It was a commercial area and, at this time of night, the sidewalks were empty, the stores lit only for security. Even the cafes had long since closed. We shared the road with a single sports car, cutting through on its way elsewhere.

“One block over,” Griffin said. “You want me to drive by?”

“In this monster?” Paige murmured under her breath. “Might as well have cherries on the roof.”

“The vehicle is quite distinctive,” I said. “To Carlos or anyone else associated with the Cabal. Just find a parking lot…or perhaps an empty lot will be just as obvious.”

“Will it fit in an alley or service road?” Paige asked.

“I’ll try.”

He drove half a block, and wedged into a service lane so tight that Paige had to slide over and get out my side. I closed the door quietly, but the click still seemed to ring out like a gunshot.

If there was anything more obvious than driving a massive SUV through the empty streets, it was sneaking down them trailed by a six-foot-four bodyguard.

At the end of the service road, I lifted a hand to stop, then whispered, “Paige and I will look to the north and Griffin, you can continue—”

A slow shake of his head, arms crossed.

“I’ll go north,” Paige said. “You two continue—”

Another head shake. Paige and I exchanged a look, contemplating our chance of making a run for it. Tempting, but for a forty-year-old of his size, Griffin was surprisingly fast.

I was hoping to find a convenient alley that would lead us to our destination. Of course there wasn’t one. As I considered the absurd problem of getting to our target, I was aware of time ticking.

“We can use blur spells,” Paige said. “Griffin can follow with his armor intact. He’ll seem to be alone, and he’s safe from anything they can throw at him.”

As we headed north, Griffin stayed close to the storefronts, hidden in shadow, his footfalls remarkably soft, his presence betrayed only by the occasional scuff on uneven pavement.

As we closed in on the GPS location, the street looked identical to the one behind us—lined with closed shops and no signs of life.

What would Carlos be doing here?

The signal had originated a half block east. I squinted in that direction.

Paige whispered, “An art gallery, a vegan restaurant and, I think, a boutique.”

Clearly it was time to consider rescheduling that optometrist appointment I’d missed last fall.

“Someone really should circle around behind,” Paige said, glancing at Griffin, standing with his back to the building so he could spot all comers. “He’ll let me leave before he’ll let you.”

Not the solution I’d prefer, but she was right.

“Go,” I said, before I could think better of it. “I’ll be—”

“—watching out for me.” She smiled. “I know.”

LUCAS 14

LUCAS

14