by Jaye Wells
But before I could take that thought too far, the entire room burst into applause. And then there were more flashbulbs and shouted questions from the media. I tried to smile and answer the questions, but the entire thing passed in a blur and I have no idea if my answers made any sense.
Once the furor died down about half an hour later, Volos found me standing alone near a large potted plant, where I’d gone to escape everyone for a moment of privacy.
“Looks like you’re the hero of the hour,” he said.
I looked up and frowned at him. “Nice play.”
He smirked. “That transparent, am I?”
“To me, anyway.”
He raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “Why do you insist on thinking the worst of me?”
“Because you keep giving me so many reasons.”
He let a beat of silence pass before changing the subject. “I’m glad you’re all right.”
I crossed my arms. The move made the muscles in my back scream. Even though Morales had gotten the worst of the injuries, I hadn’t escaped totally unscathed. “I’m just glad we stopped him.”
He nodded. “Have you given any thought to how to deal with Abe?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
He scooted closer and looked around to make sure we wouldn’t be overheard. “He’ll be in touch. To gloat, if nothing else.”
I shrugged. “I’ll leap off that bridge when I come to it.”
“He’ll want to stir some shit.”
“I’m more than used to dealing with men who want to cause trouble in my life, John.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. He started to reach for me, but just as I pulled away a throat cleared behind him.
We both turned to see Morales standing proudly with his cane and his medal glistening in the light coming through the rotunda skylights. “Am I interrupting?”
“Yes,” Volos said.
“No,” I said at the same time. “Mr. Volos was just leaving.” I shot John a level stare that dared him to argue with me.
He tipped his chin with dignity. “Congratulations again.” He turned to Morales. “To you both.”
He held out a hand to Morales, who accepted the gesture. I might have been imagining things, but I could have sworn I saw both of their arms tense in a way that indicated they were both gripping harder than necessary.
“Yeah,” Morales said. “And good luck with the campaign.”
Volos pulled his hand away. “Luck doesn’t win elections, Agent Morales. It’s all up to the people.”
Morales laughed. “By ‘people’ you mean Ben Franklin, William McKinley, and Grover Cleveland, right?” he shot back, referring to the faces that appeared on high-denomination bills.
Volos didn’t take the bait; he simply shot us a parting politician’s smile and walked away with his shoulders back.
“I can’t believe you dated that asshole,” my partner said.
“No shit.” A laugh escaped with my exhaled breath. “How you doing, Macho?”
“Can’t complain. Chicks dig the limp.” He tapped the cane on the marble floor. “So… Athena?”
I punched him in the arm. “Fuck off. My mom loved Greek mythology.”
“The warrior goddess of wisdom,” he said. “Kinda suits you, Cupcake.”
The warmth in his tone made me look up again. There was something bordering on… tenderness in those brown eyes that made my flight-or-fight instinct flare up. Stupid, maybe, since this brave guy standing in front of me, the one looking so handsome in his suit, the one who knew my darkest secrets, should have been the last person on earth to scare me.
“You want to go grab a drink?” he asked suddenly.
I blinked. “It’s ten in the morning.”
“So we’ll get Bloody Marys and call it brunch.”
His tone was casual, but there was an undercurrent of tension that told me he had plans for us after those Bloody Marys. And damned if I wasn’t suddenly intrigued by the twist of events.
But hot on the heels of my discussion with Volos, a plan had formed in my mind—and as it happened Morales would be the perfect wingman.
“Actually, how about we skip the Bloody Marys and go check out this other place.”
He stepped closer. The spicy scent of his cologne mixed with his natural Morales-ness made him Dangerous—with a capital D.
“Which other place?” he asked, his voice pitched low.
“You’re going to love it. It has several bars.”
His eyes widened. “All right. Am I dressed okay? I can lose the suit.”
