A Kind of Magic by Shanna Swendson Page A

fast walking pace because he not only had much longer legs, but also moved purposefully. They didn’t talk much other than a few remarks about the weather and the kind of winter that might lie ahead until they reached the park and were well down a path with no one else around.
    “So there really is something happening, huh?” he asked. “I mean, I don’t think you’d have asked me for help with a meeting if there wasn’t, and it’s something you can’t take care of yourself. Were you right about it not being the fae who took the kids?”
    “I don’t have hard evidence, but things certainly changed as soon as I very innocently mentioned the reasons I didn’t think the fae could have taken the children. Josephine was not happy about that.”
    “That’s the one who looks like Cruella de Vil’s evil twin?”
    She couldn’t help but snort with laughter at the image. “Yes, she seems to be trying to use the increased fae activity from the revived Realm as an excuse to make herself some kind of head enchantress. That’s why I need to get a message to Nana to see if she can find a way to tone it down until we’ve dealt with it from our side. The enchantresses stepping up isn’t necessarily bad, but I think them having a queen would be worse than the fae.”
    “And you can’t talk to your grandmother yourself without revealing that you’re not just an enchantress.”
    “Exactly.”
    “So you’re in a bind here.”
    She developed a slight lump in her throat at his understanding. He really was a great guy. She supposed if she had to develop a crush on someone, he at least was a worthy target.
    Beau whined and strained at the leash, which was unusual enough that both of them noticed. Normally, they were more likely to have to drag the bulldog. “What is it, buddy?” Michael asked softly. The dog whined louder and barked once.
    Sophie thought she heard a weak cry in the distance. “Did you hear that?”
    “That whimper? It’s not just Beau?”
    “Too far away.”
    “Maybe that’s where he’s leading us.”
    They both picked up their pace and followed the dog away from the path and into a wooded area. The faster they ran, the faster Beau moved, until finally they burst through some bushes and found three small children sitting under a tree. One of them was crying. Another seemed to be nodding off to sleep, and the third saw Beau and shouted, “Doggie!”
    “Are these …?” Sophie asked, kneeling and pulling off her coat. The children weren’t dressed for this weather.
    “I think so.” He was already pulling off his own coat and wrapping it around all three of them, like a blanket. Sophie added her coat to the area in front where his coat didn’t quite reach. Beau planted his body alongside the children.
    “It’s okay, sugar, this man is a police officer, and we’ll soon have you home,” Sophie said while Michael called it in. She was already shivering in just a few seconds without her coat, so she didn’t know how these kids were still alive, unless they’d been left only seconds ago.
    “How did you get here?” she asked gently.
    “I want my mommy,” one of the children sobbed. Sophie had a feeling she wouldn’t get a straight answer out of them. They might not even know what had happened.
    Michael joined Sophie in kneeling beside the children. “They’re on their way,” he reported. “A police car will be here in just a few minutes,” he told the children. “Have you ever ridden in a police car before?”
    One child took his thumb out of his mouth. “Will it have a siren?”
    “I’m sure that can be arranged.”
    “I want a fire truck,” the second child said.
    “Mommy!” sobbed the third.
    “Do you know where you’ve been?” Michael asked. They all looked at him blankly, like that was a silly question.
    “I tried, too,” Sophie whispered to him.
    Beau suddenly lifted his head and gave a short, sharp bark, then bared his teeth and growled. That terrified the child who