by Nina Croft
“You are aware that’s it’s my job to stop Andarta,” Piers pointed out reasonably.
“Yeah, but I figure you don’t want this Key loose in the world either. In the wrong hands…”
“Couldn’t get much wronger than you and Andarta.”
“You loved her once,” Jack said. “And better the devil, you know.”
“Jesus, were you always such a cliché?”
Jack was silent again. Piers considered putting the phone down so he could get back to the problem of Roz. But he suspected that Jack had more to say.
“Did you like the little nun I sent you?” Jack asked.
For a moment, Piers presumed he was referring to Roz, but then realized he must mean Sister Maria. Jack actually knew nothing of Roz. He didn’t even know there had been anyone else left alive in the convent that night. “A little too skinny for my taste.”
“But you kept her there?”
“And how would you know that?”
“You think I wouldn’t be watching that place. Besides, I left my mark on her. I can find her again.”
Piers’ senses went on alert. Now, he definitely needed to contact the people trailing Roz. He didn’t trust Jack. Maybe he believed he could snatch Sister Maria back and use her as some sort of leverage, but why would he think anyone would care about the sister? Or maybe he just didn’t like unfinished business and that’s what the sister was to him.
Either way, Piers couldn’t let him get near. Jack obviously had allies, powerful ones, if he was using magic. And a whole load of lesser demons at his call from the description Maria and Roz had given of what went down at the convent—though hopefully, he couldn’t bring them across without expending an enormous amount of power. At least not without the Key.
Jesus, this was making his head hurt.
He had questions to ask Roz, and if she did have this Key, she’d better hand it over. She’d definitely left that part out of her storytelling last night. Why? At a guess, she still planned to hand it over to her demon protector in exchange for her freedom, and he couldn’t really blame her. He’d probably do the same if he’d been indebted to some demon for more than five hundred years. But while he couldn’t blame her, he still wouldn’t let her get away with it. The Key was too powerful. In the wrong hands—and that was probably any demon—it could be a powerful weapon. Also, if the fae caught a whiff of the fact that it still existed, he was going to have to deal with them—and he hated dealing with the fae. He’d no doubt have that bastard the Walker on him again, as though the Order had nothing better to do than babysit a bunch of fairies.
There was only one fae—or half-fae, at any rate—that he wanted anything to do with right now, and that was Roz. He wondered who her father was. She bore no resemblance to any fae he’d ever met, though the majority of them kept to themselves in the Faelands. Then he dismissed the issue —it was unimportant. Her father was hardly likely to come into the picture. No, Roz was nothing to do with the fae; she was his.
The thought surprised him. But he liked her, and not just for the sweetness of her blood.
“You’ve gone very quiet,” Jack said. “What are you thinking about?”
Roz. But perhaps he’d rather not share that with Jack. “That perhaps it’s time we got you off the streets.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t just lock me up at our last meeting or…” He trailed off, probably deciding it might be better not to put the options into words.
Piers grinned. “I’m considering the ‘or’ at the moment.”
“Bastard,” Jack muttered. “You’ll have to find me first.” And he hung up.
Straight away, Piers called the crew who were watching Roz. “I need you to up the surveillance. Whatever you do, don’t lose her.”
“Too late, boss. She’s already given us the slip.”
“Shit.”
Chapter Twelve
“We’re being followed.” Roz had known it from the moment they’d stepped outside the building. “Don’t stop,” she muttered as Maria ground to a halt. Maria shuffled forward. “And don’t look back,” Roz added as Maria started to glance behind her. “We don’t want them to know we know.”
She’d spotted them straight away. It was difficult not to—they were really hard to miss. Piers should employ some nice ordinary people if he expected to follow someone without being seen. These guys looked like what they were—badass vampires—or maybe she was just starting to recognize the type. Perhaps she should have gotten Asmodai to meet her during daylight hours, though she was sure the Order must have employees other than vampires. Hadn’t Tara mentioned a werewolf?
Did Piers still suspect her of something, or was he just being cautious? Either way, she had to lose the tail and fast. They were in the business district, and the place was quiet at this time of night, so there weren’t even any crowds to mingle with.
She glanced into a large, dark window as they strolled past, trying to catch a glimpse of her followers. Something moved about two blocks back. Good—they were keeping their distance.
Up ahead she could see the entrance to an underground parking garage. She touched Maria lightly on the arm, and the sister jumped. She’d been calming down, but it was obvious that all it required was a little setback—like being followed by scary badasses—to bring her nerves to the forefront. And who could blame her? This was a big turnaround from living in an enclosed convent. “Just be ready to move when I say,” Roz whispered.
She walked past the entrance, risking a quick glance back—her followers were out of sight. Grasping hold of Maria’s wrist, she tugged her backward onto the ramp that headed underground in a continuous circle. Then she ran, taking them down to the lowest level and into the huge parking area.
Down here, the light was dim—just overhead fluorescent strips, and the place was almost empty of cars. Their footsteps sounded loud on the bare concrete floor. Roz kept hold of Maria’s wrist as she ran lightly across the large echoing area. She paused for a second behind a concrete pillar and peered back toward the entrance of the ramp. Nothing moved, and she continued. She found the elevators opposite but ignored them, following the rear wall until she found a doorway, which she knew would lead into the stairwell.