I enjoyed the view too much to encourage that plan. “I have a feeling the other guests won’t care much what you’re wearing.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
After a sunny morning, a storm was rolling in over the water. Lake Erie was choppy and the color of the dull side of aluminum foil. I pulled my Jeep into a parking lot next to the dock. “Kate?” Morales said. “I’m pretty sure they don’t serve brunch at Crowley.”
I pushed Sybil into Park and turned toward him. “I need a favor.”
He cocked a brow and crossed his arms.
“Abe hasn’t called. I figure he’s letting me stew. But I’m sick of waiting, so I want you to go with me to talk to him.”
He blew a long breath through his nose. “Worst date ever.”
I froze. “So you really were asking me out on a date?”
He just stared me down until I shifted uncomfortably.
“If you do this for me, I’ll let you take me out to a really expensive dinner.”
He snorted.
“And I’ll let you get to first base.”
He stilled. “Only first?”
I tilted my head at him. “Fine. Second, but I expect dessert.”
He pursed his lips, as if thinking it over. I glanced toward the dock, where the ferry’s captain was busying the craft for departure. Finally, Morales spoke. “All right, I’ll go with you to see Abe. But you can forget about the date.”
My shoulder drooped. “But—”
He leaned forward. I froze, believing for a heart-galloping moment he was about to kiss me. But at the final second, his mouth changed trajectory and veered toward my ear. “I don’t do pity dates, Cupcake. When you’re ready, you can ask me out.”
With that, my partner exited the vehicle. I made a frustrated screech as I gathered my things. I supposed the worst part was I deserved that dose of my own medicine for bullshitting him into coming with me in the first place. “Insufferable ass,” I groused, not because I believed it, but because it made me feel better.
When I joined him at the dock, he shot me a cocky grin. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Just remember, let me do the talking.”
He rocked back on his heels with a self-satisfied grin. I wanted to be mad at him, but I also knew there was no one else I’d rather have with me for what was waiting on the other side of the lake.
Abe leaned back in his chair with a reptilian grin. After we’d disembarked from the ferry and signed in, he’d kept us waiting a good hour for his grand entrance.
“Why’d you bring backup, Katie Girl? Don’t trust yourself to handle me?”
“Nah,” Morales said, deadpan, before I could respond. “I’m here to protect you, old man.”
Uncle Abe laughed. “The day I need a crippled Mundane cop to protect me is the day they put me in the grave.”
I didn’t bother to correct Abe’s presumption about Morales. He didn’t deserve to know my partner had been born an Adept but had chosen to live life as a Mundane. Time to put Operation Turn the Tables into motion. “Do you know someone named Dr. Flamel?”
His eyes flared. “Who?”
“According to Dionysus, that was the name of his doctor in the psychiatric prison. He hinted this Flamel was something of a mentor.”
Abe leaned back and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I wouldn’t know.”
Lies. I made a mental note to follow up with Sh
adi on her research into Flamel when I got back to the office. But for the time being, we had more important ground to cover.
“I’ve been thinking. See, Dionysus lived in a shitty apartment in Babylon, but when the big showdown occurred he had a large boat, expensive materials, and lots of help with logistics. He also mentioned this Flamel suggested Babylon as a target. Maybe the good doctor was orchestrating from the shadows.”
“I’m sure I wouldn’t know,” Abe said.
“Really?” Morales said. “From what Kate tells me you know a lot about orchestrating plots. I wonder if Ramses Bane would concur with that assessment.”
Abe’s gaze flicked toward me. I smiled.
“That’s a serious accusation, Special Agent,” Abe said in a hard tone, “especially without proof.”
Morales pursed his lips and shrugged. “Not an accusation, just an observation.”
“Why did you warn me about Dionysus coming to town?” I asked.
He licked his lips and wove his fingers together on the tabletop. Anticipation lit his eyes from the inside. This was the moment he’d be waiting for. The moment when he’d finally reveal his plan. He leaned forward and looked me directly in the eyes. “This city needed to be reminded who runs the Cauldron.”
