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IRIS AND CIARA LET themselves in once they appeared outside the Rosslers’ house. The voices were coming from the living room, and Iris rushed there with Ciara trailing behind her.
Mary and Raymond—Mrs and Mr Rossler—were home. Liam was there, too. The teens—Gabriel, Polly, and Poppy—weren’t in the living room, but Henry was.
Iris ran to Liam’s arms, and the couple embraced one another.
Everyone wore grim looks on their faces. Mrs Rossler’s eyes were red and puffy, and her nose was runny. She held back her tears, sitting on the sofa, while her husband held her shaking hand. Mr Rossler’s eyes were glossy, but he fought back the tears.
Ciara looked around, furrowing her eyebrows. She took in the scene, wondering what had happened.
“What’s going on?” she asked, keeping her voice down.
Henry walked over to her. “Someone killed Mum and Dad’s friend.” He kept his voice low, not wanting his parents to hear.
Ciara blinked, turning to look at Henry’s parents. She didn’t have time to say any comforting words, because knocking interrupted her thoughts.
“Henry, will you open the door for him?” Mr Rossler asked. He forced his voice to stay steady, but he was struggling to keep the tears away.
Henry nodded and left the living room to open the door.
Grief filled the room, replacing the air, and it was all too familiar for Ciara.
She remembered what it had been like at her home in Vancouver.
It was still fresh in her mind.
Ciara came back to her senses when Henry returned to the living room with an older man. She hadn’t heard the front door open, she had been so deep in her thoughts.
Ciara had to take a second look at the man. No one else had eyes so icy blue, nor hair so black. And the wretched leather jacket was a sure sign. He always wore that jacket.
“Doherty?” Ciara gasped.
“I can’t believe my eyes.” Gregory Doherty smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. His eyes were clouded with worry or grief; perhaps both.
“I didn’t think I’d find you in England, Jareau.”
Neither did I, Ciara thought, smiling at Doherty.
“Unless it’s Boucher these days.”
Ciara’s smile dropped, an invisible force tightening around her throat. “Jareau. And, well, times change.”
Doherty nodded. “Glad to have you here.”
Mr Rossler looked at Ciara and Gregory. “You know one another?”
“Doherty was my mentor when I started,” Ciara said, turning to Mr Rossler.
“She’s my all-time best trainee,” Doherty said proudly.
The grief on Mr Rossler’s face turned into surprise for a moment. “Impressive.”
“Gregory.” Mrs Rossler’s voice was weak. She was still fighting the tears, forcing them to stay away. Her hands were shaking, and her lower lip was trembling. “Did Ellen make it?”
Doherty nodded. “She’s protected.”
“Is Ian her protector?” Mr Rossler asked.
Doherty nodded again. “He’s the best I know, and trustworthy. I think we can all agree he’s the best for the position.”
Mr Rossler nodded. “He is.”
“Ian Connell?” Ciara asked.
“Yes.” Doherty turned to face Ciara. “Connell.”
“How do you know everyone?” Henry asked Ciara, turning his head to the side.
“From work, of course.”
Henry’s eyes widened. “Y-you’ve worked with Ian Connell?”
Ciara nodded. “And?”
“And?” Henry shrieked. “He protects people from the worst of the worst.”
“I’m aware.”
“Looks like your boyfriend didn’t want to learn the nature of your work,” Doherty said amused. He crossed his arms across his chest, his gaze sliding from Henry to Ciara.
“Oh, we’re not—”
“Henry’s my best friend,” Ciara said.
“I know.” Doherty smiled a little. “Is Theo in England, too?”
He hadn’t heard.
Shakily, Ciara exhaled. “Theo was killed in January.” She forced the words out before they got stuck in her throat.
Doherty’s smile dropped, and his eyes widened. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
He had been Theo’s mentor, too.
“Thanks.”
Ciara’s thoughts drifted to Theo—and his death. It had been exactly six months since Theo’s untimely death.