Pushing open the door, she sniffed the musty air then hustled Maria in front of her. The narrow staircase led upward, and she took the stairs two at a time. At the top were two doors, one presumably the entrance into the building, the other a barred double door. She was guessing it would lead into the street, but on the opposite side of the building from where they had come in. She lowered the bar and cautiously pushed the door. It opened into an alley. Up ahead a rectangle of light indicated a brightly lit street, but the alley itself was in darkness, shadowed by the tall buildings all around. A faint scent of decay permeated the air, presumably coming from the trash dumpsters opposite rather than anything more sinister. Roz could sense no living things present. She opened the door wider and slipped outside.
“Come on,” she said to Maria. “I think we’ve lost them.” Though it had been rather easy. Obviously, Piers hadn’t been too serious about keeping tabs on her. Or maybe he hadn’t expected her to make a run for it.
As she headed toward the brightly lit street, her cell phone rang. Although she didn’t recognize the number, she could guess who it would be. For a second, she considered ignoring the call, but then she shrugged and raised it to her ear.
“They were there to protect you.” Piers’ voice sounded soft. And angry.
“Protect me from what? I don’t need protecting. You said I wasn’t a prisoner, but you have me followed like I’m some sort of criminal.” She injected her voice with as much anger as she could manage. She wasn’t angry; she would have done the same in these circumstances. But it would be better if Piers believed she had lost her tail because she was pissed off rather than because she was up to no good. Which she was.
“What are you up to?”
Obviously, she hadn’t been convincing eno
ugh. “Nothing. I just needed some fresh air. Again.”
He was silent for a minute. It felt like an hour. Finally, he spoke. “If you have the Key, or know where it is, bring it here.”
Damn. How had he found out? Or was he just guessing? “The Key?”
“Roz, you won’t like the consequences if you become an enemy of the Order.”
“I don’t plan to become your enemy—I just wanted some space.”
“Well, you’ve had some. Now get back here.”
She sighed. “I’m on my way.” Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call and shoved the phone back in her pocket. That would give her half an hour or so before he realized she’d been lying.
They’d come out onto a main road now, and the occasional car drove past. A black cab appeared around the corner, and she hurried forward, her arm raised. The cab pulled up beside her and she opened the back door, motioning to Maria to climb in. “London Bridge Hospital,” she told the driver and clambered in beside her.
“Was that Mr. Lamont?” Maria asked.
“Yeah.”
“The vampire?”
Roz glanced at the back of the driver’s head, but she doubted he was listening, and if he was, he’d probably just think they were a couple of nutters.
“Yeah.”
She hoped Maria wasn’t going to lapse into hysterics, but she appeared quite calm. “I think he’s a good man.” She gave a small smile. “Even if he does make me nervous.”
Roz shook her head at the comment, though actually, she believed the same. Well, as good as a vampire could be. There had to be people willing to do bad things in order to keep the world safe. Maybe when this was over, she could be part of that.
One of the good things in her life had been helping Ryan. She’d make a great detective. Perhaps there would be a place for her at the Order, a job. After all, they employed Jonas, the warlock. Why not her?
But of course, she knew why not. After she had given the Key to Asmodai, she was likely to be a little unpopular around the Order. She’d told Piers she didn’t plan on becoming his enemy, but that was exactly what she would be when he found out. The idea upset her more than she cared to think about. Why couldn’t anything go right for her? She’d found a place—people who could help her discover who and what she was—and now she planned to do the one thing guaranteed to alienate them. She’d be on the run again.
And she was tired of running.
She rested her head against the seat and watched the streets of London flash by. For the first time, she considered not giving the Key to Asmodai. If she handed it to Piers, would he protect her from the demon’s wrath? Asmodai was not someone you lightly crossed. But the Order was powerful. Maybe they could keep her safe.
A wave of excitement washed over her. She might be signing her death warrant, but she’d lived a long time, and she was tired of not only running but of being alone. She didn’t want to be Piers’ enemy; she wanted to be his…Her mind hesitated, unsure of anything except the fact that she desired him. Like a hunger deep in her belly, a powerful thirst that needed to be quenched. She closed her eyes and remembered the feel of his strong arms holding her, his kiss, his bite. What would it feel like if he bit her while he was…
“Roz?”
She blinked as Maria spoke her name. They’d pulled up at the hospital, and she could see Ryan outside the main entrance, a cigarette in his hand. He’d given them up years ago; things must be tough.
She paid the driver, got out, and strolled toward him. “Those things will kill you,” she said, nodding at the cigarette.
“Yeah.” He glanced past her, his gaze settling on Maria. He frowned, and she saw the flicker of recognition. “Sister Maria?”
She held out a hand to him and he shook it. “Hello, Detective Ryan.”
“Just Ryan will do. You’re looking a little more…secular this evening,” he said.
“I bought some clothes.”
“Nice. I’ve found someone to take you back to the convent. She drives a cab but is off duty tonight. She’s meeting us at my place after we’ve finished here.”
