by K.N. Lee
He let out a slow breath, then smiled. “Well, I needed to see how this suit holds up, so…”
“It looks great. You look great.” She nodded.
“Do I? You do, too.” He swallowed.
“Oh, please. You’re lucky I put on a fresh shirt. Wait, I didn’t mean that. I’m just…” She threw back her head and groaned. “Can we start over? This is awkward and I’m tired.”
“Sure, Egan. Let’s get some wine down your throat then I can take advantage of your incapacitated brain.”
Her eyes widened.
His cheeks flushed. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Let’s go in.”
Once they were seated, wine and water before them, and their order in place, she let down her guard a little.
She lifted her glass to him and said, “Here’s to do-overs.”
“I second that.” He tapped her glass with his, then took a long swallow. “If you mean it.”
She did the same. “I do.”
He smiled, placing his arm along the back of the booth.
As the buzz hit her system, she began to relax. “So, what can you tell me about the autopsy?”
“Gosh,” he said, raking his hand through his hair. “It’s so strange. I’m nearly as tired as you are, trust me. I went over and over the results. Stayed up half the night. Got up early and got back to the lab. It’s so strange,” he repeated. “There’s an electrical charge humming through the blood of the deceased—Jason, I mean.”
Egan leaned forward. “What kind of electrical charge?”
He leaned forward, too, excitement evident in his soft green eyes. “I found it almost by accident.” He lowered his voice. “You know how we have to keep our abilities on the down-low, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, I sensed something…” He wiggled his fingers. “With the mad Fae skills, you know?”
She nodded.
“Some blood got on my gloves when I made the first incision. My fingers felt like they’d been dipped in an electrical current. I looked around to see if my assistant or the other M.E. noticed it. They simply stared at it…at me, like I was acting weird. Since I always act weird…” He grinned. “They shook their heads at me.”
Egan chuckled. “You’re unique, that’s for sure.”
“Anyway, I was able to isolate the drugs from his blood. Whatever he was given was hot, and I mean hot.”
“What do you mean?” Egan leaned back and took another swallow of her wine.
“It was hot, temperature wise. Hotter than the human blood stream can tolerate. It’s a conductive substance that’s been fortified with current. I don’t have a clue how it was done or what it is. But I held a couple of electrodes up to the substance and electricity arced between them. I don’t know how Jason could survive the current, let alone the dosage. He was given a mighty dose of that shit. I have a call into a friend of mine—another Fae who might have answers.”
Egan nodded, her head bobbing up and down like a child’s toy. “That’s crazy. Liv and I just got back from visiting Renner.”
She told him the story of what went down at Oblivion.
“Now that’s crazy. We need to find the underlying cause of this.” He made a fist and quietly pounded the table.
After that, their talk turned more mundane and playful. Minutes turned into nearly two hours. By the time Rion paid the check, Egan felt happy and relaxed—more relaxed than she’d been in a long time.
“You’re a nice guy, Rion,” she said, smiling softly at him as he led her out of the restaurant, hand in hand.
“I’m way more than nice,” he said, a glint of fire flashing in his green gaze. “Let me drive you home, okay?”
“Sure,” she said, leaning into him, anticipation making her insides flutter.
They walked down the street, toward the parking garage, saying nothing. Egan savored his warmth. The current between them had nothing to do with drugs and everything to do with chemistry.
At his sleek, silver Jaguar, he blipped open the lock and opened the passenger door for her. Before she slid into the seat, she looked up at him.
Not missing her silent invitation, his head dropped toward hers. He slanted his mouth over her lips and gave her the softest, sweetest, sultriest kiss she’d ever experienced.
When he pulled away, she said, “Oh, I think you’re right. You’re way more than nice.”
He chuckled and strode around to the driver’s side.
They said little the few blocks to her house. She held his hand, fingered the curls at his collar, and stroked his strong, muscled thigh.
He practically purred as he tucked his hand between her legs and caressed her.
