“Master Temple-” I recognized the nasally voice instantly.
“Go fuck yourself, Kosage.” Then I hung up, calmly placing the phone back into my pocket. I didn’t give one flying hell about the cops right now. The silence that ensued in the car was as delicate as brittle glass. Gunnar turned the car off and waited for me to compose myself. I blinked, looking around as if surprised. “You two ready?” I asked.
Gunnar nodded, and I heard Tory agree. I opened my door and rappelled the twelve feet down to the pavement. I quickly unlatched Tory’s door and opened it for her. Her hand was reached out to do it for herself. I held out a hand to help her since she was wearing bright blue heels. She stared at me, slightly surprised. “How did you move so fast?” She whispered very seriously.
I blinked back. “Pardon?”
Gunnar was watching me warily. “All I saw was a blur, and I’m a werewolf. You have never moved like that before…”
I looked from one to the other for a few moments and then shrugged uneasily. “My guard is down. You might see me do a few things tonight that shouldn’t be possible. A wizard’s life is all about control, and presently I seem to have none. I’ll need you to be my compass between right and wrong, normal and irregular. Do you think you can do that for me?” I asked, unsure of myself for the first time in a very long time.
I never asked others to help me, but I honestly felt like my head was stuffed with wool, and yet somehow that I was thinking clearer than I ever had before.
“Perhaps it would be wise for you to wait in the car while Tory and I search the Expo Center.” Gunnar offered. “And hanging up on Kosage probably wasn’t your best idea.”
I shook my head urgently. “A werewolf and the she-hulk might not be enough if we run into company. They could mind-fuck you without me there to protect you. Remember the Raven at my shop? She almost had you until I stomped all over her mind web.” His face turned red, remembering all too well. “Just keep an eye out for me. I seem to have less restraint than usual, and I feel stronger. Which doesn’t make sense. It almost feels the same as when I was first coming into my powers as a teenager. Perhaps I am reaching another plateau of strength.” I didn’t mention the oddity of the thief stumbling directly into the cops by the river. The less they knew the better. Plus, my distortion of chance might work to our advantage inside the Expo Center.
Gunnar’s eyes widened at that. “Aren’t you already stronger than most other wizards?” I nodded. “Is this spike normal?”
I chewed my lip for a moment. “I don’t think so. At least not to this degree.”
I reached further with my hand, offering it to Tory. She finally accepted, and allowed me to help her out of the SUV. I stepped back, eyeing her up and down speculatively. “Stunning. Simply stunning.” Her cheeks warmed at the obvious interest. “And you call me Archangel. You look like Aphrodite.” Her sleek white dress hugged her hips, leaving little to the imagination. It was slit at the side to revel a thigh somehow still tanned from the summer. Either that or she carefully maintained a natural looking fake tan. She looked classy, yet dangerously seductive. Like a James Bond girl.
I reached out a hand, but hesitated. “May I?”
After a glance to Gunnar, she nodded, obviously wary of my previous warning. “You two have nothing to fear from me. I don’t think…” I delicately brushed her curled hair back to reveal her bare shoulder. I appraised her as if contemplating a purchase. Without asking, I unclasped the delicate chain necklace around her throat, and replaced it with a heavy diamond choker from my suit pocket. Not my intended purpose for the jewelry, but I had backups. Her eyes widened at the obvious quality of the necklace. I handed hers back and she tucked it into her purse. “This is better. It’s flashier, and less likely to get in your way if you need to move.” I said. I studied her face, admiring her skill with a brush. The makeup was definitely eye-catching, but it was missing something. “Do you have any bright red lipstick?”
She nodded, digging in her purse. I motioned for her to continue. She applied it expertly. Gunnar watched with apparent interest as she finished. It was as if she had suddenly found a spotlight, lips gleaming like fresh blood. She looked perfect. I glanced at Gunnar, looking him up and down, calculating. “I don’t have any lipstick, Nate, so don’t bother.” I smiled back. He looked every inch the modern Viking. Nordic features flashed harshly in the afternoon light. I simply nodded approval and he rolled his eyes. “Who gets to judge you?” Gunnar grumped.
