Eventide (Meratis Trilogy Book 2) Read Online Free

didn’t.
    “The first step is to find him,” said Brady firmly, as if he and Jayden had argued this point before.
    Jeff nodded slowly, processing his thoughts. He focused his attention on the floor, on the glare of afternoon sunlight against the dark parquet, the angle of the light showing off every scuff mark and scratch from his years of moving furniture around. Every one of them from simpler times when a beer meant a refreshing treat after a long day of work, and not a necessity to deal with the two guests sitting across from him.
    Vaguely he was aware of a knock at the door, but didn’t move to acknowledge it. The floor seemed like the best place to focus on for the time being.
    A second knock.
    “Jeff?” Cassie’s voice came from the other side. Jeff heard it, knew what it meant, but still didn’t have the mental capacity to stand up and answer her.
    In his periphery he saw Brady and Jayden exchange a glance. Brady got to his feet and opened the door.
    “Oh!” Cassie’s exclamation of astonishment. “Oh.” Recognition and uncertainty. “Oh.” The final note of acceptance. She moved between them much more quickly than Jeff had.
    Edging her way into the room, she kept a slight distance from Brady, Jeff noticed, and moved to his side.
    “Well, this is a surprise,” she said, actually managing to sound cheerful, raising herself another notch in Jeff’s respect. “What are you two doing in town?”
    As if they were long lost friends. Distant relatives of Jeff’s come for a visit.
    Jeff rose to his feet and, feeling a little frazzled, met her gaze. He didn’t want her to hear it all from Jayden and Brady. Confusion, hidden beneath a veneer of politeness, stared back at him behind her night-sky blue eyes. She smelled of coffee from her shift, the scent lingering on her green golf shirt and beige capris; a tidy ponytail hung between her shoulder blades.
    “Raul is here. In Montreal.” He jumped right to the key point.
    Some of the colour drained from Cassie’s cheeks, pupils dilating as fear set in. Jeff could hardly blame her. The last time she’d seen the man he had blindfolded her, tied her up, and used her for blackmail to ensure Jeff’s cooperation in writing him as a hero.
    “Here,” she repeated. “In our world.”
    Jeff saw her knees quiver and took her hands. “Yes. But he’s lost his power.”
    “Huh.” The word slipped from her lips without thought or inflection. Jeff empathised with the mindlessness.
    Brady took her elbow and the two of them guided her to his vacated chair. She sank into it and assumed Jeff’s role of staring vacantly towards the floor. Brady pulled the second chair out of the kitchen and arranged it into an awkward half-circle of seats in the room, which suddenly felt very small and crowded. Jeff cleared his throat and focused on deep breathing.
    “How do you plan to find him?” he asked, keeping his eye on Cassie. “Did the Sisters give any hint on where to start?”
    “They sent us to you,” Brady reminded him.
    Jeff pressed his lips together and inhaled sharply through his nose. After a few seconds pause, he said, “Anything other than that?”
    “Nope,” said Jayden. “We have no ideas. This is your city. This part is up to you.”
    “But-what-I—” Jeff sputtered. “I’m not about to traipse about Montreal looking in every nook and cranny for a deranged psychopath. It’s not like I keep a Where’s Rauldo book on my shelf. Do you know how long that would take? This place isn’t exactly a half-day’s walk across the village.”
    “He loves a good aesthetic,” Brady pointed out. “Is there anywhere nearby with a nice view?”
    Jeff groaned. “Most of the city. Hardly a start.”
    Cassie stood up, the chair squeaking against the parquet. Jeff glanced down to check for any new scuffs. Cassie scuffs. He didn’t see any.
    “Sitting here isn’t going to find him,” she said.
    Jeff’s eyes widened. “But—I thought—dinner?” He felt his