by Lane Mason
Kat stopped sending magic into the blades. The flame disappeared right away.
Sophia reached out and touched the blades. “As soon as you extinguish the fire, the heat is gone. In actuality, the blade itself never gets hot. Only the air around it, or whatever it comes into contact with. I would avoid using the flames in combustible areas.”
“Like our house,” Vesper said.
Kat couldn’t agree more. There was no way she’d use the flames around anything she didn’t want to see burnt to the ground. She tried to place the swords into her holster, and to her surprise the weapons slid into the small holes easily. Kat wondered if this was the same type of magic as April’s blade, or something different. Either way, she would be able to carry both of the small swords without anyone noticing them. Between the swords and her two guns, she was well equipped. Now if Gerald had a grenade launcher that shrunk down to fit her back pocket, she’d have a complete arsenal.
“The weapons are amazing,” Erica said. “What do we owe you for them?”
Sophia shook her head. “These weapons aren’t for sale. They are gifts from me to you. The cost of the blades is only a favor, which Sebastian now owes me.”
Kat was surprised. The blades and batons were all magically enhanced weapons. They certainly weren’t cheap. What kind of favor would cover such weapons? “That is very gracious.”
Sophia’s lips pressed together in what could almost be considered a smile. “Perhaps the word ‘gift’ is misleading. I am certainly receiving more than fair value for the weapons. I do not sell weapons. I am a collector. I do make trades from time to time, but money isn’t a concern for me. Many of these weapons are here to keep them out of the wrong hands. My place might not look like much, but it is heavily protected. If you tried to leave this place with any of its contents without permission, the results would be rather unpleasant. Sebastian has something I’ve been trying to acquire for some time now. Until now he’s been reluctant to part with it.”
Kat looked at Vesper. “Does your uncle know there are four of us?”
“The number matters not,” Sophia said. “I could’ve easily said one weapon. I find your group of young women to be rather charming, not to mention the service to the world some of you have already provided. I was sincere in my admiration for the people who helped stop Ruton and his vampires.”
“We appreciate that,” Erica said with a small bow of respect towards Sophia.
Sophia returned the bow and then turned to Kat. “These weapons will help you against demons, and other enemies, but be wary. You have enemies that go beyond the demons that hate what you represent. The attack against you this morning was a test. One that you survived, but at what cost? Your true nature has been revealed. Be careful.”
“I’ve been informed of the danger, but I thank you for the warning,” Kat said.
“I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Please have a coffee on your way out. The blend is quite excellent,” Sophia said before leading them to the door back to the coffee shop. After getting four cups of coffee to go, Kat and the others piled into April’s SUV.
“Well, that was an interesting afternoon,” April said. “I never imagined we’d be gifted magical weapons.”
“I wonder what Sebastian has to give her for the weapons?” Kat asked.
“I’ll find out soon enough,” Vesper said. “I still have to go see him and raise a demon.”
“You’re really going to have a demon for a pet?” April asked. “That is so cool.”
“I’m not sure if I’d consider a demon a pet, but yes, that is the plan. The more protection I have for Vesper and I, the better. Now that everyone knows I’m royal blood, I have even more enemies. Enemies I know nothing about.”
“Demons aren’t all bad,” Erica said. “It is a demon that makes Dante who he is.”
Kat sipped her coffee. It was really good. Sophia had not been exaggerating. “I’m pretty open-minded. So far, I’ve learned it doesn’t matter if you’re vampire, werewolf, draia, or witch, from Earth or Unreha. There are good and bad everywhere. I suppose the same applies to the other realms.”
“Now that we’ve finished up with weapons shopping and making sure Kat doesn’t die of famine, why don’t we think of what we should do next?” April said. “I’ll text Dexter and see how the trial’s going and if they need us at all. If not, we are in Vegas...”
“I’ll text Dexter,” Kat said. “You’re driving.”
Kat pulled her phone out and sent a quick message. With April and the girls. How’s the trial going? Need us for anything?
Trial going well. The next few witnesses are already here and site is secure. Enjoy yourselves. Tell April to text me if you all are going for drinks. I’ll have someone come get the truck.
“Dexter says the trial is going great and to tell pookie bear he loves her more than a flower loves the sun.”
April looked at Kat as if she’d grown a second head. “He said what?”
Vesper broke out into laughter. “You should see your face right now.”
April started laughing. “You freaked me out for a second. I thought someone had kidnapped him. He’d never call me pookie bear. I’d take my new knife and test it on him.”
Kat grinned. “I may have taken a few artistic liberties with his message. He says for you to text him if we go out drinking. He’ll have someone come get the truck.”
“Now that sounds more like Dexter,” April said. “OK, what should we do next?”
“Should we go to a show? Maybe a Cirque Du Soleil show, or the Blue Man Group? Perhaps Freemont Street? The options are endless.”
Kat was pretty open to anything. She’d never been to Vegas before, and so far she’d been so caught up in battles that she hadn’t really had a chance to relax and enjoy it. The last couple hours had been great, and she was looking forward to whatever the group decided.
“April, you’re the only one here who’s been to Vegas before. What do you want to do?”