“How about our delicate Tory?”
“I can think of nothing that would make your outfit better.” She appraised my tailored silver suit with more than approval. As if I was a dinner plate and she was starving. “I even like the James Dean look of the loose tie. You look very rat-pack. Rugged, yet refined. Is dress really that important to you?”
“Sartorial skill is a powerful weapon. Sometimes that is a huge advantage. Ever read Sherlock Holmes?” I asked.
She shook her had. “I saw the new movie.”
“An adequate portrayal, but one should read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in order to glimpse the full scope of how vital the right set of garments can aid one in a time of need. Disguises are a perfect sleight of hand. Think of a strip club. I assume you have visited one?” I asked without thinking. Her face turned a shade darker.
“Once or twice.” She answered guardedly.
“I just know that someone in law enforcement must see the darker shades of life in order to be competent at his or her career. Imagine a dancer wearing nothing at all.” Her face flushed darker.
“Nate…” Gunnar warned. “Compass says no.”
“Point heard, but allow me to elaborate…” He finally nodded, protective of Tory. “Her natural curves…” I carefully brushed Tory’s side, making her arms pebble, and her moist red lips opened instinctively as she took a breath. “Will no doubt catch the eye, but the surprise has already been given. There is not much more to see. Boring.
“Now imagine an extreme outfit on a dancer. A nurse, for example. Catches one’s attention, but without the right circumstances, it’s too flashy to keep your interest. She’s flaunting herself too obviously. You know she’s there to take it off. Again, boring.
“Now, lastly, imagine a stunning woman step out onto the stage, fingers adoringly caressing the pole, eyes intent. She is wearing a flattering dress like Tory here.” Tory’s lips were still parted, her breathing deeper as she stared into my eyes. “Her hair is tied up with chop sticks. Then she stares straight into your eyes, and pulls the chopsticks out, her hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall.” My fingers flipped Tory’s hair before I trailed the back of my nails down from her shoulder to her elbow. She shivered again.
“You don’t know what’s about to happen next, or how long it will go on, but you can’t turn away from her gaze. Then her hand carefully unzips the dress down the side, revealing an artfully tattooed ribcage, and then she begins to swing around the pole, masterfully, owning everything in the room. No one moves. Then she looks over her shoulder at you, and clack! She slams her stiletto down onto the stage, making you spill your drink slightly. You can’t decide whether to meet her eyes or stare at the tease of flesh where the zipper dangles loose. She bends down at the hips, coming to hands and knees, and slowly crawls towards you with the grace of a predatory feline, eyes pinning you to your seat.”
Tory was panting, and Gunnar looked stunned. Tory stepped back, resting a hand against the SUV for support. I didn’t realize I had stepped closer to Tory. “Now, tell me which has a bigger impact?”
Neither spoke, so I continued. “That is the power of one’s attitude and choice of dress. It ruled the European courts for centuries, power flashing from one to another with every change in fashion. There is a reason for every thread, every smile, and every flick of the hair. Everything matters. You live by this, or you can die by a smile that you didn’t mean to give. The people we will be running into in the future live by t
his. You better learn it, but until you do, I will be the group’s fashionista. If that is okay with you two?”
They nodded, regaining their breath. Tory looked at me as if she had never seen me before. “Was that magic?” She whispered.
I smiled back. “Yes.” Her shoulders sagged in relief. “But not directly. Artfully choosing your attire and the attitude to match it is a very, very powerful magic. But it isn’t magic like you saw on the bridge. I simply tapped into your imagination, feeding the flames of my point against your own personal experiences. What you felt was entirely genuine, and came from your own mind. I just helped reveal it to you.” I leveled her with my eyes, smiled confidently, and then turned away. “Shall we?”
They followed me towards the entrance. I hoped I was right. I didn’t think I had used magic in my example, but with as much power as was coursing through me, I honestly wasn’t sure. As soon as I had met up with Gunnar, I had felt my strength bubble back up, my skin tingling. Then after seeing the video feed my power had threatened to burst out of me. It had taken a long meditative car ride to Tory’s house before I was confident that I was in control. But once she climbed inside the car, it had gotten worse.
