The Keepers (The Alchemy Series)

by Donna Augustine

  It broke the moment the lights started to appear in the distance, or perhaps my excitement made me numb to it. In the middle of nothing, Festiva shone like a beacon. Problem was I wasn’t sure if it would turn out to be a wealth of information and contacts, or a snake pit. I was more inclined to think it would be of the reptilian variety.

  “It’s massive.”

  “Yes, between the people here, and the people that come over for the celebration, it’s quite large.”

  “What are we celebrating again?”

  “The signing of the contract and the pact.”

  “So it was that big of a deal?”

  “It was the beginning of everything.”

  The closer we got the more details I could make out. A glimmering gold fabric tented the massive area and reflected the light of the surrounding torches that lined its perimeter. As we pulled up, I saw just how massive it was. Hundreds of people had attended.

  Cormac held out his hand to me as I took a step onto the carpeting that covered the sand. As I got a better look, I ran a self-conscious hand over my dress. These people screamed power and money. I wasn’t an insecure person by nature, but I knew when I was outclassed. It might have been the way they stood, or the clothes they wore. I didn’t know if I could describe the atmosphere to anyone not there, but it was beyond daunting.

  I ran through the speech I’d given myself countless times in my life, the speech I hadn’t used in years. I’m just as good as these people. The only difference is consequence of birth. They are no better than I am. It was amazing, no matter how far I came I could be yanked back into that insecure little girl’s brain this quickly. Even with a beautiful and expensive dress on, I felt like it was the first day of third grade again, with my hand-me-down clothes.

  But, it wasn’t third grade, and I wasn’t her, anymore. I straightened my spine and strolled into the party as if I owned it. It didn’t matter what I felt like on the inside, on the outside I looked calm and cool.

  With Cormac by my side, every pair of eyes in the place turned toward us as we made our way through the elaborately decorated area. Lights hung from the top of the tent frames, fountains flowed in every corner. In the center, flame-throwers performed underneath a crystal chandelier, while Arabian looking women danced provocatively.

  Cormac grabbed two champagnes from a passing waiter and then started a long procession of introductions, as it seemed that everyone there wanted to meet me. I wasn’t sure why I ranked so high, but I barely had a moment to contemplate it as wave after wave approached.

  “Why is everyone so interested in me?” I asked Cormac the second there was a break.

  “They might have heard things.”

  “What things?”

  “That little trick you pulled in the portal was unusual. They think you have power, and these people like power.”

  It startled me a little to think that I might have something everyone else wanted. It wasn’t a position I was used to being in. I scanned the crowd, wondering if I could use this to my advantage.

  “Are you all right? You look a touch flushed.”

  “I’m fine, but I am going to step outside. I need some air. It’s pretty packed in here.”

  “If you give me a minute, I can go with you, but I have to check on a couple of things first.”

  “Since when did I become someone you needed to tend?” I wanted to bite my tongue the second I said it. I knew why I did it. No matter whether I wanted to or not, regardless of what had transpired between us, I liked him, and I didn’t want to.

  “Fine,” he said as he walked away. The words were mild, but the tone held an edge.

  It didn’t matter. After I got my answers, and he got his portal issue fixed, I would be leaving. This was a short-term situation. I couldn’t afford emotional entanglements with these people. If I decided to start laying roots, this wasn’t the garden I had in mind.

  I stepped away quickly, before I was cornered by anyone else. It was nice to be away from the crowd, getting a breather. I’d never excelled at small talk, and for all that these people weren’t exactly people, they sure liked their small talk.

  Once I was outside, I was too nervous to step far from the tent, and made sure I stayed within reach of it, just in case I started floating or something else odd. Hidden in the shadows, I was safely out of site when I heard Tracker speaking to someone, not even ten feet away.

  “What the fuck happened?”

  “It wasn’t my fault. It was her.”

  “I’ve about had it. You need to fix this. We’ve lost all the progress we’ve made.”

