Selia looked at him in a mixture of wonder, surprise, and delight. “I... well... I didn't know if you felt the same or would even want to think that way towards me.” She paused, tilting her head slightly to the side. “All things considered, I thought you'd be objecting or freaking out at the idea of us being life-mates.”
He snorted, and then winced in pain.
“Okay, I'm sorry for laughing, but you understand that you now know more about me than anyone else in my life. Obviously, I'm very comfortable with you, even if I'm not sure why I am, so quickly.”
“I understand that now,” she replied, softly. “I could say the same about you.” She caressed his face gently. “You need something for pain, and I should be getting back to the cabin before Al sends the boys back for my daily check-up. We also need to discuss that necromancer and why she was so interested in you, but not your identity.”
“Oh, her. She and Alfi pulled the mask up and took a picture of me,” he said casually. At her look of horror, fear, and dismay, he held up his hands. “It’s okay, Selia. That's why I put in the wax molds every time the Sandman goes out. In case I get unmasked, people won't actually see what I look like. Are you going to be okay getting back to the bungalow? I can manage the trip.” He started to get up.
“You'd better be getting up so you can either go to the bathroom or get into a bed.” It was nothing short of a warning. “I can get back to the bungalow on the motorcycle. Alex sort of taught me while Soren was away visiting Temeria one year.” She giggled girlishly. “I guess I'll be picking you up tomorrow, won't I?”
They could figure out how to track down the pair later. Selia wasn't anywhere near confident about going up against a necromancer who was obviously older than her, especially when she hadn't been practicing her magic, save for a handful of spells, for the past decade.
Wil stood up and shrugged. “Sounds like a date to me. Hold on.” He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a small flip phone. He tossed it to her.
“It's a direct, untraceable line to me. ‘Sandy’ is the only name on the phone's contact list. I have a charger if you want it. Otherwise, just keep the phone off unless you need to contact the Sandman.”
Great, Selia thought in amusement, now I'm probably going to want to call him 'Sandy' all the time.
“Perfect,” she said as she studied the phone. She glanced at him, a mischievous smile on her face. “I have a way to contact you, but what happens if I have to get into your secret lair and you're either gone or unconscious? Shall I just pick your locks or simply fritz out your entire security system?”
“Oh. Good point.” He turned back to the cabinet, opened a smaller drawer, and withdrew a key. “As long as you're not coming in as Nightshade, use the front door. Here's a key.”
She walked over and took it from him. She raised a brow at the simple gift-card type design and the words “your name here” typed on the front. Chuckling, she shook her head at his ingenuity.
“Well, considering it would probably be far better to leave my outfit here, I'll make use of the front door.” She paused before asking, “And if I'm coming in as Nightshade?”
He smiled. “Your thumbprint is already saved into the security scanner's database.”
“Sneaky,” she teased. “Are you going to be okay getting upstairs? Or should I stick around long enough to help tuck you in?”
“I don't plan on sleeping in my bed. After a couple of painkillers, a glass of water and putting away my equipment, this comfy sofa has me for the night,” Wil replied.
“Okay,” she said slowly. “I'll go get out of this outfit, change into something a little less problematic if they show up before I can undress at the bungalow, and come back down to make sure you're okay before leaving.”
“Sounds good,” Wil replied, a smile on his face.
Chapter Twenty -Seven
W aking just past noon, yet again, Selia stretched and pondered her choices. She couldn't go anywhere until after dark and the motorcycle was currently hidden by a thick patch of blackberry bushes.
There was that tub though, she thought, and a small smile curved her lips.
Twenty minutes later, she had a tub filled with bubbles that smelled like roses, a glass of wine at one hand and a box of chocolates at her other. She lazily flipped a page of the novel she’d found on the bedside stand, enjoying the hot water and bubbles. Someone had remembered her love for a good mystery, and she was now reading an Agatha Christie whodunit.
She'd barely gotten past the murder when a knock on the door pulled her away from her reading. Sighing, she set the book aside and stepped from the tub. Wrapping a towel around her, she grabbed the wine glass and held it between her fingers as she popped another chocolate into her mouth. Trotting to the door, dripping water on the floor behind her, she took a sip of the red wine before setting the glass down and opening the door. She raised her brows at Alex and Bernie before picking up the glass and taking another sip of wine.
“Again?” she asked, stepping to the side. “What happened this time?”
“Uh, nothing,” Alex said; his eyes firmly locked onto hers. “We came by to check in and make sure you were safe and doing well.”
“Yeah,” added Bernie, who was having difficulty keeping his eyes locked on anything for more than a second. “Boss said to see if you needed anything.”
A sly smile pulled at Selia's lips. “Yeah, I could use more freedom. I hate being stuck here all the time.” She shrugged and gestured towards the house with the glass of wine. “Feel free to look around if you must. It's just little ol' me here, soaking in the tub, trying to kill time without dying from boredom.”
“We'll just check the rooms to see if anyone else is here.” Alex assured her. “Quick and easy. Sorry we interrupted your bath.”
“Take your time,” she drawled out, taking another sip of the wine. “Any news on Alfi? Or how much longer will I be stuck here?”