Something was happening to me, and I hadn’t the slightest idea what it was. I had never heard of such a large jump in power around my age. Not without aid, but I hadn’t done anything that would increase my power base. There were ways to measure it quantitatively, but I hadn’t had any time to sit down and do so with my usual spells. It was like weight lifting. I knew I felt stronger, but without pushing myself to max out on the bench press, I had no way to know exactly how much stronger I truly was. I would have to keep it under tight control for the time being.
Power could be good, but it could also be bad. It was up to the user, and as power increased, it sometimes had a tendency to change an individual.
Here’s to me not becoming an all-powerful sociopathic wizard over the next few hours. Huzzah!
Chapter 28
O riginally, I had been surprised that the expo was taking place during the day, but after further contemplation, it made perfect sense. A solar eclipse couldn’t be experienced at night, hence the word solar. Sometimes I can be thick, but I blamed it on the rough few days before me. There was a surprising number of people at the expo, wandering from table to table in the main atrium, accepting fliers, drink samples, and various other marketing ploys hoping to cash in on the tourists. And there were tourists aplenty.
I heard a speaker from behind the closed doors of an auditorium, but ignored it. We each had accepted stickers for our names upon arrival, and Gunnar and Tory chuckled at my choice of names. “Discreet, very discreet.” Gunnar laughed.
I spied a police officer near the entrance, and his face visibly paled upon seeing me. I grinned back, showing teeth. Gunnar shook his head. The police officer began urgently speaking into the radio attached to his shoulder — no doubt informing my good friend, Captain Kosage, of my whereabouts. Gunnar and Tory were stunned at the cost of tickets at the front door, but then relieved to find that I had already paid for them in advance. Tory tried to pay for hers, but Gunnar knew better after years of friendship. “Please, your money is no good here.” I answered softly, hiding her offer of cash from any casual passerby.
I was buzzing with power, and I had to find an outlet. Flirting helped. There was magic in flirting. That rush of endorphins when it’s win or lose, and you’re trying to impress the fairer sex. I just wanted to make it out of here intact, and I needed Gunnar and Tory to be on their game to accomplish that. Before Kosage found a reason to drag me downtown.
I whispered, leaning close to Tory as if for a kiss. Gunnar took his cue, and snatched us each a flute of champagne as if he had been waiting too long for the waiter to make his rounds. “I need you to play the part. Expect me to pay for you. You are a treasured gem on my arm, nothing more. A casual dalliance for the evening. A flower on my lapel.” I traced the backs of my fingers down her neck in a very, very intimate way as I sensed her shoulders tightening at my words. “Doucement, my precious orchid…” I said a pitch louder as the Mayor and his wife walked past us.
The Mayor winked knowingly at me, nodding approval before his wife elbowed him sharply in the ribs. I continued on with a knowing grin to the Mayor as he frowned at my nametag. “Remember, this is a charade, a play, and we are the leads. I need you to watch my back, because here there be monsters.” I breathed, pulling away with a dark smile. Her eyes dilated as she studied me, and then gave a brief nod.
I placed my other hand on her waist, looking to the entire world like a man staking a claim on his prize. “The less others think of you here, the better. It makes any change of character all the scarier.” I gently pressed my lips against the carotid artery on her neck and then leaned back. I held out a blind hand expectantly, and Gunnar placed a flute of champagne in my fingertips. I raised it to Tory’s lips. “Drink, my sweet.”
She nodded weakly, accepting the drink with shaky fingers. I noticed her knees were quivering, so kept my hand on her waist. Gunnar offered me my drink and I took a long pull, savoring the pricey bouquet. Cakebread, if I had to guess. Pallatable. Tory leaned in close to me. “Are you a vampire?” She asked, face smiling in a good mask.
I shook my head, curious. “Why would you ask such a thing?”
