Apparently they were, because the kid sat quietly, expression betraying nothing. Not fear or even anger. He just bided his time, patient, as though this was merely a side trip on the cracked and rocky road of his life.

What kinds of hardships had this young man endured?

The compound was quiet when they arrived, but then it was nearly two thirty in the morning. The only person who was awake to greet them was Nick, standing at the back entrance as though he’d expected them, which he probably had.

Jaxon took their detainee by an arm and led him inside, unprepared for the rush of darkness that swamped him from the young man—not the darkness of malice but of sorrow and desperation. Of long nights suffering from cold and hunger, the agony of abandonment, bleak despair.

But I have nowhere to go! I can’t help what I am!

Huddled in a filthy alley, alone and scared. Stomach growling, in pain.

Hungry, kid? I know how you can make a few quick bucks.

Shame. Wanting out, but too afraid to make the cuts.

Has to end. Make it stop.

But if I give up, they’ve won. Gotta keep going.

All of these images and emotions were much more than he wanted to see, and Jax felt like a voyeur, intruding on the young man’s horror when he had no right. But he hadn’t done it on purpose. Normally readings like this were a painstaking process that took several minutes to find the memories, catch the threads and follow them. But the Sorcerer was like a conduit for an endless flow of energy and Jaxon had no defenses against the man’s roiling emotions that poured through the connection like blood.

At least he’d gleaned one important thing—Kalen Black was no enemy of theirs. With the right cultivation, he’d make a powerful ally, perhaps even a new team member to bolster their numbers again. He hoped the others, especially their boss, got the same feeling. Their group stopped in front of him, waiting for instructions.

Nick got right down to business, addressing the younger man directly. “Mr. Black, we’re going into the meeting room where we’re going to have an honest discussion about why you’re here. You’re going to tell us what we need to know, and then we’ll decide what course of action to take. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.” His gaze didn’t waver, and revealed no deception.

Nick nodded in approval and they trooped down the hall and into the same room in which they’d had their briefing about the four dead men and the suspicious cemetery visitor, who was now in their custody. Black was directed to sit in a chair at the large table as the focal point of a rough circle, hands still bound behind his back. His backpack was placed on the floor next to him. He volunteered nothing, no doubt having learned the value on the streets of keeping one’s mouth shut unless necessary.

Everyone sat except Nick, who remained standing with his arms crossed over his chest. He studied the kid for a long moment, no doubt seeing many of the things Jaxon had felt minutes ago. “You’re a Sorcerer.” A statement, not a question.

“Among other things.” A slight crack in the kid’s armor revealed the self-loathing behind those words.

Jaxon knew what “other things” he meant, and they had nothing to do with his magical talents.

“Shifter. Necromancer.”

“Yeah. So what?”

“How long have you known?”

The question seemed to throw him a little, and he paused, thinking. “Always, I guess. Though I didn’t have labels for my abilities when I was a kid. I just knew I was weird and my mom and stepdad hated me.”

“Feared you is likely more accurate,” Nick corrected.

“Maybe. What difference does it make? I’ve been on my own since they kicked my ass out at fourteen and I haven’t looked back. Not once in nine years.”

Fourteen. God, for what this young man had suffered, mommy dearest and the stepbastard ought to be tortured and hung.

“You’re right. It doesn’t make a difference except their actions made you what you are—a survivor traveling a road that will lead to either your salvation or destruction, depending on the choices you make. Starting tonight.”

The Sorcerer stared at him a few seconds and then gave a short laugh. “Right. Isn’t that true of everyone, Seer?”

A hush fell over the room and all attention swung to Nick. The undisguised challenge of his talents from this newcomer wasn’t surprising, given the young man’s isolation and his inexperience in dealing with others, but their boss wasn’t inclined to go easy. The kid didn’t need that right now, nor would he appreciate it.

“I’m not speaking in generalities and I think you know that, just as you know most men could never handle learning their fates. What you decide here tonight will set you on a very specific course, one that will lead to the toughest challenges and greatest enemy you’ll ever face.”

For a second the guy seemed unnerved, glancing around at all of them. Rallying, he shook his head. “What do you want from me?”

“Cooperation, for starters. Tell us what brought you to Cody, Wyoming.”

He shrugged. “Nothing specific. Just sort of go where the wind blows me, performing street magic for tips to get by.”

“Like that David Blaine dude,” Ryon put in.

“Yeah, like him. Only I can’t speak for him, but my stuff is the real deal. I could’ve done Vegas, but I don’t like the thought of selling out to the big fish, having them watching over me, putting me on a schedule and telling me what to do with my magic. That would suck out loud.”

The corner of Nick’s mouth kicked up at his choice of words. “Plus somebody might find out it’s not an act.”

“Can’t have that, either. So it’s just me and the road.” He cocked his head. “I don’t know why I came here, but now that I’m giving it more thought, it’s almost like something called to me. I mean, it’s a good place away from the city to let my panther run, but there was something else. Once I got here, I sensed death. My panther smelled it.”

“We’re in the forest,” Nick pointed out. “Animals die, sometimes campers and hikers who aren’t careful.”

“Yeah, but I’m not talking about natural death or accident. What I sensed after I arrived was more like . . . something that makes your skin crawl, makes you want to run and hide, shaking in terror and hoping it’ll pass by without noticing you. Know what I mean?”

“Yes, I do. And that’s why you started snooping around the cemetery?”

“Partly.” He heaved a deep breath, looking afraid for the first time. “Before I started hanging at the cemetery, that awful feeling and the scent led me to one of the bodies of those four guys. At least I’m pretty sure it was one of them.”

Nick laid a palm flat on the table. “What? Explain.”

“I’m the one who anonymously called the sheriff’s office about that victim, but I don’t know how they found the others. I did my duty but I didn’t want to be in the spotlight, so I made the call and stayed out of the picture.”

“But you didn’t, not completely. You were noticed hanging around.”

“I knew that was a risk, but I couldn’t leave town. Not when I had such an unsettled feeling in my gut, like I’d crossed paths with something truly evil that most wouldn’t have the capacity to understand or figure out. Shit, I’m not sure I do, either, but I might have a better chance than the average guy.”

“So you decided to play amateur detective.” Nick allowed a hint of doubt to seep into his tone. “How convenient.”

Jaxon knew Nick was playing the kid, that from what he’d said so far he didn’t really believe the Sorcerer was responsible for any of the deaths, but was testing his worth. His determination. He’d been on the receiving end of Nick’s scrutiny in the beginning often enough to know.

“I didn’t kill those men,” Black asserted, his expression fierce. “I’ve never hurt anyone, and I’m not stupid enough to stay in the area if I did.”