By the time they arrived at her apartment, she was ready to sprint to the penthouse, stripping along the way.
Something caught her eye, high above her head, on top of the penthouse. She lowered the window and stuck her head out to look up.
“Oh, no,” she cried out.
“What is it?” Rion said, peering through the windshield.
She lifted her finger and pointed. “It’s Livia. And she looks like she’s about to jump.”
Egan
The chill of the New York night mantled Egan’s shoulders like a bird of prey, as she and Rion burst through the door to the roof of the luxury apartment where she and Livia resided.
Livia, her back to them, stood at the edge, swaying back and forth. She wore nothing but a cotton, see-through shirt, showing each curve of her shape in the moonlight.
Egan tensed, coming to a stop. “Livia! What are you doing? Tell me you’re not thinking of doing something stupid like jumping.”
Livia turned to the side, revealing her elegant profile. She glanced over her shoulder and flashed Egan a dreamy smile, enhanced by the moonlight glinting against her purple highlighted hair.
“Don’t be silly, Egan,” she said. Her voice sounded breathy and strange.
“Why would I do that? I’m no bird.”
Egan’s lip curled. “This doesn’t sound like Livia,” she whispered.
“Isn’t the view wonderful up here?” Livia threw her arms wide, wobbling slightly.
“Whoa!” Egan lunged toward her.
Livia’s head whipped around. “Stay back.” She spoke in a sharp command.
Egan halted, her body on alert.
“Back away. You’re too close.”
Egan put her palms up. “Okay. I’ll back up.” She took a small step backward.
“More.”
“Okay. All right.” Egan took a few more tiny steps backward. She kept her arms outstretched, ready to lunge, reach, and grab. “Liv, this isn’t funny. Have you been drinking?”
Livia giggled. “No way.” She pivoted in a graceful half-turn.
“Aw,” she said, her gaze trained on Egan’s and Rion’s clasped hands. “Did you two finally figure out you like each other?”
A shudder rippled up Egan’s spine. She studied her, squinting.
“Are her eyes completely white, Rion?” she whispered.
Rion increased his grip on her hand. “Yeah, they are. This is too weird. Never seen anything like it in my two-hundred years of existence.”
“Please tell me that’s young for a Fae and I wasn’t about to throw it down with an old man,” Egan blurted, her eyes glued to Livia. She let her gaze slide over to Rion for one brief second, then, pinned her attention to Livia’s face.
Rion let out a grim chuckle. “Maybe, later, I’ll prove it. But now…” His words trailed off.
Livia swayed back and forth at the edge of the building, pulsing like seaweed in a gentle surging current.
“Livia, what’s going on? What were you doing before we got here?” Egan took a tentative step forward. Her boots crunched against the gravel-topped asphalt covering the roof.
Livia laughed. “I was dreaming about the future.”
“Tell me. Tell me what you dreamed.”
Livia began to hum.
“Come on, baby g
irl. We need to get you back in the apartment where it’s warm.” She held out her hand to Livia.
Livia kept the same strange smile on her face, like she was in a trance. “Oh, Egan. You know nothing, do you?”
“I know a few things,” Egan said, taking another step. Glancing over her shoulder, she jerked her head, hoping Rion got the clue to move to Livia’s other side.
“You really don’t,” Livia said, in her new, breathy voice.
Rion nodded slightly then inched his way to Livia’s side.
“Enlighten me,” Egan said, focusing on Livia. “Let me in. Tell me what you know that I don’t.”
Livia shook her head slowly. “You won’t get it. You never understand.”
“How can I understand if you won’t tell me?” Egan took another step, her foot landing on a bit of trash. She glanced down and noted a champagne cork, no doubt left by a couple of romantics enjoying the view from up here. She kicked it out of the way.
Livia’s face turned side to side, slowly, like she had to push through molasses.
“You don’t understand,” she said again, in a barely audible whisper.
