The man stopped in the center of the hall, below a chandelier that was catching and throwing the light streaming in a far window, and framed by a high arch sparkling with gold trim. It would’ve been an excellent photo op. He seemed like the kind of guy who knew it.

“Escort her out,” he said, talking to a petite woman with tight curls and a pink suit. She smiled pleasantly, motioned at a few others, and headed toward Lydia.

“You have no authority here.” Lydia pointed behind him. “You will leave. Now!”

“Not until we have this situation rectified,” the man said patiently, but steel lined his words. “Attacking another Demigod in this underhanded way is highly frowned upon. You know that, Lydia. I wouldn’t be doing my duty to the magical community if I didn’t step in. As the closest Demigod on hand, I have an obligation to keep order.”

His soul burned black and his smile said this had nothing to do with helping another Demigod and everything to do with checkmate. Which was fine by me, all things considered.

The previously pleasant-looking woman with the tight curls grabbed Lydia’s broken arm and twisted it brutally. Lydia screamed before the woman’s team bodily picked her up and hustled her out.

“Stand down,” the man said to Lydia’s people. “This is Demigod business. It is not worth you dying over.”

Her people shifted and swayed, exchanging furtive looks, but the man didn’t seem to notice. He was already crossing the room to me, just as self-assured as when he’d walked in.

I stiffened when he stopped in front of me and his gaze roamed my face. Something changed in his eyes, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“You’ve created quite a mess here.” He gave a glance around the room to punctuate his words. “You certainly have your mother in you. She could turn the most organized situation into a madhouse, laughing all the while. You look just like her. Except for the eyes, of course. Those you got from me.”

32

Alexis

I gaped, my mouth opening and closing like a fish’s. I’d seen a couple of pictures of him, but he’d been younger in them. Diminished, somehow. They hadn’t at all done him justice. Despite a vague sense of recognition, I hadn’t even recognized him!

“Magnus.” Kieran entered the room from the far right. In all the commotion, I hadn’t felt him coming. His face was pale, he’d lost his jacket, his shirt was wrinkled and his hair stood on end, but for all that, he looked just as cool and collected as the man standing in front of me.

“Ah.” The man turned slightly, allowing for Kieran’s entry. Could this smooth, collected man really be Magnus? He didn’t at all seem like the horrible tyrant kid killer whose staff member had caused Jack’s death. Being around him put me at ease rather than set me on edge. Was that his gift—no one saw his ill deeds coming? It had certainly worked with Lydia. Perhaps it was a trait of Hades Demigods. Dylan had tried to warn us.

“We finally meet.” Magnus closed the distance to Kieran and stuck out his hand. “So glad to make your acquaintance.”

“Likewise, of course.” Kieran’s shake was short, and he quickly brushed by Magnus, his eyes landing on me and devouring every inch. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Jerry, Donovan, and Boman entered the hall, looking a good deal more shaken than Kieran. Boman jogged to Thane, and so many emotions were already running through me that I didn’t allow that to distract me. Thane’s soul still glowed as it should. He wasn’t critical. Not yet. I’d hold his soul in place later, if it came to that.

“Yes,” I said, grabbing his arms. “Are you?”

Kieran slid an arm around my shoulders and pulled me in close as he turned to face Magnus, who had resumed his place in front of me.

“What went on here today has been recorded,” Kieran said, and Magnus raised his hand.

“I am well aware. And you are aware, I’m sure, the unedited version was sent to me. I will not deny that, when presented with an opportunity to get my daughter and her incredible magic in my house, I was all ears.”

Amber, who likely orchestrated all of this, must’ve edited the live stream to remove the part about Lydia contacting Magnus. Only she’d kept the footage to let Magnus know he owed us a favor. Kieran now had something to keep Magnus in line for a moment. Or so I hoped.

“I assume the desire to…grab Alexis is why you are here now,” Kieran said, his voice hard. “You were looking for an opportunity.”

“I had an opportunity.” Magnus’s subtle smile held dangerous secrets. “A perfect opportunity came and went before any of this even started. She stepped into spirit to solve a riddle. I could’ve easily grabbed her. Instead, I helped her figure out another little slice of her magic, and then off she went to find the source of the problem.”

My stomach rolled and my mouth dropped all the way to the floor.

The grumpy guy!

Magnus was the grumpy shadow guy who had been lurking around in spirit, helping me?

It couldn’t be!

My mind spun. He’d shoved me out of spirit and back into my body countless times. At first, I’d considered those interventions an annoyance, but ultimately I’d come to realize the shadow person was helping me, saving me from dangers I didn’t yet understand. He’d saved my life! He’d also helped me figure things out, pushing me in the right direction or showing me how to do something when the concepts were complex.

I couldn’t do anything but stare as my mind tried to fit this information into the larger picture. Magnus had sent someone to kidnap me! He’d spied on me at home and devised a plan to take me away from Kieran, and said plan had gotten Jack killed. My kids had very nearly been casualties too. Not to mention he could’ve stepped in to help me today way before he had. He’d hung out in the area because of this meeting, probably hoping to poach me from Lydia if she succeeded. He was not a good guy—his history and reputation made that perfectly clear.

So why had he helped me?

Another thought shook my world.

He’d known about me before the battle with Valens had introduced me to the world. He must’ve. He’d helped me before anyone beyond Kieran and our group had known about my magical type. I didn’t know how to disguise myself when in spirit—I wasn’t a shadow there. No one else had magic like mine, and I could’ve only come from a few people. If he knew I had his eyes, and he knew my mother…

“Now what?” Kieran asked Magnus, holding me tightly against him. “The cameras are still rolling.”

“Yes, they are. My team is trying to wrest control from Amber. They aren’t having much success. She started out excellent, and Valens made her exceptional. He had a knack for seeking out those with potential and building them up to greatness.” Magnus paused for a moment, and the pointed look he gave Kieran said it all. Valens had done the same thing with Kieran, and Magnus recognized it. He was giving Kieran a nod of respect. “Did you know I offered her a job?”

“Yes. She used it as a bartering chip.”

Magnus chuckled. “Of course she did. Clever woman.” His gaze slid to the side, landing on Dylan. “And you’ve resurrected the dead. You’re Amell Maccini, correct?”