Shadow's Edge

by Jami Gray

  Cheveyo’s dark eyes gleamed as his gaze roamed over her figure. “I know the rules, Raine. This is a personal request.” He turned to Paul. “Privacy please, Paul.”

  The younger man got up and left the room. His footsteps echoing on the hardwood floors, then the sound of the front door opening then closing followed.

  The thick silence left in the wake of his departure made her uneasy. The chowder she’d eaten began to revolt. Just how personal of a request was Cheveyo going to make? Please don’t let it be something she’d have to try to kill him for.

  Going up against the Magi head was as productive as gouging out her own eyes. Except self-mutilation would be preferable to whatever he could devise—the repercussions could be more than even she could handle.

  His enigmatic gaze studied her intently. Suddenly, he smiled, a real smile, changing his stoic face to almost attractive. “Oh relax, Raine, I’m not asking for sex. I like emerging from my bed alive.”

  Color stole up her face. Being so easily read left her feeling foolish. It didn’t help that her first thought was, why the hell wouldn’t he want her? Irritated at him for being so damn contrary, and defensive from being embarrassed, she snapped out, “So what do you want?”

  The smile left his face, but not his eyes, as if he could read her mind and was privately amused by her. “I want you to do something for me. When this assignment is over, I want you to study under me for a couple of months.”

  Surprise widened her eyes and had her tensing in the chair. “Excuse me?”

  “I’ve heard stories,” he continued. “Stories indicating you have some skills which are uniquely yours. However, you’ve chosen not to explore them.”

  “You know better than to believe in rumors,” she scoffed. “They’re rarely based in fact.” She reached for her teacup, dropping her eyes to hide her building anger. Noticing a faint tremor in her hand, she steadied it.

  She didn’t know what he’d heard, but there were parts of her hidden deep. Powers she buried because of the havoc they created and the price they exacted. Already a misfit in the Kyn world based on her unknown bloodlines, she didn’t need anything else to set her apart.

  “This time they aren’t just rumors.” Cheveyo didn’t back down. “You can’t ignore what you are forever, or what was done to you.”

  Shock shattered her composure. Not bothering to hide her chaotic emotions, she met his steady regard. “Even if the stories are based in fact, you have no right to ask this of me. I’m quite aware of exactly what I am, Cheveyo.”

  “I have the right, because I was asked to approach you years ago. I saw no need for it.” His voice stayed level, his dark eyes steady. “Until now.”

  She dropped her leg and leaned forward, setting her cup down. Her grip on the edge of the table whitened her fingers as she took a deep breath trying to control the fury burning through her. No one used her, not ever. “Who talked to you? Who would ask you to take in a mongrel?”

  He just looked at her, remaining silent, but she caught the flicker of pity.

  Her face paled as it hit her. Only one person could have told him, the only person who knew what had happened fifteen years ago. The sense of betrayal sliced deep, but she couldn’t change what had been done. Closing her eyes, she fought back the anger and pain. Deal with it later. Right now she needed to stay focused and calm. Had to think. Find the traps in his proposal.

  Cheveyo wouldn’t take her on just because of some sense of responsibility or curiosity. He had to get something out of this. Otherwise, he would have come to her years before when he was initially asked. She knew she was different from most Kyn. Each of the Kyn chose a house based on their bloodlines. Not only was her heritage a mystery—she had no idea what her father was—only her mother’s Fey blood allowed her to stay in the Fey house.

  The real problem lay in the same past Cheveyo was determined to drag into the light. Being changed at a molecular level in a lab when she was fifteen hadn’t helped. Neither she, nor those who treated her after her escape, could figure out exactly what had been done during those dark months. Even now, she knew there were parts of her still undiscovered.

  It took a shit-ton of work and time, but she finally came to some sort of peace about the skills she was comfortable wielding, and tucking away those she wasn’t. Now, Cheveyo was asking for her, to not only acknowledge these powers, but to embrace them. Doing so would make her stand so far outside the Kyn community, she wasn’t sure she’d ever find her place. This bargain could shake the foundations of the world she’d made for herself.