“You have to give me a chance, baby girl,” Egan said. “Come on now.”
She reached for Livia’s hand.
Livia jerked, blinking, as their skin made contact. She trained her white eyes at Egan. “It’s burning! It’s all burning down!”
Her eyes rolled back in her head.
“Rion! Grab her!”
Rion leaped toward Livia. His strong arms caught her before she toppled over of the side of the building. He tugged her to him and cradled her in his arms.
Egan stroked her hair, staring at her, willing her to open her eyes. “Livia? Are you okay?”
Livia’s eyelids fluttered open. “I think I’m supposed to die.” She took a deep sigh, and closed her eyes again.
Egan shivered. “Livia, don’t say that. You’re not meant to die. You and I—we’re meant to live.”
Livia didn’t respond.
Egan shook her shoulder. “Livia? Livia?”
“Let’s get her inside,” Rion said. He strode toward the rooftop entrance.
Egan hustled ahead, ready to grab the door. “Why would she say that? What’s going on?”
“I sure don’t know,” Rion said.
Egan held the door wide.
“But I suspect she’s under some sort of spell.” He stepped into the stairwell.
“That’s what I’m afraid of, too.” She followed behind them, still shaky from the ordeal. Who or what would cast a spell on her? She made a vow to find out, before it was too late.
Livia
Livia’s eyes opened to the concerned face of Egan leaning over her. She blinked, trying to focus on her surroundings. I’m in the living room. On the sofa. How did I get here?
Egan crouched next to the sofa, her eyes lined with fret.
“Egan?” She sat up groggily and squeezed her eyes shut. Her mind was a blurry mess of images of fire and sounds of destruction, and she had to focus to clear it. “What happened?”
Egan bolted to standing and sat next to her. She took her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Are you okay? You scared the crap out of us.”
Livia blinked. “Huh?”
For the first time, she noticed that Rion was there in their living room, sitting on the leather loveseat with his eyes fixed on her.
“You’re telling me you don’t remember? Good God. You tried to jump off the building,” Egan exclaimed, her brows lifted.
Livia frowned. “What? I didn’t. Wait. How did I get here?”
She’d fallen asleep in her bed after struggling to stay awake with her headset blaring music. Earlier, she’d met with Danvers and he hadn’t been kidding about his promise to “make it good.” She’d wanted to savor their delicious encounter and not lose it in sleep.
Now, she found herself on the sofa wrapped in a robe. She folded her arms across her chest and cleared her throat. Maybe what Egan said was true. She’d never lie to her. But, why couldn’t she recall anything?
“Tell me what you remember,” Egan said in an eerily calm voice.
Shrugging, Livia looked from Egan to Rion. “I fell asleep listening to music and writing in my journal. Then, I just had some bad dreams and woke up here…with you guys staring at me.”
“Livia,” Egan said. “Honey, you tried to jump off the building.”
“It was just a bad dream.”
“Bad dreams don’t send you over the edge of a building to your death, sweetheart.”
Livia met Egan’s eyes, her brows furrowing. “Go on. Tell me everything that happened.”
Egan sighed. “Well, I came home to find you on the edge of the roof. Your eyes were all white and weird, and you said some freaky shit. Then, Rion caught you before you fainted.”
“Jeez,” Livia said, rubbing her temples. “All I remember is fire. Lots of fire.”
Rion sat on the edge of his seat. “Anything else? Anything at all?”
Chewing her bottom lip, Livia searched her mind for any other details. “I dreamt about a burning building. That’s it, really. I wish I could tell you more.”
“Do you have dreams like this often?” Rion asked.
“Sometimes,” Livia mumbled. Then, she remembered something and sat straight up. “Wait, can’t you examine me? Aren’t you like a doctor or something? But, with magic?”
Rion came to his feet. “Yes. I can do that. Let me look.”
Egan moved aside, worry in her eyes. “Be gentle with her,” she warned.