Exactly. She hadn’t realised it was the first of July already.
She had been planning to visit his grave, but she wasn’t even in Canada. Vancouver was an ocean and a continent away.
She had utterly forgotten.
“Are you sure it was them that killed Byron?” Mrs Rossler asked Doherty.
Doherty nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
Ciara didn’t know who they were.
So she asked. “Who are we talking about?”
Doherty looked at Ciara. At first he didn’t say anything, hesitating. “The witch hunters have expanded to Europe.”
Witch hunters. In Europe.
“What?” Ciara breathed out. It felt like all air was kicked out of her lungs.
Doherty nodded, confirming she had heard right.
The witch hunters had killed Theo.
“We were told nothing in Canada, nor in the States.” She had thought they were gone—except for a few remaining members.
Did her colleagues know? She knew her boss wouldn’t have ever told her. Not after Theo’s death.
She shook her head vigorously. “We destroyed their last base in May. There’s three of them left in the States unless they’ve fled. They’re no longer an issue.”
They couldn’t be. She had been fighting for so long to get rid of those terrorists. She had done everything to take revenge for what they had done to Theo. Those monsters had taken everything from her, and she had made them pay for it.
“They’re no longer an issue there,” Doherty corrected. “Because they’ve moved here.”
She hadn’t known.
Doherty sighed. “The magical government of Great Britain refuses to do anything. They don’t believe a group of sick believers caused the deaths. They blame it on individual murderers or just plain serial killers.”
“That’s why you came here.”
They had moved Doherty to Europe from America. It had been sudden, and there had never been a reason announced for his transfer. But it finally made sense.
It was ridiculous she had found out more during her suspension than during her time at work. She was going to talk to her boss about that.
“That’s why I left,” Doherty confirmed. “We think their leader is located here, and someone needed to be here to try to stop them.”
Ciara blinked as if she was trying to wake up from a dream. “But we killed Morell.”
The memory resurfaced in her mind. She recollected all the blood in the room when they had finally ended him. A colleague of hers had cut his head off with a spell. Ciara had been washing the blood off her clothes for hours after that mission.
Doherty sighed. “He was just a middleman.”
Ciara opened her mouth, but she couldn’t form any words.
No... This isn’t real.
“You’ve got to be joking,” she eventually choked out.
She had believed the witch hunters had been dealt with already. She had been relieved to be finished with them.
But she had been wrong—about everything.
“We think there might be an infiltration in the States.”
Ciara tilted her head to the side. “We?”
“We’ve done some research. Based on odd accidents and such...” Mr Rossler sighed. “Well, it makes sense.”
Ciara looked between Doherty and Mr Rossler, mouth hanging open. Mr Rossler worked at a desk job at the Magical Ministry of the United Kingdom.
“Unofficial research?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Doherty said.
“We have a group of people working against the witch hunters,” Mr Rossler revealed.
That was highly illegal.
“Because the government here refuses to do anything?” she asked.
Mr Rossler nodded. “Yes.”
Highly illegal or not, Ciara wanted to be part of it. She was going to help. One way or another.
“I want to help.”
“No!” Henry said.
Ciara turned to look at her best friend, gaping. “I’ve worked undercover within the witch hunters’ group. You can’t just tell me no. You don’t know what I’m capable of.”
She wouldn’t accept a no. She had every right to do her part in getting rid of the witch hunters. She had lost people and suffered because of that sick terrorist organisation. After everything, she deserved justice.
Theo deserved justice.
“Ciara can help us.” At least Doherty was on her side.
“She’s suspended,” Henry said.
Luckily her leg was already better, so he couldn’t use that as an excuse.
“This isn’t official,” Doherty said. “In fact, it’s illegal, anyway.”
“I don’t agree with this.” Henry turned to face his parents. “Mum?”
