Chapter 17
“Quinn, we need to talk…” Becka started, but didn’t get far.
“Hold on, I have to give Elowen a call,” Quinn replied, and then dialed using the vehicle’s console as the car drove them straight back to the station.
“Chief. We have a double murder with a clear threat to escalate if we don’t release Gullet immediately,” Quinn stated.
“I saw the initial report. You sure it’s not a bluff?” Elowen asked, her voice clear over the car’s speakers.
“There’s no bluff,” Quinn said. “If we don’t return him, the risk to Saige and others will escalate. Gravely.”
The conversation between them continued, but Becka’s attention was drawn out the window. Watching people walking down the street, she tried to imagine their lives. Were they carefree and content, days filled with engaging, passionate work and evenings sharing time with family and loved ones?
Or did they have a psychopathic blood-and-magic-drinking killer after them as well?
She frowned. Hopefully not.
Becka glanced back at Quinn, his frustration over the situation with Gullet visible in the tense lines on his face. Would Quinn be upset she hadn’t brought her conversation with Mimir up with him yet? Or her findings with the tome of the Great War? Or even her finding the odd message at her first magic-remover job?
Not that stewing in her concerns did any good, but Becka couldn’t help worrying about how he’d react. At least she hadn’t lied.
Had she? Was delaying considered lying?
Ugh.
“Sorry about that,” Quinn said, breaking her reverie. “At least Hamish will get the ball rolling, even if he’d rather slug it out with Gullet again. Now, what did you want to talk about?”
Becka opened her mouth to start, and her phone rang.
“Argh, not again! Hold on.” She dug her phone out of her jacket and answered it. “Hello?”
“Lady Rowan, have I caught you at a bad time?”
Becka recognized Dr. Traut’s voice and flashed a quick “please be patient” smile at Quinn.
“Not at all, Dr. Traut. How can I help you?”
“As we discussed, the Interspecies Department is hosting a panel which I’ve got scheduled for the day after next. I’m hoping you can make it?”
Becka pursed her lips. Now might not be the best time, but she had promised Traut she’d take part. Moreover, she wanted to reestablish her connection with the institute. “Things are busy with my enforcer duties, but I’d love to attend.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic, my dear. Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to interfere with official business.”
“I’ll be there, Dr. Traut. By the way, what’s the subject?”
“Something that you’re eminently qualified to speak to, my dear. But, if you don’t mind, I’d like your perspective to be fresh and not overworked.”
Becka shifted in her seat. Considering how weird her life had been lately, it wasn’t like it could be any weirder, right?
“Okay, whatever you think best, sir.”
“Perfect. Expect my invitation with the time and place tomorrow. Good day, Becka.”
“Goodbye, Dr.… I mean, David.”
Becka hung up the phone just as the vehicle pulled up in front of the station.
So much for getting a quiet moment alone.
As they walked back into the bureau, Quinn’s gaze looked her over. “You look like you have a lot on your mind. Ready to talk?”
She let out an exasperated sigh, smiling at the lady enforcer who’d been nice to her the day before as they passed by. “You could say that.” They walked together up to the conference room, but when Quinn opened the door, Becka held back. “I’m worried there are too many ears. Is there somewhere we can talk? Privately?”
Quinn’s brows rose, but he didn’t press her to explain. “Certainly. Follow me.” He turned and walked down the hall, and Becka followed close behind. Quinn led her into an empty interview room, flicking on the lights and then shutting the door behind them. The room was pretty austere, furnished with only a table, two chairs, and a wastebasket in the corner.
Becka walked over to the room’s view window, which faced out toward the rows of investigators’ cubicles where enforcers diligently worked away. Some talked on the phone, some researched, a few were standing and chatting together. Everything looked business as normal.
Could any of them be in league with Mimir? How could she know who to trust, or was she just being paranoid?
Quinn stood next to her, shoulder to shoulder. But instead of looking out over the pool of desks, his focus was on her. “Your frown isn’t promising.”
