Ming’s expression was controlled, and I got the sudden impression that he was using a heckuva lot of energy to do just that.
I needed to be super careful. Even though Ming technically wasn’t an emotion reader – or at least that wasn’t his magical power – he was a shrewd businessman, and there was little difference.
“If I knew that, I would’ve gone and got Isabella myself by now.”
I frowned. “You’re not a bounty hunter, and nor do you have anything to do with the Justice Department.”
“Correct, but I am the owner of her protection order, which does give me the latitude to do what I have to do to keep her safe. I would’ve thought that,” he looked me up and down with a quick but nonetheless thorough look, “considering your unique circumstances, you would’ve appreciated that.”
I twitched. I hated it when people drew attention to the fact that I knew less about my situation than they did. Though it sounded stupid, I still didn’t know that much about protection orders. All I knew was that I was a rare witch and that was enough for the government to put me on a PO. I did not know being the holder of someone else’s protection order gave them extrajudicial powers to keep their witch safe.
Though I tried not to let any of this play over my face, Ming looked at me so closely and carefully, I swore he could have picked up a single one of my hairs fluttering in a breeze.
Josh cleared his throat. “You’re a busy man, Ming – and we’re not here to waste your time. Please forward me every single detail about Isabella’s bodyguards, present and past,” he emphasized.
“Isabella has gone through at least 20 bodyguards this year. It would be an inefficient use of my time to forward you every—”
“In line with my duties covering the tracking down of witches who have failed to check in with their employers, I’m not requesting this – I’m demanding it.”
There we go again – Josh was being hard-nosed.
I expected Ming to fight, but he didn’t. “Very well – I will have my secretary forward that information to you. Is there anything else?”
“You obviously suspect someone, Ming – just put us out of our misery and tell us who you think it is.”
Ming twitched. “I realize you’ve had some… trying incidents recently,” he emphasized the word trying with a movement of his lips that was halfway between a snarl and a smile, “but I expect – no, demand – more professionalism from you.”
Josh abruptly stood. “And your protection order is currently out there on her own. You only called because you obviously thought you needed us to find her.” Josh let his gaze slip over to me. “If you could’ve found her on your own, you would have. I know how much Isabella is worth to you. Just as I know that failure to keep a protection order contract safe often leads the government to cancel that contract and reinstate it with a more appropriate employer. You’re desperate, Ming – so stop playing games. Enough with the drama,” Josh added as he spread a hand around the office. “Give us the facts, and give them to us now.”
I was so surprised at Josh’s directness, I actually blinked hard.
Ming? Looked at Josh darkly. Then he finally shifted back, unhooked his hands from the side of the desk, and sat. He started to rifle through some papers on his desk until he pulled something out. “All I know is that Isabella became scared several weeks ago after her boyfriend skipped town.”
“Boyfriend?” Josh asked.
“I’m afraid I don’t know his name – and no, I’m not lying. I’ll have one of my staff look into that for you.”
“If you don’t know his name – why do you know he skipped town?” I asked. Was it me asking, or was it my magic? A few charges of magic zipped into my stomach and played along my lips, and I knew this was an important question to ask.
Ming shrugged. “By the sounds of it, he broke up with Isabella and left without a word.”
“Was he a witch?”
“No, he was a rare book dealer. Or at least I think that’s what he was. I never liked him – he was inappropriate for her. But Isabella never likes to listen to reason.”
There was a lot of subtext behind what he’d just said. A heckuva lot of emotion, too.
It whet my appetite to find out the truth. I was still standing, and I took a little, shuffling step toward him, finally pulling my hands out from behind my back. “Rare bookseller?” My voice wavered as I repeated that.
I could feel Josh’s attention on me. He may be no emotion reader, but considering how much we’d been through, he was attuned enough to me to realize I was onto something.
Ming shrugged again. “He used to be an academic at the local university – he was an expert in arcane history. When his tenure ended, he became a salesman. How he made enough money to live, I don’t know. I always suspected he was only mooching off Isabella,” Ming said darkly.
Again more tingles erupted in my stomach, promising I was onto something important. I nodded. “If you could have your secretary track down his name sooner rather than later – that would be appreciated. Also detail all information about his employment, place of practice, and personal history – anything you can get your hands on.”
Ming looked at me, a confused expression on his face. “I’m not interested in her boyfriend – I’m interested in Isabella.”
“But you just told me that Isabella became scared after he skipped town. That’s not a coincidence,” I stated. There was no indecision behind my tone.
Josh wasn’t saying anything. He wasn’t telling me to shut up – he was just watching me, a knowing look in his eyes. Was he finally starting to appreciate my skills?
“This is all very well – but if you distract yourself by looking into her boyfriend, you will distract yourself from the primary task. I need Isabella found – by the end of the day, preferably.”
“Why—” I began.
Josh cleared his throat. “Because if Ming fails to bring in his protection order within 48 hours of her failing to check in, he’ll lose her.”
Ming held Josh’s gaze, his cheeks stiff.
