His hand rested on my arm, and the next second, we stood outside the gates to the manor. A sleek black car was parked alongside the road, mounted on the pavement. “Why not teleport us to wherever it is you planned to go?” “Because it’s outside the city,” said Vance. “And your range only goes so far?” Drake had hinted as much, but I’d never got a conclusive answer about the limits of the Mage Lord’s power. Vance, however, didn’t answer. Apparently he’d given orders to his other mages, because two of them approached and handed him the sword I’d seen him use a couple of times. I tried not to stare when he sheathed it at his waist. Oh. We’re going too far out of range of the manor. His displacing power only worked up to a certain distance—which at least explained why he hadn’t been able to call me last time, if he’d left his phone behind. The single most awkward drive of my life followed. Vance’s temper brewed like an approaching thunderstorm, and any ideas for small talk evaporated.
