“Really, Rennert? You're not naïve enough to actually believe that.”
“Davin,” he growled, his voice sending a delicious shiver through her that had nothing to do with plant energy or his magic.
“Davin,” she conceded, “contact me if you get more information.” And without another word, she phased back to the bungalow.
Chapter Twelve
Davin Rennert
Davin was so engrossed in the morning's revelations, he didn't hear the first knock on the door. The second penetrated the thick fog of his thoughts. “Come in,” he called. Rock would only let someone he trusted into the back hallway. Andrew Wallace, his most trusted networker, entered with a bright smile, but the expression fell when he saw Davin’s face.
“What's up, old man? Something happen?” His nephew was the only one who could call him old man and make it sound like an endearment.
“Another murder.”
Andrew flopped into the visitor's chair with a heavy sigh. “Shit. Who? Where?”
“Martha Stanfield, Elysian Quarter.”
“I was in Elysian Center this morning. And damn, Martha; I just saw her yesterday.” His voice dripped with sorrow and Davin shared his silent grief. His tech employees had difficulty overcoming their fear and distaste of the mages, but Martha had always handled their animosity with grace. She had been a crucial member of the Integration team. He had no clue whether the killers had known that, or if they'd made a lucky guess.
“What are you going to do?” Andrew's question roused Davin from his recollections of the woman. His mind was having difficulties reconciling his pleasant memories with the cold corpse.
“I'm looking into the murder personally, and I've hired someone far more proficient than Brenville's police force. My goal is to find the killers before they kill again.” Andrew nodded, and Davin forced his mind to other matters. “What brings you here, Andrew? Are you trying to weasel some new expensive component out of me? Have you uncovered information about the hacker?”
Andrew's cheeks reddened. “No, Uncle, I'm not asking for anything this time. As for the hacker, I can't crack his security. I think I narrowed down the location of their base of operations, but it's still a large area.”
“How large is the area?”
“Roughly the southern half of the country,” Andrew admitted with a grimace, making Davin chuckle. The hacker was leading his nephew on a merry chase, and Davin enjoyed seeing the self-confident techie flustered.
“So, the hacker could be operating in Brenville?”
Andrew shrugged. “It's possible.”
“Ok. Why are you here then?”
Andrew visibly retreated from the rabbit trail his mind had wandered down and refocused on Davin. “So, yeah, I was in Elysian Center this morning because I needed to pick up a part for my tablet, and I wanted to ensure they were displaying our solar hubs properly. There was a girl in the store, a woman actually since she is my age or a little older. Uncle Davin, this woman is brilliant. A snotty low-level employee was needling her, most likely assuming she was a poor mundane. At first glance, I can't say I blame him. Her clothes were torn and baggy so she gave the appearance of a poor mundane. Then, she opened her mouth and put the idiot in his place. I tested her a little.” Andrew laughed. “She's high-level, Davin, like really high-level. I asked her where she worked and she got this scared look on her face like I'd asked her what color of panties she wore.”
Davin reclined in his chair. Usually, he wouldn't be interested in a simple tale of boy meets girl, but Andrew possessed an uncanny ability to sense tech levels, likely because of his mage mother. The girl's behavior also sounded suspect. “What did she say?”
“She said she was between jobs, but I think she was lying. With what I sensed, she could rise to the top of any tech firm in the city in no time. It makes no sense, and I feel I barely scratched the surface of her genius.”
Davin's eyes narrowed. His recent similar conversation with Jen prodded him. Why would a powerful mage live in the Eastern Territory when she possessed the power and personality to rule the West? “What did she look like?”
Andrew frowned, surprised by the question. He shrugged slim shoulders. “Kind of plain, I guess, but not ugly. She was short, she wore glasses, brown hair, and brown eyes. Those eyes were amazingly intelligent though.” Davin compared Andrew's description to Jen and dismissed any familial connection. The two women shared no similarities besides hiding their true potential. Motives for doing so varied in their society.
