Alex grinned at her. “Oh, I plan to.”

“You’ll keep her out of trouble?” Sera asked Logan.

“We both know that’s not possible,” he replied. “But I will try.”

Sera watched them walk into the airport, waiting until they were out of sight before turning to Kai. “Ready to take care of our own disaster?”

“Not today,” he said as they hopped into his car. “The Summit starts tomorrow, and we’ll deal with it then. Tonight, we’re going to go back to our place.”

Sera smiled at the way he emphasized the word. “I’d like that. I bribed the commandos to move over my things.”

“So that’s what they were up to.” He drove toward the exit. “When I called Tony during the shopping trip, he said they were busy.”

“Surprise!”

He laughed. “How did you convince them to help you?”

“The commandos love me. They were jumping up and down at the opportunity to help me put girly candles and incense into moving boxes.”

Kai shot her an amused look. “That sounds just like my highly-trained team of combat mages.”

Sera shrugged. “I bring out the softer side in people.”

He wasn’t fooled. “What did you offer them?”

“I’m not telling you,” she said with a smile, folding her hands primly on her lap.

Sera had told the commandos that she’d agree to come work for Kai, something they’d been badgering her to do for ages. Just like Kai had. What she hadn’t told the commandos was that she’d already decided to do this, even before she’d made the deal with them.

There were so many reasons to just do it—Kai, the commandos, Riley, a decent paycheck for once in her life—but she was stubborn and sometimes she felt like she still needed her own space, her own little bit of life under her control. But Alex had convinced her that her excuses were just that—excuses.

The truth was Sera wanted to work for him. She wanted to go there with him every day, see Riley for lunch and after-parties, work with the commandos. Her life was there now. They were her family. And they worked so well together.

Sera didn’t tell Kai that she’d decided to accept his offer. Not yet. She had to find just the right time. And maybe she was still holding onto her old life by a few fingers—or maybe just one finger.

Kai didn’t press the matter, though he did look curious. “So I’m going to find scented pink soap in the bathroom when we get back?”

Sera grinned. “Hey, mister, you knew what you were getting into.”

“Then I suppose I have only myself to blame.”

“Yes, you really do.”

He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Let’s go home, Sera.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Magic Council Summit

SUMMIT DAY ARRIVED with beams of warm, golden sunshine set to the chorus of chirping birds. The road to the Magic Council’s meeting was paved with roses and smiles, but the mood inside Kai’s car as they drove to the hall was considerably more somber.

“The full Council will be meeting this morning,” Kai said.

That meant not just the core Magic Council would be present, but also the four smaller supernatural councils and their expert consultants.

“We won’t be allowed in the meeting chamber,” Tony said. “As we are neither Council members nor consultants.”

“I don’t know about that. If I wanted to consult someone about killing a monster, I’d ask Sera.” Callum winked at her.

She grinned back. “You guys aren’t so bad yourselves.”

Dal dipped his chin. “Keep going, Sera. I’ve almost forgotten that you’re the reason my hands still smell like cherry-vanilla candles.”

“Mine smell like lilacs,” Callum said, lifting his fingers to his nose to sniff them.

“I got chocolate,” said Tony. “As delicious as that is, I have to wonder why anyone would want to burn something that makes their entire apartment smell like chocolate. Why not just bake a cake instead?”

“I don’t think it smells like chocolate after Sera bakes,” Dal told him.

Callum snorted. “More like burning ash.”

Sera stuck her tongue out at them.

“We appreciate your other skills, Sera,” Tony said. “No one can kill a monster like you can.”

“The Council should bring her in as a consultant,” Callum agreed.

“They require an advanced degree from their consultants,” Tony told him.

“How stupid.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t want to consult for the Magic Council anyway,” Sera declared. “Not if it means sitting through all those boring meetings for hours, trying not to fall asleep as I wait for my two seconds of fame.”

“The job would be ill-suited to your talents,” Kai agreed. “And I need you on the outside anyway. All of you.”

“Aww, boss, are you getting sentimental?” Callum asked him.

“Yes, because that would be exactly like me.”

Four snorts punctuated the soft hum of the car engine.

“Callum,” Kai said. “I need you to link up with the meeting hall’s surveillance team. Keep an eye out for people we know are Alden’s. Tony, are your teams in place?”

“Yes, they’re keeping an eye on Bender and Middleton. If Alden makes a move to take them, we will know about it.”