"Georgie," said Jerome, not unpleasantly, "it seems like you're here more than you are in Vancouver."
"Cedric sent me home. He doesn't seem to want me around if I'm not doing something specific."
Nanette chuckled and paused to take a drink of what looked like a Lemon Drop martini. "I imagine so, after that spectacle yesterday. Brilliant work, I might add."
I grimaced, deciding to out myself and risk losing Jerome's regard. "I actually didn't have anything to do with that. They did it without telling me."
Jerome didn't seem to mind. "That footage is all over YouTube. I've watched it a hundred times."
This whole thing was so confusing. Jerome ostensibly wanted me to help Cedric unravel the cult, yet my boss clearly took great pleasure in seeing the progress stall out. Again I felt like I was missing a piece of the picture here, making me even less secure about my position.
"Look," I said. "I don't want to interrupt your drinks. I'd just been hoping to chat with Jerome, but I can find you later."
Nanette downed her martini and stood up. "No, no. We're finished here. Have my seat."
I was hesitant, but she was insistent, and Jerome didn't appear to be too put out at her departure. She walked out of the bar like a normal human, not bothering with any elaborate teleportation-at least not while others could see her. He gestured toward her chair, and I sat down.
"So, what can I do for you, Georgie?" Jerome was drinking brandy, something more suited to a night by the fire than a Sunday afternoon.
"You were hanging out with Nanette?" I asked, momentarily putting Isabelle on hold.
"As you saw."
"I told you about her meeting with Cedric."
"And?"
"And, doesn't it seem weird that she's meeting with each of you behind the other's back?"
"It's not behind anyone's back," he countered. "I know she met with Cedric, and she knows I know."
Isabelle was moving farther and farther to the back burner of my mind. Suddenly, it all seemed perfectly obvious. Isabelle had denied being the angel because she didn't want her situation to change. Nanette, however, did want change. She wanted to stop feeling like Cedric and Jerome were eyeing her territory and squeezing her between them. She'd claimed her meeting with Cedric was defensive on her part, yet I couldn't help but wonder if she might be more on the offensive than any of us realized.
"Georgie," said Jerome dryly. "I can see those wheels in your head spinning. What are you thinking?"
Starting with the meeting at Tim Hortons, I gave Jerome a full report of my experiences with the Army and the theories I'd put together about the Angel of Darkness being a literal angel-Isabelle.
"Ridiculous," said Jerome. "It's not her."
"You sound just as certain as Cedric did."
He shrugged, almost looking embarrassed to have agreed with his rival. "Because she's not running any cult. I've met her. She's not the type."
"Well, I'm actually starting to agree." I took a deep breath and pushed forward. "I don't suppose it's occurred to either of you that Nanette could be the one behind this?"
Jerome's face grew even more incredulous. "Nanette? Georgie, this is out there, even for you."
"What, demons eyeing each other's territories? Come on, Jerome. That's not out there at all! It's what you and Cedric were-maybe still are-doing for each other. If something blows up, Nanette's in a far better position to benefit from it than Isabelle would. Nanette's running to both of you, claiming she's worried about the other when really, she's playing you both off each other."
Jerome rolled the brandy in his glass. "And let me guess: she's blond too, like this alleged golden-haired angel."
"Well…"
He sighed, took a last swig of the brandy, and set the glass down hard. "Not that I have any reason to explain our goings-on to you, but here it is. Nanette doesn't have the balls to try something like that. Oh, sure, some of your points are correct. This wouldn't be unreasonable demon behavior, particularly one feeling threatened. But not her. She might want to do something like this, but she won't. She's a lot of talk but not much on action."
I didn't usually get answers that detailed from Jerome and was a bit taken aback. "You're certain?"
"I am," he said firmly. A waiter delivered a new glass of brandy. "Leave her and Isabelle behind. Find some other reason for what this absurd group's doing. Barring that, disband them like you're supposed to. And barring that , do give me some credit that I can take care of my affairs without a succubus' help."
