Master of Obsidian

by Jamie Craig

  “Well, do you want to make it worse? I’d hate it if I woke up one morning and you had been turned into a toad or something.”

  “No, you wouldn’t. You’d have too much fun trying to kiss me back into a prince.”

  “I doubt the spell would be so easily broken. I’d probably have to go on some epic quest, or find him a new assistant, or do his laundry for a month or something.”

  Gideon muttered something under his breath again. “What if I offer to tie you to the bed and ravish you all day? Will that get me out of going?”

  Jesse smiled and perched on the edge of the desk, his knees brushing against Gideon’s. “Yes, it would get you out of it, but only because I’d completely forget that I ever intended to leave your bed. Then neither one of us would talk to him, and the investigation will stall.”

  “Hate to break it to you, Jess, but the investigation’s already stalled.” Gideon swiveled in his chair, moving so that his hand was within touching distance of Jesse’s leg. “Fine. You win. But you’re making it up to me later. Us fucking now has gotta have some perks.”

  “Of course,” Jess agreed. “But you know, figuring out the make-up of obsidian is really only a small part of what we need to do. Are you going to try to find Tricia tonight?”

  “I need to. My gut is telling me she was the last person to see him alive.” He paused, his fingers tracing idle patterns on Jesse’s leg. In spite of his sore muscles, it was impossible not to feel his cock twitch. “I want to go out alone, Jess. You can stay here and decipher whatever we get from Black John, or go over the coroner’s report again to see if there’s some clue we’re missing, or some other brilliant idea you come up with that’ll help this case. But I’m not taking you with me tonight.”

  “Fair enough,” Jesse said, and he meant it. He had hardly been Gideon’s shadow before; he didn’t need to follow him like a puppy now. “Any specific reason why, or just a general feeling of danger?”

  “I need to go back to Sangre. Henry’s dealing from there, and Tricia was working with him. Somebody is going to know something.”

  “Oh.” The mention of the club prompted mixed feelings, and Jesse didn’t mind that he was going to be excluded from that particular outing. “Are we ever going back there…together?”

  A sly gleam appeared in Gideon’s eyes, and his hand slid higher up Jesse’s thigh. “Well, you better not go back there without me.”

  “Well, if I did, I certainly wouldn’t want for attention.”

  “And you wouldn’t get out alive.”

  “You don’t think any of them would be so enthralled with me they’d want to keep me as a pet?”

  His grip tightened, and Jesse could’ve sworn he heard Gideon growl. “They better not.”

  Jesse’s lips twitched into a smile. “Or you’ll kill them. I remember. You didn’t answer my question.”

  Slipping his hand beneath Jesse’s leg, Gideon pulled him off the desk and across his lap, rubbing his groin against Jesse’s. It was awkward and uncomfortable, and Jess felt like his legs were a mile long sticking over the side of the chair, but the curl of Gideon’s fingers around his nape followed by the deliberate swipe of his tongue over Jesse’s mouth was enough for him not to care.

  “I think I’m going to keep you to myself for a little while,” Gideon murmured. “We’ll get back to Sangre soon enough, but for now…” His tongue probed past Jesse’s lips, demanding an instant response.

  That was more than fine with Jesse, and he let Gideon know by the way he responded to the kiss. Why did it feel like it had been a small eternity since they’d last touched, last kissed? Gideon stiffened against his groin as the kiss deepened, Jesse’s tongue scraping against the blunt points of Gideon’s teeth. Gideon growled softly, and Jess knew he was already tasting his blood. Gideon tried to pull him closer, as if there was any room between them, and his fingers tightened on Jesse’s nape.

  Despite that, Jess managed to break the kiss. “Nice try,” he murmured, taking a deep breath. “But you’re still coming with me to John’s.”

  Gideon scowled, automatically loosening his hold, allowing Jess to sit up. “Damn.”

  Jesse stood with great effort—Gideon’s lap was not a bad place to be. “I already promised I’d make it up to you.”

  “Oh, you will.” Gideon rose as well, grabbing his car keys as he walked past Jess for the door. “And I’m pretty sure there’s going to be clamps involved.”