“Why do you think she isn't employed?” Despite his young age and the length of time he spent with inanimate objects, Andrew was an excellent judge of character. His intuition was almost always right.
“I don't know, Davin; that's the thing. I can't shake it. She didn't seem crazy or absent-minded, although we both know those traits don't disqualify geniuses from making money hand over foot. She is poor, though, and scared. I gave her my number and told her I could arrange an interview here if she changed her mind. I considered following her, but your goons are better at that than I am.”
“That's the truth; you would have only scared her. She must have a family she's protecting or a mental illness preventing her from working.” Despite his other preoccupations, Davin felt drawn into his nephew's mystery. He listed the reasons a high-level techie wouldn't jump at the chance to use her intelligence. Money was usually never the end goal for the most brilliant. Their minds drove them to create, invent, and research like they were physical needs; he often experienced the compulsions himself.
“I don't know," Andrew repeated. "If it's a family problem, she'd need to provide for them. She seemed fine until I got personal. Anyway, her name is Cat. If someone with that name contacts you for a job, please let me know.”
“From what you said, I don't think she'll approach us. If I'm wrong, though, I'll let you know. I'll even let you interview her for the special project if she's as brilliant as you think.”
“Thanks, old man. I better get back to work.”
Andrew was reaching for the doorknob when Davin stopped him. “Have you heard from your sister?”
Andrew's shoulders slumped, and his positive mood turned sour. “Nothing.”
Davin waited until Andrew left before he asked Rock to send in Michaels. The slim, dark man was scheduled to report earlier, but Davin had needed to be at the crime scene. Michaels rivaled Jen in his grace. His low-level magical ability was useless except for increasing his ability to remain hidden and move stealthily. He relied on the amulets Davin bought for him and posed as a well-paid mundane for all intents and purposes. He had no clue Davin spelled the enchantments himself.
“What's your report?” Davin barked when the man slunk into the chair Andrew had vacated. His skin was smooth ebony, and his eyes shared the same shade. His coloring was unusual in the territories. It should have increased his visibility in any crowd, but his magic concealed him.
“Neither MacCarthy nor I have seen the woman. We found a gym in the Quarter like you asked and questioned the staff and gym members. A blonde woman with her build trains there, but that woman has a scar all the way down her face, a nasty one.” Davin's expression didn't betray his thoughts. He wouldn't have described Jen's scar as nasty; he thought it lent her a certain appeal. He understood why she covered it though; someone in her line of work couldn't afford to be recognized. Personally, he preferred her scarred face to the perfect one; it was a match for her temperament.
“That's her, she usually covers the scar.”
Michaels nodded. “She hasn't been back to the gym for a while. There was an incident recently.” He chuckled in amusement. “Some Elite ass came on to her. She scared him off with nothing more than a threat.” Michaels shifted uncomfortably and cast an indecipherable glance at his boss. Davin cocked an eyebrow, waiting patiently, and Michaels cleared his throat. “After that incident, she took one of the gym attendants into the locker room. The employee lost his job for fraternizing with a p
aying member.”
“Fraternizing,” Davin repeated. His voice was like ice.
“It's not entirely clear,” Michaels hedged. “Cameras aren't allowed in the locker rooms, but they both left smiling and some noises were reported...”
“That will be all, Michaels.” Davin's eyes flashed dangerously. Michaels nodded and fled the room. Davin stood, his chair spinning away from him and banging against the wall. He tried to slow the anger seeping into his veins at the mental image of her with another man, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't halt the irrational jealousy which burned through his veins.
His interest in Jen no longer remained professional. The realization had been creeping over him since his first meeting with the woman. Her magic called to his; her beauty and fierceness fired his blood and hardened his body with desire. She was different from the women he met in his daily tech life.
Davin’s hands clenched and unclenched as power crackled through the room. The mercenary owed him nothing except her help in finding the killers, he reminded himself, but the thought did nothing to cool his jealous rage.