I left not long after that, leaving Jerome to drink alone. As I pushed the door open, I glanced back and studied him. His face was momentarily unguarded, troubled as he stared into the depths of his glass. He seemed very alone, literally and figuratively, despite his bold words. I felt a strange pang in my chest, a bit of sorrow over what was undoubtedly an eternity of torment made worse when complications like our current ones ensued. But then, maybe these bursts of demonic drama helped break up the monotony.
I considered errands after that but decided heading straight home sounded best. My phone rang just I stepped into my apartment. I kicked the door closed with my foot while my free hand dug through the depths of my purse. Doug's number showed on the caller ID.
"Is everything okay?" I asked as soon as I answered.
"You know what's sad here, Kincaid? You aren't asking if I'm okay. You saw my number, assumed there was some crisis at work, and want to know if the store's okay."
"Your point?"
"The store's fine. I wanted to know if you're in town. Maddie made it sound like you can cross time and space now and be everywhere all the time."
"I wish I could, but yeah, I'm at home. What's up?"
"You going to Casey's party?"
"Casey's what?" Even as I spoke the words, I remembered Casey pulling me aside in the store and asking if I'd attend her graduation party. "Ugh. That's today, isn't it?"
"Yup. You want me to pick you up?"
"Doug, I don't think I can go. In fact, I even told her I couldn't."
"Right. Tell me right now, immediately, what you have to do instead."
"Well, I, uh-"
"Too slow. You have nothing going on."
"I'm just not in a party mood."
"The beauty of that is that when people aren't in party moods, that's actually when they need a party the most."
"Doug-"
"Come on! How can you not acknowledge the achievements of some brainiac math major who's graduating early, for fuck's sake?"
"Latvian."
"What?"
"Math and Latvian. Dual majors."
"You're making my point for me. It would be sad and wrong if we didn't help her celebrate. She overcame a life of adversity, coming to this country in the hopes of making a better life for herself and her family."
"Doug, she's, like, fourth generation. Her dad's a neurosurgeon."
"Come on! Maddie's gotta stay and close, so I have no one to go with. That, and it's kind of creepy how I've been going to social events with my sister lately. I need you to make me look like a man again."
"Doug-"
"See you in five minutes, Kincaid."
I knew how Doug could be in these moods. He wasn't kidding about showing up in five minutes, and he was also right that I had nothing else to do. With so little time, I simply shape-shifted into a plain gray skirt and black blouse that seemed appropriate for a graduation party. While rustling around for a blank card that I could stick a check into, I dialed Dante to let him know I was in town and to see if he wanted to come with us. Like usual lately, I went to his voice mail. What was it with me and unreliable men? I'd had trouble getting a hold of Seth when we dated because he was always caught up writing. Now I had trouble getting a hold of Dante because…well, because he was unreliable. I left Casey's address with the message and hurried to get ready. I'd wanted to wear Dante's watch but couldn't find it before Doug showed up-honestly, it had been more like four minutes-so I ended up jus
t running out the door without accessories.
Casey's family lived over in Clyde Hill, a beautiful lakeside suburb befitting a neurosurgeon's family. The party had been going on for about an hour when we arrived, and we found their expansive backyard filled with music, food, and people. Dusk was falling, and the soft glow of lanterns strung along trees and the fence line gave everything a sort of elfin mystique. We paused at the yard's entry, assessing our surroundings and looking for others we knew.
"This is kind of wholesome for me," Doug noted. "There are kids here."
"Of course there are. This is a graduation party, not one of your after-show keggers."
"Oh, hey," he said brightly. "There's a bartender. Looks like this'll be tolerably wholesome."
Casey found us getting drinks and threw her arms around both of us in a massive double hug. "Oh! You guys came! Thanks so much." She was aglow with excitement and energy and could barely stay still. She accepted my card with another hug, told us to let her know if we needed anything, and then dashed off when she saw her great aunt from Idaho arrive.
