Read Online Infinite Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Huntress Book 5) by Linsey Hall - Free Book Online Page A

peered out at us from behind silver spectacles. His beard reached all the way to his waist, part of it tucked into his trousers. Like before, I couldn’t help but think of him as Gandalf in athleisure wear.
    “Hi, Aethelred.” I held out the bag.
    He snatched it and peered inside. “Good. Though I see you ate one.”
    “Nuh uh. It’s full.” Had he used his seer ability to spy on me?
    “You have pastry on your lip.”
    I rubbed at my lip, and a piece of flaky pastry crust fluttered to the ground. I glanced at Aidan for backup, but he just shook his head, unwilling to lie to an old man for me. Damned honorable Shifter.
    “I was poison checking,” I said.
    “Sure. Because Connor dopes up his pasties.”
    “Fair point. He doesn’t. Could we come in?”
    “Oh, all right.” He stepped back and gestured us into his dark little foyer.  
    We followed him into a dimly lit living room. Shelves lined every wall, stuffed full of books and trinkets. Dust motes glittered in the light that streamed through pulled shades. I caught sight of the Magic’s Bend Times lying on the coffee table. It said today was Tuesday. Things had been so crazy, it’d been hard to keep track. Tuesday was Black Bingo night, if I recalled correctly.
    “Going to Black Bingo tonight?” I asked, hoping that a little conversation about his interests would endear us to him. Aethelred loved Black Bingo. According to our mutual friends Aerdeca and Mordaca, he hadn’t missed a game in a decade.
    “Yes,” he grumbled. “That’s what the pasties are for. It’s my turn to cater.”
    “Hmmm. Glad we could help.”
    “Well, it wasn’t done out of the goodness of your heart. Why are you here?”
    I winced, though he was right. I really should work on the goodness of my heart.
    “We need some help. I was hoping you could scry for us.”
    His gaze traveled to Aidan. “For the right price, maybe. Though you still owe me some transportation charms.”
    “I know.” We’d borrowed some from him last month. “But there’s been a shortage. We don’t have a single one ourselves.”  
    Which put us at a huge disadvantage to Victor.  
    “We think the shortage is the fault of the man we want you to scry for,” Aidan said.
    “Is this the same man who tried to destroy the Museum of Magical History? Who threatened my home?”
    “The very same,” Aidan said. “So you can understand why this is important. And we’ll replace the transportation charms. On my honor.”
    “And you’ll pay my fee for scrying,” Aethelred said.
    Aidan inclined his head. “Of course.”
    “A very hefty fee.” Aethelred’s blue eyes gleamed. “I have my eye on a beach cottage.”
    “Of course,” Aidan said.
    “Good.” Aethelred set the paper bag of pasties on the table and sat on the ratty armchair, then gestured for us to sit on the equally ratty couch. “What do you want to know?”
    “Three things,” I said as I sat. “Victor Orriodor is apparently seeking a greater power as part of his plan to destroy the Alpha Council. What does that mean? And what kind of protections does his home in Transylvania have? Are there prisoners inside?” I didn’t say what kind of prisoners, as even Aethelred didn’t know I was a FireSoul. My concealment charm wouldn’t let him see that information about me.
    “Your villain lives in Transylvania?” Aethelred chuckled. “Of course he does. Well, I can look for these things, but I make no promises about what I will be able to see.”
    “Thank   you,” I said.
    Aethelred sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. It was all I could do not to bounce my knee impatiently. Seers couldn’t see everything, but what they could see was true.
    After a period of time that felt like a century—I checked Aidan to see if his dark hair had turned white—Aethelred sat forward and opened his eyes.
    “I cannot see much about his plans for the Alpha Council or the greater power that you mention,” he said. “That’s quite