  “Are there any other errands we have to run that you need to be bribed into?” Jesse asked, following him out. “I have the feeling now is the time to do it.”

  Gideon whirled as they reached the stairs and grabbed Jesse’s ass, pulling their bodies flush so that their hard cocks rubbed against each other. “No reason to cram everything in to one time,” he said, his mouth wet against Jesse’s ear. “You’ve got nights and nights ahead of you to find out everything I’ve got in the playroom.”

  “And days, too, I hope,” Jesse murmured.

  “And you plan on working when?”

  “Well, I’m going to need a break occasionally.”

  Gideon’s teeth caught his ear, and then he was breaking away again. Jess had to fight not to drag him back.

  “Breaks aren’t supposed to last for hours,” Gideon said. “Now let’s get this over with.”

  * * * *

  Black John didn’t have a storefront. Even in Chicago where there was a vampire on every street corner, a placard announcing “All Your Black Magic Needs in One Convenient Location!” didn’t exactly put the local populace at ease. For Black John, that meant working out of his house, which in fact, made him even more powerful. It put him at the center of very deep, very elemental magic, and even if he had to concede some of that by inviting Gideon into his home, it was still potent enough to knock half the city on its ass.

  Gideon didn’t like one man having so much power at his disposal. Black John had no patience for people who played both sides against the other, like he thought Gideon did. It was a hate/hate relationship that worked for them.

  That didn’t mean racing through the pouring rain to the man’s front door didn’t make Gideon itch in the worst possible way. Even with Jess at his side—who John adored—he felt like he was walking into the lion’s den. One of these days, John was going to tear Gideon to pieces, he just knew it.

  “Last chance for hours of mind-blowing sex from a very grateful vampire who’ll tie you to his bed and make you forget your own name,” Gideon offered, shaking the rain from his hair.

  “I’ll settle for hours of mind-blowing sex from a very annoyed vampire who’ll tie me to his bed and make me forget my own name,” Jesse countered, ringing the bell.

  “I gotta live through this first,” Gideon muttered.

  He kept a half-step behind Jess as footsteps approached the other side of the door. Better to have Jesse’s be the first face John saw. They’d have better luck that way.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the curtain flicker at the window he stood next to. Damn it. So much for trying to garner good will.

  The door opened and John stood in the narrow space, looking up to both men. Though diminutive in height, with an unlined face and clear gray eyes that could have been fifteen or fifty, there was nothing unassuming about Black John. There was a precision to how he held himself, and the way his eyes darted so quickly from one object to another gave the distinct impression that he was about to strike, even if he hadn’t moved a muscle elsewhere. It was worse for anyone with heightened senses. He reeked of magic. The entire effect was that you were watching Andy Hardy after he’d graduated from the Charles Manson Charm School.

  “Since I know Gideon would rather get soaked to the skin than seek shelter from a storm under my roof, one can only assume you need my help with something,” John said smoothly. His gaze settled on Jess, and though a slight smile curved his mouth, his voice was tinged with disappointment. “Once upon a time, you would have called rather than show up unannounc
ed on my doorstep, Mr. Madding. You’ve been with your employer too long. His bad manners are starting to rub off on you.”

  Jesse inclined his head slightly, a sign of respect that irritated Gideon. “You’re right, of course, I apologize. I hope this excuses my rudeness,” he said, pushing a small box into John’s hand. “We wouldn’t have come if wasn’t an emergency.”

  John lifted the lid, tilting his head slightly to peer inside. He lifted a single brow. “Where did you find this? I heard they were all destroyed.”

  This was a petrified kimura-gumo Gideon had received as payment on a recent case. The Japanese spider had been one of thirteen that had been part of an attempted resurrection he’d interrupted at a gaming convention downtown, the lone survivor when he’d torched the place. He’d argued with Jess about the wisdom in giving a powerful talisman to the blackest mage in town, but in the end, he’d lost. From John’s reaction, Gideon was wishing he’d fought a little harder.

  Opening the door wider, John stepped back, allowing them room to enter. “Emergencies are always the most fun,” he said. He didn’t even look at Gideon. “Come in, gentlemen.”