Morales snorted. “If you run the Cauldron, why did you need the MEA’s help to stop Dionysus?”
The corner of his mouth quirked. “I didn’t need you to stop him. I needed you to understand you couldn’t have stopped him without my help.”
“The same day I met with you that asshole sent a letter to Owens,” I said. “Without your vague intel we still would have figured out who he was.”
“You’re grasping, old man,” Morales said.
Abe ignored him and zeroed in on me. “And you’re forgetting where you come from, girl.” He moved his arm to expose the image of a snake eating its own tail that circled his left wrist. Then he shot a pointed look at my own exposed left wrist, which bore an exact copy of the Ouroboros symbol that marked me as a made member of the Votary Coven. I self-consciously covered it with my right hand.
Abe smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Maybe you’ve convinced the brass you’re a hero, but I know that in your heart you will always be a wizard.” He glanced again at my left hand. “You can try to deny it all you want, but I know better. Just like I know you’ve been doing magic.” He leaned forward and sniffed. “You stink of ozone and guilt.”
I didn’t rise to the bait. No doubt he’d read the newspapers’ breathless accounts of how I’d used magic to defeat Dionysus. Besides, he was wrong. I was done with guilt.
“But as it stands,” he continued, “I can’t blame you for questioning my intentions. After all, we’ve covered that I was indeed the catalyst for Ramses Bane’s crimes against this city.” He glanced at Morales, as if he expected my partner to leap up and charge him with the crime. Instead, my partner stifled a yawn.
Abe didn’t let the lack of shock faze him. “But despite every horrible thing you believe about me, you know I vowed to you that I would never harm your brother.”
I snorted. “Why would I believe that when promises drip like venom from your forked tongue?”
“Because while your betrayals are well documented, Danny remains innocent. There is still hope for him and his magic.”
I leaned forward and forced him to look into my eyes as I made a vow of my own. “I will kill you with my bare hands before I let you get within ten feet of that boy.”
An eyebrow quirked. “Are you going to let her threaten me like that, Agent Morales?”
Morales crossed his arms, flexing his muscles. “If she doesn’t manage it, I’ll finish you myself.”
“That is a battle I look forward to with relish,” Abe said. “But the fact remains that Bane acted without my permission or knowledge when he hexed the boy.” He looked at me. “Whatever else lies between us, I need you to understand that is the truth.”
I crossed my arms. “Why do you care what I think?”
“I don’t. I care about balancing the accounts. Bane acted without permission and he used my own family in his machinations. This shall not stand.”
My phone buzzed at my hip. I ignored it, but noticed out of the corner of my eye that Morales shifted as if his had buzzed, as well.
“Tell me, how is it that John Volos managed to create the antipotion for Gray Wolf on his own?” Abe continued.
My jaw clenched. His tone and self-satisfied expression told me he already knew the answer. “He didn’t. But you already know that.”
He smiled. “I could see the magic in you the moment you walked in here two weeks ago. How did it feel to use your powers again, Katie Girl?”
I didn’t respond.
“I find it curious that you and your partner have both accused me of involvement, yet I have yet to be charged. Why is that?”
I looked him in the eye. “Because I don’t trust the justice system to deliver the punishment you deserve.”
“And who do you trust? Surely not John Volos?”
I raised my brows. “I don’t need John Volos to fight my battles for me.”
He threw back his head and guffawed. “I taught you well, Kate, but surely you don’t think I taught you everything I know.”
The phones buzzed again.
“You might want to answer that.” The snake smile was back. My pulse picked up.
Morales did the honors. “Sir, we’re kind of in the middle—”
He cut off as if she’d interrupted him. As he listened, his brows slammed down and his gaze jerked toward me. “Goddamn it! How?”
My heart leaped to my throat and then slid slowly back to my chest, leaving an icy trail behind. Across the table, Uncle Abe held my gaze.
When Morales finally hung up, Uncle Abe cocked his head in a facsimile of concern. “Bad news?”