“I don’t like knowing they’re all watching us.”
“I doubt they’ve got the time to sit around and watch us, but this might help.” Quinn reached up and pushed a button next to the window, shifting it to opaque mode. Although there was still a small window in the door, things suddenly felt more private.
“Thank you. For a moment there I felt like a pet goldfish.”
“No need for that.” His smile hitched, and Becka felt her stomach flutter in response. “Now you’ve got me all to yourself.”
Becka looked down at her shoes. What had she wanted to say? Where should she begin? He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, a gesture so familiar, yet intimate.
She remembered two nights ago how safe she’d felt curled up against him. Why couldn’t they just run off together and escape all of this drama?
“As much as I enjoy being here with you, we don’t have all day. What did you want to talk about?”
When she spoke, it came out in a rush. “Yesterday was crazy. I don’t quite know where to begin with catching you up. And I’m worried you’ll be upset I didn’t tell you all this sooner, but there hasn’t been a good chance to talk.”
Quinn placed his hands on her shoulders, his gaze holding her own. “Take a deep breath.”
She did and then opened her mouth to talk.
“And another?” he cut her off, a sparkle of amusement glinting in his eyes.
Becka took another slow, steady breath, and then another.
“Good. You’re right, it’s been hectic. I promise I won’t be upset that you’re catching me up since yesterday, all right?”
Becka nodded, feeling the anxiety in her chest release.
“Do you want to sit down?” Becka nodded, and he pulled a chair around the table so they could sit face to face. “How about you just start at the beginning?”
“So yesterday, Caeda went with me to my viewing at the archive,” Becka began.
He nodded. “I remember. Some old book you requested to view a couple of years ago?”
“Exactly. I’ve seen replicas in history books, but they are often fuzzy, low-quality images, so that’s why I asked to view the original. I won’t bore you with all the details, but there were pages in the book that weren’t right.”
Quinn cocked his head to the side. “You think it’s related to our investigation?”
“No. I mean, I don’t think so?” Becka replied. “I hadn’t gotten quite that far.”
“What was wrong with the pages?”
“Well, the archivist and Caeda both saw normal pages where there were key sections that were blank to me. Sometimes there were the words ‘you see what you expect to see’ written in script, but nothing else.”
“What did they see instead?”
“Details on the history of the battles of the Great War, the signature pages showing all the fae-touched elders who signed off on the peace declaration. There might have been more blank sections, but I didn’t have time to see every page. The book is in some sort of time-based lockdown with only annual viewings allowed.”
Quinn leaned back in his chair. “So, you see through the magic in this tome, just like you did with the Shadow-Dweller journals. Do you think it was the same sort of enchantment, or something new?”
Becka shrugged. “I think
it was similar. I didn’t touch it because I didn’t want to damage it. It’s an ancient tome, and I got the impression from the senior archivist, Matilda Leith, that it looks like it always has, and she struck me as someone who would notice even a detail out of place.”
“Which could mean it’s been like that from the beginning,” Quinn mused.
“Or long enough that no one remembers it, or our history around the Great War, any differently. But why just have placeholders?”
“Whoever did it may have wanted to rewrite history over time,” Quinn said. “Reframing the past can be a powerful weapon.”
“But, why? And who?”
“Possibly Shadow-Dwellers or whoever they learned their obfuscating magic from. I’m curious what other books bear the same sort of rewritten history, but it’ll have to wait until after we’ve dealt with our current threat.”
“Agreed,” Becka replied. “So, moving on.”
“Yes, what else?”
“After the viewing, Caeda got a call from a CI who needed to meet. They’d seen Saige.”
“Right, it’s how Hamish could track Saige down. Did Caeda leave something out of her report?”
“Okay, don’t be upset with Caeda,” Becka started, and he frowned. “But I didn’t go with her to meet the CI.”
“Right, she dropped you at the house first?”
