Patrick’s POV
These witches wanted to kill me. I could see it in their eyes, desperately searching for a way out of the oath that they made me one of them. I saw it in Luca’s eyes most of all. Once I gave them the Hunters address, I was done. I needed to figure out a way to stall before we left the hotel we have been resting at after three days on the road.
“Alright Patrick, it’s showtime. Where does Brynn’s grandmother live!?” Luca snarled at me, aiming his hands right at me.

“You will know when we get there!” He jumped up and slapped me right across the face.
“Nephew, stop.” The ugly woman wasn’t so bad. She has been pretty decent to me. Now her sister, Luca’s mother? Not so much.
“Patrick by my Goddess, if I find out you are lying to us…” Sophia trailed off threateningly.
“Patrick, we took an oath we are bound by. You hold up your end, we will hold up ours. OK?" Desdemona promised me. I nodded. We made our way to our vehicle under Luca's invisiblity shield.
"Turn right at South Second Street." I directed. I won't give them the street number until we pull up on the house and I am safely on the porch. Surely these three wouldn't try anything in a crowded South Boston neighborhood. Besides, I have questions of my own about my ex-girlfriend to ask.
Right after I met Brynlee, I had a private investigator do a background check on her and came across the Hunters. Brynlee's grandfather, Ezra Hunter, went to great lengths to not be found. Brynlee's father took steps to stay practically invisible for almost twenty years himself.

There had to be more to Ezra and Jordan Hunter hiding Brynlee. Something told me fortune telling and time freezing weren't Brnylee's only gifts. And when I become a witch, they're going to be my gifts too.
"Turn left on Sahara Drive." A few years ago, I had come here to try to question these people. At the time, they weren't home. I memorized the drive in case I ever needed to make it again. Once we came up on some bar called Gallaghers, I knew we were close. We pulled down a dead-end street scattered with old Victorian houses on each side.
"You can park on this side of the street." I immediately recognized the house with the white steps and blue shutters. I've never forgotten it.
"I can sense the fortune teller!" Luca hissed as he sniffed the air.

