Neil opened one of the packages that Fatima had wrapped for me and almost dropped it. "Dude," was all he said. Then he placed it on a table for me and appeared to forget about it in a haze of pot smoke.
Concentrating on the little figure didn’t give me hints that there may be a fragment of a Lost inside. Taking the next step, I closed my eyes and went to reach for the Path. Waiting for me were hundreds of flecks of light, glittering, wanting to be seen, and they stood between the Path and me.
Some of those were pieces of my own soul, right? Was I still me?
Trying and failing to shake the unnerving feeling, I stretched over the milling shards of soul and opened my eyes to a world of incandescent color.
I spent the next thirty minutes depleting my energy, trying to find some spark in the necklace pendant.
Neil was the one who reminded me that I might be pushing too far.
"You're like, pale and shit. Are you getting a contact high or what?"
There was a fizzy feeling running through me, so I dropped the Path. Seeing the colors turn even more muted than usual, I thought the contact high wasn't far off.
Ignoring Neil, I reached out tentatively.
"That's a bad idea, man." Neil watched, but didn't try to stop me.
"You know I'm a girl, right."
"That's pretty obvious. But Taylor's going to kill me if I bring you back broken."
I rolled my eyes. "Too late to worry about that."
The silver was cool, and while I had braced myself to add yet another shard of soul to the horde, nothing happened. "Humph. Nothing." I carefully unrolled the other trinkets, each one cool to the touch, but void of a companion soul shard.
Sighing, I stowed them all away. "We should go soon."
"Sure, man, the couch is comfy, and I need a few more minutes. Short dude will be back soon."
"Hey man, I'm not short," said the guy ambling back into the room with a bottle of tequila.
"You're shorter than me, which makes you short dude," Neil said.
I laid my head on the arm of the couch and watched Neil drink and smoke dope.
***
Pat could probably walk into any club, bar, or party in town, which worked out great for me because it was her influence that got me onto the list for the party. It was naive of me to think that would make things easy. Pat dropped her car off with the valet, but the man on the door was one of those people that took an instant dislike to me.
"She's on the list." Pat jabbed a finger down on his clipboard.
"No ID, and it's obvious she doesn't belong here." The man sneered at me.
My aggravation caused a flurry of activity inside me, and it amazed me that no one noticed.
"Wait here." Pat strode into the massive structure. Within two minutes, a man came out and waved us in. Before the door closed, I heard the doorman being chewed out for upsetting a VIP.
At the door, our cell phones were confiscated, and since Logan and Rider had remote access to mine, I was feeling a little lost without it.
The music was loud, there were loads of people dancing, and you only had to walk a few feet into the room to see that drugs were being passed around like candy. Pat jumped straight into the mix. Someone dropped something into her mouth as she hit the dance floor.
"Look," Neil said quietly, "don't take a drink from anyone but me and keep your hand over it when you’re not drinking." He sounded sober enough that I didn't hesitate to agree. "I'll keep you in sight, but we have to mingle."
Neil handed me a drink, gave me a joint, and then disappeared.
Chapter 20
My plan was to pull up the Path and take a look at things from the fringes of the party. This could work in the ballroom, where the lights were dim, the noise was loud, and everyone was dancing, but the other rooms would be difficult.
Watching everyone dance made me feel conspicuous, so I drained the glass Neil gave me and met Pat on the dance floor. It had been so long since I'd danced that I felt thoroughly embarrassed, but each time I turned around, I was dancing with a new person. What better way to fit in and meet people? We barely had to talk.
Neil showed up long enough to pass me another drink, and I left the dance floor with Pat. There was no telling what she was on, but she didn't sit on the sidelines long. When she went back to dance more, I stayed put. It was time to get to work.
"What's a hot little thing like you doing over here?" Arms reached around me from behind.
Adrenaline hit my system. My skin dropped a few degrees, and I broke out into a cold sweat. I could feel the man's breath on my face, and I cringed. He trapped my arms in a bear hug before I could react.
My mind worked frantically trying to figure out what Heather would do, or what I should do to get out of this.
"There is a hit of X here with your name on it," he said into my neck.
"I'm not an X kind of girl." I tried to keep my voice light.
"I could change your mind." He moved one rough hand down my side.
This worked out well for me because he had to loosen his grip, which allowed me to pull, at least partially, away.
"First time here?" The man laughed, and I could tell he thought this was all in good fun.
Still, he had a strong grip on my arm, and he didn't look ready to let go. "Making a scene can get you tossed out. Let's go have a chat. I can tell you all you need to know."
"No thanks, I'm good." Trying to break his hold on me was becoming a futile effort. "Besides, I need to go meet up with my friends."
"I'm not seeing any friends here," the man said.
"Leave the girl alone."
Vincent?
My face turned red, embarrassed at being caught like this, and I searched for the face that came with the voice.
The man didn't look away from me. "Mind your business."
"Back away." Vincent walked out of the shadows.
He didn't look at me, but I couldn't take my eyes off him.
I knew I was safe now, but my stomach twisted into tighter knots, and it was a struggle to keep calm.
"Shove off," the man said, not letting go of my arm.