“Not exactly,” she replied, and his expression darkened. “I had an awful headache from the viewing and Caeda needed to get to the CI right away, so I took a car home directly. But Caeda did an override on it that prevented anyone from redirecting me, so I was safe.”
“I’ll be having a word with her next,” he said, his tone terse.
“Please don’t be upset with her. I practically forced her to go meet her CI alone. Besides, I’m fine.”
He leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee. “You might not have been.”
“Yet I was.”
Quinn looked at her askance. “Wait, I get the feeling there’s more.”
“Yes. Did you see that totem I had checked into evidence?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I did. The report said someone slipped it into your backpack while you walked through an on-campus protest?”
“Yes. I think it’s how Mimir contacted me yesterday.”
Quinn froze for a second, and then he leaned forward, reached under her chair, and pulled Becka close until her legs pressed against his and their faces were just inches apart.
“You spoke to Mimir?”
Becka nodded. “In the car ride home from the institute. She appeared a moment after Caeda sent me off and disappeared right before I reached home.”
Quinn held up a single finger. “This is something I would have preferred you to tell me right away.”
“Noted. I’m sorry, Quinn. My head hurt so badly; the hot sauce didn’t even touch it. Whatever Mimir did to that totem, between it and the tome, it wiped me out and I had to sleep it off.”
He placed his hand back on her leg. “Tell me everything she said.”
Becka recounted her conversation with Mimir word for word, to the best of her memory.
“Well?” Becka asked after a moment.
Quinn’s expression was pensive. He slid his hands up to her hips, as if he was convinced she’d slip away at any moment. “I need you to promise me you will not do as she asks. That you will not willingly deliver yourself to Mimir.”
“I’m not crazy. I will not sacrifice myself to her.”
Quinn’s brow raised. “Promise me, Becka.”
He was being serious. But what if it meant Saige dying? Or him?
He leaned his forehead against hers, bringing his left hand up to her nape. “I can practically hear the what if’s flowing through your mind.”
“I mean, I can’t predict what situations Mimir is going to throw at me.”
“Promise me, Becka, or I swear by the gods I’ll…” Quinn broke off, jaw clenched.
She needed to know where that sentence was headed. “You’ll what?”
“Lock you up? Tie you to my bed? Whatever it takes to keep you safe.” The intensity in his gaze nearly took her breath away.
Becka’s mouth gaped, the imagery sending a wave of heat through her. Had she heard him right?
“I promise you, Quinn. I won’t hand myself over to Mimir.”
The moment she’d spoken the words, Quinn’s mouth was on hers, his fingers threaded through her hair. This was no kiss, but a raw, almost savage moment which burned through her as he staked his claim. This was nothing like the tender or even passionate kisses they’d shared before. This was a desperate expression of need and devotion.
When he pulled away, his breathing was ragged. After a moment, Becka realized hers was too.
“I love you, Becka. I refuse to lose you to Mimir or any of the Shadow-Dwellers,” he whispered.
Becka’s heart skipped a beat. She brought her hand up to his face, cupping his jaw. “I love you too.”
She leaned into him, and they kissed again. This round was gentler than the last, but no less intense.
A knock at the door jolted Becka back into her body. She tried to pull away, but Quinn held her close.
“You won’t go to Mimir?” he whispered.
“I’m going to find her, but I have no intention of sacrificing myself to her endless hunger for power.”
By the flash of frustration in his eyes, Becka could tell Quinn didn’t like that answer, but it was the best she could offer.
“You’re impossible,” he ground out.
Becka shrugged, giving him a halfhearted smile.
There came a second knock.
Quinn let go of Becka and stood up. “What?” he said, his voice practically a yell.
The door opened, an anxious-looking Ted on the other side. “Could we get you back in the conference room? I think we have something.”
“We’ll be right there,” Quinn replied.