  Jesse glanced over his shoulder to Gideon before he crossed his threshold. Please behave, we won’t be here long. Gideon nodded and followed him inside. Jess pulled another object out of his pocket, carefully wrapped in a thick towel. As he held it out to John, Gideon realized it was the knob from the warehouse.

  “I found a substance coated on this. We believe it’s a drug popular with vampires, known as obsidian. I ran an analysis on it and discovered it’s nothing more than mushrooms. In other words, chemistry can’t explain the effect it has on vamps.”

  “Because Nietzsche had it all wrong.” John didn’t open the towel to look at the knob before handing it back. “Better living doesn’t happen through chemistry. It’s all about power.”

  “What sort of power and where is it coming from?” Jesse asked.

  “Why do you care? It’s for vampires, not…” He finally looked at Gideon, and a shrewd glint appeared in his eye. Gideon balled his hands in his pockets to keep from giving the man the satisfaction of a visible reaction. “I missed it. Damn.”

  “I care because this has already caused at least one very violent, very public death. If there are many more like that, it’ll plunge the city into chaos.” Jesse stepped to the side, blocking John’s view of Gideon. “John, you know it’s a very precarious balance between relative peace and open warfare.”

  “And I fail to see why this qualifies as an emergency. We live in a fragile ecosystem, Mr. Madding, and yet it manages to continue regardless. All I’ve done is help a few vampires rediscover their true natures. Life goes on.”

  Jesse blinked. “So this is your work? Why would you do this?”

  “I took a job that paid me very well. Isn’t that why we all do what we do?”

  “No. No, my job pays me shit. No offense, Gideon.” Gideon waved him off. “Who signed the check, John?”

  “Payment isn’t always about money,” John said with a small smile.

  “Did he buy your loyalty as well, John? How much is your integrity on sale for?”

  John’s smile faded, and his eyes darkened. A crackle of magic in the air made the hair on the back of Gideon’s neck stand on end, and he stepped forward to Jesse’s side, muscles poised to block anything John might throw at him.

  “I would suggest purchasing a mirror,” John said softly, “but considering your choice of associates, I’m pretty sure it would be pointless. There’s no reason for slander. I sold the elixir you’re interested in to Henry Echols. But then again, I’m sure you already knew that.”

  Despite Gideon’s tension, Jesse seemed calm. “What’s your asking price for the elixir?”

  Gideon’s attention snapped away from John to Jess. “Are you nuts? You’re not bringing that stuff back to the office.”

  “I’m not going to let you play with it, Gideon,” Jesse said calmly, his eyes still on John. “I’ll put it in a safe place.”

  “Yeah, because that worked so well the first time.”

  Jess sent him an exasperated glance. “We’ll be more careful this time, okay?”

  With a put-upon sigh, John turned on his heel and headed down the hall. “Save the Abbott and Costello routine, gentlemen. Just give me a moment. I’ll be right back with what you want.”

  When John disappeared through a doorway, Gideon frowned. “He’s not giving us the elixir for free, is he?”

  “No, he’ll probably ask for my soul.” Gideon’s eyebrows knitted more tightly together and Jesse touched his elbow. “I’m kidding. He won’t ask for payment now, but he’ll expect something later.”

  “Great,” Gideon muttered. “But just so you know, I’m reserving the right to say I told you so when we’re both burning in hell.”

  John’s return prevented Jess from making more inappropriate jokes, but Gideon refused to retreat as John approached. He held out a clear jam jar, filled a third full with a black, viscous fluid, to Jess.

  “That’s all I currently have. Henry’s order was…quite large.”

  “Can this be diluted and still remain effective?”

  John walked past them to open the front door. “What’s the point of only unlocking a cage if you don’t intend to let out the beast that resides within?” His unwavering gaze fixed on them, waiting for them to leave. “Good day, gentlemen.”

  “A good day to you, too,” Jesse said, almost sounding pleasant. He gripped the jar carefully and led the way out the door.