  “I’ll handle it.”

  “You’d better. Come on, I don’t want to talk here.”

  I watched the two men cross the distance to enter the tent opening. They had to be talking about the portal. I rushed back into the tent, and scanned the heads for Cormac’s. He was across the room, but it took me forever to get there, with every third person stopping me to talk.

  When I finally got within reach of him, he was talking to someone I couldn’t see. I tapped his back to get his attention, as it was such a close press, it was hard to circle around.

  When he turned toward me, I lost my voice. Lacey stood in front of him, looking up at him doe eyed. I was friends with Lacey. She was a good person. So why did I want to rip her eyes out when I saw her staring at him like that?

  “Jo!” she greeted me excitedly, and made me feel that much worse for my reaction to seeing her. “Cormac just told me you were here.”

  Cormac? When did these two get on a first name basis?

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Cormac asked me if I wanted to work it.”

  It wasn’t until that minute that I realized she was in a server outfit. It would’ve appeased my newly jealous nature, except their body language told a different story. If they weren’t sleeping together now, they might be soon. They stood shoulder to shoulder facing me. I stood alone. You ever want to know who’s with whom in a party; that was as clear as body language could get.

  “Everything okay?”

  My need to tell him about Tracker’s suspicious conversation fell from my brain, as I grappled for something calm to discuss.

  “Hello, everyone.” I heard Vitor’s voice come up at my side. All annoyance at the stunt he had tried to pull disappeared, as he leaned down and kissed my cheek.

  “Vitor, it’s nice to see you.” He all of a sudden became my life raft, as I felt emotionally swept down the river.

  “Yes, Vitor, it’s great to see you.” The acid in Cormac’s voice wasn’t hidden. I turned to see Cormac’s gaze eyeing my hand that was now resting on Vitor’s arm. I wasn’t even aware I had grasped him until that moment. Cormac’s hand then disappeared to rest on the small of Lacey’s back, and I saw the hope flare in her large eyes as he did it.

  I was annoyed with him for leading her on, but she wasn’t stupid. She only believed what she wanted. Nothing I could say to her would warn her off, not when she was so clearly infatuated. It made me angry with him for using her, and angry with her for no reason at all, or not one I’d thought up yet.

  “Would you like to get a drink with me?” Vitor asked perceptively.

  “Sure,” I replied to Vitor. “Have fun,” I tossed back to them over my shoulder.

  I felt Cormac’s gaze on my back, as Vitor parted the crowd for us as we made our way across the expanse.

  “Why are there humans working this? Isn’t that risky?”

  “No, we always have them. Normally nothing happens that would raise alarm. If it does, we handle it,” Vitor explained.

  I knew exactly how they handled it and I fought the urge to find Lacey and drag her out of there. That might be enough reason on its own.

  “I’m glad we have a moment. I really wanted to speak with you about the other day.”

  “You acted crazy,” I told him. Now that I had some space from Cormac, my brain was remembering just how annoyed I had been with Vitor.


  “I’m sorry. I was upset because I know you would be safer and more comfortable among us.”

  “You should have made an offer, instead of trying to force the issue.” We stopped at one of the various bars set up in the corner, slightly tucked away, and I asked the bartender for a shot of tequila. Vitor signaled for him to bring two.

  “I tried; I’ve been looking for you ever since I found out.”

  “Why don’t we just talk straight? You want me to help you operate the portal, and if I wanted to help you, I would have. Don’t ever try to force my hand, again.”

  “Yes, you’re right. I did want your help, but once I found out you were of our clan, I was honestly trying to look out for your best interests.”

  “I don’t need you to. How did you find out I had Fae blood, anyway?”

  “Let’s just leave it at: I’ve got some connections.”

  “It doesn’t matter. The point is I resent you interfering.”

  “I know you are tied to him now. I’m sorry if my actions contributed to that.”