Livia offered a small smile and took in a deep breath as Rion approached. He cleared his throat and knelt in front of the sofa.
Placing his hand behind her back, he looked her in the eyes. “Just relax. Okay?”
Livia nodded. She’d never done anything like this before and didn’t know what to expect.
“Okay.” She tensed and held up her hand. “Will it hurt?”
He smirked. “Not one bit. Just relax. I’ve been doing this for longer than you’ve been alive.”
Egan scoffed. “Longer than our grandparent’s parents.”
He shrugged. “Lots of time to practice. If you know what I mean…”
Livia lifted a brow at how Egan’s cheeks flushed with color. She also noted how Egan averted her eyes when she looked at her.
Rion placed his hand on her forehead.
A rush of cold flooded her body. She flinched.
“Whoa,” she said.
“Stay still for me,” Rion said, and took his hand from her forehead to place it on her chest.
The cold went deeper, gnawing at her bones and scratching at her heart. The sensation was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Feeling lightheaded, she grabbed his leg.
“Stay with me, Liv.”
Rion’s voice provided a soothing anchor.
She held her breath as his magic intermingled with her own in a manner that felt unnatural, dangerous, and exciting at the same time.
He clicked his tongue and moved his hand to her belly.
Better not feel anything there.
“Anything?” Egan asked, as if reading Livia’s mind.
Rion’s head shook almost imperceptibly. “Not yet. Give me a minute. I’m almost done.”
Livia closed her eyes and focused on the memories of the dream. The flames had been so hot that she could feel the heat warming her face and causing sweat to gather in her bosom. She had stood there, in the center of darkness, as the flames licked the air and climbed high onto a building. Something about the building looked familiar. She tried to place it, but as the walls melted and crumbled, there was nothing left to distinguish it from a ruin.
Then, the strange sensation was abruptly ripped away.
Livia whimpered and wrapped her arms around herself. She suddenly felt abandoned and cold, but not in the way Rion’s magic made her feel. Now, she was just empty. She pulled the fleece throw that was over the back of the sofa
around herself and shivered.
“So,” Livia asked, her teeth chattering. “What did you see?”
Rion scratched his head, a confused look on his handsome face.
“That’s odd,” he said.
Egan leaned forward. “What? What’s odd?”
He looked to her and twisted his mouth. “Nothing. I could feel and see nothing.”
“What do you mean, nothing?” Egan asked, her voice rising.
Rion looked to Livia. “There’s nothing wrong with you. I can’t explain what happened.”
Groaning, Egan slumped onto the couch beside Livia. “Useless.”
“Hey,” he said. “I didn’t say I was God. There’s nothing wrong with her. That’s all. You should be pleased.”
Egan’s phone rang and she pulled it from her tight jean’s pocket. She glanced at the display and then rolled her eyes. “It’s the station.”
“Answer it, then,” Rion said.
Egan answered the call. “Egan, here.”
After a few seconds, the annoyance on her face was replaced with wide eyes and open mouth. “What?”
Livia could sense that something was wrong.
“Okay,” Egan said. “We’re on our way.”
She disconnected the call.
“What happened?” Livia asked, though she was too tired to really care. She just wanted to rest, even if it meant returning to her nightmare.
Egan gave her a look that sent chills up her spine. She narrowed her eyes.
“The morgue,” Egan said.
“What about it?” Rion and Livia asked in unison.
Egan frowned. “It’s burning.”
Livia
When they arrived, the morgue—a place they’d been to more times than they would have preferred—was nothing more than a charred shell, blending into the night sky. A dark, foul smelling hole in the city smoldered where a place to prepare the dead once sat.
Livia stood shoulder to shoulder on the street with Egan and covered her mouth with her hands.
“I can’t believe it,” she whispered, her eyes widening and then narrowing as she stared at the desolation before them. Embers still crackled in the air as the fire department worked to put out the last of the flames. “It’s what I saw—this building.”