Page 95 of Jinx

He shrugged and tipped his head in Bel’s direction. “Had to help this asshole.”

I hooked my fingers into his belt loops and pouted up at him. “Well, it really spoiled my fun. Rami said I’m not allowed to maim anyone unless you’re with me.”

He quirked an eyebrow at Rami before winking down at me. “We’ll find them later, little fury.” He gave me another quick kiss before releasing me.

“No Quinn?” When I first saw Bellamy, my heart leapt at having all five of my men around me again, but as soon as I said it, I knew he was still at the academy. His absence remained like a gaping hole in my heart. I’d thought we’d made real progress before he left, but his choice to stay on campus had me feeling a little like a kicked puppy.

“Hey, don’t look like that.” Bel wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me down the sidewalk while Luce stayed back to talk to Ric. “He wants to keep an eye on things to make sure there aren’t any surprises when you get there.”

Yeah, fine. That sounded like Quinn.

Rami, sensing my disappointment, took my hand as he fell into step beside me. “We’ll all be together soon,” he said. “Enjoy tonight.”

I rested my head on his upper arm, nodding against it. “Okay. What’s left on the agenda then?”

He pulled us to a stop and turned me toward an open wrought-iron gate. A bronze plaque read ‘Glenoakes Botanical Garden’.

“How about a picnic in the park?”

I blinked at the lush greenspace beyond the gate, and my vision went watery. After supernatural discoveries, near-death experiences, and divine bonds of the soul, the suggestion was so incredibly mundane.

It was perfect.

“Yes.” I cleared my throat of the emotion clogging it. “I’d love that.” Then I looked again at the sign, and my heart fell. “But it’s closing in fifteen minutes.”

Alaric’s face popped over my shoulder to kiss my cheek. “Not for us.”

I could’ve done a happy dance right there on the sidewalk, giddy with excitement.

Stepping through the gate was like walking into a painting. Swaths of colorful flowers painted the emerald canvas of manicured grass. Dinnerplate dahlias offset towering gladiolus. Stone pathways wove around heirloom hydrangea bushes. A marble fountain bubbled at the center of a circular plaza, the sound a soothing backdrop to the soft twilight.

When I thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, strings of fairy lights twined through the ornamental trees flickered to life. The fading daylight and ethereal glow of the tiny orbs transformed the garden into something magical and breathtaking.

“I want to live here,” I sighed in awe, only half-joking. “Screw the academy, I’m moving into the botanical garden.”

Ric moved behind me, his strong arms circling my waist as he rested his chin on top of my head. “We’ll build you a garden.” His chest rumbled against my back. “When this is all over.”

I leaned further into him. “We’ll need a pergola,” I mused. “With breezy curtains and a king-size daybed.”

“I like the way you think.” He rocked me gently in his embrace.

A happy sound escaped me while the daydream continued to grow. “And an outdoor kitchen.” I turned my head to look at Bellamy, whose face lit up at the suggestion.

“Hell yes,” he agreed with enthusiasm, playing along. “With a pizza oven and a smoker.”

“Perfect.” I beamed at him.

He pecked a kiss on my lips, golden eyes warm. “I’m going to grab our picnic from the car.”

Before I could question, he took three steps into a deepening patch of shadow⁠—

And nothing happened.

“How sweet.” A cold voice sliced through our fantasy like a blade. “She’s playing house now.”

We spun as a unit toward the source, and my stomach dropped as Margo stepped out from behind a thick patch of tall pampas grass. My knees went weak when I caught her eyes. Those chilling voids had haunted me since the last time I saw them set into a face that used to be human.

Quinn had been right. Margo was a mimic now.