  Still…it was worth considering. Especially since lately, small insidious threads of curiosity started to intertwine with that fear, making her wonder what she was truly capable of being. A whisper of rationality pointed out this might be the safest way to get answers to her personal questions. Therein lay the temptation.

  Determined not to reveal her inner turmoil, she kept her voice indifferent. “What do you get out of this, Cheveyo? Altruism is not your strongest trait.”

  “No it’s not,” he acknowledged. “You intrigue me, Raine. Chalk it up to curiosity.”

  She shot him a fierce smile. “Let’s hope your curiosity doesn’t get you killed.” On the other hand it would serve him right if she did this and it came back to kick him in the ass. Realizing what she was considering, her smile faded. “There are conditions to my acceptance.”

  His presence suddenly darkened as his innate magic snapped to attention. Setting restrictions on the head of the Magi house was not smart.

  Right now, a little voice in her head was asking how lucky she felt. The answer was, not very.

  Finally, his instinctive flare of power died down, and he nodded.

  Taking a steadying breath, she continued, “First, whatever we discover from this, you won’t tell a soul. I want your oath on this. Second, my job trumps your teaching. Third, whatever powers develop, they are mine to use or share. I owe you nothing for this. When we’re done, we’re done.”

  He did not look happy at her list. It made her wonder what he had planned for her, and how much of her own grave she might be digging.

  “I have an apprentice.” His voice was cool. “I don’t expect you to become my witch-warrior from this agreement. Whether you want to believe this or not, I like you, most of the time. I figured this would give you a chance to safely see how far you can go.”

  She wasn’t going to let him know she agreed with that bit of logic, and her lack of expression didn’t alter as she waited for his oath.

  He was quiet a moment, studying her. Finally, he snorted in disgust. “Agreed. You have my oath on it.”

  Hearing the words, her muscles uncoiled enough to ease the strain along her spine. She rolled her shoulders.

  Cheveyo shook his head. “You need to learn to trust, girl. It will save you some grief in the long run.”

  “It hasn’t so far,” she responded coolly. “What did I just pay for?”

  He brushed imaginary crumbs from his hands. “I ran across a couple of Kyn who don’t work for Taliesin, but who were aggressively pursued to take part in a drug trial by a research company.”

  This made no sense. “Drug trials? From a human drug company?” At his nod, she grew more confused. “Did the company know they were Kyn?” If so, then it meant the company had ties to some very scary government agencies. Not a good thing.

  He shrugged. “I agree.”

  She traced the wood grain on the table with a finger. “Why would they want Kyn for the testing? We don’t carry their diseases, nor has anyone come close to figuring out why.”

  The most widely shared theory was something in the cellular make-up of the Kyn prevented mortal diseases from infecting their supernatural hosts.

  “I don’t know, nor do the two people I talked to,” he said. “Neither one accepted the offers, as they had the same thought you just did. The monetary compensation increased with each refusal. However, the company finally backed off when they realized ne
ither one was going to play lab rat.”

  Such pushy tactics triggered warning bells. “What’s the name of the research company?”

  “Polleo Research.” His face went hard. “I haven’t been able to unravel the maze of corporations who fund it to find the head.”

  “How does this tie in to the questions being asked about Taliesin and the virus that was turned loose?”

  “I think the better question is, what kind of drug could possibly be tested on Kyn? Humanity’s leaders have tried for centuries to figure out what sets us apart from them.” He shook his head, obviously caught in his own unpleasant memories. “Their constant greed for power and quest for immortality are generally the fuel behind such situations.”

  “That may be,” she responded. “But you have no proof there’s any diabolical tie-in with this drug testing thing.”

