by Celia Kyle
“Get in here, Rhonelle!”
She turned the knob with a damp palm and stepped into his office, which was far less cluttered than she’d expected. Files lay on Paul’s desk, but while she expected grubby stacks and multiple coffee cups, everything was arranged in neat piles.
“Take a seat.” He waved vaguely at a chair just in front of his desk.
Swallowing again, Aurora inched over and sat down. He watched her the entire way, and it dawned on her that this was the most direct attention she’d ever received from one of her superiors. A wry smile tugged at the corner of the investigator’s mouth.
“You nervous?” His blue eyes fixed on hers, and she managed a tiny nod.
“A little.” Her voice was even smaller than her nod.
As soon as it was said, Keenan rolled back in his chair and broke into an actual smile. It was the first one she could remember ever seeing on him.
“Don’t be.” His shift into an almost collegial manner was so sudden, Aurora was at odds with how she was supposed to react. “Tell me something, kiddo. How do you like working here?”
“Honestly?”
“Honest answers are the only kind I’m after.”
“I love it.” She might have been more effusive than she’d intended, but the tension she’d carried into the room let her guard down.
“Is that a fact? Even with those…contemporaries of yours?” There was an almost conspiratorial feeling to the way he dismissed the rest of her ilk.
“It can be a challenge,” she admitted. “But I like challenges.”
The lead investigator nodded approvingly.
“I’m glad to hear it. There’s been a bit of a situation, and we need your help.”
Aurora thrilled at his words. It was one thing for an upper level official to actually know who she was, but the fact that he was actually counting on her? She clung to her seat to keep from dancing.
“There’s been an attempted break-in at the Treasury Vault.”
It was such a stunning notion, Aurora’s eyes bulged, and her jaw dropped. “When?”
“Sometime last night. It has the whole department in an uproar.”
“But I thought it was guarded by a dozen gargoyles? Who would—”
“Try twenty. But, even so, some idiot tried.”
“Have any suspects been arrested?”
“Not yet.” He ran a palm across his graying red hair and looked her dead in the eyes. “No witnesses, and evidence at the scene has been pretty scant. Given that I’m the lead guy on Boyd’s team, the old guy is pulling me from the Abernathy theft to focus on this. They need their best people for something of this magnitude.”
He chuckled lightly at his overt lack of modesty, and he looked as if he expected Aurora to laugh with him. But her mind was too busy churning on what all this meant.
“So who’s going to handle the Abernathy case?”
“You.” That square-butted finger jabbed at her again, but this time, it was backed by a crooked smile instead of a scowl. Her mouth went dry and her heart tightened inside her chest. The feeling ranked somewhere between elation and pure terror.
“Me? Take over the case?” It was unheard of for a junior to get bumped up to run an actual case—especially one who had only been in the office for a few months.
“Not take over, exactly, but present evidence next to Dante Calvo. You’ve been working hard on this investigation. All nine of you have really busted your butts so the case is air-tight. Besides, you’ve got a reliable witness. It’s a cinch. Open and shut.”
“You really think so?”
“Of course. A flying monkey could win this one. All you need to do is present the evidence at the trial. Guide the jury through it and lead the unicorn to water.”
“Wait,” she balked. “I’d actually be presenting at trial? In an actual courtroom?” For the first time since that first smile had broken across his face, Paul’s friendly exterior cracked. Now there was a flicker of impatience.
“What do you think we’re talking about here, Rhonelle? You’ve already been running point on putting the briefs together and collating the crime scene photographs to align with testimony. Much as I’d love to take the credit, I don’t have the bandwidth to present. That’s where you come in.”
“But…” She couldn’t believe she was going to ask the question, but she had to know. “Why me?”
“Come on,” he snorted. “Take a good look at yourself and then look at the rest of those jokers. Don’t think I don’t know you dress like this on purpose. All those wrinkled khakis and half-tucked shirts? And the way Shelley dresses? No thanks. You’re the most professional-looking one out there.”
Aurora allowed herself to bask in the compliment. It was true. She’d taken such care with her appearance in the fantasy that something like this might happen. It just seemed unreal it actually was.
“Thank you,” she said, tucking her chin low and hooding her eyes.
“Don’t give me that false modesty crap. You know it as well as anybody. Why else would you put yourself together like that?”
She felt just a little called out. How overt had she been about it all? Sure, she was reaping the rewards, but even with that, did she want to be perceived as a brown-noser? It tarnished the victory ever so slightly.
“Are you sure I’m the right one for this?”
“For Pete’s sake.” He clapped a broad hand on his desk and looked at her hard. The sudden shift startled her again. The warmth in his eyes had evaporated. “Look, Rhonelle, do you want this thing or not? Don’t let the cutesy-humility thing blow this for you.”
“Yes, sir.” This teetered dangerously close to the chiding she’d expected upon walking in.
“Every one of those slackers out there would be happy to slit your throat to get a shot at this.”
Even if only figuratively speaking, Aurora knew it was true. All her work had paid off, and here she was, about to sell herself out of it. Squaring her shoulders, she stood up and extended her hand.
