by Ciara Graves
“And we have the question now of who that robed figure was who attacked you last time,” Nor added. “Joseph, I know Quin does not wish to help us, but I’m hoping you will.”
“I will. I would like these gargoyles taken care of.”
“Good. We’ll work on a plan back at the Fed building.” Nor’s stern look told me that included me.
It wasn’t my first time around so many Feds, but it wasn’t where I wanted to be. I could’ve used the excuse I planned on going back to the hospital, but that would be another lie. The others filed out of the room, and when I went to follow, Rafael blocked my way.
“What now?”
“You know what. These artifacts draw the gargoyles.”
“That’s what it sounds like.”
“Are these the same artifacts I’m vaguely remembering you talking about with the others?”
I clenched my jaw wondering if I should lie, then gave in. “Yes.”
“Do you have one at your place? Is that why you were attacked?”
“No. Well, I did, briefly. But not anymore. Guess the magic traces left behind were stronger than I thought. But it’s not there anymore, so they’ll stop coming after me.”
He crossed his arms, shaking his head. “If that was true, why did they go after you again?”
“I don’t know, alright? You think I have all the answers? I don’t. I had an artifact, and now I don’t. End of story.”
“Where is it?”
“Safe. That’s all I’m going to tell you.”
“Where did you even get it?”
We were still alone, but I didn’t like having this conversation in a place where we could be easily overheard. “Envy. He had it with him when we fought him.”
“Envy? This is all connected to him? Why the hell didn’t you say that before?”
“Because I didn’t know, and you can’t go marching off telling anyone else,” I whispered harshly as, this time, I moved to block him from leaving. “You can’t tell them. Not now.”
“Does this have anything to do with the war? With that damned tree?”
I puffed out my cheeks, wishing I could snap my fingers and disappear from his barrage of questions. But I couldn’t. I got myself into this mess, and I’d have to get myself out somehow. “Possibly. And before you get pissed off, I’m being honest. I’m playing catch up here, just like you are.”
“If it’s this serious, we need to tell Nor.”
“No.”
The magic that flared with that one word forced him back a step.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, alright, but there’s too much else going on that you don’t know about yet. If you tell Nor or any of the Feds, you’re putting lives in danger.”
“More than if we do nothing?”
“I’m not doing nothing. We have a plan. We’re working on it. But we need more time. I need you to trust me.”
He growled loudly, and his eyes darkened. “Trust you. Funny. Very funny, when you can’t even trust me.”
“Rafael, please.”
“No. If you want to shove me away, then nice going. You’re doing a bang-up job of it. I’ll see you downstairs.” He shoved past me with the artifacts in hand and disappeared down the hall.
I stood in the empty room, telling myself that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted him to get out of my life, so it would be easier. That I was tired of lying to him and keeping secrets. I should’ve been ecstatic he finally got the message.
But I wasn’t.
A weird hollowness filled me, and as I slowly left the apartment, all I could think about was how much of a fool I was to think I ever had a chance with that demon.
I was better off alone, running with murderers and thieves. Rafael wasn’t meant for that life. He’d fought his way out of one hell hole. How could I have dragged him into another?
We were better off apart.
He was better off without me.
Chapter 11
Rafael
We’d been working on a plan for the last six hours on how to successfully lure in and trap the remaining gargoyles. We had no way to know how many were left, but guessed three, potentially four. They weren’t the only thing we were concerned about. The hooded figure who attacked Mercy was a major unknown. From the way she described the attack, he was a mage, but there could very well be more details she left out of her story.
We stood across from each other at the conference table. I hadn’t spoken directly to her since leaving the Citadel. The ride back here was bad enough, but the last six hours had been far worse. She failed to hide her anger. Her hand gripped the hilt of her dagger as she clenched her jaw, eyes flaring with her power every now and then.
I worried it would get out of control but didn’t say a word.
She made it perfectly clear where she and I stood. If she didn’t want me butting in anymore, then fine, I wouldn’t. Damian would have to find someone else to keep an eye on her. I was tired of trying to figure out my way through these confusing emotions about whether she wanted me or not.
No, that was a lie. I knew she did, but the truth held her back. A truth she refused to tell me.
Again.
“I want to bring in extra firepower just in case,” Mercy said. “I’ll stop by Gigi’s shop and see what she has that might be useful to bolster the traps.”
I kept my gaze focused on the table, not her face, or those cold, blue eyes.
“Good. That will be good.” Joseph glanced from me to her but said nothing. “We’ll have to be careful not to trigger the traps too early, or they’ll spook. I fear we’ll only get one chance at this.”
Everyone sensed the tension between us, of that I had no doubt.
“And you’re certain those will hold them?” I pointed to the sketches he’d drawn of magical traps made to hold dark spirits in place. He’d changed the design to accommodate for beings that had been brought back to life.
“Not one hundred percent, but it’s the best I can do on short notice. I’m afraid we can’t wait too much longer to spring these traps. The gargoyles will not stop unless they get what they want.”
