Page 63 of The Librarian’s Familiar

This doesn’t seem like the best time to let the bond unravel.

It was the best time to let the bond unravel, because if one of them died, the other one would also die. And he did not want to be responsible for the death of the local town hero. He’d be infamous for all the wrong reasons.

You do realize our lives are currently tied together, so if shit goes wrong…

I know that. It also means we can help each other.

I don’t even know what the problem is.

Well, if the birds have disappeared it’s probably weather related. That’s what Mom said.

Can you tell her not spread this any further yet? I’m going to call the Coven and see what they can do.

Not a lot. No one is getting here fast or leaving for that matter.

Is there an emergency plan for storms and such?

Yeah. Everyone knows how to deal with bad weather here. Except you. Maybe you should come to my parent’s place?

I can only deal with one problem at a time.

And meeting the parents of the guy he was currently fucking, who didn’t know that their son was gay, was not going to help the situation.

Learn to multitask and plan options.

Charlie glared at his phone; this wasn’t a fucking hockey game.

A text from Shelly saved him from replying and typing something that he’d regret a nanosecond later.

Bob says a big storm is coming. Bob is my dog.

Of course Bob was a dog. Who the hell named their dog Bob?

That was a question for later.

Thank you. I’ll get back to you. I need to speak with some people.

He hesitated, torn between telling her not to worry and wanting her to take precautions. Why had the storm not been picked up on radar or satellite or something? If the town had emergency procedures for bad weather, shouldn’t there be an alert?

All the birds that had been fighting in his chest plummeted to his stomach. Dead. The cold weight was almost more than he could bear.

If the storm hadn’t been picked up by normal means, it was magical. A witch was creating the storm. And the only reason a witch would create the storm around Claw Lake was because of the prison.

Wasn’t it?

It didn’t matter the reason, only that something was happening. Assuming Bob and all the birds were correct.

He checked the weather app, but it was more of the same, no hint of bad weather. There was nothing else he could do to put off the call.

With a sigh, he called the Coven and went through the security checks before being put through to someone who might be able to help, or at least put him through to someone else.

“Quinlan? In Claw Lake? Let me look that up.” A keyboard clacked. “Ohhh. How can I assist?”

Charlie felt the agent sit up a bit straighter from the tone in his voice. “A young animal talker reported that the birds told her to run before they left town. Her pet dog said there is a big storm coming, but there’s nothing showing up on the weather app on my phone.”

More clacking. “I’m putting you on hold while I cross-check.”

Before he could agree, tinny music played down the line. He straightened up his desk, lining up his pens by type, then by color.