"Wow. All this kind of makes me wish I'd stayed in college," Doug mused. A few of our coworkers waved at us from the far side of the yard, and we began winding our way toward them.
"Yup. You could have had all this fun waiting for you after school."
He grimaced. "The problem is, I was having all this fun during school."
The other bookstore staff were happy to see us, and we all fell into comfortable conversation that varied from the party itself to shop talk from work. Casey's family had spared no expense, and waiters came around with various types of finger food. None of us had eaten dinner, so we practically devoured the trays and probably looked like savages in our corner.
I was contemplating a second drink when Beth suddenly said, "Oh, hey. Seth and Maddie are here."
I stiffened. One of the reasons I'd answered the door when Doug came to pick me up was that he'd said Maddie was closing. Knowing I'd get a reprieve from her and Seth had made this prospect bearable, but apparently, there'd been some sort of incorrect intel afoot.
I did an immediate 180, hoping I had misheard Beth. Nope. There they were: Seth and Maddie. Worse, Seth's little niece Kayla was with them. She was the youngest of his brother's girls, four years old with blue eyes and a mop of blond curls. I'd recently discovered that Kayla had the makings of a psychic and was able to sense the unseen world, much as Dante or my friend Erik could. She was a long way from having their skills or having any idea what they meant yet. For now, she was just a happy little girl-albeit a very quiet one-and seeing her with Seth and Maddie jerked painfully at my heartstrings.
"I thought you said she was closing," I hissed to Doug.
He didn't notice the upset tone in my voice and read it as surprise. "I thought so. Maybe she got Janice to do it. I know she's been giving her more and more responsibility. Makes me wonder about my own job security."
The bookstore gang greeted the newcomers with cheering. Kayla broke from her guides and, to my astonishment, ran over to me. "Georgina!"
I scooped her up, and that dark, angry serpent within me settled down a little. Not only had Kayla sought me out, she'd also spoken-a rarity. I hugged her to me, and with her in my arms, it suddenly seemed as though all had to be right in the world.
"You've got a fan, Kincaid," laughed Doug. He winked at her. She gave him a shy smile in return and then turned back to me and rested her head on my shoulder.
"She spoke," said Maddie in wonder. Maddie knew I'd been friends with the Mortensens and thought nothing of me knowing the girls.
"An entire soliloquy," I laughed.
"We're watching her while the others are at a school play," explained Seth.
"This party's unreal," said Maddie, gazing around at all the fanfare. "Does anyone know why she dual-majored in Latvian?"
"Blow-off major?" suggested Beth.
"Anthropology and Women's Studies are blow-off majors," said Doug. "Not Latvian."
"Hey!" said Maddie, elbowing her brother. She often wrote freelance articles for feminist magazines.
"Hey, don't take it out on me. I'll never forget you taking that class called Evolution of the Dress."
"It was harder than you think!"
The rest of us watched the Sato siblings with amusement, and to my dismay, so did Seth. I guess I'd kind of hoped he'd be shooting furtive, longing glances at me. Instead, he watched Maddie almost…fondly. Like he found her smart and funny-which she was, of course. He was watching her the way any guy would watch his girlfriend.
"Hey," I said to Doug. "Why don't you stop annoying your sister and go get us a refill?"
"You're a bad role model for the kid," he warned. But he took my cup anyway and headed for the bar.
If anything, it seemed me holding Kayla gave Seth and Maddie a chance to be more affectionate. They held hands. So, I paid more attention to Kayla, snagging novel appetizers as they went by and explaining to her what quiche and brie were. Once Doug returned with my drink, I took it down pretty rapidly, still conscious of the fact that I held a child. When I'd finished my third, I knew enough to hand her off. Maddie took her by the hand and led her to look at a koi pond on the far side of the yard.
This left me alone with the others, and whether it was alcohol or succubus charisma or just a desire to show up Maddie, I found myself coming to life. I joked and talked to everyone, making sure each person was included in the conversation. I saw them all light up, caught up in the aura of comfort and good cheer I created. Maybe I had ulterior motives, but despite that, I actually enjoyed myself. It had been awhile since I'd been able to just have a fun, effortless social encounter.