“Or we stop them.” Nor sighed heavily, peering at a map nearby. “We need a location.”
Mercy scooted the map closer then tapped her finger on a spot. “Here. There’s nothing here but abandoned warehouses and parking lots. No civilians around for a good three-block radius.”
“You’re sure?” Nor asked.
She nodded. “People may or may not think that area’s haunted for various reasons that I’m not about to explain here.”
Nor looked more than ready to ask her anyway but held back. “Fine. I probably don’t want to know anyway. I want a team out there ASAP to secure the perimeter and help get the traps set up. Mercy, get whatever you need from this Gigi friend of yours and meet us out there in… Let’s say fifteen hours? I’d snag a couple hours sleep if I were you, too. I know none of us have gotten much lately. Can’t spring the traps until dusk anyway.”
Nor gave out the rest of his orders then dismissed everyone to their duties.
I wasn’t sure where he’d wanted me since he hadn’t given me a task. “Sir?”
“Yes, Rafael?”
“Do you want me with the perimeter team?”
“No, I assumed you’d be tagging along with Mercy.”
She was already gone, and I had no intention of going with her. “I don’t think that’s necessary, sir, now that we know the gargoyles aren’t just after her.”
“And how do we know that for certain?”
“Sir?”
He rolled up the map and handed it to another agent then shut the door to the conference room. “The gargoyles might be drawn to the artifacts, but the robed figure has only attacked her. Until we spring this trap of ours, I want eyes on Mercy at all times.”
“Why? I’m sure she can handle herself just fine.”
Nor’s brow shot up. “Something going on with you two?”
I grunt
ed in reply. “Nothing, sir.”
“It really wasn’t a fair question since it’s not hard to tell you two are pissed off at each other. Look, I don’t care what’s going on. If you’re fighting or whatever, but she’s become an asset, and we do not risk our assets. You know this.”
“She’s not like our normal assets. She’s a trained fighter, a killer,” I added quietly, remembering what else she admitted to me. Todd. At some point, the case would go cold, but until then I’d have to act like I didn’t know who offed him. “Send Iris to watch her.”
“You and I both know that wouldn’t work well.”
“Sir, I request that you assign someone else to watch her.”
“And I believe it is your duty to do as I tell you,” he commanded.
The way he said it, it was almost like he knew about the promise I made to Damian to keep Mercy safe no matter what came next. That wasn’t possible. Damian and Nor did not know each other. Guilt, that was what messed with my head right then. Guilt that I was turning my back on the promise I made to Damian.
“You will keep an eye on her until the gargoyles are taken care of. Understood? I suggest you catch up before she takes off without you.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Rafael?” he said as I neared the door. “Whatever troubles you and Mercy are having, I suggest you find a way to work through them, for both your sakes.”
“With all due respect, sir, there are some issues that can’t be worked out.”
“Everything can be worked out. Just have to put in the effort. Now get out of here. I’ll see you both in fifteen hours.”
Nor turned his back to me, and I took that as my cue to leave. I didn’t hurry to get through the building and out to the sidewalk, half hoping Mercy would have already taken off. My luck was not that good, and there she was standing at the curb.
She looked at her cell.
I peered over her shoulder, but the screen was blank.
“You going to Gigi’s or what?”
She jumped as if she hadn’t known I was right behind her. “Right, yeah.”
I told myself back at the Citadel I could be just as cold as she was, but as soon as I saw her face, my anger slipped. “Mercy?”
“Huh?”
“Were you talking to someone?”
“Hospital called. Giving me an update on Damian.”
“And?”
“He woke up again, but they had to knock him back out. Kept trying to get up and leave the hospital. He tore his wounds open, and they have to perform another surgery to fix the damage.”
I rested my hand on her shoulder.
When she leaned back into me, it was like someone squeezed the air from my lungs.
“He’ll be fine. He’s strong. Do you want to swing by and check on him first?”
“No, he’s already in surgery. Besides, we have a job to do.” She wiped her eyes hard and shoved her cell in her pocket. “One thing Damian always taught me was to finish the job, no matter what else is going on.”
“Think this is different.”
“No, it’s not. We need to stop the gargoyles.” She started down the street, and I fell in line beside her. The sun was setting on another long day. By the time the sun was setting again the next time, our trap would be set, and we’d be taking down the gargoyles. Hopefully.
“And you don’t have to be nice to me.”
“Who said I was being nice?”
“I’m not being fair, and I get it. You’re allowed to hate me.”
“Never said I hated you.” I was annoyed. “But you’re not giving me much chance to do anything else right now.”
“I know.”
“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?”
“What do you want from me, huh?” She shoved me into the brick face of a nearby building. “What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry that I’m trying to keep you from the truth? Well, I’m not, not even close. The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”
“And the more danger you’re in, right?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me.”
“Just stop,” she yelled, and her eyes flared bright white with a blaze of power. Her head fell back and then she slumped into me.