Vincent reached out and held the man's shoulder.
The man's eyes widened, and he dropped my arm while trying to move away. "We were only having a bit of fun. I don't-"
The man dropped to his knees.
Vincent's face was blank, and he didn't let go. When the man's eyes closed, I tried to pull Vincent away, afraid he would kill the man.
Looking into my eyes for the first time in months, Vincent let go. I couldn't detect a trace of emotion, but I noticed that Vincent had a thin scar angled across his temple. I stared at him, unsure of what to say. What do you say to a man you cared about when he returned without telling you? I wanted to scream at him or hit him. I wanted to hug him and ask him where he'd been. I wanted to take him out of the party and find out everything that had happened, but where would I start?
"Dude, you gotta step away." Neil kept his eyes on the ground and tugged at my arm. "Come on, Heather, we've gotta move back into the party. The party is the party, the fringes are bad news."
Impassive as ever, Vincent looked down at Neil. "Go away."
Neil bobbed his head nervously. "Sure thing, man. Only, I don't go without her."
Vincent's eyes pierced mine. "She stays."
My glare was instantaneous. Did he seriously tell me to stay?
Neil cringed. "Yeah, no problems. I gotta stay with her man."
Vincent closed his eyes for a few seconds, and then looked back at me. "He's with you?"
"Yes." I emphasized this by taking a step slightly in front of Neil, shielding him from Vincent.
"You both need to go." Vincent looked away, back into the crowded room.
"Are you serious?" I didn't know what else to say. He saved me only to turn around and piss me off.
"Don't draw attention to yourself and don't look for me." Vincent walked away.
"Wait," I called.
My chest tightened. There had been no chance to say goodbye when he left last fall. There hadn't been time. Tonight, though? He walked away without provocation, and he wasn't rushed.
After that, the party was too loud. There were too many bodies pressed together having a crazy, drugged up experience. Before, I hadn't noticed the driving energy of people and music. Now, even with the Path closed, I could feel the giant swirling mess that was this party.
"So yeah, new rule. Stay away from the edges of the party. That dude was seriously scary. Did he kill that guy on the ground?" Neil asked.
"I don't think so." I swallowed hard and didn't bother looking down. Simmering up, another fragment tried to press itself out. I stamped it back down and tried to do the same with my thoughts of Vincent.
Neil moved us back into the party. "It's about time for you to do your crazy voodoo shit and then get the hell out of here."
"Right," I said dully. "Crazy voodoo shit."
There was a job to be done, and this party was our best chance to find what we needed. I could blow that if I followed Vincent. Sadly, I wasn't convinced I made the right choice. Wanting to get this over with, I grabbed Neil's arm for support. He bobbed to the music and ignored me while I opened up the Path and looked across the party.
I wasn't far off the mark when I thought the party might look psychedelic. Purples, blues, reds, browns, and blacks swirled together while yellows exploded and dissipated. The Path was as high as the people fueling it.
One bright, tarnished golden spot stood out and drew me forward. I dropped Neil's arm and tracked the brightness only to find an elf who was watching the partygoers.
Turning around, I scanned again, looking for another target.
When nothing stood out, my mind latched to my former partner. Vincent being here couldn't be a coincidence, which made me tense. Wouldn't we know it if he was here for an assignment? Considering we didn't know he was in this world, there was a chance the answer was no. I'm not sure what hurt worse, the possibility he came back and went to work without telling me, or the possibility that no one knew he was here and was wrapped up in this case, but on the wrong side.
Trying to dislodge the thoughts, I focused on finding other clues. If he was involved, we'd find out.
Figuring someone high in a drug dealing organization would sit and make people come to him, I moved around the room. My attention was caught near the bar close to the dance floor. This bar not only held booze but an assortment of drugs behind the counter. The bartenders, slash dealers, were working together smoothly to take care of their customers.
With samples at the bar, I assumed the dealers weren't far away.
Neil made a subtle gesture to someone who melded into the party. Neil’s dealer wasn't my target, so I ignored it. A man, maybe in his mid-thirties, drew my eye. Well, not him, but his Path was interesting to watch. It was amazingly clean; he was covered in a shimmering yellow, with no traces of any other color. I'd never seen anything like it from a human.
Stepping away, I found a place where I could watch him without being as obvious.
"Neil, do you know that man?" I asked.
"Sure, man, that's Indian Dude," Neil said without looking.
"Indian Dude? As in, he's from India? You can't call him that. Does he have a real name?"
"Everyone has a real name. It's not always best to know them." Neil bounced to a throbbing base, looking as though he wasn't paying the least bit of attention to me.
"What does he do?" I asked.
"You ask questions that I won't give answers to."
"So he's a dealer?" I said softly.
A flicker of annoyance crossed Neil's face. "Luckiest man in the world. That's what he is. I've seen cops walk right past him to snag someone else. He gets the high payers too."
"Interesting," I said under my breath, lost in thought as I watched him.
A person approached and the dealer's Path welcomed the person in. The shimmering current parted and curled around the newcomer as though giving a welcomed hello.
"Look," Neil said, "I'm getting too sober. If I go find a guy, can you keep yourself out of trouble?"