She trembled. “Because I can’t help but listen to you. You’re just so adorable. It’s like Twilight is happening to me!” I blinked at her sudden change of character. She didn’t seem like the Twilight kind of gal. “Do you have this effect on all your girls? If that isn’t magic, I don’t know what is?” She giggled oddly, a sound that seemed out of countenance for her. Then her eyes widened in sudden delight. “Oh, I’m going to go freshen up!” She took off like a rocket to the restroom. I turned to Gunnar, but he just smiled, amused. I took a swallow of my drink, barely keeping the shock from my face.
I had always been good with women. In fact, I was very good, but never this good. I groaned. She was right. It was as if my power was oozing out of everything I did. Without an outlet, it was making it’s own release. That meant that I had gained even more power than I realized after the attack on the bridge. But why?
I frowned thoughtfully. “It seems we might be in a bit of a pickle, Gunnar.”
I noticed that one of his cuffs were loose, allowing him easy access to his tattoo. His eyes roamed the room like a lion, lazy, but hungry. “Why?”
“I’m leaking power on you two.”
He arched a brow. “So?”
I blinked. “Have you noticed anything out of the norm? You are unusually copacetic towards me. You usually disagree and make everything more difficult. You are good at acting, but without question you wandered off to grab us each drinks. That is something Dean would do, but never you. Something is wrong. I think my power is pulling whatever attitude I want out of you two.”
He sipped his drink. “I just feel peaceful. But now that you mention it, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this mellow before. Calm. I mean, we are here to hunt murderers, or find why your father left you that note, but I am not stressed out at all.” He thought about that for a minute. “I’m not even worried that I am not stressed.”
“See. I was worried about myself needing a compass, but it seems that I have gained control of myself at the expense of you two.”
“So what’s different about Tory? You barely know her, so why do you think she’s acting different?”
“I think she took my eye-candy advice literally, and has lost all common sense. She called me adorable. And apparently she has a thing for Twilight.”
“Despicable movie. Werewolves get shafted the whole time. Jacob totally kicks more ass than Edward.” I wanted to slap the shit out of him, but he continued. “Adorable, eh? Man, I hate being the third wheel.” He grumbled. “But it’s cool, I guess.” He said, already falling back into his easygoing manner. I groaned inwardly.
Tory was walking out o
f the bathroom, eyes dancing with joy as she smiled at both of us. “Right. We need to hurry this up. I’ll try to guard you two, but I don’t know how well I can manage it.” I said for our ears only.
“Whatever, Nate. I’m fine.” Gunnar said casually.
“He’s cute when he pouts.” Tory giggled, snatching up a second flute from a waiter. She guzzled the majority of it. “I love this necklace. Does it look pretty on me?”
I nodded, studying her acutely. Gunnar frowned, snatching up his own refill of champagne. “I am not cute.” He took a pull from his drink. “And I’m not pouting.” I wanted to scream, but we had to maintain our profile for the guests. Any one of them could be my parents’ murderer, or they might know something that could help me with the dragons. I placed my palm on Tory’s wrist, and concentrated. My mind finally quiet, I suddenly noticed the creeping tendrils of power oozing from me to my two companions.
I quickly withdrew them, but a dozen more tendrils shot out into the people around us. The attendees had been studying us a moment ago, but now they each looked around, confused for a moment before turning away from us as if we didn’t exist. I groaned. Tory shook her head with a frown, and then blushed furiously. Gunnar was instantly alert. Tension knotting his brow.
“I am so embarrassed,” Tory began, trying to tug her arm away.
I held her hand tight, feeling slightly off balance. “No, it was flattering. Please don’t be embarrassed. Remember how I told you I needed you to be my compass and keep me in line?” She nodded. “Well, I seem to have temporarily passed off my lack of control onto you two. It’s my fault.”
“I despise bimbo’s. I never act like that! And I hate Twilight!” She adamantly whispered. Then her pupils began dilating wider. “Do you think this dress looks good on me? Because I think hers looks like trash.” She pointed at the mayor’s wife, and the woman blanched, hearing her. Shit.
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