“Mr. Keenan, it would be my pleasure and great honor to take on this assignment.” That little twinkle crept back into the corner of his eye as he stood to take her hand.
“That’s the spirit. Just do me a favor and get a little steel in your spine before you walk into that courtroom. Even the best evidence in the world won’t amount to a damn if you walk in like some bashful kid. It’s yours, so play it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now, get out there and get back to work.”
She closed the door behind her and found herself greeted by eight sets of hungry eyes. They bored into her as if hoping to read a transcript of what had just happened on her face. Fortunately, Aurora was no stranger to keeping her cards close. She’d lived her whole life that way.
Crossing back to her work station with the barest hint of a smile on her lips, she let her silence dare any of them to ask. Nobody ventured. It felt suspiciously like power.
Seated again, she opened up the files and began to pour over them with a fresh set of eyes. This wasn’t somebody else’s case anymore. This was hers. The other juniors may have contributed an observation here or there, but the whole of it lived in her fingertips.
This was better than just proving something to the rest of those lazy, back-stabbing juniors—more than earning a place at the grown-up table with Keenan and the other senior investigators.
No, something about this made her far more covetous.
This was an accomplishment she could rub directly in her parents’ noses. And that was worth everything.
Seven
On her way to the Othercross Colonnade, Aurora’s feet barely touched the ground. The soaring feeling inside her made her giddy—something she was unaccustomed to. A flurry of texts had convinced Kelly and Tiffany to abandon their plans and meet her for lunch.
In Tiffany’s case, that meant hustling over from another part of town, and for Kelly it meant actually getting out of bed. She was profoundly coveto
us of her days off, but Aurora wasn’t taking no for an answer. She had thrilling news to share, and she wanted her girlfriends to revel in it with her.
As frugal as Aurora usually was, this was a far cry from the sandwich and carrot sticks she usually packed for herself, which sat tucked in the office fridge for someone to steal. Celebration was in order, and a tasty meal out felt like just the thing.
Once they were all snuggled into a booth at a chic little bistro, Aurora announced her news.
“That’s incredible,” Tiffany burbled. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Holy shit, dude!”
Aurora was in such fine spirits, she even refrained from calling out Kelly’s language. The way they fawned over her only added to the flames. Never one given to outward pride, Aurora permitted herself to bask in it a bit.
“Wait, how many other junior investigators are there?” Kelly looked stunned, as if she hadn’t heard right.
“There are nine of us total.”
“That’s a buttload of gofers! And out of that whole rabble, you made the cut?”
“I guess so.” Twirling the last of her pasta, Aurora savored the buttery sauce. Rich food was an indulgence, and she wasn’t the indulgent type. Usually.
“Well, I’ll be a son of a bitch. Of course, I’m not at all surprised that someone in your office finally pulled his head out of his darkest orifice to see how dedicated you are. When’s the trial gonna be?”
“It starts in two days,” she said, trying not to freak out about how fast it was approaching.
Tiffany beamed at her. “Maybe we can come and watch you present.”
“Not me.” Kelly hunkered back in her seat, collecting crumbs with the tip of her finger. “I’m never setting foot in a courtroom again unless I have to be there. And I’m hoping to keep that down to never. Ya feel me?”
The three of them fell all over themselves with laughter remembering the last time Kelly was actually in a courtroom. It was a rare feeling for Aurora. Actual abandon. Something dangerously close to joy.
“So what are you going to do to treat yourself?” Kelly asked as they stepped into the sunshine.
The question caught Aurora off-guard. “This was it.”
“You can’t be serious.” Tiffany blinked her black-lined eyes, looking dumbfounded. Aurora felt like she was missing something.
“Yeah, to hell with that. A lunch? You need to actually treat yourself to something.”
“Like what?”
“Got it,” Kelly snapped her fingers. “You’re gonna be the star of the show in court that day. Right?”
“Well, I don’t know about that…” Aurora waffled, kicking her feet lightly at the pavement. Her tendency to deflect came creeping back over her.
“No, no. Shut up. You are. That calls for something to really make you stand out.”
“Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes.” Tiffany hopped up and down, clapping her hands, her purple streaks bounding with each bounce.
“What?” Aurora eyed them suspiciously. Clearly, she was on the outside of something they both immediately intuited.
“You need a new outfit,” Kelly said with such authority it would have been hard for the best lawyer in Othercross to argue against her. “We’re taking you shopping.”
“My favorite shops are all the way…”
“Psssh!” Kelly waved a hand, banishing the very idea. “Not thrift stuff, babe. New stuff. Something to commemorate this. You’ve moved up in the world.”
“It’s just for the one case.” Her friends were making enough out of this that Aurora started to find ways to undermine what had been a true victory. Fortunately, neither of her friends were going to stand for that kind of nonsense.
“Fuck that.” Again, Kelly was firm. “One case leads to the next. Stop looking for excuses to deny yourself shit. We’re taking you to Sadie’s.”
Before she could whisper language to herself, her friends scooped her in their arms and fairly danced her up the block. When they reached the window of the Colonnade’s poshest boutique, all three women lapsed into a kind of reverential silence. Aurora had peered through this window many times, but had never dared to venture over the doorstep.