“Still no sightings.” Bernie grunted as he began looking around the living room and kitchenette. He didn't open cabinets but seemed concerned with places a person could hide. “We had the place we thought he'd be staked out, but funny thing: Sometime before dawn, damned near half of the water pipes blew. Place looked like Sea World had exploded inside it.”
Selia snickered and Bernie gave her a bright smile that made him look far more boyish and younger than he really was.
“The bosses are still wondering if it's a diversion, or someone tried to take Alfi out and got their timing wrong.” Alex offered, as he checked under her bed.
“Yes, I would definitely tuck someone under my bed and not in it,” Selia said, watching from the doorway. “That must have been pretty impressive. It sounds more like they didn't want him using that place, if you ask me.” She paused and tilted her head to the side, thinking. Alfi had to be somewhere, and he was mixed up with the necromancer, whoever she was. “Where would you go if you wanted to sell something, and you just lost your best option?”
It was a chance to ask, but news of the auction house would be on the news if it was that big. It didn't hurt that Alex and Bernie knew she wasn't a 'dumb blonde'.
“The bosses are trying to figure that out as well.” Alex shrugged, while checking the bedroom closet. Selia was glad she had left her Nightshade gear back at Wil's place. “They figure whatever Alfi is trying to sell has to be done in a person-to-person kind of auction. Otherwise, it would have already been sold online or some other silent method. He might be trying to do that now. The hackers are combing the internet for that.”
“He's not going to dare put it online,” Selia muttered, finally realizing what was going on.
The sorry bastard, and that traitorous bitch, she thought furiously.
The necromancer was working with Alfi. The magic of her island, or rather the mages on her island, was the one thing anyone and everyone would want. No one would believe Alfi's word but having a necromancer on his side would certainly prove anything he said.
; Fortunately, Selia knew how to keep her emotions hidden behind a poker face. It was something Soren had taught her the moment her feet had stepped into this strange city so many years ago. She took another sip from her glass, not caring if Alex and Bernie knew she was drinking wine. They'd been the ones to coax her into trying it so many years ago, after all.
“You sound pretty sure about that.” Bernie cut in. “How do you figure he wouldn't?”
She gave Bernie an exasperated look. “Remember, he's the idiot who thought he could charm me into his bed by complimenting my big rack and fine ass. He isn't imaginative and unless he suddenly grew a brain larger than a peanut, he's going to think it has to be kept secret. The internet is anything but secret.”
Maybe she knew a little more about Alfi than she had originally thought. Though she doubted a simple locator spell would work if he was mixed up with an undoubtedly powerful necromancer.
“Okay, you got a point.” Bernie relented. “How do you figure this auction has to be in person? Because Alex and me, we're still scratching our heads over it. If it's such a valuable commodity, whatever he's selling, why does he have to be in the room? Wouldn't buyers be more interested in the item?”
“Alfi isn't the kind who's going to trust someone else with what he just stole,” Selia replied. “If you'd just tried killing me and then went after Soren, would you trust anyone with it? He's a greedy little coward and thinks everyone is like him.” She paused long enough to take a sip of wine. “I should know. I was forced to listen to plenty of his delusional rants.”
Alex laughed. Bernie gave Selia an approving smile and nod.
“I think you just nailed that little chickenshit's personality,” said Bernie. “Score one for the lady.”
Selia gave a slight bow, a smile on her lips. “I aim to please.”
“Yeah, I bet you do,” Bernie said, a little smug. “Any chance I can call your lady friend and ask for details?” He held up his hands and said, “I'm kidding! Gotta pick on ya. Okay, let me check the bathroom, Alex checks the last room, and we're a memory.”
Instead of waiting on her reply, Bernie walked over, opened the bathroom door, and peered inside.
“Do you want to check the tub and make sure someone isn't holding their breath under the bubbles?” Selia suggested sarcastically.
“Nah, those rose-scented bubble baths burn the hell out of my eyes and nose,” Bernie said reflectively. Selia did not want to know how he knew that tidbit of information. “Nobody can stay underwater with that for long.” He continued to look at the tub for a long minute before nodding and closing the door.
Alex came up beside him and the pair walked to the front door.
“Again, sorry we interrupted your bath,” Alex apologized. “Hopefully, all this will be done soon, and you won't have this to be bothered with.”
“Here's hoping,” she agreed. “I much prefer enjoying your company when the threat of my death isn't looming over our heads.”
“Yeah, us too,” both men said in unison. They closed the door on their way out.
Chuckling, Selia grabbed the phone the Sandman had given her and returned to the bathroom. Dropping the towel beside the tub, she sank back into the hot water and dialed 'Sandy'. Hopefully, he'd be awake, and she could give him something to work on until she arrived later that night.
The call connected after two rings.
“Hello, beautiful,” the Sandman's voice purred into her ears.
“Mmmmm... let me tell you what just happened,” she said, biting her lower lip, “and then, maybe, I can convince you to keep talking to me in that voice.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I t felt odd using the front door instead of coming up from beneath the house. Using the card key, she entered the townhouse. The door closed and locked with a quiet click as she headed towards Wil’s office. She stopped in the doorframe and leaned against it as she smiled at Wil. He hadn’t noticed she’d entered, or didn’t care, because he was leaning forward at his desk with one hand on the keyboard and the other on the mouse.