  He met her gaze, something she didn’t understand moving behind his dark eyes. “Actually, I do. Dimtri Rimmick, the wizard who was approached, has disappeared and the witch has gone into hiding.”

  “They hit a wizard and a witch for testing?” Okay, maybe there was a reason to worry.

  Those humans, who knew the truth, only knew it as far as the Kyn let them. Even now the Kyn were still keeping secrets. Deeper truths and realities—such as the fact some of the Kyn held powers, which could send good little humans running for the mountains and screaming for their guns—were not allowed out. It was one thing to come out of the magical closet to a privileged few, another to come out blasting to the masses.

  Humans thought witches and wizards were inter-changeable. Not many understood the difference lay in how each drew on magic and used it. Witches used primarily earth magic, and wizards relied heavily on spells and potions. Neither side got along very well since their basic tenets stood on opposite sides. For example, witches held sacred their threefold law—whatever you do, comes back to you threefold. Wizards, on the other hand, always looked out for themselves.

  For a research company to pick one of each showed a more complete knowledge of the Kyn world than was comfortable. It could be an indicator of something much more ominous. She worried her lower lip. “Are you sure the wizard didn’t just piss someone off?”

  Cheveyo snorted. “Not this particular one. Dimtri is not that good. He hung on the fringes, dabbled in the darker spells, but could never seem to get them right. I’d be more inclined to think he played with something he couldn’t handle, but those few that know him said he wasn’t working on anything at the time.”

  “And the witch?”

  “She won’t talk to you.” His slight grin was more a bearing of teeth. “She only came to me when she found out he was missing. I don’t even know where to look for her.”

  As the head of the Magi House, Cheveyo was the acknowledged leader for the witches, shamans, and a handful of wizards living in the Northwest. He knew enough of the various cultural quirks of each to make a sound decision, which is was what Raine counted on now. “So, you think he’s missing, not just vacationing, and that the witch could be in trouble because of this research company?”

  “Oh, most definitely.” His confidence was evident in his voice. A sense of foreboding crept over her as he continued. “And I think this is just the beginning.”

  Chapter Four

  Raine headed back to Portland, the deafening sounds of heavy bass chords filling the interior of the SUV. The leaden clouds followed through on their threat and rain pelted the windshield in time to the driving beats as her wipers whipped back and forth. Letting the music move through her in rhythm with her chaotic emotions, she turned Cheveyo’s proposal over in her mind.

  A devastating sense of betrayal ripped through her, leaving her floundering. Fifteen years ago, she trusted her rescuer to keep his mouth shut. Until now, she had no reason to think he hadn’t kept his word. She thought she was safe, that no one would ever find out what she endured all those years ago.

  She never shared her past with anyone, not wanting or needing anyone’s pity. Life could sucker punch you without batting an eyelash. You made a choice—either lie down and let it screw you over, or fight back and make sure it thought twice before hitting you again. Well, she made a life out of hitting back, harder and faster. With very few friends and no close family, she was content in her solitude.

  Right?

  She ignored the insidious memories of Gavin’s touch and the ache it brought. Over the years, that ache had deepened. Although their interactions were few, they were intense. He tempted her on a level no one had ever reached before. He was hard to resist, but the past had shown her the devastating price of caring for someone. Was she really considering taking such a risk? There was no quick answer, which added another confusing layer to her unstable emotions.

  Unable to deal with that haunting question, she shifted mental gears. Why had Cheveyo been told? The past was starting to ooze under the door she placed between it and her current life. If the door ever opened, even a crack, she’d become the hunted instead of the hunter. She couldn’t afford to lose the respect of the other Wraiths, and her leaders—respect she worked tirelessly for—not to mention the hard-won self-respect she managed to carve out despite her past.

  Was her rescuer playing some game with her? If so, she’d better learn the rules quick or she’d damn well make her own. The last thing she needed was to start questioning her life. She didn’t have time for it, or for the fallout the answers would bring. Besides, it would screw things six ways to Sunday. She needed things to stay the way they were, stable and under her control.

