Amara had chosen the busiest street in all of London. On top of that, the bistro she wanted to meet at was also the most popular in the area. What made things worse was it was in the freaking human world!

She'd known I would need to have my powers in check. After all, the last time I'd seen her I had left injuries in my wake and had almost torn a hole in the eather. Oops!

The busy shop bustled with humans. The constant buzz of conversation, clatter of metal utensils against plates, ceramic plates clacking as they were stacked, hard soled shoes clicking and slapping the tiles, and electronics buzzing. Humans were so loud and the music that played at a decent volume was nearly muted from the other noises.

My focus was completely off.

I had gotten a coffee with a hot sandwich and been waiting over twenty minutes. Worrying at my lip, I'd sent Amara a few texts with no reply.

The need to center myself grew with the passing time and increase of noises around me. I had ignored it out of stubbornness, but my paranoia was reaching its limit. With no responses from Amara, I knew I needed to do something.

Closing my eyes, I called on my magic and drew it into my brain. Seeking out my seventh sense and using the peripersonal space neurons to push further. With no impending ill will, I knew I wasn't in immediate danger. I sourced my surroundings. It was something so basic, but I had always let that sense flow freely.

As I carefully pushed into my surroundings. Originally, I'd searched out anyone who paid me particular attention, but came back with nothing. Then, I searched for others with abilities. The entire bistro was filled with non-magic users: humans.

Pushing further and beyond the surrounding tables I found traces. The commotion of the interior cleared and I found a path. Outside the bistro. When I opened my eyes again, I looked in the direction of the pull.

Hazel eyes glowed, meeting mine, from a round faced woman with turquoise hair. On the small patio, sitting alone, sat Amara. Watching me as I found her, she smiled in a quietly cocky manner and stood to join me.

Humans parted for her as she pushed through the doors. Heads turned and eyes followed her movements. In true Amara fashion, she floated and her gypsy skirt gave her an angelic ora.

"I was hoping that you would leave or just give up. I should have known you wouldn't," Amara greeted me.

"Hello to you too, Amara."

She sank into the chair across from me and seemed disinterested as she looked around the bistro. Anywhere but at me.

"Do you want me to get you something? Coffee, tea, or maybe something to eat?"

My offer was meant to help with the casualness of lunch or having a friendly catch up, but when she turned her gaze back to me, her eyes were questioning and nearly accusatory.

"Whatever the specialty salad is with a Dandelion and Burdock," Amara said with a slight smile.

Something within me told me she knew my intentions. I gave her a smile in return and I left her with my things and our table and got her order.

"You are a mystery, Sadie," Amara said when I had returned.

"Why do you say that?"

"You have nothing with you that would indicate you need my skills. Yet, I sense you are withholding your true intentions from me."

Although I wasn't always in control of the situations I found myself in, I wasn't an idiot. Bringing the stones would have been stupid. If someone was tracking them, they were best left at Denise's home. Heavily warded and spelled so that intruders were highly deterred from any attempts.

I smiled sweetly, inwardly feeling the excitement of the situation. "I promise that I truly did want to reunite with you and catch up." I told her truthfully.

The problem with seers was that there weren't many tricks that could be pulled. She would have seen it.

On top of her physical seeing, Amara had visions. Usually bigger and more dangerous events, but occasionally she dreamed of family and close acquaintances. For this meeting, I hoped she hadn't seen any of the events that had led up to our get together.

Accepting her salad and soda, she eyed me again. Right eye twitching slightly as she made a decision. Holding out her hand she said, "Give me your hand."

Willingly, I placed my hand in hers. Warmth spread through my fingers, up my hand, coating the insides of my arm, and through my chest. I inhaled deeply and recentered myself to clear my mind. Blocking was something that Denise insisted I learned.

Amara studied me as the warmth of her magic intruded my body and my mind. I had to focus on something else.

The hellbeast!

I smirked at the memory. I had played fetch with a hellbeast! Just the mere thought of the chase consumed my thoughts and I hoped it would be enough.