“Thank you.”
“Finish here?” Roz asked. “What’s there to finish?”
“There’s actually something I’d like your help with.”
She frowned. She really hoped there wasn’t another missing person already. “What’s that?”
“Go see Jessica Thomas.”
“What?” She hadn’t been expecting that. “Why?”
“Because she’s asking for you.”
“She doesn’t know me. Is she okay?”
Ryan sighed. “Physically, she’s fine. It’s her mind that’s the problem. She says she can’t remember, but she’s scared the whole time. Scared rigid, like if she moves, something will get her.” He raised the cigarette to his mouth, then gave it a disgusted glance, tossed it to the ground, and stamped on it with his boot. “I hate this case. I have no fucking clue what is going on—except it’s some weird shit.”
“So why does she want to see me?” Roz asked.
Ryan shrugged. “She got me here tonight by saying she remembered something, but it was a lie. Once I was here, she asked me if she could see the woman I was with the night we found her—that’s you.”
“But why?”
“She says you brought her back and took the pain away. I think she would like you to take the memories away as well. She’s told us all along that she remembers nothing, but I think she’s been bluffing—just doesn’t want to think about it. Now, she says she’ll try and talk about it but only if you’re there.”
Roz glanced at her watch. It was just after eleven. She had enough problems of her own, but how could she not help? Jessica was innocent in all this.
But she’d never tried to heal a mind. Perhaps she’d do more harm than good.
“You can’t hurt her more than she’s already hurt,” Ryan said, as if reading her thoughts. “She’s damaged goods, and as of this moment no one has a clue how to fix her.”
Roz rubbed her eyes and gave a quick nod. “Lead the way. But this had better be quick or I’m out of here.”
“I know you love to pretend you don’t care, but you can drop the act with me. I’ve seen the real you.”
She scowled. No one had seen the real her. Hell, even she didn’t know who the real her was. “I don’t care.”
“If you didn’t care, Jessica would be dead in that basement.”
There wasn’t really anything she could answer to that. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she stalked into the hospital, Ryan behind her. She halted inside the door as she realized that she had no clue where she was going.
She looked over her shoulder to see Ryan grinning at her. “Don’t laugh at me, Ryan. You should know that right now, I have absolutely no sense of humor.”
He wiped the grin from his face and nodded. “This way.”
Jessica was in a private room with a uniformed officer on the door. Inside was a single bed, a cabinet, and a couple of upright chairs. The girl lay on the bed, her head turned away, her whole body rigid.
“Jessica,” Roz murmured.
She hadn’t thought the body under the sheets could get any tenser, but it was as if she were made of stone. Roz glanced behind her at Ryan and Maria and waved a hand toward the chairs. For a second, Ryan hesitated, but then he went obediently and sat down. Maria followed him.
Roz walked around the bed so she could see Jessica’s face. Her eyes were open, but she was staring, unblinking, at the bare wall opposite.
Roz crouched down so she filled the girl’s field of vision, but there was no reaction. “Jessica, you asked to see me. I’m the one who found you.”
Jessica blinked, some life returning to her gaze—a flicker of hope. She struggled to sit. “You came.”
Roz straightened then perched on the bed beside her. “How can I help? What is it you need?”
“When you touched me, back in that room, it was like you chased away the dark.
Now it’s back, and I can’t see through it, and I’m scared all the time.”
Roz bit her lip, wishing she understood more about her powers. She had always worked on instinct, but she’d had nothing else to go on. What if she damaged Jessica’s mind? But studying the girl, she realized Ryan had spoken the truth. Jessica couldn’t be any worse than she was now. Living in constant fear. Roz understood a little of what that could be like, and she wouldn’t wish it on anyone else. “I’ll try,” she said. “But you must tell me if I hurt you. If anything doesn’t feel right.”
Jessica nodded.
Lord, where did she start? What was she supposed to do, and how would she do it? The questions and doubts were whirling through her mind, and she clamped them down. Closing her eyes, she searched for the place inside her where her power dwelt and found it at the very center of her being. A warm excitement filled her. This was a part of her that she had denied for most of her life. She’d believed it something bad, kept it hidden, but she knew in her heart that it wasn’t evil. It could be if used wrongly, but it could also be a power for good.
She rested her fingers lightly on either side of Jessica’s forehead; felt the tension, the fear, the hope. “Relax,” she murmured. As she had all those years ago, she found the door in her mind. There was a key, but she didn’t dare unlock it. Instead, she placed a hand flat against the wood and felt the pulse of power.
Jessica’s eyes widened. Roz could feel the power flowing from her mind into the girl’s, pushing away the darkness, cracking open the walls, healing the pain and fear. Filling her with light.
Roz held nothing back. Always before, she had feared using her power, had believed it would be a beacon that would draw her enemies to her. Show her for the evil creature she was. Now, for the first time in her life, she felt whole, complete, at one with herself.
It was good.
Finally, she pulled the power back into herself and drew back from the door. From now on, she wouldn’t be ashamed of what she was; she would embrace it. She looked down at the girl and saw that Jessica was smiling. She smiled back.