Page 88 of The Lunatics

She started. “No one even bothered to tell you my name?”

I shook my head.

She made a harrumphing sound and glanced heavenward like she was looking for guidance. “You spend all your life cultivating a certain image, live long enough to become a legend, haunt people’s nightmares, are fairly worshipped by your own kind, and still people don’t know who you are.” She brought her gaze back to earth and met my eyes. “Call me Anna.”

I blinked. She didn’t look like an Anna. It was too simple a name for such a complex being.

“My full name is Enheduanna, but five syllables seem to betoo much for people. Even a two-syllable name like Michael gets shortened into Mike these days.”

I looked at my mate. “I somehow doubt anyone has ever called him Mike.”

She chuckled. “If you run out of ways to antagonize him, you should try it.”

I grinned before I could stop myself, then realized who had made me grin and wiped the expression from my face.

Her amusement fled a heartbeat later. “You need to be careful down in the city. My own god is restless. Something is coming.”

Well, that didn’t sound ominous. “Do you know what?”

She hesitated. “There’s a fifth-century Norse prophecy that has me a little worried.”

I stared at her.

For some reason, she laughed. “Don’t worry. Neither you nor Michael is some sort of ‘chosen one’ meant to save the world.”

“Care to elaborate, then?”

She waved a hand. “Not worth it. It’s your standard apocalyptic doomsday sort. Most of it sounds like utter trash, but there are a few parts that align with current events, and it’s best to err on the side of caution with these things.”

These things. Meaning apocalyptic prophecies. Right.

“Especially since, in this case, there is no chosen one,” she said. “No savior. No chance out. Apocalypse hits, most of the humans die, and the rest of us turn on each other.”

My fingers started to shake. I clasped them in my lap and tried to think past what she just said. “Where is the witch goddess in all of this?”

“No idea. All the other preternatural pantheons are stirring, making moves, but not theirs, and that’s what concerns me. Watch out for them when you’re down there.”

“I’ll tell Michael they need to refocus their efforts on them.”

“Tell Michael nothing of what I’ve said.”

I frowned. “I’m sorry. I can’t do that.”

“You need to. For his sake. A man like him, with all the resources he has, would be like a wolf with a bone. His focus would draw attention I don’t want and you really don’t need right now. Plus, it’s not like he isn’t keeping things from you.”

I stilled. “What do you mean?”

“Those runes on his back? They’re a blocking spell. To keep magic in. Michael is a mystic.”

I craned my head sideways to look at him.And he didn’t bother telling me this, because…?

“Don’t judge him too harshly,” she said. “A man like Michael has done nothing but keep secrets his entire life, and this is all very new to him. But you should know, he’s powerful. That ward around the Kolbeck mansion? He drew it himself.”

I looked back at her, incredulous. “Alone?”

She nodded. “And since MacKenzie wolves power share with their mates over the bond, you’re going to have to deal with that. Soon.”

I might be about to gain magical abilities. At any time. While down in the city surrounded by enemies. And who knew how they would manifest. Did Anna?