"Nephew we must be careful. I sense darkness." Desdemona placated him. "So what is our strategy?" She asked.
"There is none. I say we go on the aggressive. If they are all home we grill them about the family." Luca commanded. I didn't miss Desdemona roll her eyes.
"You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar." She chastised him.
"Luca and me will go as detectives, telling them we are investigating Brynn as a missing person. Luca will cloak Dessi and Patrick so they can listen in and be ready to go in case this goes south." The authority in Sophia's face is unmistakeable. Admittedly, it was a good plan. But Luca glared at me.
"You will keep that stupid trap of yours shut or I will vanquish Gramps, whoever is in that house, and YOU OATH BE DAMNED!! UNDERSTAND!!!" Luca snarled at me. I am so beyond done with this mother f****r.
"Trust me, I am sure I can restrain myself." I snapped back.
"Careful Luca!" Sophia caught her son's hand just as he was about to punch me. "Save that for in there if we need you." Luca jerked his hand back and huffed, rage in his dark brown eyes.
"Whatever! Let's do this." Whoever this Ezra Hunter is, I almost hope he is something dangerous. Maybe he can get rid of Luca once and for all.
I made my way into the house and through front door with Desdemona under Luca's invisiblity shield. The house was the typical middle class home with mahogany steps leading upstairs and white wainscott walls throughout the foyer. I felt a swoosh as Desdemona stood in the hallway. I took my place by the steps as Luca and Sophia knocked three times on the front door.
"I'll be right there!" A man's voice sounded from somewhere behind me. I heard him walk through the hallway and as soon as I saw him, I had to hold back a gasp. This man was definitely Brynlee's grandfather, although his once red hair is tinted with gray now. But there was no mistaking the bright blue eyes. I watched in anticipation as Ezra Hunter opened the door.
"Hello, can I help you?" Ezra asked Luca and Sophia.
"Good afternoon Mr. Hunter, my name is Detective Lombards and this is my partner Sophie May. May we come in?" Luca sounded terrifyingly professional.
"May I see your badges?"
"Yes sir, here they are." Sophia said. I almost panicked until I remembered I was in the company of witches.
Ezra looked them over carefully. "Please, come in." He led Luca and Sophia into the living room. I felt a whoosh as Desdemona followed me and stood with me by the living room entrance.
"Mr. Hunter, we are investigating a missing person named Brynlee Hunter. Are you familiar with her?" I watched as Ezra looked carefully at Luca.
"She is my granddaughter, but I have never met her." Ezra confirmed.
"You have never met her?" Sophia parotted, emulating compassion in her voice.
"Her father had a falling out with his mother and sister many years ago and moved out of state. He had a family and a life up in Maine but was killed six years ago in a car accident." Ezra said without any emotion in his voice at all.
"You may have heard about your granddaughter being almost murdered a few years back then." Sophia asked him.
"Do you think the man who attacked her has her? I've been following his escape, they still haven't found him!" Ezra speculated.
"That's the thing. Your granddaughter was living in Washington at the time of her disappearnce and changed her name. She has been dating a man who right now is a person of interest to the authorities out there. They reached out to us and asked us to talk to you and see if there is anything about her or your son that may help us find her." Sophia could have been a professional at this in another life.
Ezra stared at them, clearly in conflict about what he should say next. His blue eyes were saddened but when he spoke, his voice was strong. "I've told you all that I know. The last time I saw my son was over twenty years ago when he walked out that door and told us he would never see us again!"
"Mr. Hunter I hate to bring up what must be hard memories for you, however we have done our research. We talked to the estate lawyer Brynlee retained for her parents estate and he informed us that you wished to be told nothing about her and didn't even go to your own son's funeral." Sophia prodded.
Ezra inhaled sharply and looked at Luca and Sophia with eyes narrowed. "Well, I don't see how that is possible. One because the estate lawyer passed away last year and number two, I'm an attorney myself and I never would violate attorney/client privilege. Cut the s**t! Who the hell are you two??"
OH F**K! As much as I wanted to laugh at the almighty Luca and his crazy mother being outdone, this was bad news all around. Luca had that insane look in his eyes.
"You cut the s**t, Ezra Hunter! What are you!!" Sophia demanded, her dark eyes boring right at Ezra.
"Why don't you show me your power and I'll show you mine. Oh, and ask the two beings who I can't see to show themselves or I will be forced to do it. And trust me, my way of bringing them forth is not pleasant!" Ezra snarled back at Sophia.
"Very well! Patrick, Dessi." Sophia snapped her fingers and I remanifested along with Desdemona. Ezra gasped when he saw me and jumped up, aiming his hands at me. Ezra began speaking in some language that was much different than the Lombardo's spoke.
"Tu! Tu ești cel care mi-a rănit nepoata!" He shouted in rage.
"My Goddess, he's Gypsy!" Luca exclaimed to the other two who stared back at him in shock.
"You bring my granddaughter's violator to my home?! Tell me why I shouldn't kill all of you now!" Ezra shouted, keeping his hands raised.
"Because we brought you to him so you can end him!!" Sophia told him.
"Yes...that's right! He's our offering to you, in exchange for everything you can tell us about Brynlee! You see sir, she's mated to the Fairy King!" Luca smirked at me. He had just found his way around the blood oath.
Oh God. I never should have brought these people here!! I closed my eyes preparing for my inevitable death, then heard Ezra laughing.
"Well of course she is! I foresaw that years ago! It's why I never interfered in my son's life and let him live his life, in addition to keeping him away from his b***h of a mother. I knew my granddaughter was destined for something special!" Ezra spat at them. Luca and Sophia's eyes got that look, and I knew what was coming. Suddenly, light bolts were being thrown all around the living room. Ezra covered himself in some kind of dust that Luca's smoke couldn't even penetrate.
I felt Desdemona grab me. "Let's get out of here!" We ran out of the house and down the steps towards the rental car, but she froze as soon as we got to the middle of the street.
"They are here!" She hissed at me.
"Who!" I whisper-shouted, not able to see a damn thing. Then my worst nightmare came true.
"Well dear brother, look what we have here!" It was the two brothers who took me out of my cell months ago and the other fairy was with them!
"You are too late, Anthony and Aiden Starr. Ezra is in there talking to my nephew and sister!" Desdemona gloated at the brothers who rolled their eyes. The one brother with the goatee emitted black smoke out of his hands.
"We already know Hunter is Romani, hag! You have two choices. Live to see another day and give us that piece of s**t standing next to you, or die right here in this street with him!" Anthony Starr snarled out at her.
Desdemona laughed right at him. "I'm as good as dead anyway now that the Gypsy's have an alliance to Fae royalty!!" She used red smoke to try and confuse the brothers, but I watched in horror as Aiden came through it and used his smoke to burn Desdemona to ash right in the street. He immediately faced and froze me. Anthony and the other fairy picked me and put me in the back seat of a black SUV. As they sat me up, I realized I wasn't alone. A dark haired woman stared back at me with frightened eyes.
I didn't miss the look of disgust on Anthony's face as he looked at her.
"Well at least we got two of the crazies. The King should be pleased." Aiden grumbled. The woman groaned in fury.
Anthony stared at her from the rearview window, pure hate in his eyes. "You shut the f**k up you cow!! You've been lying for the last twenty years and it's ending just as soon as we get back to the King!!" He floored the SUV off the street and barreled towards the highway.