Wings and Blades Academy: The Complete Series by Annabel Chase

Author:Annabel Chase [Chase, Annabel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
Published: 2024-09-30T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I returned to the city the next day, anxious to see if Rafe and Liesel had learned anything new—and anxious to see Rafe, of course. Rafe wasn’t at the loft, so I flew to Liesel’s and saw them on the balcony of the library. Liesel sat in a beach chair with an iced tea in the cup holder. She wore a wide-brimmed sun hat and a one-piece bathing suit. Rafe paced the balcony in a tight circle, his whole body tense. I swooped down and landed on the balcony.

“Cassia, you’re back.” Liesel tilted up her head to glimpse me from beneath her hat. “Isn’t that delightful, Rafe?”

Rafe stopped pacing long enough to smile at me. “Yes, it is.”

“Taking advantage of the warm weather?” I asked.

“Might as well,” Liesel said. “We’re still waiting on the pey demon’s autopsy results.”

“Should be any minute now,” Rafe said.

“Because you pestered them to no end,” Liesel said. “You’re making me dizzy. Either sit down or stand still.”

“Where does that leave us in the meantime?” I asked.

“In a holding pattern,” he replied. “Good thing we have the stone.”

“And they have the other one,” I reminded him.

“Yes, but they’re useless apart,” Rafe said.

Liesel smiled. “Like you two.”

“Very funny.” Rafe blew air from his nostrils. “Have I mentioned how frustrating this is?”

“Not in actual words,” Liesel said. “More like in sour expressions and a lot of grumbling.”

Rafe’s phone vibrated and he tugged it from his pocket. His sour expression evaporated as he read the text. “Hallelujah.”

“What is it?” I peered at his phone, but the bright sunlight prevented me from getting a good look at the text.

“Hopefully a lead.” He reviewed the text more closely. “No cause of death yet, but they did find traces of ginger, peppermint, and cucumber in his system.” A slow smile spread across Rafe’s face. He was handsome even when he scowled, but his smile elevated him to a whole different level.

I cast a quick glance at Liesel. “His last meal?” And not a very good one.

“They’re ingredients in a potion associated with portal use,” Liesel said. “Keeps you from vomiting if your system can’t handle the jump.”

“How does that help us?” I asked. “He was a demon. Maybe he was traveling back and forth to the Nether.”

“What if he wasn’t?” Rafe asked. “What if he was traveling back and forth somewhere else?”

“You think he might be connected to the gray market?” I asked.

Rafe clapped his hands together. “The book is still missing, right? It hasn’t turned up on the black market.”

“Because they haven’t been able to open it,” I said. “It’s worthless without the information inside.”

“It’s worth exploring,” Rafe said. “It could be evidence of a new portal.”

“Not only that,” Liesel added, “but he’s been there very recently, hence the potion.”

“Which means the market is either happening now or about to be open for business again and he’s on the set-up crew.” Rafe punched the air. “We’re going to find it this time. I feel it in my bones.”

“I’d still like to know the cause of death,” Liesel said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.