Chaos Burning by Lauren Dane Read Free Book Online

as she simply took the space in. Where the energy was very, very human out front, this part was thick with Other magick. Witches here, yes. Also some Weres, a tiny bit of that Veil magick so probably Fae, though perhaps Simon wasn’t the only Lycian. Vampires off in a booth in a far corner. Magick, warm and enticing, flowed through the space and she breathed deep.
    “They’re already at the table.” Gage pointed to a table where Meriel, Dominic, Simon and a few others already sat. When Meriel caught sight of them, she waved them over.
    “There you are. I was wondering if you got lost.” Meriel scooted over to make room for them to join the group.
    “I caught her out front dancing.”
    She shrugged with a grin. “I like to dance. Also I was out for a walk and bumped into someone. I’ll tell you about that when we’re not in public.”
    Meriel’s attention sharpened as she leaned in. “Problem?”
    “Potentially. If it was an emergency, I would have called you straightaway.”
    Dominic stood and held his hand out. “We can discuss this in my office.”
    Simon stood as well. “Your office just had new paint. It stinks in there. We can use mine.”
    Lark wasn’t sure what she’d expected of Simon’s office. She’d been in his home so she knew he had good taste, but his office, like his home, was elegant and incredibly masculine.
    “Nice.” She sat on a small leather couch and waited for everyone else before she recounted the story she’d heard from Calder.
    “Calder? Filed teeth?” Simon asked.
    “Yeah. He a friend of yours?”
    “He’s sort of related. One of my half brothers, Cardinian, his mother is a demon. Calder is a relation.”
    “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
    “Card’s mother, my second-mother, is one of the best beings I know. Not all her family is. She came to us after a long road of suffering. But Calder is one of us who lives here most of the time. Not to harm. Just to be away from the politics back home, if I remember correctly.” Simon knew exactly what that was like.
    “He can be trusted then.” Meriel sat back, thinking.
    Lark played with one of her earrings. “I don’t know that it’s anything for us to be alarmed at. I mean, clearly it’s alarming, don’t get me wrong. But we don’t know much more than what he said. I’ll spend some time down in the archives to see what I can find. Sheila knows her stuff.”
    Dominic looked to Simon, catching his eye. “Is this something you might be able to speak to your second-mother about?”
    A trip home. Longing filled him for a moment. “It might.I’ll try Calder first.” He turned to Lark. “You want to come with me? When I meet Calder?”
    Her eyes widened. Funny how some women got that same face when they got jewelry or other baubles but hers lit up over interviewing someone. Odd woman.
    “Yes, I’d really like that. He wasn’t all that bad once I broke his nose.”
    He laughed. Odd, but endearing. “That’s like a mating dance in my culture.”
    She grinned.
    They moved back out to their table.
    “I’d like a shot. What do you have, Simon?”
    “Is that a challenge?”
    “It wasn’t. But it totally is now.”
    “You’re dandelion fluff. A sweet little pixie. I can drink you under the table simply because I’m a foot taller and a great deal heavier.”
    She shrugged. “If you say so.”
    One brow raised, he had a server bring over a bottle of tequila and some shot glasses.
    “I’m hungry. Do you have food here?”
    He also sent an order to the kitchen for a tray of appetizers to be sent over.
    “Ready?” He poured two shots.
    “I was born ready. Grr.” She saluted him and took the shot, licking her lips.
    The tequila was top-shelf so it went down smooth and easy.
    “Are you wearing socks on your hands? Why?” She was such a mishmash of styles and colors. It amused him.
    She smiled and he liked the openness of her features when she did. “They’re not socks.” She wiggled her fingers, the