Shadowland (The Immortals #3)

“I stopped by your work.” Haven studies me closely, gaze moving from my hair, to the black silk cord holding my amulet, just barely visible at the base of my tee, before settling back on my face.

I nod briefly before returning my attention to Honor, watching as she laughs with Stacia and Craig and the rest of the A-list crew as though everything were normal—but it’s not. Not for her. She’s dipping into magick now—a serious student of the craft, according to Jude. All without her ringleader’s consent.

“Thought maybe we could grab lunch or something, but the hot guy behind the counter said you were busy.” Fingers picking at the frosting on her chai-latte cupcake, gaze never once straying from me.

Miles looks up from his phone, brows merged, eyes darting between us. “Excuse me? There’s a hot guy and nobody informed me?”

I turn toward them, Haven’s words just now making an impact. She went to my work! She knows where I work! What else might she know?

“Oh, he’s hot all right.” Haven nods, still looking at me. “Muy caliente, for sure. But apparently Ever’s determined to keep it a secret. Didn’t even know he existed ’til I saw for myself.”

“How’d you know where I work?” I ask, trying to keep it casual, nonchalant, not let on just how alarmed I really am.

“The twins told me.”

This just went from bad to even worse.

“I ran into them at the beach. Damen’s teaching them to surf.”

I smile, but it’s a feeble one that feels false on my face.

“Guess that explains why you didn’t tell us about your new job—you didn’t want your best friends moving in on your hottie coworker.”

Miles stares at me, abandoning his texting for something far juicier.

“He’s my boss.” I shake my head. “And it’s not like it’s a secret or anything, I just haven’t had a chance to mention it, that’s all.”

“Yes, because our lunchtime chats are so scintillating you just couldn’t squeeze it in. Please.” Haven rolls her eyes. “So not buying it.”

“Um, hello? Descriptors would be nice about now!” Miles leans forward, face eager, eyes darting between us.

But I just shrug, watching as Haven smiles and sets down her cupcake, brushing the crumbs from her black denim lap as she says, “Picture the tannest, most aqua-eyed, hot-bodied, rockin’ the golden dreadlocks, laid-back surfer boy, hottie of the entire McHottie clan that you can even possibly imagine—then times it by ten and that’s him.”

“Seriously?” Miles gapes, staring at me. “Like, for reals?”

I sigh, tearing my sandwich to shreds as Haven says, “Trust me, words cannot describe the extreme measure of hotness. The only ones who can even come close are Damen and Roman, but then, they’re pretty much in a class by themselves, so they don’t really count. How old is he anyway?” She looks at me. “Seems too young to be a boss.”

“Nineteen.” I shrug, not wanting to talk about work, Jude, or pretty much anything else on that list. This is exactly the kind of thing Damen warned me about. The kind of thing I need to avoid. “Speaking of hotties, how’s Josh?” I smile, making for a pretty awkward segue but hoping it’ll work.

Watching her aura waver and flare as she focuses on her cupcake and says, “It ended the second he tried to give me the kitten. You should’ve seen him, smiling as though it was some miraculous gift.” She rolls her eyes and rips her cupcake in half. “I mean, seriously. How clueless can you get?”

“He was just trying to be nice—” Miles starts, but Haven isn’t having it.

“Please.” She scowls. “If he truly understood what I was going through, he never would’ve pushed some Charm replacement on me. Some adorable kitty that’s only real destiny is to die once I’ve grown extremely attached to her so I can experience the maximum amount of pain and suffering.”

Miles rolls his eyes as I say, “It doesn’t always have to be like that—”

But she cuts right in. “Oh really? Name one thing—one living thing—that doesn’t either die or leave you or both? Last time I asked you that question, you choked. So, Miles, you with the rolling eyes and smirking lips, go ahead, knock yourself out, name one thing that—”

Miles shakes his head, hands raised in surrender, hating all confrontation and gladly forfeiting the game before it can start.

Haven smirks, satisfied with our combined failure when she says, “Trust me, all I did was beat him to the chase. It would’ve ended eventually anyway.”

“Well.” Miles shrugs, returning to his text. “For what it’s worth, I liked him. I thought you were good together.”

“Then you date him.” Haven smirks, tossing a cupcake sprinkle his way.

“No thanks. Too skinny and cute.” He smiles. “Now Ever’s boss on the other hand—”

I glance at Miles, checking his aura and seeing he’s mostly joking—mostly.

“His name’s Jude.” I sigh, resigned to the conversation coming full circle again. “And as far as I can tell he only likes girls that don’t like him back, but you’re welcome to take your best shot.” I close my lunch pack, zipping it shut with an uneaten apple, bag full of chips, and a shredded sandwich inside.

“Maybe you should invite him to my going away party,” Miles says. “You know, so I can treat myself to a nice long good-bye.” He brushes his hand through his cropped brown hair and laughs.

“About that—” Haven says, eyes partially obscured by the false eyelashes she’s been experimenting with. “My mom just tore up the den—like literally tore it up. Carpet ripped out, furniture cleared, walls knocked down—which, on the one hand, is nice since there’s no way they can sell the house when it’s all ripped up like that, but it also means there’s no way we can party at my house so I was hoping—”

“Sure.” I nod, met by two faces so shocked I’m ashamed. Realizing their regular visits to my house, our Friday-night pizza eating, Jacuzzi-soaking ritual, ended the moment Damen entered my life. But now that he’s gone—or at least determined to stay away for a while—maybe it’s time to start up again.

“You sure Sabine won’t mind?” Miles asks, voice hopeful but cautious.

I shake my head. “As long as you don’t mind Munoz dropping by, it’s all good.” I roll my eyes.

“Munoz? You mean the history teacher?” They gape. My two best friends looking as shocked and bug-eyed as I was when I first found out.

“They’re dating.” I nod, knowing as much as I hate it, I certainly can’t stop it.

Haven pushes her royal blue bangs off her face and leans toward me. “Wait—let me get this straight, your aunt Sabine is dating the hottie history teacher?”

“Who’s hot for teacher now?” Miles laughs, nudging her arm.

But Haven just shrugs. “Please. Don’t act like you haven’t noticed. I mean, as far as old guys go, especially ones who wear glasses and khakis, he’s smokin’.”

“Please don’t call him smokin’.” I laugh in spite of myself. “And just so you know, at night he ditches the specs and swaps the Dockers for designer denim.”

Haven smiles, rising from the bench. “That’s it then. Party at your house. This I’ve got to see.”

“Is Damen coming?” Miles slips his phone in his pocket, eyeing me carefully.

“Um—I don’t know—maybe.” I shrug, pressing my lips together and scratching my arm so fervently I may as well wear a sign that says: HEY—CHECK ME OUT! I’M LYING! “I mean, he’s pretty busy these days looking after the twins and all—”

“Is that why he’s blown off school all week?” Haven asks.

I nod, mumbling some nonsense about taking his finals early, but my heart isn’t in it, and it shows. Seeing them nod in assent, but only to appease me, their eyes and auras say otherwise, they’re not buying a word of it.

“Just make sure Jude’s there,” Miles says, the mere mention of his name making my stomach dance.

“Yeah, I’ll need him as a backup in case my date doesn’t work out like I hope.” Haven smiles.

“You have a date?” Miles and I both say, voices blending as we take a moment to gawk.

“Who?” I ask.

Just as Miles says, “That was fast!”

But Haven just smiles, waving over her shoulder as she heads for class, singing, “You’ll see!”