Tainted roots

Over ten minutes later, we entered the restaurant—more like a bar with food than an actual restaurant. High-top tables made out of a black stone filled the room, the tables varied in size from two-seaters to six, complete with high-backed chairs. In the back corner of the room was a doorway, that Reed said led to a downstairs area for games—very different than those in the human realm.

There was a decent crowd in here today, with half of the tables full. While the rest of us found a table, Ander went downstairs where the attack was said to of happened, while Reed went up to the bar and ordered for us.

We left the seat closest to the wall for Ander, knowing he preferred to have his back protected, and engaged in some small talk with Reed when he joined us. I couldn't focus on the conversation, shifting my focus around the room as if I would actually find any damage.

When Ander finally emerged from the doorway, Reed lit the black privacy candle in the middle of the table. "So what happened here? The only thing the reports said, was that there was a violent outburst," Ari said as soon as Ander took his seat, his expression giving away nothing.

Reed shifted forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Apparently, two elemental men attacked and tortured a woman out of nowhere—she's fine, they didn't do any long-term damage."

This was some new shit, I hadn't heard any reports on Mythic’s being tortured. All of the reports made it seem like, the outbursts resulted in destroyed property, and yes some were hurt in the process, but they made it sound like collateral damage. "Has she said why they were attacking her?"

Reed shook his head and pursed his lips. "They’ve been kept away from others while they're being questioned. I think they've even called in a sorcerer to help."

I shot a glance around at the pristine room again, not really surprised to find it this way. "How much damage was done?"

"Nearly every table was broken downstairs, and several up here. They even knocked down a whole wall." Reed pointed at the wall behind Ander. Without magic, these incidents and the damage they brought, would've been more catastrophic on our realm than they already were. "Did you find anything downstairs?"

Ander rubbed his chin as his eyes drifted back to the doorway. "Whoever cleaned downstairs did a poor job, I managed to find two blood samples. I'll have to study it further later on...there's some weird interference, I know it's elemental blood, but it's not normal."

Ander's obvious confusion left me more than a little unsettled, and I didn't like the sound of interference, whatever the fuck that meant. "Anything else? Any magic that would indicate why this is happening?"

"Other than a shit ton of elemental magic—which is to be expected—I felt a tinge of magic similar to the interference, but every time I tried to get a lock on it, it slipped out of reach." Ander shook his head, pursing his lips. "How many incidents have there been?"

Reed frowned as he looked up at the ceiling, mentally counting. "Nine Mythics have lost time, and three have gone missing." Reed's dark eyes returned to us, the carefree and joking friend I'd come to know was nowhere to be seen.

Ari let out a low whistle, while I gasped. "How long has this been going on?"

"About a month," Reed replied, lacing his fingers together on the table.

"Is this why you came here so suddenly?" Harmony asked after gaping at him.

"My sister's mate was the first to blackout, and unfortunately, they didn't believe him when he said he couldn't remember. They put him on trial for killing and torturing another Mythic unprovoked. I came here to help Rosie clear his name, and find out what really happened."

I wasn't the only one that gasped at this. None of the reports mentioned murder—which when I thought about it, wasn't all too surprising. Reed's sudden departure now made so much sense.

"When another incident happened not even a week later, they changed their stance and began considering the possibility he wasn't lying. Then reports started coming in from other courts, and we knew there was something bigger at play."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Ander sighed, wiping a hand down his face.

Reed's eyes flashed toward me and then away. "You had other things you needed to worry about."

It didn't take a genius to realize he was referring to me. I suspected he knew what happened to me, no doubt the others caught him up to speed, and for that I was thankful. Because there was no way in hell I wanted to even mention him, much less rehash all the depressing details.

Even thinking about having to talk about him and answering questions, had my throat and stomach clenching.

"If this happened before the attack in the lunar eclipse, then it stands to reason they aren't connected," Ari pointed out. Again, I was totally on her side in wanting this...whatever it was, to be a one-off.

Ander sighed and dropped his head back. "Just because you want them to be unconnected, doesn't make it so."

"Just because you—" Ari began, but cut herself off, when a waiter appeared carrying our food and drinks.

For once, we didn't talk as we ate, all of us were stuck in our own heads. As soon as we were done eating, Reed blew out the candle and led the way from the bar. "So, what else have I missed back home—other than the trip to the other realm, that is?

"We have a new neighbor." My answer was quick, wanting to keep the conversation away from me.

Reed lifted his eyebrows and let out a surprised laugh. "Really? Someone decided to live in the haunted house?"

The house wasn't haunted—at least I didn't think it was—we just joked that it was since no one had lived there for centuries. One night after several drinks and bad decisions, we snuck into the house and made up a bunch of dumbass stories about the last residents, and what happened to them.

Because I'd been watching Harmony in my peripheral vision, I saw her roll her eyes as she scoffed. "Obviously it's not haunted, since he's still there. And unfortunately, alive."

"He's dreamy," Ari added, laughing at Harmony's expression.

Harmony bumped into a dumbass, who wasn't looking where he was going as he walked down the wrong side of the sandstone pathway. Which didn't help her now sour mood. "He's obnoxious."

Reed glanced my way, raising his brows in a silent question. "Apparently, Parker and Harmony had an interesting first meeting," I explained, pressing my lips together to hide my smile when Harmony sighed.

"Now I have to meet him." Reed laughed and nudged Harmony's shoulder.

"I swear, the only good thing about coming here, is the break from him." She wiped her hand across her forehead, clearly as miserable in this heat as I was. "I can't even leave the house without bumping into the asshole."

Ander let out a short laugh as he threw his head back. "That tends to happen when they live next door."

"Can we change the subject?"

"I've got a subject change for you." Reed stopped in the middle of the walkway—forcing the rest of us to stop as well—and gestured toward a small building next to us. "We're at our next stop in the blackout tour."