I caught her, not about to let her fall over to the sidewalk.
She mumbled, “Stop being so damned nice.”
“Why?”
“Because it makes this harder than it already is.”
“Unless you’re going to tell me you’re the reason why this war is going to start, I’m pretty sure I won’t hate you once I know the truth.”
“You say that now.” For just a second, those blue eyes lightened, and I thought she was going to let me in again. But then she pushed off me and kept walking toward Gigi’s. “Come on. I would like to get a few hours’ sleep before we have to endure another fight with those monsters.”
I was losing her. Every step she took away from me, and not actual steps, was another step away from what I thought we had together. Or started to have. I said nothing else and simply followed her through Sector 21 until we finally reached Gigi’s shop. I considered waiting outside, but if Gigi had any more useful information on tackling these gargoyles, I wanted to hear it.
The bell chimed over the door, and the witch herself burst out the back room wearing a black dress. I hadn’t seen Gigi too many times, but she always wore a bright array of colors.
Mercy looked at her friend like the evil twin version just stepped out of the back room.
Clearly, the black attire wasn’t only throwing me off.
“What the hell are you wearing?” Mercy finally exclaimed.
“Clothes, I thought.” Gigi looked down her body. “What? Does it look bad?”
“You’re wearing black.”
“And?”
“And I’ve never seen you in black. Did someone I don’t know about die?”
“No,” she said, but the way she said it sounded odd.
Mercy crossed her arms, glaring at Gigi. “Talk, now. What are you up to?”
“I should be asking you both that since you’re standing in my shop looking like you’re about to ask a favor.” She hurried over and hugged Mercy, ignoring her crossed arms. “I’m sorry about Damian, by the way. How’s he holding up?”
“He’ll be fine if he lets himself heal. They’re performing another surgery to repair the damage he did to his wounds. I have to take care of these gargoyles, then I can head back to his side and make sure he doesn’t do anything else stupid.”
“Bowen called and said he was going to head to the hospital and keep him company, watch over him. Said to call him though if you need anything.” She clapped her hands together. “Spit it out then. What is it you need?”
“Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?”
She waved at Mercy impatiently. “Doesn’t matter. Now come on, what do you need.”
Mercy glanced at me, as if by instinct, then jerked her head away.
Gigi caught the motion, and her brow arched as she smiled.
“Get that look off your face right now.” Mercy scowled.
“Are you two fighting?”
“No. You going to help us or not?”
“If you tell me the truth.”
“Good luck with that one,” I muttered.
Mercy’s eyes flared bright white again.
“What?” I exclaimed.
“Maybe you should wait outside.”
I moved toward the table in the center of the shop, pulled out a chair, and plopped my happy ass right down in it. “No.”
“You are fighting. Bet it’s over something good, too.” Gigi waggled her brows.
“Gigi, if you don’t want me to find some way to make your life hell for the next twenty years, you’ll drop it and get back to the matter at hand. Please? We have four gargoyles on the loose, we think. Plus a robed figure who might be controlling them. I don’t have time for games.”
Gigi’s p
layful grin slipped away. “I’m sorry, Mercy. You’re right. So then, sounds like you have a plan? Are you working with anyone else?”
“A mage from the Gathered. And don’t worry, not about to join them.”
I let Mercy do all the talking, filling Gigi in on everything that happened since we left the hospital. She left out any of our personal issues, at least. Though Gigi kept looking at me, as if any second now, I was going to chime in with whatever Mercy left out. But that wasn’t about to happen. She’d have to deal with it. When Mercy got to the part about the artifacts, the witch dropped the spoon she’d been using to stir some potion in the cauldron.
“Mercy.”
“What?” She followed her friend’s panicked gaze to me. “He remembers some of it. Don’t worry.”
“Just some?”
“Unless you care to fill me in on the rest?” I tried.
Gigi picked up her stirring. “Nope, I’m staying out of this mess. That’s what you’re fighting about, isn’t it?”
Neither one of us said anything.
She nodded. “Right, thought so. Okay, then. So you’re going to set a trap with the artifacts to capture and kill the gargoyles. This potion,” she said as she scooped out a ladleful and poured it into a vial, “will help bolster the mage’s traps. A bit of extra white magic kick for you.”
“I need a truth serum, too.”
“Truth serum? What the hell for?” I asked, confused.
“If we capture them alive, I want to know who they work for. Don’t you?”
“Will it work on a gargoyle?” I joined them by the cauldron, growling quietly when Mercy put distance between us.
“If it’s strong enough it can,” Gigi mumbled under her breath as she poked around the vials of potions scattered around her shop already. “Ah, this one should do the trick. Make sure you pour all of it down its throat.” She handed it to Mercy. “When are you doing this?”
“Sundown.”
“Damn, I’d say I’d come with you as a backup, but I’ll be elsewhere.”
“Have anything to do with this outfit of yours?” Mercy slipped the potions into her coat pocket carefully as the tension in the room rose.
I meandered away, giving them space.