April gave an evil grin.
21
Kat
Kat yawned. April had led them to Freemont Street, or Old Vegas, and they’d had a good time wandering around and seeing the sights. After that they’d gone to the lounge at the top of the Cosmo, and had a few drinks there. It had been a good end to an eventful day. Now she and Vesper were back in the hotel room having one last drink before going to bed. But before they did that, Kat had to tell Vesper about Hector. She’d been avoiding it all afternoon. But now they were alone and her list of excuses was gone.
“You want one more before bed?” Vesper asked.
Kat nodded. “I do, and you’re going to need one too. We need to talk.”
Vesper looked sideways as she got up. “Well, that doesn’t sound ominous at all.”
“I’ve been looking for an opportunity to talk to you... no, that’s not true, I’ve been avoiding it all day and now I’ve run out of reasons to avoid it.”
Vesper finished pouring them drinks and came back to the couch. She handed Kat her drink and then sat down. “Well, what’s going on? It isn’t like you to avoid talking.”
Kat sipped her drink. She wasn’t sure how to say it, so she just blurted it out. “Hector is dead. He was one of the men who attacked the safe house today.”
“Hector? My Hector?”
Kat nodded.
“I don’t understand.”
“I think Hector was spying on us. I saw him earlier today in the hotel lounge, I wasn’t sure if he was here to surprise you or if it was something else, and then he was in the vehicle that followed Thomas and I to the safe house. I think he was tracking my scent.”
Vesper frowned. “You saw him this morning and didn’t say anything? You thought I told him we were in Vegas? I’m not stupid. This was an official MBI mission. I didn’t tell anyone where we were going.”
“I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t have much time to figure things out before the fight happened. And I didn’t even see Hector until I was doub
le-checking the crime scene to make sure it was safe to leave.”
“You should’ve trusted me. You should’ve told me that Hector was in Vegas the moment you saw him.”
“I’m sorry,” Kat said. She didn’t know what else to say.
Vesper started to tear up. “I can’t believe I fell for his bullshit. I thought he was really into me. But he was just using me to get to you. He probably stole something from you while he was in our house.”
Kat put her drink down and moved over so she could hug Vesper. “It wasn’t your fault. It could’ve easily been me who was in that position. You’re not the only one who has fallen for a good-looking bad boy. Trust me, I’ve known a few. Hell, if I’d met Hector first, he probably would’ve been in my bed and not yours.”
Vesper sniffled. “Slut.” She then squeezed Kat closer.
“Pot kettle black,” Kat replied.
Vesper laughed. “You know, for two self-proclaimed sluts, between the two of us we’ve only had one guy in our collective beds, and I actually was thinking about having a relationship with him.”
“I didn’t say we were good at being sluts. In fact, I think we suck at it. But hell, I’d rather be bad at being a slut than being good at being a good girl.”
“You’re weird. But I love you anyway,” Vesper said.
“You forgive me for not telling you about Hector?”
“Let’s not get carried away. I’m still annoyed at you, and I need time to process this, but I still love you.”
“Good. I really wasn’t looking forward to having to find a new place to live.”
Vesper wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. “You’d have to do worse than not tell me my future husband is a spy and using me to get to you before I kick you out.”
Kat raised an eyebrow. “Future husband?”
Vesper shrugged. “I don’t know. But he could’ve been something more than just a hookup. He seemed special.”
“So is it true what they say about werewolves? Was he a real animal in bed?” Kat wanted to keep the mood light, keep Vesper from thinking about the betrayal she’d gone through. Hopefully, turning the conversation to sex would help.
“Well, he didn’t turn into a beast, but I think I will pass on answering that. I don’t want to think about him right now. I just want to go to bed.”
Vesper took her drink and headed towards her room. She looked back at Kat. “We can talk more tomorrow. Right now, I just need to sleep.”
Kat nodded. “Night.” The conversation had been painful, but at least it was over. She was sure there would be more to it tomorrow once Vesper had processed things. “See you in the morning.”
“Probably not. I’ve got to go see Sebastian tomorrow morning, so I’ll just sneak out. I’ll text you once I’m done.”
22
Vesper
Vesper frowned. She’d read the directions Sebastian had given her, but now that she was there, she wasn’t sure what to think. The building was right off the Strip and looked completely residential. She’d been expecting something a little more industrial, like a warehouse or a storefront.
Heading to the front doors, Vesper was greeted by a tall and elderly doorman.
The doorman smiled at her. The way his eyes sparkled brought back memories of one of her favorite childhood teachers. She could tell she liked him already.
“Good morning, miss.”
Vesper returned his smile. “Good morning. I’m looking for Mr. Marcone.”
“Sebastian mentioned he was expecting company. Just head straight in and go to the elevators. Seventh floor.”
“Thank you,” Vesper said before heading to the elevators. The lobby of the building was very modern and clean. It reminded her a bit of the lobby of the Cosmopolitan, but without any people. She entered the elevator and hit the button for the seventh floor. The doors closed and the elevator started moving before she realized she hadn’t asked which room.
She sighed. Hopefully, his door had his name on it or something that would let her know that she was in the right place.