Morales forced a casual shrug. “Some might think so.”
I looked at him and waited for the bad news to drop.
“Ramses Bane,” was all he said. He didn’t say the word dead but it was there, hanging in the air like black smoke.
“How?” I snapped.
“Hung himself.”
“Bullshit.” I rounded on Uncle Abe. “You did this.”
He raised his hands in an innocent gesture. “Why, Katherine, I have no idea what you mean. After all, I am locked up in this prison on a remote island. How on earth could I have killed Ramses Bane?”
I gritted my teeth and tried to keep a lid on my urge to throttle the old bastard. If I had to guess, he planned to murder Bane before he ever called the mayor to orchestrate our first meeting.
“A pity poor Ramses couldn’t handle the pressure of his impending trial.” Abe tipped his chin in a facsimile of sympathy. “Yet there is an upside.”
“What?” The word bit into the air like a blade.
“His death settles accounts, yes? At least where Danny’s concerned.” He said this all magnanimous, like he’d done me a favor.
“You’re welcome to think so,” I gritted out. I stood up and loomed over the table. “But in all your planning, you failed to consider one thing.”
He smiled and crossed his arms, so cocksure and untouchable. “I’m breathless with anticipation.”
“Bane didn’t just try to kill Danny. He also went after John Volos.” Abe’s smile wavered a fraction. “And I’m pretty sure Volos won’t consider that Bane’s death erases the debt he owes you.”
“John Volos is a child.”
“Who is about to become the mayor of Babylon.”
He didn’t look surprised by the revelation. Further proof he was keeping up with things on the outside. “As recent events have revealed, Babylon’s mayors are hardly immune to violence, Detective.”
“Hmm, time will tell,” I conceded. In a breezy tone, I continued. “There’s something else I’ve been meaning to ask.”
“What is it?” he snapped.
“What really happened to my mother?”
All emotion and color drained from Abe’s face.
Loud banging sounded from the door. The guard telling us time was up. I held up a finger. “You better hope they keep you in this prison for a good, long time, old man.” Leaned across the table to get in Uncle Abe’s face. Sweat beaded on his brow. “Because John Volos is the least of your worries.”
Abe’s eyes skittered toward the guard and Morales—anyone who’d listen. “She just threatened me. Did you hear that?”
The guard yawned from the doorway. “Didn’t hear nothing.”
Morales crossed his massive arms. “Me either.”
I drew myself up and turned slowly to face the man who’d once been my mentor, but was now the closest thing I had to a mortal enemy. “Come on, Morales.”
Morales’s chair screeched against the concrete floor. I took two steps toward the door before Abe got in his parting shot.
“Ask your boyfriend Volos about Flamel.”
I froze and turned. “Why?”
Abe rose from his chair and stood straight and proud. “That’s always been your problem, Kate, you think you’re smarter than you are. But there’s gears at work you can’t begin to understand.”
“Kate, let’s go,” Morales said.
I held up a hand and turned toward Abe. Behind me, I felt Morales brace himself. I should have been angry, but I wasn’t. For the first time in my life, I looked at Abraxas Prospero and felt nothing except resignation. “You and I are going to have a reckoning one day.” I paused to let him digest that. “I won’t lie. I’m really looking forward to it.”
He smiled like he was, too.
“But today? You’re just a sad old man in an orange jumpsuit whose kingdom only extends as far as those bars.”
The transformation happened so fast I didn’t see it coming. One second Abe stood with perfect posture and a taunting smile. The next he lunged, his face contorted into a rage mask—all flashing teeth and pulled-back lips and wild, hot eyes.
Time slowed. The guard screamed. Morales cursed. My left hand jerked into motion. I don’t remember grabbing the Taser, but suddenly it was in my hand. Bright blue electricity arced between the metal prongs. An instant later Abe was on me. The force of the collision knocked me back. I slammed the stun gun into his neck and pressed the button so hard my finger cracked.