Under A Voodoo Moon (Darkin World Book 4)

Chapter Eight

Gideon skidded to a stop around the corner from the bar. Not many people were willing to brave the elements. The twentieth arrondissement was a ghost town. Nose sticking around the edge of the building he was hiding behind, he saw Trystan leave the bar. At least the human wasn't alone with Remi anymore.

Embarrassment filled Gideon as he pulled his nose back around the building. When he tasted magic in the air for a second time and saw Remi act the way she did, he reacted without much thought. He hadn't meant to cause a mess, especially not all over the mystic's clothes. When the bartender told Gideon to leave, he'd done so without a fight. The look of shock and disgust on Remi's face would stay with him for a long time.

As Gideon made his way to the outskirts of town, his thoughts turned to Trystan. Back when they'd first met that May night, he'd been curious about Remi and her boyfriend. Being on the run, there'd been little he could find out about her life. But one thing was certain from his research. Trystan was one hundred percent human. Now, that conviction wavered. Had Gideon missed something?

There were instances of humans tapping into magics they had no real knowledge of how to use. Was that where Trystan's had come from?

Another thing bothered Gideon. When Trystan put an odd substance in his drink, at first, he'd thought it a drug. But it smelled like gun powder. He didn't know of any narcotic that did. That left a likely, main ingredient for a spell.

Whatever had happened, it was something Gideon probably should inform the shifter ruler about since Trystan could very well be possessed. Demon magic was as foreign to Gideon as human abilities. Therefore, the gunpowder could've been powering a demonic spell. Now that Remi was a mystic, she'd likely draw all sorts of unsavory types to her. Ones that wouldn't have her best interest at heart.

A shard of guilt stabbed Gideon in the stomach. He hadn't told his king he'd found a mystic. So the tale of Trystan would require finesse.

Mystics were a rare, highly valued, and much sought-after brand of human. Wolfrick Jaeger would likely jump at the chance to have one in his employ and wouldn't use her as others would. But Gideon didn't want Remi in his violent, dodgy world. He was trying to shield her from it and those who would exploit her gift.

Once all signs of civilization faded, Gideon's lope came to a halt. Within the next step, he pulled his human self to the fore. His clothes, wallet, keys, and phone came into being with the change. Gideon didn't know where they were stored while he was in wolf form, only knew he was able to call them to him with the transformation. Young witches, he'd learned, who had a similar ability, could only perfect the talent once they stopped questioning the how and simply accepted it was possible.

Opening his coat, Gideon grabbed his mobile from an inner pocket. Hesitating, he briefly wondered if he should call his king and fill Wolfrick in on what had transpired at the bar. Upon reflection, there wasn't much to tell. Gideon only had his instincts telling him something was off with Trystan, nothing concrete. Besides, he wanted to keep Remi from learning about the races, and them from learning about her. Shielding her from the brutality and many millennia's old prejudices was fast becoming his top priority. If he told his king about Trystan, the topic of Remi and what she was would likely come to the fore. Then, she'd be dunked headfirst into a cold, unfamiliar reality.

Unfortunately, Gideon realized he could only protect her as his beast. His human half was becoming far too invested in the little seer. He couldn't be trusted, Gideon thought as he dialed a number. On the fifth ring, it was answered. "Tell me you are leaving my city," Henri Brassard said by way of greeting.

Gideon chuckled softly. "I'm afraid I won't be making your dreams come true today." A deep-throated groan sounded in his ear, then he continued, "I need to place an order."