed his friends as if he could see their thoughts and would know if there was anything amiss. Yeah, Cam was a protector. He’s definitely the dad of the group, I concluded, and while the other guys had large personalities and their own ideas, it seemed to me that they had enough respect for Cam to indulge his alpha behavior.
It had taken us longer than I’d anticipated to get through our little tour, but that was due to all of the nosy as hell neighbors of mine. They actually had the gumption to approach the group of new guys now that I was with them, instead of just peeking out of their windows and attempting to look like they weren’t interested. Yeah, you know the type.
When you lived in a small town where the tiniest of things were turned into major news, you got used to this behavior. One year, we had a boy who had gotten arrested for performing some dark magic. Everyone had already suspected that he was dabbling in it, but when the cop cars pulled up outside of his parents’ house, you would’ve thought it was a ten car pile up on the I-95. Everyone was on their porches, not even trying to hide their rubbernecking. Phones in hands, snapping pictures, calling their grandmas and twice-removed cousins to let them know that little old Jacky boy was finally going to be locked up, and yes, of course, his mama was crying!
Didn’t faze me anymore. That was just Emerald Lakes. That small town charm that drew in tourists who wanted to escape the bustle of the cities? We had it in spades.
“Is there more than one lake in town?” Cam asked as we all trudged along the paved walkway that wound through thickly wooded areas.
“Yeah, there are a few, but Emerald Lake is the largest, and it’s at the heart of this park. People tend to use the smaller ones for fishing, and the town made some beachy areas that get pretty busy in the summer.” He nodded as I continued. “There are seven pavilions here at Peridot, and they get rented out sometimes for private events like parties or company picnics. My favorite one is where I’m taking you now. It’s within one hundred yards of the lake but tucked away from the playground equipment so it’s also nice and tranquil.”
“Do you get a lot of tourists then?” Fischer spoke up. Suddenly, he was right beside me, and I turned my head to the left to smile at him.
“I mean, a pretty decent amount. We’re a ninety percent magical population here, only ten percent human. Humans do like coming for long weekends and holidays, so that’s where we make most of our money. They get to visit, ohh and ahh over everyday magic, spend some money, then they head back home. Emerald Lakes hosts some large festivals, as well. Halloween is obviously a popular holiday for the magical community, and humans go ape shit for spooky stuff. Who does spooky better than witches?” I raised an eyebrow at him and wiggled my fingers while making “ooooooo” sounds.
Fish laughed and then asked, “How’s the crime rate?”
“Pretty much non-existent, honestly. We all know each other, so if anyone’s in a rough spot, we all tend to step up and take care of our own. Nobody feels the need to steal or vandalize property. It’s really nice feeling so safe,” I confessed.
As we walked around the curve in the sidewalk that ran alongside the expansive lake, I smiled to myself when I saw the old oak tree, her gnarled branches reaching out, riddled with knots that reminded me of an old woman with severe arthritis. Parts of her massive branches dipped underwater before rising out again, reaching for the sun. All of the kids and teens loved this tree, climbing up as high as they could go. There were even some ropes tied to the limbs so you could swing far out into the lake, letting yourself fly for a few moments before you crashed into the beautiful green water.
“Guys, this is my favorite tree in the whole world,” I told them as I broke from the pack and walked up to the giant.
Kai whistled, holding his hand over his brow to block the sun while he peered towards the sky. “Wow. That thing’s gotta be eighty to one hundred feet tall, easy.”
“She’s eighty-eight feet tall and still growing. A few years ago, she’d been pretty sickly with something called oak wilt. I spent days trying different spells until I was finally able to stop further damage from occurring, and if you look over here, you can barely see where the worst parts were.” I motioned for them to follow.
The dark spots that I’d healed years ago had been nearly invisible, so you could imagine my surprise when around the edges of those scars, the color was darkening from a healthy brown to a darker shade. Not black, but still, this was different than the last time I’d checked on her. To anyone else, this wouldn’t raise concerns, but I suddenly felt antsy with the need to push some power into the twisted giant.
The guys walked around the base of the tree, showing a genuine interest in what I was talking about, and that made me smile softly. My smile only grew when Kai began to climb over the branches with the grace of a cat. They all began messing around, typical bro behavior, so I seized the opportunity to press my palm to the troublesome areas on the trunk and pushed some magic, the spots fading instantly. Satisfied, I stepped back and raised my voice to make sure all of the guys would hear me when I pointed to the pavilion that was just down the way.
Walking toward the destination, I explained, “This is it. There’s a charcoal grill over here, and you guys can just toss your stuff down on the picnic tables. It’ll be safe. Like I said, no thieves to be found.” I walked over to the closest table and set my backpack down before climbing onto the tabletop and sitting with my feet on the bench.
“Awesome location, Sprout,” Kai murmured while he began unloading his backpack and the groceries.
“Sprout? You’ve given her a pet name already?” Sloane’s exasperation at the nickname was obvious, especially when he ran a hand through his dark hair and then facepalmed. Maven snorted his agreement, and I shot the little traitor a dirty look.
“I mean, it kind of suits me. I am a green witch.” I walked out from under the pavilion toward a small flowerbed, and sparks of gold lit up along my fingers before I flicked them at the barely blooming flowers. Little flower sprouts began to rise to the glorious sun before opening up. Grow, little babies. Stooping down, I gathered a few of them all into my hand, letting my magic dissipate. Gathering up the stems, I handed the little bouquet to Kai, watching as he held them up to his face and inhale
d deeply. A giggle escaped me at his antics and then full out laughter when he’d tried to toss me a saucy wink and instead started sneezing seconds later.
“That was so cool. I’ve never actually been around a green witch long enough to experience their magical abilities. You’ll have to show me what else you’re capable of some time,” Fischer exclaimed, genuine fascination shining through his voice.
I smiled at him. “Anytime, Fish.”
An expression I couldn’t decipher flitted across his features, and I blushed furiously at my boldness. “Oh my moons, is it okay if I call you Fish? I’ve just heard everyone else saying it. I’m sorry-”
Holding up a hand, he cut me off from apologizing further. “It’s okay. You can call me Fish. It’s my nickname, so don’t give it a second thought.” He smiled in reassurance.
Whew.
He really was a beautiful man. Dark bronze skin, with light, oak-colored eyes that looked like they were glowing. The best way I could describe his body was beefcake. A deliciously yummy, beefy cake. With broad shoulders and big arms, he was seriously edible. His dark hair was longer, not quite to his shoulders, and it had thick bouncy curls that any woman would be jealous of. Before I could process what I was doing, I ran my hand through his hair.
Girl, you do not belong in the public eye. What are you doing? But oh, so soft. Can I rub my body on it?
Surprisingly, it was Cam’s deep as fuck rumbling laughter that had my eyes widening before I snatched my hand back. Fischer was staring at me with an expression I couldn’t place, but if a dude had done that to me, I would be thinking of an escape plan right the fuck now. Why am I so fucking weird?
“Oh, moon maidens! I am so, so sorry. I don’t know what came over me just then. I was just thinking about how you’re the definition of a beefcake, then I got focused on that glorious mane of curls...” Fischer, bless him, was smiling and nodding despite his cheeks reddening. He was taking my forwardness really well, thank goodness. Best not to have them thinking I’m going to be some kind of creeper that lurks and waits for the best moment to feel up their hair. That would be awkward. All four of the guys were now staring at me with varying degrees of amusement, Sloane laughing the loudest.
The Magic of Discovery: Emerald Lakes Book One Page 5