When Maddie returned, however, I decided it was time for my fourth drink. I headed across the yard, graceful in spite of the alcohol. While waiting in line, the guy behind me struck up conversation.
"I've seen you somewhere."
I glanced up at him. He was tall, late thirties, and had bronzed hair. I gave him a winning smile. "That's a very bad pick-up line."
"No, I'm serious." He frowned. "In the paper…were you in some sort of date auction?"
"Oh my God. You do recognize me." Through Hugh's machinations, I'd participated in a charity date auction last December. I'd ended up going for an obscene amount of money and had made the paper.
"If I remember, you did a lot for that charity."
"What can I say? I love kids."
Our turns came, and we each got new drinks. Stepping off to the side, we continued our conversation. "I don't suppose," he said, "that I'd have to pay that much for a date?"
"You're asking me out?"
"Seeing you in person? Yeah. I kind of understand the price now."
"Wow, you don't waste time on formalities."
He shrugged. "I don't have time to. Too busy with work."
Ah. One of those guys. I didn't have Hugh's ability to see souls, but something told me I wouldn't get an enormous energy fix from this guy. Of course, just then, it didn't matter. I was drunk and distressed and a sleazy guy seemed just like what I needed right then, no matter how inappropriate the setting. In fact, the inappropriateness kind of added to it.
"No, not that much. Though to tell you the truth, I'm kind of busy myself. I don't like to waste time on something that's going to fizzle out. I'm sort of a try-before-you-buy girl."
He studied me very carefully, face serious. "What exactly do you have in mind?"
I inclined my head toward the house. "They must have a bathroom in there."
As expected, he didn't take much coaxing. The house was wide open to anyone who needed to get in there, and we passed wait staff moving in and out as we sought one of the house's many bathrooms. We finally ended up at a small one on the second floor that was adjacent to a guest room. It didn't look like it saw much use, and as soon as we shut the door, we were all over each other.
He'd told me along the way that his name was Wes and that he had some sort of corporate posi
tion in a bank downtown. I'm not sure why he was trying to impress me, seeing as I'd made this painfully easy for him, but I appreciated the weak effort anyway. My biggest concern was his relationship to the family, but it turned out he was a friend of a friend of a business associate, so I had little worry about this getting back to Casey.
My skirt came off almost immediately, followed by a rapid unbuttoning of my blouse that pulled off a button. It skittered across the floor, lost forever. He left the blouse itself on, simply hanging open, and ran his hands over my body, taking in the black lace bra and matching panties.
"Good God," he breathed. "You might be worth more than that auction price."
"I'm not a call girl," I snapped, irritated for some reason I couldn't entirely understand. "And make this fast. My friends are going to be waiting for me."
Wes seemed a little surprised that I wasn't fawning all over him, but he didn't argue. His pants and briefs came off next, and he grabbed a hold of my hips, tilting me so that I sat on the edge of the counter, with my body at an angle and my head and shoulders against the mirror. The counter and his height lined up perfectly, and a moment later, he was in me, neither rough nor gentle, just somewhere in the middle. It was a little boring, actually, like he couldn't quite make up his mind and take a stand.
But as he gripped my ankles and held my legs up, the pace steadily increased, and I saw sweat break out along his brow. The life energy seeping into me was moderate, just like everything else about this tryst, but compared to Dante, it was fairly significant. That energy made up for the rest of it, and when he came with a primal sort of grunt, that burst of life coursed into me in its entirety. Like fine tendrils of light, it raced through my body, reinvigorating me and making me strong.
He staggered back, and I hopped down off the counter to quickly put my clothes back on. "Wow," he gasped. "That was-"
"Do not say worth the money," I warned. "Particularly since you didn't pay."
He shut up, and I smiled. With a quick kiss on the cheek, I moved over to the door. "Thanks," I said. "It was fun."
He fumbled for his underwear. "You want to go out sometime?"
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