“Hey, handsome,” Selia said softly, pushing away from the door and walking towards him. Leaning down, she brushed a kiss against his neck. “Find anything interesting?”
For the first time, he wasn't wearing anything to mask his appearance. All things considered, it shouldn't have been surprising, but Selia couldn't help but be delighted at that fact. Impishly, she nuzzled his neck, before nipping his earlobe from behind.
“Alfi has postponed the auction for three days while the mess I made gets cleaned up.” He leaned back against her. “That felt great. If you keep it up, I won't be able to tell you the rest, though.”
Selia giggled and kissed the top of his head before rolling him and the chair back. Sitting in his lap, she asked, “This better?”
“Depends on what you're trying to improve: my concentration, the amount of distraction I'm dealing with, or how quickly blood will flow to a certain part of my body,” he quipped.
He reached around her and clicked the mouse of his laptop.
“It's impossible to try and make a bid for the coordinates using a dummy corporation. Even if I could bid a few billion on the auction, I don't have an identity that is known in the world market or politics. The auction is being attended by heads of state, oil barons and global billionaire corporations. The people are very high profile in the global business and political world. I've Googled every one of the guests that was supposed to be bidding on the chance to plunder your home. Each of them has access to heinous amounts of cash and can be tracked using legitimate sources like Fortune 500, with activities going back years. Alfi wants to be very old school about this. You show up in person, highest bidder wins. A demonstration of the item is supposed to happen. Any thoughts on what that might be?”
“Yeah, the woman is a necromancer. The demonstration will be magical. We'll have to get to Alfi before the auction can happen. He'll have the drive and she probably doesn't know how to get back to the island. If she did, she wouldn't be allying herself with Alfi,” Selia explained. She wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the closeness. “I could try the basic tracking spell, but I doubt it would work. I tried it with you, and she prevented it somehow. Alex and Bernie don't know anything; either that, or they're keeping it close to their chest.”
“So, the witch will be proof of what they're selling. That makes sense,” mused Wil. “Let's try the tracking spell first. I'm linked into the Family's search for Alfi. If he uses a credit card or rents a hooker, it'll show up and we'll know.”
“Do you have a physical map of the city?” Selia asked suddenly.
She barely remembered a spell she had seen used frequently on Temeria. Unfortunately, she'd only performed it once. Even if it didn't give them Alfi's exact location, it might at least give them the general area, within a three-mile radius.
“If you mean a road map, I have several. Do you want just the streets, or do you want one with the geographic features as well?”
“Streets should be fine,” Selia replied. “We often used a spell whenever we were attacked by other Clans. It let the battalion chiefs know about where the armies were, even when a mage shielded their location. It was useful in my land because we knew the geography so well. Maybe it will help us here? If nothing else, it should give us a general idea of where they are.”
“Why didn’t you use it to find me?” he asked, curious.
Selia shrugged. “I needed an exact location for you. This would give me the block of my target, not the exact building or room.”
Wil stared at the monitor for a few moments, considering her reply before giving a shrug of his own. “It's worth a try. Even if it narrows our search down to a few blocks that gives us a much better chance of finding them in time.” He smiled at her. “Just all kinds of useful, aren't you? Why are you hanging around with a boring old article writer?”
“You're hot, you’re charming, and you saved me?” She said in a questioning tone, her he
ad tilted to the side. “No? How about I have a thing for dangerous men who are compassionate and don't mind a woman who can kick ass, too?”
Laughing, Wil nodded. “Okay, I concede your point!”
“Goodie!” Selia exclaimed before kissing him lightly on his lips and hopping up off his lap. “So… how about that map, handsome?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
T he spell worked well, in their estimation. The spell narrowed the search to a single city block. When Selia made some mention of hoping the spell was accurate and not pointing her towards a shoe store, since she’d only used it once and wasn’t entirely certain of the accuracy, Wil waved it off. He gathered their gear, saying it was time to suit up and check the location out. He promised to go shoe shopping with her another time.
Two hours later, they were on the rooftop of a clothing store that had kept a brisk business despite not being downtown and not offering much in the way of inexpensive garments. The block was a city mash-up of apartments, small businesses, and eateries.
It was ten blocks from the beginning of the “official” downtown of New Campania, where shops, banks, four-star restaurants, and the most congested part of the subway system scrambled for space and importance over the rest of the section's more well-known theater, sports, and entertainment companies. Nightshade and the Sandman had kept vigil for over an hour, with little to show for it.
“Maybe I cast the spell wrong-” she began.
“Perhaps you're just impatient, and should be more confident in your abilities,” he interrupted.
“This building does sell shoes,” she retorted.
Wil gave her a scathing look before turning back to scanning the people moving below, watching the faces and body language of those entering homes, shops, and eateries. What the pedestrians carried out of the shops also was of interest. The Sandman was looking for someone buying food for more than themselves, and not looking to feed a family or a football game party. The cabs and cars might reveal something, so he watched those carefully as well.
Taking The Night (Nightshade series Book 1) Page 18