Amara's brows pinched before she dead-panned and she said, "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" I asked in a horrible attempt to feign innocence.

She tilted her head, giving me a flat, incredulous look as she took her hand back. Stabbing into her salad before dressing it, she said, "You played fetch with a monster? Are you mad?"

Giving her a genuine smile, I answered, "Hellbeast, and you know I am."

"So true. I just didn't think you'd do anything that stupid." Her shoulders began to relax and she added, "It is good to see you. I'm glad to see you're still in one piece."

Looking at her over my coffee, we fell into a comfortable roll of conversation. She spelled the table, similar to when Denise had at the Black Hole so that our conversations were heard as barely a whisper by passersby.

"Now, what is this business about the dark prince?" Amara said in a break of talking about what we'd been up to over the last few years.

She had caught me off guard and I could feel the flush creep up my neck. "Who?"

She arched her brow. Ever since I'd met her, Amara was one of the only beings that I truly could consider a friend. She knew me well enough to know what I said was usually an exaggeration or complete stretch of the truth.

"Prince Regan Shade. Nearly all fae know of him and his associated dark court. They are not kind and definitely not a group you should mess with."

I chewed the inside of my lip for a moment before I made a decision. "Okay, fine. I met him."

Her eyes went wide as she asked, "And?"

"And what?"

"Psh... I know you're not blind." She scoffed. "I need details! Is he as tall, dark, and dangerous as they say?"

At that I let out a barking laugh, but when I looked at her through tears in my eyes, she was shocked by my reaction.

When all she was greeted with was silence, she pinched the bridge of her nose, waved her hands side to side and then gave me a unique look that I knew all too well. She wanted to see what I had seen.

Finishing the bite of the sandwich I'd used to assist with my silence, I shook my head and said, "No. Nope. Not going to happen."

"Just a little peek. Like a photo still of the interaction," she said as she held her hands out to me.

I shook my head again as my cheeks burned. I hadn't smiled like this in so long. Biting my lip I decided, what the hell, and placed my hands in hers.

Immediately recalling my close encounter with the shadowy prince. Bringing to mind his stature, sharp features, piercing eyes, intoxicating smell, and deep rumbling voice.

"Damn," Amara nearly moaned.

Calming myself enough to speak again, I said, "Yeah, he's no big deal. It was his father who sent the hellbeast after me."

"Now there's a beasty that I'd like to play fetch with," Amara said with a dreamy stare.

"Octavion?"

"Goddess, NO! Regan!" Her tone was squeaky and girlish, a total opposite from her usual demeanor. "And what do you mean, no big deal. He is a great, big, luscious deal!"

"Oh my goodness! Amara, do you have a crush on the dark prince?"

"Anyone with eyes and good sense has a crush on that man. Plus, I hear he has a stick worth playing fetch with."

My mouth fell open at her sexual comment. Out of character and completely unexpected, I didn't know whether to be embarrassed or proud of her.

It took her a moment before she realized what she had said. Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes went undeniably wider. With a groan, Amara sank into her seat and covered her face with her hands.

"Never did I ever think I'd see the day that I wore off on you this much!"

"I cannot believe I just said that out loud." Hiding in her hands and I giggled at her embarrassment.

My mind pulled to what she had said, sinking me deeper into thoughts of Regan.

If the dream I'd had was more reality than I understood, was Amara right? I'd seen Regan naked. He was glorious and just the thought of him had me salivating.

My erotic wandering mind was diverted as pain seared through my wrist. Gasping before internalizing the pain to understand what was happening, and Amara started to speak.

"What the fuck? Did you feel-"

She cut herself short as she took in my reaction. It was clear we had felt something different, but no question that it was magically related.

Immediately, Amara and I were on the defensive. With a cool and calm touch to my wrist, she eased the pain.

With her assistance, I searched the space from my attacker. When I found the source, it wasn't who I expected.

