Wicked Deal (Shadow Guild: The Rebel 2)

Ogden grumbled, then nodded. “Make the transfer.”

Grey stood and strode toward the stairs, raising the comms charm at his wrist to his lips. His voice drifted away as he spoke.

Mac pulled out her mobile and began to surreptitiously type a text message. I caught sight of Quinn’s name. She was telling him that it was time.

Ogden’s eyes moved to me. “You’ve got quite a bit of magic there, girl.”

Girl?

Normally, I’d bite a man’s head off that, but this wasn’t a normal situation. We needed his help. I gave him a pinched smile and doubled down on my signature.

Fortunately, Grey returned a moment later with another Dwarf attired in an emerald-green suit with a magenta tie. I was starting to sense a trend.

“It is done,” Grey said.

The shorter man next to him nodded. “The money has gone through.”

“Thank you, Fortirue.” Ogden nodded. “Devil.”

“Shall we leave?” Grey asked.

“It seems it is time.” Ogden clapped his hands and hopped up. Grabbing a last bite of cheese from the plate, he popped it in his mouth.

“Excellent,” Grey said. “My men will be here in one moment.”

Ogden frowned. “Your men?”

“We’re attempting to break into Black Church to stop a black magic bomb,” he replied with a raised brow. “Wouldn’t you bring backup?”

15

Carrow

A black magic bomb.

Grey’s words echoed in my mind.

This was the real deal. Just a week ago, my life had been normal. Now I was here, running toward a black magic bomb.

We returned to the main tower where we’d entered the Dwarves’ Guild. Grey’s security forces arrived a moment later, a dozen shifters wearing identical black special-ops wear. There were roughly equal numbers of men and women, strong and capable looking, with firm jaws and serious eyes. The shifters were perfect for this work.

Quinn arrived last, nodding at the other shifters before joining us. His dark hair was tousled, as if he’d run all the way.

“Are we ready?” Ogden grumbled.

Grey nodded. “Ready.”

Ogden turned and led us through another door. Grey and I followed closely, my friends behind us. His shifter guards took the rear, and we made our way deep underground, following the wide staircase to an even wider tunnel.

“This is The Below,” Ogden said. “Territory of the Dwarves, and don’t you forget it.”

“Thank you for permitting us entrance,” Grey said.

Ogden muttered and started down the stone-lined tunnel. As he walked, his clothing transformed from a dapper suit to rugged clothing suited to a miner—albeit in the same bright blue and yellow. It should have looked silly, but somehow, Ogden pulled it off.

The underground space was lit by golden lamps that shone on the stone walls and ground. A fine carpet ran down the middle of the hall, and the doors on either side were made of beautifully carved wood. All were shut, but magic seemed to spill out of the cracks, different scents and sounds that lit up my imagination.

What was happening behind those doors? This whole place made me want to explore, but we kept up a fast pace that made it impossible.