Josh simply stared back.
Okay, I knew Josh was irritating and he had a history of getting everybody he met off-side, but I was starting to wonder how he kept his position as the only government sanctioned bounty hunter if every single kingpin hated him?
My mind ticked back to what Frank had told me – that Josh was easily one of the most powerful warlocks in the city.
Frank had cut a good deal with Internal Affairs, and he and his daughter Debbie were safe. But thinking about that, only made me think about Jason.
I straightened. “You don’t actually think Isabella has been captured by anybody, do you?” I asked out of the blue.
Ming’s expression solidified. That wasn’t a misuse of words. It looked as if somebody had injected some kind of coagulant into every single one of his muscles until they locked in place and hardened like a statue’s features. It was obviously a self-defense mechanism against giving anything away.
“You don’t,” I answered for him. “You think she’s hiding somewhere, don’t you?”
“What I think is irrelevant. You are the ones who are being paid to find her.”
An interesting answer. Here was Ming, with only 24 hours left to find Isabella before she was taken off him, and he was suddenly withdrawing in on himself.
Why?
And more to the point, why had his entire demeanor around me changed? He’d gone from looking amused at my presence, as if he was seeing a rare bird prance about within reach, to closing off like a turtle that had withdrawn into its shell.
His expression was entirely wary. He cleared his throat. “I’ve shared with you as much as I can. The rest will be up to you two. I suggest you find her as soon as you can,” he emphasized the word find with a sharp hiss of air as he looked directly at me. “My secretary will provide you with every single detail you need. Now, I need to return to work. I’m a very busy man.”
I shook my head at h
is sudden change in demeanor. When he’d first walked into the office and stared at me, I’d gotten the unshakable impression that he would’ve done anything to keep me here. Now?
Josh cleared his throat, stood, smoothed down his jacket, and shot Ming a lingering look. A challenging one, at that. “We’ll be in contact if we need more,” Josh said. There was no request in his words – just an order.
Ming had already switched his attention to the papers on his desk. He didn’t look up again and rather dismissively waved us off.
I could’ve stood there and demanded to know more, but Josh shot me a specific look that told me to give up.
We turned and walked away.
He didn’t say a word to me as we made our way back out of the studios. Heck, he was as silent as the grave until we were safely in his car. Then he turned to me.
I got there first. “Before you tell me I shouldn’t have done that – and I should have kept my big mouth shut – I couldn’t. Ming is hiding something.”
It took several seconds for an amused smile to press across his lips. “Of course Ming is hiding something. Ming is always hiding something. He may not be as treacherous,” Josh clenched his teeth, “as Peter, but Ming is just as shady. And I wasn’t about to tell you off for what you did back there – I was about to pat you on the shoulder and give you a thumbs up. That was some very nice work.”
I blinked in utter confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you painting Ming into a corner. You should’ve seen his expression when he walked in – he looked like you were some animal in a zoo. Then you started biting, and he started running.” The analogy didn’t quite work, but that didn’t stop Josh from tipping his head back and laughing.
“I thought he would keep us there forever.”
“So did I. But he quickly became scared of you, so he kicked us out. Nice one,” Josh repeated, and he obviously meant it from the broad, happy smile that sprang across his lips.
I half frowned. “He couldn’t have been that scared of me.”
“He was very scared of you.”
“I don’t get it. He obviously needs us to find Isabella – and that’s obviously why he called us. So why did he kick us out?”
“Because he erroneously thought your powers were limited,” Josh said with almost blushing joy. I’d never heard him gush over me so much. It was like I was his protégé and I was finally outshining his mastery. “You see, Ming has to walk a very fine line. He needs you to find Isabella – you’re right about that. But he’s obviously also hiding something, and knowing Ming, it’s dodgy as all hell. He was gambling on the fact that you’re new to finding and that your powers haven’t progressed as far as they have. He needs you to find Isabella without figuring out the whole story. Now I imagine he’s regretting everything.” Josh clapped his hands together, the sound ringing through the closed car. “This is brilliant. I’ve never seen Ming squirm so much.”
“Exactly what kind of history do you have with this man?”
Josh stopped and arched an eyebrow. “While I’m all for you using your finding powers against him, you’re not allowed to use them against me. I don’t talk about my history, remember?”
I opened my mouth to say something, but I stopped in time. You see, I’d made a pact with Josh that I would help him to find whoever had murdered his sister. And now was the perfect time to point out that if he shared more, that would be easier.
I stopped and pressed my lips together.
He could see me withdraw, and from the suspicious look in his eyes, he didn’t like it. “What are you thinking?”
“That we’re already running out of time. We have to find Isabella’s boyfriend.”
Josh ticked his head to the side, his eyes narrowed. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that we’ve been tasked with finding Isabella, not her dropkick boyfriend.”
I looked up at him defiantly. “And I shouldn’t need to remind you that I’m the finder. He’s the most important piece of this puzzle. And if we want to find out what’s really going on, we’re going to need him first.”