"Sure," I looked away but kept the Path in my periphery.
"You can't sit here and watch people while doing nothing." Neil passed me a cigarette and a joint. "Smoke one or the other, I don't care which. I'll be a few minutes."
The glassy look in Neil's his eyes faded. Along with his speech changing, he looked more aware of what was around him.
It was the wrong place to ask, but I did anyway. "Why don't you ever stay sober?"
Neil dropped his gaze and ran his hands through his hair.
He looked uncomfortable. "There's only so much anyone should think. Light one of those, I'll be back." He walked into the crowd. Someone instantly sidled up beside him, and the party swallowed them up.
Choosing to keep myself as drug-free as possible, I chose the cigarette. I tried not to cringe at the taste.
People might think that watching one man should be easy, but trying to be stealthy about it was harder than it looked, and I wasn't doing the best job of it. At least the man wasn't moving around.
"Since when do you smoke?" Vincent stepped into my line of sight.
I had been concentrating so hard on my target's Path that I had missed him come up.
I pointedly took another drag. "Why do you care?"
"Cassie-"
Looking around quickly I said, "It's Heather, least you could do is remember my name." It was said louder than necessary in case someone heard my real name.
"Right," he said quietly, "Heather. I'm Will by the way."
"Lovely." I rolled my eyes and tried to look around him. "Well, Will, I'm a little busy here. Besides, I don't hang out with idiots who don't understand the concept of a phone."
He sighed and shifted a little to the side. My target was back in my line of sight, and it looked like I was looking at Vincent.
Someone else approached the man, but instead of the Path welcoming this person, it turned them away. The Path urged the approaching person a few steps to the right where they tripped and fell. When he got up, the newcomer looked confused and walked off.
"Look," I hissed, "it's not the time or the place for a reunion." I was trying to wrap my brain around what I had seen. People and objects affect the Path, not the other way around. Was the dealer even human to have a Path move around him like a sentient being?
"I agree, but you forced my hand."
"Forced your hand?" I blushed thinking of the man Vincent had taken down. "Whatever. You did your rescue thing, now run along."
"If that's really what you want."
"What I wanted was a call, at least to let me know you were safe. Don't worry though. Mutual friends will be in touch."
"Mutual friends? You're not doing this on your own?" he asked.
"Of course not." I jabbed the cigarette into an ashtray harder than necessary.
"They sent you in here?" He struggled to keep his voice low. "Into this?" Vincent's blank mask broke and I saw tiny hints of emotion. His forehead creased and his eyes narrowed as he looked around the room, as though expecting to see Logan or Rider in the crowd.
Ignoring my target, I turned to Vincent. "How long have you been back?" Trying to keep my voice low was a struggle.
His only response was to glare harder.
"They aren't here. How long?" I demanded.
"Dudes." Neil approached walking stiffly and looking around. "Chill the hostility. This is a place of party, man."
"Back off," Vincent said.
"I told you, he's with me," I said.
"Have they lost their minds?" Vincent's muscles tensed. "You've always been reckless enough, but you had someone to rein you in."
I could feel my face reddening. The anger was drawing up a rage that I knew I couldn't control.
The black in Vincent's eyes began to grow. A
sure sign of his anger. "By the number of bruises you have, I figured you stepped into this on your own."
Feelings of the minotaur rushed forward, trying to take control. "You have no right—"
Vincent's voice lowered and he leaned in. "That elf made me a promise."
"Look, dude," Neil interrupted, "I'm not sure what's going on, but you need to mellow and back off."
"You're right." Vincent took a step back. The shadows in his eyes were the only indication of anger. "You won't see me again."
My anger was doused with cold fear and the piece of soul that had reared up fell into the pool of others. "Are you serious?"
Vincent's face was pure indifference.
"I..." What could I say? I scanned his face for any traces of emotion. There was a time when I could read him effortlessly.
Apparently, that time had passed.
Chapter 21
"Tell me, Will, who is your friend?" The man with the interesting Path had approached while my attention was on Vincent.
I caught a flash of fear in Vincent's eyes. Maybe I could learn to read him again.
"She's no one." Vincent's voice was as deadpan as his face.
My stomach churned at Vincent's words.
"Nonsense! It's fantastic to know that you are capable of having a friend. Even one that responds to you with such fiery spirit." The interloper had the calm look of someone who feared nothing. The strange Path around him was actively trying to push Vincent and me away, but it was ambivalent towards Neil.
Vincent's Path cut through like a knife. My own Path responded with brute pressure. I was a Reader, dammit, and there were no Paths that could turn me away.
"I am Jinendra, but you can call me Jin." Jin had a thick accent. He spread his arms out wide when he spoke as if trying to draw us all in. His Path persisted in doing the opposite.
"Jin," Vincent said, "this is Heather and her friend..." Vincent looked blankly at Neil who watched the party. "This is Heather. We knew each other briefly last fall."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Heather. Perhaps we will do business in the future. Any friend of Will's is a friend of mine." He turned to Vincent. "I have one last trade, and then we must leave." When he walked off, Vincent went to follow him, but I put a hand on his arm.
Broken Paths (AIR Book 2) Page 17