Chapter Thirteen
Cat
“Things are different, aren't they?” Jenira asked, reclining in her comfy chair. Cat eyed her sister. They'd spent the hours since her return from Davin Rennert's rooftop rehashing the evidence from the crime scene. Cat studied the audio and video with an analytical mind, but her stomach still rebelled.
“What do you mean?”
“Davin's getting closer than anyone we've met since we crossed the border. He's a powerful man, Cat. What if he contacts someone in the West?”
“Do you think he will? He's a high-level tech, so there’s no reason to believe he is connected to the West despite his magic. The more mages he meets, the more likely his Magitech nature will be exposed.”
Jenira played with her daggers, a common habit while she was thinking, but it always made Cat nervous. She waited for Jenira to slip and slice open her flesh, but her sister never lost track of the deadly blades. She monitored their exact location regardless of how preoccupied her mind was.
“I don't think he will,” Jenira said, “but I'm not used to trusting people. He seems like a decent man, besides being a powerful Magitech. He hasn't done or said anything to harm us so far, but I've also followed his requests.”
“We can't run forever, sis. Maybe it's time we trust someone, at least until we find the killers.”
“Trust him how?” Jenira's brows arched. Cat tilted her head back, staring at the cracked ceiling. Jenira always took the lead, but her meeting with the man in the tech store had shifted her thoughts.
“I'm not suggesting we trust him with our history or identities, but maybe we should trust him more with the investigation. I agree he is hiding information from you. His employees are not building simple Magitech security devices. He's working on something big, and the killers know it. Rennert, or Davin, whatever we're calling him now, is a brilliant man. I bet he stores a ton of information on his internal servers, and I think the data will help us solve the murders. I've reached the limits of what I can learn from afar.” Cat's blood roared in her ears. She'd been hatching the plan all morning, but presenting it to Jenira threatened to rob her of her courage. She wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs.
“How are you going to get data from the house servers, Cat? I won't risk you.”
“Jen, you've protected me for years, for my whole life. But in this case, I can help as much as you. I am not a mage; I don't need to stay hidden in the Eastern Territory. Yes, people will wonder where I've been hiding, but I could downplay my intelligence to get into Rennert Industries. This morning, when I was out...” Her voice trailed off, fully aware of her sister's calculating stare.
“This morning?”
“At the tech store, I ran into a guy that works for Rennert. We talked about processors, and he asked me if I wanted a job. If I worked at Rennert Industries, I could snoop around.”
“No.”
Cat felt her anger rise. Losing her temper twice in one day had to be a new record. She clenched her jaw and met her sister's brittle stare. “Jenira, you can't just tell me no this time. You've watched over me for years at great cost to yourself. You are only two years older than me, and you can't boss me around forever. I've been working behind the scenes to help you since we crossed the border, and I've been fine with that until now. This is different. I can help. Rennert won’t turn us in unless he’s a complete monster, which neither of us believes. Besides, he’d have to discover our true identities first. You know how my skills in forging are, they’re the best. I can fabricate test scores - high enough to achieve security level clearance but not so high people question my identity. Think about it before you tell me no again.”
Jenira jerked to a standing position, thrusting her dagger into the plush arm of the recliner. The cheap material gaped, and polyester cotton spilled out like smoke.
“Was that really necessary?” Cat asked, her lips twitching. Jenira waved a hand dismissively, pacing her usual circuit of the room.
“We found it on the side of the road, for Gaia's sake; I don't give a damn about the chair. Cat, do you realize what you're asking? If the Western Territory finds us, they'll demand deportation for murder and we'll both rot in a cell. They'll lock my magic away, and you'll go insane with nothing to invent or study.”
“Do you think they're still looking for us?” Cat squeaked.
“I have no doubts,” Jenira replied angrily. “I killed the son of the High Council Magistrate, Cat. People don’t forget things like that.”