  “You never know what will happen when you back someone into a corner.” I threw my shot back and felt the burn trail down my throat.

  “I would undo it if I could.”

  “No need.” I didn’t hate him, in all honesty I liked Vitor. I wasn’t sure why, but something in my gut said he was decent guy, whether I admitted it to him or not. But, he’d screwed up my situation even worse, and that was saying something.

  From that point forward, the night dragged on at an unforgiving pace. I felt like I was a zombie giving obligatory replies to mindless questions. As distracted as I was, I still couldn’t keep my eyes from wandering, tracking Cormac across the room, and all too often I’d spot Lacey not far away.

  I still needed to talk to him, though. Tracker had a hand in whatever was going wrong. The sooner this whole mess got sorted out, the sooner I could leave.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I stumbled through the penthouse the next day, more than slightly hung over. At some point last night, without meaning to, I’d had one too many tequilas.

  “Cormac!” I held my hand to my forehead and moaned. I needed to keep my own voice down.

  “I’m in here.”

  I slogged along toward his bedroom. As I entered, he walked out of his bathroom, just freshly showered with a towel slung low on his hips. God, life was so unfair sometimes.

  “What did you need?”

  He just stood there, one towel away from naked, his skin tan and glistening. I forced myself to look only at his eyes and refused to ask him to get dressed. Way too obvious.

  “I want to talk to you about Tracker.”

  “What about him?”

  “I think he’s behind the problems with the portal.”

  “I’ve considered it, but no, I don’t think so.” He walked over to his closet, pulling out a pair of slacks and a dress shirt and laid them on the bed. The idea he might start dressing while I stood there sent me into a near panic, and I started babbling off the conversation I had overheard outside the tent last night to him, and watched his profile for a reaction.

  “Remember when you brought over that kid the first time?” He stopped fiddling with his clothes and half sat on his night table, his towel hanging precariously.

  “How could I forget?”

  “I’d felt a disturbance then. Whatever has been going wrong was still in play that night. That kid was Tracker’s baby brother. Tracker wouldn’t hurt him in a million years. A lot of things are debatable, but he loves that kid.”

  “Well, then, who do you think it is?”

  “I think it’s Vitor.”

  “No. It’s not Vitor.”

  “And you know this because of the handful of times you’ve met him?”

  “It’s not him. I know he’s desperate to bring his people over, and I’m not saying he’s completely innocent, but I don’t think it’s him.”

  His towel still hung on as he crossed the floor toward me, and stopped close enough that I could smell the heady masculine scent of him.

  “What do you have going on with him?”

  “Nothing. What do you have going on with Lacey?” I had to force my eyes to stay on his face.

  “Did that bother you?”

  “Not at all, I just thought we were onto the portion of the conversation where we discussed our personal involvements.”

  “So you do have a thing for Vitor?” His tone was an octave lower when he asked.

  A warning pricked at my senses but I still said, “God, you’re thick headed sometimes. Just stay away from Lacey. I don’t want her messed up in all this.”

  “She’s a grown woman, she can make her own choices.”

  It was time to make my exit before things got heated, one way or another. As I walked back to my room, all I could think of was, he was wrong. Well, that wasn’t the only thing I could think of, but it was the only thought I was willing to admit. Tracker had something to do with this, and if Cormac wasn’t going to listen, I’d handle it on my own.

  Decided in my new course of action, it was around noon when I hit the casino floor, showered and dressed. First stop, Jonny. What they say about bartenders always knowing the comings and goings had more than a grain of truth in it.

  “Where have you been?” he asked me when I found him carrying out bottles to stock the bar.

  “I took some time off, family issues.”

  “Really? I heard you were shacked up with Cormac.”

  “I’m not shacked up with him.” The pout that appeared on his face told me I shouldn’t have decided to be so forthcoming, all of a sudden. When had I ever had an aversion to lying?

  “It certainly looks like it. Especially now that I hear you’re living with him.” His voice held a slight edge and I wondered just how deep his crush was.