Mrs Rossler looked at her son, wanting to agree with him. She didn’t want Ciara to be in harm’s way. But the young woman who stood her ground with such determination didn’t seem like the old Ciara. She was a grown adult. Mrs Rossler only hoped she hadn’t grown too tough with the life she had chosen.
“Ciara is an adult,” Mrs Rossler said to her son.
***
MR ROSSLER AND DOHERTY, who were the founders of the group fighting against the witch hunters, agreed Ciara should help them. Mrs Rossler didn’t like it, but she still agreed.
Henry, on the other hand, hated it. He was furious—but even more worried.
Liam and Iris had said nothing. Iris was a healer for the group, and she rarely took part in missions. She didn’t see why her opinion would matter. Liam said nothing because he didn’t know what to say.
He didn’t like the idea of Ciara doing what he did for the group—fighting witch hunters. But clearly, she was already doing that at work.
He knew how cruel the witch hunters were. He had witnessed people die on missions.
Liam couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that it was Ciara’s job—seeing death and dealing with the witch hunters. She had worked undercover inside their organisation, and the thought made Liam shudder.
Perhaps it should have brought him comfort. At least Ciara knew how to take care of herself. Even so, knowing that didn’t help.
It had nothing to do with his past relationship with Ciara. He cared because she was someone he had known for a big part of his life. They used to be close friends.
He was glad Iris and Ciara got along so well. It had surprised him to hear the two had become friends, but it was a pleasant surprise.
Liam hadn’t known about Theo until Doherty had asked Ciara about him. If Liam had understood correctly, Ciara had been dating Theo before his death. Liam couldn’t imagine what she had been through during her time in America.
***
“SO, DO YOU LIKE THAT Boucher guy or what?” Liam eyed the guy who had just left their table. He felt compelled to glare after him.
“Theo?” Ciara asked.
Liam nodded.
“He’s a great guy.”
Liam’s shoulders dropped. “So, you like him.”
Ciara chuckled. “I don’t have a crush on him, if that’s what you’re implying.”
“Well, I—”
“You thought I was dating him?” Ciara couldn’t contain her amused smile.
Liam scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, yes.”
“Well, you’d hear about it if I was,” Ciara said. “Theo’s just a friend.”
Liam nodded, with a hint of smile making its way onto his lips.
***
HE HATED THAT GUY. He hated watching him make Ciara laugh. Theo Boucher wasn’t the guy who had harboured a crush on Ciara for ages.
Liam was the one. He had never acted on his feelings. It was taking him so long to gather enough courage to tell her.
He feared he was too late, though. She spent a lot of time with Theo, and Theo was charming. Their connection was obvious.
According to her, it was just a friendship, but Liam was unsure. Theo made her laugh like no one else.
Still, Liam hoped it was platonic. He hoped they were just friends. That Ciara had told him the truth.
But Liam wouldn’t ask about it again. It would have made his own feelings too obvious. He didn’t want to reveal his feelings with the risk of Ciara liking Theo Boucher.
***
LIAM KNEW HIS FIANCÉE. If he had brought Ciara up, Iris would have become jealous. Ciara was just a friend—if even that. He didn’t want Iris to misunderstand anything.
Iris didn’t talk to him about Ciara. In fact, he felt as if Iris was already jealous. He knew how Iris had felt in the past whenever his family had brought Ciara up, even during Ciara’s absence.
But Iris had nothing to be jealous of. Even she knew Liam had chosen her over Ciara. Others did not—hopefully.
Liam’s romantic feelings for Ciara were in the past. But that didn’t mean he didn’t care at all.
Liam craved to know more about Ciara and especially about her life in America. They hadn’t talked in over three years, and it seemed as though a lot had happened in both their lives.
Still, he couldn’t ask Iris, and Iris wouldn’t tell him without asking.
Asking his mother about Ciara wasn’t an option either. He doubted his mother or the rest of his family knew much more than he did anyway.
The person, who still knew Ciara better than anyone else, was Henry. The two of them were living together.
So Henry was Liam’s best option.