This is too expensive. Can I really do this?
With that, she was whisked inside. Even the air felt different. Cooler. Lighter. Fancier.
“Fuuuuuuck,” Kelly breathed out in a whisper.
“You said it,” Tiffany agreed.
“Language,” Aurora murmured.
Now that she was inside, the siren song of it all was irresistible. After all, she had a credit card burning in her clutch. She’d never so much as swiped it, but suddenly, this felt like the whole reason she’d gotten it. It had been tucked away “for emergencies” and something had very clearly emerged.
“Hey,” Tiffany squeezed her arm. “I’m going to poke around the sale rack and daydream. Don’t let me catch you there. You’re here for the real thing.” She bounded off to the far reaches of the store, like a little goth pixie turned loose in a wonderland of impossibly white décor.
“Where are you going…” But Kelly was already gone.
Breathing deeply, Aurora hoped Ronun would continue to have a good effect on her devil-may-care friend. She strongly suspected the old Kelly might have stuffed any number of things in her bag and made a break for it. If she had, that court date might’ve come faster than she wished.
Being left to her own devices somehow settled the tiny moths fluttering inside her chest. It would be easier to treat herself if she could do it unseen.
Wandering through the almost sacred space, she started by letting her fingers do the work. They brushed lightly on both sides of every garment she passed, flooding her with a kaleidoscope of soft textures. Everything embodied the definition of luxury, and she let herself bask in the moment when all of it seemed possible.
Coming around to a particularly tasteful display, a glimmer of emerald green arrested her. It was a sheath dress, tailored in all the ways that would offer her what she loved most—a figure-hugging display of class. She was powerless to resist.
Walking as if she were in a trance, she arrived in front of the object of her desire. It was perfect. Reaching with a timid hand, she lifted the tag that hung from the beltline.
Oh wow. Wow, wow, wow.
This single wrap of luxurious fabric cost more than her entire wardrobe. To buy this wouldn’t just be decadent. It would be a transgression. The very thought of it sent goosebumps racing across her skin.
Except, that electric chill wasn’t sticker shock. No, the feeling was uneasily familiar. Something new, yet as woven into her soul as anything you could name. On instinct, she turned to look directly out the window she had gazed through so many times. Whenever she faced that glass, on the other side was the unattainable thing she longed for.
Now, it was him.
Dane.
He stood in the street, scenting the air. He hadn’t seen her yet. But there was no doubt in Aurora’s mind he was looking for her. Whatever prickle she felt, it must have echoed in him as well.
As he kept sniffing the air, a thrill raced through her entire body. It was equal parts attraction and dread. Every muscle went taut, and she had no choice but to run. The question was whether she was going to run toward this captivating wolf or away from him.
Dane stilled, as if something had clicked into place. He looked at the window, as if it had just occurred to him to look through. His eyes began to focus.
Aurora tucked into a crouch. Her pulse thundered through every vein, and her breath was high and sharp. Staying low, she scampered farther into the boutique, doing her best to keep her head below the line of displays. If anyone else saw her, they would think she was a crazy person, but that would be better than whatever might happen if Dane finally spotted her.
Scrambling until she found the dressing rooms, she scampered into one and clapped the door shut behind her. There was a plush bench, but she found herself scrunched on the carpe
ted floor, panting as she kept her eyes riveted to the door.
What’s wrong with me? Why is it so imperative I hide from this guy?
She sat rubbing her eyes to clear away the tiny diamonds that were cascading at the edge of her vision. Using some techniques she’d picked up in a yoga class, she centered her breath and did everything she could to bring her heart rate down. After a few minutes, she was starting to feel in control of herself again.
Three sharp knocks on the door shattered that illusion. She let out a squawk of terror and then slapped both hands over her mouth. If Dane heard her, there would be no escaping this time.
“What’s going on in there?” It was Tiffany.
All the air pent up in Aurora’s lungs rushed out at once.
“Nothing!”
Apparently, Kelly had joined the party. “What’s taking you so long? If you’re late back to the Judiciary, they might second guess this whole thing.” She may have been teasing, but the idea was enough to make Aurora bolt to her feet and yank open the door.
“So where is it,” Tiffany asked.
“Where’s what?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve been in the dressing room this whole time and didn’t even take something in with you?” As Tiffany eyed her, the absurdity of the situation settled over Aurora like a blanket.
“I...forgot.”
Kelly just rolled her eyes and jerked her thumb at the young necromancer.
“Can you believe this one? Come on.”
They stalked through the store, the memory of the reason for their visit happily evaporating. Her credit card might just live to face another crisis.
“You wanna hear something crazy? I was at the front of the store, and I swear I saw that wolf Ronun chased off last night.”
Kelly was laughing but Aurora almost froze in place.
“Really? I wanna see!” Tiffany darted to the front of the shop, almost pressing her nose to the glass. If any employee caught her smudging it, they’d be thrown out for sure.
“Nah, he left already.”
“A-are you sure?” The tremor in Aurora’s voice caught Kelly’s attention.