Becka stood up, intending to leave, but Quinn placed a hand on her hip, holding her in place. When Ted left, Quinn’s focus was back on her.
“From here on out, wherever you go, I go. Understand?”
“Even the bathroom?” she joked.
“I’ll send Saige or Caeda along with you. No, scratch that, neither one will keep you in check. Nikkita, then.”
“Now that’s just cruel. She hates me. I think.”
Quinn’s smile was a touch on the evil side. “Whatever it takes. I am not leaving you alone for Mimir to get at again.”
“Fine. I’d prefer not having to deal with her again too, even if it means some extra Nikkita and you time. Not that I mind the extra you time,” she added, still feeling the heat of his lips against hers like a brand.
That seemed to satisfy him, because he gave her a nod like they’d just signed a contract. “Now let’s go see what Ted has.”
Chapter 18
Caeda’s well-placed kick to her ankle startled Becka awake. She shook herself, her body feeling numb in places from dozing while sitting up. She glanced at Caeda, who was the picture of alert focus.
“Thanks for joining us,” Caeda mouthed silently.
Heck, I must have dozed off.
Becka stretched in her seat, desperate to force oxygen, and thus energy, throughout her body despite Nikkita’s interminable brain-sucking presentation. Looking around the room, no one else seemed to have noticed she’d fallen asleep. Quinn, Hamish, Ted, and Nikkita were all focused on the display screen. Saige sat on a couch in the back, and when she caught her eye, mimed a yawn.
Saige had most definitely noticed.
Hamish cleared his throat. “I’m confused. There are five or six different overlays here. Some even occur simultaneously. How does the AI know which one is Gullet?”
“The AI isn’t saying these are Gullet, per se. It’s saying each of these people walked in the neighborhoods or next to the neighborhoods he spends time in, and they exhibit movement patterns that have correlations to his wal
king style,” Nikkita explained.
“Right,” Hamish replied, but by his crossed arms and full-face frown, he didn’t look like he got it.
When Ted had called them back into the conference room, he might have been overstating the excitement level. Becka looked at the clock on the wall. They’d been sitting here for over two hours, and she needed a break.
“Thanks for walking us through the AI… walking,” Caeda said. “What do you think, Quinn? Should we check out these routes?”
Quinn ran a hand through his hair, his attention focused on the city map covering the wall display. “I’d like to have some units case these routes tonight and report back what they see. We might get lucky and they’ll see Gullet or the club entrance. Otherwise, they can point out locations where there’s especially low foot traffic or poor lighting. Anything unusual. That’s where I’d expect to see a semi-hidden club entrance.”
“I can see who’s on duty,” Ted offered, rising. “I’ll go talk with the shift sergeant.”
“Excellent work on the AI modeling, Nikkita,” Quinn said.
Nikkita’s normally focused expression transformed, beaming in delight from the praise. “Thanks, boss.”
“If the beat enforcers find potential locations, I’d like to run Becka past them in daytime to see if any have an energy signature she recognizes.”
“You think I can recognize her magic?” Becka asked.
“If anyone can, it’s you,” Quinn said. “Or you might see right through her illusions.”
Becka frowned. “Shouldn’t I be out walking these routes?”
Quinn gave a firm shake of his head. “I think it’d be too risky for you. Besides, it’s standard procedure for the beat units to handle these sorts of checks. There are more of them, and it’ll save us time over trying to canvass it all ourselves.”
“You sure this decision isn’t more about keeping me out of danger? I’m not about to be sidelined, not when Mimir is out to harm my friends.” Not even if it risked her own life, Becka didn’t say out loud. “Every day we delay, we risk Mimir killing again.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and smiled reassuringly. “Sure, it reduces your exposure, but there’s no point running you ragged either. It’s why we have departmental resources made available for our case. I’m not sidelining you. I promise. There’s plenty for you to do.”
Shadow Underground: A Romantic Urban Fantasy Murder Mystery (The Shadow Series Book 3) Page 15