The elevator doors opened and Vesper stepped out. Instead of a hallway, she was in a living room. It seemed Sebastian’s place took the entire seventh floor.
“There you are,” Sebastian said as he entered the room wearing a colorful silk kimono. “Make yourself at home, there is coffee or whatever you like in the kitchen. I’ll just get dressed and then we can get started.”
“This is yours?” Vesper asked.
“Yes. It is mine. You like?”
“It’s beautiful, and huge. It’s a long way from the caravans.”
Sebastian laughed. “It certainly is. As I told you before, Vegas has been very good to me. This, however, was a unique situation that I lucked into. The owner of this building is a very superstitious Chinese investor. He likes to come to Vegas twice a year, and I met him when he was in the process of developing this property. I helped deal with some spirit problems. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I got this for a price that you wouldn’t believe if I told you. The only stipulation was that I help maintain the integrity of the building.”
“The integrity of the building?” Vesper asked.
“The spiritual integrity. I make sure that there are no ghosts lingering in the building,” Sebastian said before leaving the room.
Vesper looked around. The apartment was huge, and like the exterior of the building, very modern with lots of glass and chrome and white walls. The floors were marble and hardwood. It was almost too modern for Vesper’s taste—the chrome and glass had an industrial feel to them—but there were splashes of color everywhere that gave the place a warmer, more inviting feel to it. Walking around, Vesper headed into the kitchen. It was huge and looked like it was designed to feed an army. Double stoves, a massive center island and two fridges. Vesper had seen professional kitchens that were put to shame by this one.
Sebastian entered the kitchen wearing his more traditional black leather pants and tank top. He headed to his coffee maker. “Would you like an espresso or a cappuccino?”
“Just a regular coffee would be great.”
Sebastian made himself an espresso and Vesper a coffee. “There you go. Cream or sugar?”
Vesper shook her head. “Black is fine.”
“Let’s head to the balcony. I like to sit out there while I have my morning coffee.”
Vesper followed Sebastian to his balcony, which seemed to wrap around the entire side of the building.
“Have a seat.”
Vesper took a seat at the small table.
“How was your evening? Did you enjoy all Vegas has to offer?”
“It was eventful. Thank you for the introduction to Sofia De Luna.”
Sebastian smiled. “I trust she was able to help you?”
“Yes, very much so.” Vesper pulled out her new baton and handed it to Sebastian.
“Ah, I’ve seen these before.” Sebastian snapped his arm down and the baton extended to its full length. “You’ll want to take some stick-fighting lessons to maximize your skills. A baton can be an incredibly effective fighting weapon in the right hands.”
“I’ll take lessons when I get back to Boston. The MBI has martial arts trainers.”
“Excellent. And you’ll probably want to work on your wand magic as well. If you’re anything like your mother, you’re lacking.”
Vesper nodded. “Guilty as charged.”
Sebastian sipped his espresso and then put it down. He looked carefully at Vesper. “Something has changed since yesterday. Your aura is all messed up.”
“My aura? Come on, Uncle, I’m not one of your clients.”
Sebastian smiled. “No, you’re family. Now quit avoiding the question. You damn well know I can tell a person’s emotional state. I’m not some hack magic user.”
Vesper sighed. Sebastian certainly wasn’t a hack. He was very attuned to the spirit world, and that also meant he was very attuned to people’s emotional states. It was why he c
ould read his customers so well. That he used that skill to hustle clients didn’t make it any less real. “I’m a little out of sorts today.”
Sebastian didn’t say anything. He just sat there, waiting for her to continue.
Vesper could tell that Sebastian wasn’t going to let it drop, and she knew that he wouldn’t summon the demon for her until she told him what was going on. “Fine. I’ll talk. Yesterday, the guy I just started seeing was killed in an attack on an MBI safe house. It seems he followed Kat and I to Vegas. She spotted him yesterday at our hotel but didn’t say anything. Then she recognized him at the attack.”
“I see. Are you mad that he wasn’t what he seemed or that your friend didn’t tell you about seeing him?”
It was the question that had kept her up late last night and was still on her mind this morning. “I’m not that upset with Kat. It annoys me that she didn’t tell me the first time she thought she saw him, but I can see why she did it. She didn’t want to accuse him without having information, but I’m not fragile. I don’t need her to protect me.”
“No, you don’t. But you do need to have open lines of communication with her. The fact that she’s draia and a target means you both are. She needs to know she can tell you any time she suspects someone is trying to get close to you to get to her. It could happen again, although I suspect you both will be wary about you to let anyone get close to you for a while. But it isn’t your friendship that is bothering you.”
Vesper sighed. Sebastian was right. She was mildly irked with Kat, but in truth that wasn’t the source of her discontent. That she’d been used so easily was what was truly bothering her. “He played me. I had no idea. I mean, it wasn’t serious or anything, but I was actually thinking it could be something. I had no clue that he had ulterior motives.”
“I wouldn’t put too much stock into it, other than to consider it a learning experience. Nothing wrong with being intimate with whomever you desire, just be cautious when letting your heart get involved. Considering your involvement with the MBI, I’d be using their resources to look into potential romantic partners.”