"Speaking of the devil, himself," I said and felt Amara shift to follow my gaze.

Regan stood on the opposite side of Oxford Street. His eyes black. Arms folded and looking more brooding than when he was at the club. He wasn't alone. Goons who wore the shadow crest were stalking toward the bistro.

"You owe me an explanation, but for now. I will cover you. Can you portal?" She said hurriedly.

Involuntarily, my body began to shake. A black line formed on my wrist, where the pain was greatest and where Amara was holding me.

Although the pain was manageable, my powers were responding to the impending stress. Volatile and defensive, I tried my best to keep it all contained.

"Sadie!" Amara captured my attention and said, "Get yourself together. You can not do this here."

I suddenly remembered where I was and how losing control here and now would lead to too many lives lost.

Humans.

"Thank you," I whispered as I slipped from the table. Aiming for the back exit.

I'd made it to the hallway with the back door in sight when time slowed and I felt like I was moving through a bog that was waist deep. This wasn't Regan, was it?

"You can not do this here..." I heard Amara's words in my head.

I needed to get out. Get out! Out!

My surroundings changed and I was standing a few streets away from my apartment. I recognized the pastry shop across from the ally I stood in. It was where I occasionally stopped in the mornings.

My body had been thrumming with anticipation for a fight. Glancing around, there was a noticeable circle around me that was cleared of all debris and clutter. A cup at the edge of the circle there was a to-go mug sliced, cleanly, in half.

I couldn't fully register what had happened before large hands gripped my shoulders. The smell from their magic was similar to being in the woods with a lingering smell of rotting swamp water. They were no friend of mine.

"Get off me," I gritted out as I pushed myself away and felt the expenditure of force through my back.

Wild and unruly power swirled around me and the large body was launched backward, hitting metal, probably garbage cans.

The groans behind me made me want to turn and look, but I couldn't. I couldn't linger or focus on my attacker. I had to get away.

Again, my surroundings shifted and I was within the confines of my apartment.

"What the fuck is happening?" I breathed hard, trying to get a handle on what was going on.

For the second time, I'd moved my location. There was a ring around me, but I barely had anything in my apartment to destroy.

I had to figure out how the hell I'd managed to relocate. There were no violent nauseous feelings or crippling headaches. I was fine.

The thought that maybe I'd gotten better at portalling passed through my mind, only to be voided by the fact that I hadn't opened the eather. The shift had been completely absent-minded and involuntary other than needing to get away.

Pacing the floor of my room, I remembered the band on my arm. When I lifted my arm to look, there was nothing there. No pain. No mark.

It hit me harder. I'd traveled from London to Central Providence, the hidden magical town outside of Liberty, New York, with the mere thought of escaping.

"Shit," I whispered to myself.

Collapsing onto the old couch, I tried to piece together what had happened. My phone buzzed in my pocket with a text from Amara.

Amara:

Meet me tomorrow night at our old spot. VIP

There was no reason to respond. I knew the place and I understood the message.

With a new direction to my current situation, I needed to get back to Grand Haven. Determined to make it work again, I stood at the center of the circle I'd created and thought of my room at Grand Haven.

Nothing.

The adrenaline was wearing off, but I knew that if I was going to be safe, it would be within Denise's reach. Closing my eyes, I thought of the pain that I'd felt at the bistro. I thought of Octavion sending his goons that smelt like swamp ass to bust down my door and retrieve me.

My feet left the ground and I was suspended in the air.

The air around me was sweet, not musty. I'm not where I was, I thought as I slowly opened my eyes.

I was in my room at Grand Haven... but floating?

Turning slowly, I took in the space. There was no ring on the ground like the last two times and nothing seemed destroyed or affected.

As the bed came into view, I realized why.

Denise sat, legs crossed at the knee, looking irritated.

"Since when can you shadow walk, Sadie Monroe?"

I was in trouble. Shadow magic was one thing Denise did not teach me and I didn't have an answer for her.