  That last thought made her snort in derision. Right. Like this was under any sort of control? Here she was, battling back a hailstorm of emotions, heading to confront a man who probably wouldn’t blink an eye if she no longer existed.

  Taking the exit off the freeway, she drove toward Taliesin intending to get some answers. Why had he told Cheveyo? Had he told anyone else? Damn him, he knew how she felt about her past, her privacy. What did he get out of this, anyway? There had to be a reason.

  That realization sent shivers down her spine. She feared very little in this life, but this man, he could make her blood run cold. As she turned into the parking lot, she sent up a fruitless prayer there would be a valid reason. Putting the SUV in park, she took a deep breath, trying to rebuild her inner walls into something resembling her normal, stoic demeanor.

  She blinked, realizing she spent the last few minutes staring out the windshield, trying to pull herself together. Shutting off the engine, she yanked open the door, then strode through the rain toward the warm light coming from the seven-story structure housing Taliesin Security.

  No one would ever guess who and what was behind the brick and mortar. It was no different from any other corporate building park. Clean lines, manicured landscaping, even a security guard at the front door. Stalking by the guard she headed straight to the elevators, ignoring the trail of water she left on the marbled entry floor in her wake.

  When she stepped into the elevator she barely noticed the wide berth given to her by those in the standard office uniform of suits and skirts. The other occupants hugged the wall, eyeing her warily.

  She left the elevator and headed for the reception desk. Sitting atop a pale lush carpet that stretched across the opening and encompassed the main offices it was drowning in files. The receptionist—a sleek professional woman named Rachel, all expensive silk and tasteful gold—looked up.

  Her angular face paled slightly as she saw Raine bearing down. Rachel quickly ended her phone conversation and nervously pushed a professionally dyed red strand of hair back behind her ear. She stood, moving to intercept Raine. “He’s in a meeting.” She tried for a conciliatory tone, but a slight panicky note still made it through.

  “Not for long.” Raine’s gaze flickered up and held the woman’s hazel eyes, then she reached for Mulcahy’s door. Pushing it open, she barely refrained from slamming it shut. Nevertheless, Rachel stepped back quickly as Raine closed th
e door in her face.

  Mulcahy didn’t startle at her interruption, but annoyance shimmered around him as he watched her move across the carpeted floor to his desk. Aware of a blond-haired, blue-eyed man sitting in front of the desk, watching her approach, she didn’t take her focus off her target.

  Mulcahy’s baritone cut through the sudden silence, his dark eyes never leaving Raine. “Mr. Talbot, it seems we’ll have to finish this conversation at a later date.”

  At the name, she turned toward the man in the chair. “Talbot? Jonah Talbot?”

  The man smiled, humor lighting his blue eyes. “Yes, and you are?”

  Thrown off stride, she quickly recovered. “Raine McCord. My apology on interrupting your meeting with Mr. Mulcahy, but something’s come up that needs his immediate attention.”

  The smile widened into a grin. She subtly searched his face. There was nothing out of the ordinary. No burning light of fanaticism in the light eyes, like the ones that burned through her nightmares. His voice was pleasant, charming. “I understand. When one runs a successful business, unexpected situations seem to occur more often than one would think.”

  Talbot got to his feet, and she realized he was nearly as tall as Gavin, nicely muscled, more lean than big. He held his manicured hand out to Mulcahy, who had also risen. “I hope to see you there then, Mr. Mulcahy.” Talbot’s voice stayed amused, showing no irritation at the interruption. “I will look forward to your reports.” He turned, nodded to her, then headed out of the office.

  She was still trying to process her first meeting with Talbot when the door shut softly behind him. Putting it aside for now, she turned to Mulcahy. His anger was well hidden, but meeting cold gaze, she felt her own rage resurface.

  “What’s the problem now, McCord?” His voice went low with fury at her unannounced presence.