  “It’s a long story. Have you seen Tracker?”

  “Tracker? What do you want with him? Didn’t you guys get off on a bad foot, or are you looking to date him now, too?”

  “No, I’m not and yes, we did, but I wanted to talk to him. Have you seen him? Jonny, please don’t give me a hard time. I really can’t deal with it right now.”

  “He’s walking off the floor behind you,” he said, while he tilted his head in the direction he meant.

  I snapped my head around and saw that same ugly red leather jacket, as I watched him walk out the entrance. I really did hate that jacket.

  “Thanks, Jonny!” I thought I heard him ask me something, but I’d already started to walk after Tracker as quickly as I could, without drawing attention to myself. I paused at the entrance. If he had turned right, it would have led him into the Lacard mall, left led to the main entrance and the Vegas Strip. I spotted him walking out onto the Vegas Strip and I froze.

  Other than Festiva, I hadn’t ventured outside in weeks, ever since I had awoken stuck to the ceiling. I’d made excuses for why I hadn’t needed to. How the Lacard was its own contained world. Who needed to go outside? Nothing out there but the world right? But there was no more stalling. I’d have to get over this, or be stuck here indefinitely. I’d never be able to prove my case against Tracker if I couldn’t even get up the nerve to leave the building.

  As I stood there thinking, I knew he was getting farther and farther away. That’s it, I wasn’t a coward, get yourself together I told myself. Dodd had been right, I wasn’t really that afraid of death, but I was terrified of heights. That’s what made it even more ridiculous. If I started to float, it wasn’t the possible plummet to the ground that scared the shit out of me, but the view before I crashed.

  I yanked the baseball cap from my back pocket, shoved my hair up underneath it and lowered my sunglasses onto my face. Admittedly, it wasn’t the best disguise ever, but if I kept my distance it could work.

  As I followed him the couple of blocks over to the Bellagio, the Lacards toughest competition, I stayed close to anything I thought I could grab onto in case I started floating. He didn
’t go in, just paused by the fountain while the water show played. The water did its dance to an Italian opera classic that I recognized but couldn’t name.

  He was fidgety and repeatedly scanned the crowd. When his eyes darted my way, I ducked behind a group taking pictures, pretty confident he hadn’t seen me. Oh yes, he was looking for someone. Could this P.I. stuff really be this simple? Just tail and wait? Those guys got paid too much.

  Tracker’s eyes land on a middle-aged guy in a dark suit, he scanned the area again, but returned his gaze right back to the guy. I pulled out my phone and snapped a couple of shots of the man he watched, but then the guy walked right past him. When Tracker didn’t move for a couple of minutes, I started to wonder if I was wrong.

  Suddenly, Tracker took off in the same direction. I followed Tracker, who followed the guy for another few minutes. The guy unexpectedly ducked into one of those quickie medical clinics. Tracker followed less than five minutes later and I knew I was on to something. Tucking myself into a dark corner, I got comfortable to wait it out.

  “Cormac is looking for you.” I yelped, as Dodd’s voice startled me twenty minutes later.

  “Did you follow me? I thought we were done with that stuff?”

  “I didn’t follow you. Cormac told me where you were.”

  “How did he know?”

  He just raised his eyebrows and threw his hands up in the air.

  “What does he want?”

  “No clue.”

  I weighed my decision. I would surely be spotted if I stayed here, and Dodd wouldn’t leave easily. Better to take the knowledge I had than blow my cover. Tracker might try to cover his movements better if he knew I was watching him.

  “Let’s go.” I shot past him and sprinted from one large object to the next large object.

  “What’s the rush? And why does it look like any moment you are going to hug a building or a bench?”

  I put my arm through his, figuring he was a decent anchor, and I slowed suddenly. “No rush. Want to stop for a latte on the way back?”

  He looked down at me oddly. “Are you hitting on me?”