“You killed him because he was trying to rape you!” Cat exclaimed, flying from the edge of her chair to face her sister. Seven years later, the thought caused her body to shake in anger and fear. She still had nightmares about Marcus invading her mind and magically restraining her while he pushed Jenira to the floor.
“It doesn't matter, Cat. Power is power, and the High Council Magistrate is powerful enough to do whatever he wants with us.”
“So maybe it's time to fight power with power, Jen. Davin is the most powerful Magitech we've ever encountered, the only Magitech. He is the wealthy owner of the greatest tech corporation in the East. His secret or his money could gain us amnesty or assistance if things get messy.” Silence filled the room as they considered the repercussions of such a risky endeavor. Cat inhaled shakily. “It won't come to that, though. My employment at Rennert Industries doesn't expose you, and no one will connect the two of us. You continue with Rennert, and I'll work behind the scenes to find the killer. At the very least, I'll find out what Rennert's hiding. What is he working on that people are dying for? It's no different from my usual job, except I won't be hiding in our dumpy little house. I might even find something that could buy us a little insurance if our identity becomes threatened.” Cat fell back into the office chair, her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I don't want to run anymore, Jenira. Think about what we could do if we cleared our names...”
“Clearing our names won't solve our problems unless we want to live apart, Cat. I'll never be welcome here, and you can't live in the West.”
Cat talked around the pencil in her mouth. “I disagree, Jen. Davin's status as a Magitech changes the game. He's also creating something big, something which will further Integration between our cultures. I want to be a part of that. The data I found in his files bears remarkable similarities to the project I've been working on for the past year.” Cat had tried to explain her research to Jenira, but her older sibling couldn't understand the advanced tech aspects.
“I seriously doubt one invention can erase centuries of discrimination, fear, and hate.”
Cat scrunched her nose. “No, but it might be enough to change the rules. It's actually Magitechs who will make all the difference; he can't be the only one. Your new boyfriend is the real discovery here.” Cat flinched when Jenira punched her arm. Even one of Jenira's soft punches held enough force to bruise.
“He'
s not my boyfriend.”
“Maybe not yet, but he's interested in more than your crime-fighting skills.”
“I should stop giving you the audio of all our conversations.”
“It's not just the audio, sis, it’s also the way he looks at you. That man wants to know all your secrets.” Cat giggled.
“That's what I'm scared of,” Jenira groaned. “I'm not sure how much longer I can hold him off, either. He's like a fucking magnet to my magic.”
“I bet he appeals to more than your magic,” Cat snorted.
“Ok, enough of that conversation. I still haven't decided whether I'll let you secretly infiltrate the business of the man you just told me we should trust.”
“Hmm, I didn't think of it that way; I guess you taught me too well. I do think we can trust him a little, but I'm not ready to depend on him completely. However, getting into Rennert Industries might give us an escape plan if things go wrong.”
“Or he can keep you hostage and kill both of us.”
“Jen,” Cat wheedled, “I'm tired of sitting in this house all alone living vicariously through your escapades.” Cat's complaint wasn't playing fair, but stubbornness was one of the family traits they shared. She had decided she would work for Rennert and she needed Jenira to agree. She wouldn't proceed without her sister's permission because that would be an unforgivable betrayal, but she wouldn't make it easy for Jenira to deny her either. “He won't connect the two of us. No one can tell we're sisters - I'm a techie, you're a mage, and we look nothing alike.”
“What if the killers target you? What if you get assigned to Davin's pet project?”
“I doubt Davin will put me on his special project; I’m sure that’s only for his most trusted employees. Besides, the killers are targeting mages, and I’m not a mage.”
“I know.” Jenira sighed, and Cat sensed her inner struggle. Her sister’s natural inclination was to protect her to the death. This plan contradicted the way they'd operated since leaving the Western Territory, and being exposed would be difficult for both of them. “I don't like it.” Jenira flopped back into the fluff of the exploding armchair with a haunted expression. Cat wheeled her chair closer and rested her hands on her sister's knees.
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