I expected Josh to take hold of the conversation and snap at me that he was the one in control. He didn’t. He shook his head, turned his attention to the road, and shrugged. “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
Did I know what I was doing? I guess I would just have to find out.
Chapter 3
“I hate these kinds of places,” Josh said as he shoved his hands hard into his pockets, receding into the collar of his thick jacket.
I snorted at him. “What, libraries? You know, that makes a lot of sense.”
He brought up a finger and waggled it in front of my face as we made our way through the compactors. Thankfully his voice was quiet as we conversed. Which was a feat, considering Josh usually sounded as loud as a foghorn. “Before you point out that I’m an idiot and the reason I don’t like libraries is that knowledge gives me hives, just don’t bother. I don’t like universities,” he emphasized that word. “Too many bad memories.”
I made a face at him. “You went to University?” I couldn’t keep the incredulity out of my tone.
Josh gave me a seriously sour look. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just insult me like that. But no, I didn’t go to university – not because I was incapable, but because I chose not to.” He brought up his finger, stretched it hard under my nose, and waggled it there as if it were an exclamation mark.
“Why do you seem to have a history with everything?”
He shot me another surly look.
“What is your history with this university, anyway?”
“My mother was a lecturer here.”
“She must’ve been so proud of how you turned out.”
“Is there any reason you’re being so mean to me?”
“It’s compensation for all of the countless hours you’ve spent insulting me. It’s also because you’re a little more truthful when you’re being defensive.”
He arched an eyebrow, his jaw stiffening. “You’re becoming a hell of a lot to handle, Miss Bethany Samson. To return to my original point, I hate university libraries, especially ones that have magical books. They give me the willies. You can laugh as much as you want, but that reflects more on you than it does on me. Now, you’re the finder – so find whatever you came here to get. Unless, of course, this is a violent waste of our time.”
“There’s no such thing as a violent waste of time.”
“There will be when Ming finds out that we shirked the contract he gave us to find Isabella’s boyfriend and not Isabella herself. If he makes a strong enough complaint to the Justice Department, my license could be on the line.”
“Okay, okay,” I said. “It’s just this way… I think.”
It was time for me to concentrate on my power, and I was honestly trying, but ever since I’d walked into this library, my powers had become diffuse, as if somebody had started spreading them around my body just to confuse me.
“You’re being alarmingly slow considering how much is at stake here.”
“Don’t rush me,” I snapped. “Something about this room is… confusing me.”
Josh snorted. “That would be all the magic in the air. It would confuse even the most powerful warlock. You’re going to have to concentrate to cut through it. Center your mind, direct your breath, and for heaven’s sake, don’t allow yourself to become distracted.”
I frowned in surprise at that. Had Josh actually just offered me usable advice?
Appreciating his point that we were running out of time, I got down to doing what he’d said.
Though this library was packed, most of the students were out in the stalls along the edges of the room. The compactors were empty – well, not of books, just of witnesses. So there was no one to see me close my eyes as Josh walked protectively by my side, his hands in his pockets.
I could feel his attention on me, even with my eyes closed, and I was happy to admit i
t was comforting. It was entirely different, in fact, to the way Jason had made me feel when he’d use me to find those books.
The fact of those grimoires jumped into my mind as if from nowhere. They brought with them the same specific energy I’d felt when Jason had mentioned them the first time.
The Hidden Grimoires were at the heart of the prophecy. Max had promised that I would ultimately help Jason track them down.
I didn’t know that much about them, and though I’d questioned Josh, he was either reluctant to tell me, or he didn’t know himself. As for Max, he’d been avoiding me.
And Jason?
I shivered.
“You’re not concentrating – so concentrate,” Josh snapped.
Fine, fine. I pushed all thought of Jason away, but the fact of the Hidden Grimoires lingered. They felt… relevant to this situation somehow, as if what I was doing here now would help me find them.
I took a breath, then I suddenly stopped. All the tingles rushing through my body emptied out through my feet, planting them to the floor. I pivoted to the side, felt my arm shift up, and was aware as my fingers latched onto the spine of a book.
I heard Josh take a sharp breath beside me. He didn’t say anything and just waited for me to open my eyes.
Slowly I blinked one eye open, then the next. I brought out the book I’d just clutched, my breath stuck in my chest.
Then I turned the damn book over, and my shoulders dropped a good inch. You see, despite the fact we were in one of the magical books sections, the title I’d pulled out was a dogeared detective novel that had obviously been incorrectly cataloged.
Josh stared at the book over my shoulder, and his excitement quickly dwindled. “Really? Out of all the very important magical books here, you picked out that one?”
I almost put the book back.
Josh stopped me. He shoved a hand out, plucked the book out, turned it over, and pushed it into his pocket.
“What the hell are you doing? That’s stealing,” I said.
“Firstly, I’m trusting your instincts, so don’t use that tone with me. Secondly, it’s not stealing – because this book doesn’t belong to the library. No code,” he said as he turned the book over and tapped the back before shoving it back into his pocket.
Forgotten Destiny Book Three Page 3