  His calm demeanor didn’t crack until they were safely outside, and then the anger that he had only allowed a glimpse of earlier lit up his face. “I know I shouldn’t feel betrayed by the stunt he pulled, but I really do.” He marched over to Gideon’s car, every line of his body tense. “Honestly, what was that bullshit?”

  Now wasn’t the time for reminding Jess that he hadn’t wanted to come to John’s in the first place, Gideon decided. Rarely did Jess get this angry.

  “The reason we do what we do,” he said instead. “The important thing is, we’ve got confirmation that it’s Henry. I’ll definitely be hitting up Sangre tonight.”

  “I don’t want you to go alone.” He held up a hand. “I know, I’m not going. You’ve made that clear. Hell, I wish you weren’t going at all. It’ll be too easy for you to come in contact with that crap.”

  Gideon turned the key in the ignition, mulling over the possibilities. “I’m not sure I trust anybody else enough to bring in on this,” he said. When Jess opened his mouth to argue, he shook his head. “I’ll be careful. I promise. The last thing I want is to lose control.”

  Jesse’s lips thinned. “I guess John’s motivation is pretty clear, but what’s Henry’s? Is it just money? There are far less dangerous and more potent drugs out there for demons and vampires, if he just wants to turn a profit. Why go to John and request something that will—how did he put it?—unlock the cage and let out the beast within.”

  “I don’t know,” Gideon admitted. “But that’s what I’m going to find out.”

  Chapter 10

  The drive back to the office was tense. Gideon knew Jess was in knots over his misplaced trust in John, but he couldn’t get his thoughts away from the inky fluid sloshing around in the jar Jess so carefully cradled. He kept glancing at it out of the corner of his eye, watching it cling to the smooth glass before dripping back down to pool in the bottom, remembering what it had felt like seeping into his skin. Like fire being set to his veins. It was more potent than drinking blood or feeling a heart falter on his tongue.

  He would never admit it aloud, not to Jess, not to anybody, but Gideon had reveled in the liberation of those few hours when he’d been high on the obsidian. It was freedom not to care about the restraints society—both human and vampire—placed on him. The only thing Gideon didn’t like was not being able to predict his own behavior. Being out of control was his less than preferred mindset.

  He di
dn’t turn off the engine when he pulled into his parking spot. “I’m going to head on out,” he said before Jesse’s curious glance could be vocalized into a query. He tried not to look at the obsidian. “Sangre won’t open for hours yet, but I’m going to see if I can shake down some old sources. See what the word is on the street about this shit. I’ll keep you updated.”

  Jess, as astute as ever, nodded as he curled his hands around the jar, hiding its contents as best he could. “I’ll try and determine what’s in the elixir.” He paused. “I might need to go to Michelle’s for a text to help me.”

  Mention of the bookstore owner only worsened Gideon’s mood, but he dismissed it. “Get whatever it takes.”

  His knuckles were white around the steering wheel as Jess got out of the car. It took his friend’s calm voice to drag his gaze away from the windshield.

  “Be careful,” Jess said softly.

  Gideon nodded. These days, it felt like his whole life was careful.

  The rain was incessant as he trawled the Chicago streets. Black storm clouds blocked out any hint of dangerous sunlight, but the roiling weather matched Gideon’s bleak mood. Things didn’t improve when his first three stops left him banging on unanswered doors. Either nobody was home, or nobody wanted to see him. Gideon was getting pretty sick and tired of feeling like the odd man out in town.

  His fourth at least opened the door to him.

  Dull, yellow eyes looked up at him through too-thick mascara. “Fuck,” Rina muttered. Her stick-thin arm blocked the entrance, but they both knew she was no match for Gideon physically. It didn’t stop the female vampire from trying. She was all spit and vinegar, and in spite of her predilection for getting high with teenagers, Gideon rather liked her. She’d been turned and then abandoned by her sire, but after a run-in with Gideon at a bar around the corner from his office when she created a rumpus after being refused entry, she’d taken the advice he’d given her about how to exist in Chicago without getting killed and run with it. Six years later, she was still around. Not once in that time period had she given him a reason to kill her. That took balls. Gideon respected that.