by Liz Schulte
I went up to him, studying his actions and testing the water as I went. I sent a little rage in his direction to see how he responded. His cheeks turned red and his jaw clenched as I neared. Finally he snapped and got in her face, yelling at the top of his lungs, jabbing a finger at her.
“I don’t care what your excuse is! Pick the poop up or get rid of the dog!” He furiously scrawled out a ticket and threw it at her, before sending the dog a disgusted look and marching off in the opposite direction. Not bad, but not something I could work with either. I ignored the stunned woman and followed him. I hit him with a little greed about a block later, but that didn’t stick either. All he did was keep the extra change the vendor gave him, not exactly hell worthy. Gluttony wasn’t much better. By the time we reached the station, I wasn’t sure I would hook him. He shook hands with a superior officer outside of the building, and I tested him with a little envy. That seemed more effective. I almost went with it until I decided to be a bit more creative. I sent a healthy dose of pride and envy his way. The pride would reinforce the envy and vice-versa, leaving him completely at my disposal whenever I chose to swoop down and show him how to take what he wants. I went to the club, jinni happy and mind settled for the time being. I still had plenty of trouble inching its way towards my door, but at least I didn’t have that nagging beast clawing at me from the inside. I still had time to figure things out.
After wallowing in self-pity for a bit, I decided that if I was still standing, there was no way an angel was after me. It had to be something else, something Baker wasn’t familiar with. I just had to determine what and I’d be golden. I also concluded that whatever it was, it wasn’t out to hurt me. If anything, it seemed helpful, like it wanted to be an ally of some sort. Too bad it knew too much about Liv to be allowed to live. I went up to my office and called Baker.
“Yeah?”
“Anything to report?”
“Nah, she hasn’t done much interesting. She hung around some warehouse for a while last night, but I never got a good look. Some low level thug jinn carried in a glowing crate, then she left. I think she suspects something.”
“Any idea what was in the crate?”
“Nada.”
“It would be in our best interest to know.”
“The place is locked down. Give me a day or two to figure out how to get in. I can’t exactly shift into a jinni, I’d be pretty easy to pick out of a crowd. You’re the leader. Go there and demand entrance.”
“Not until I know more than they do.”
“Let me take this tomato for a ride, and you can be done with her once and for all. She got nice gams, but that’s the only thing she has going for her. She’s a regular Mrs. Grundy.”
“Do you realize I only understand about half of what you say when you talk like that?”
Baker laughed. “You slay me, boss.”
“I’m gonna slay you,” I mumbled, shaking off my irritation. “I don’t think it’s an angel. There has to be something else, something you haven’t heard of.”
“Not to toot my own horn or anything, but you’re all wet. There ain’t no creature I don’t know about.”
“Obviously there is, and if you give me one more sentence based in slang, I will beat you with this phone when you get back.”
“But I haven’t slept. It’s always worse when I don’t get some shut ey—sleep.”
“Try.”
He sighed and was silent for a while.
“So, any other ideas? If it were an angel, I’d be dead right now, agreed?”
“Yes, but I swear there’s nothing else.”
“There has to be. And if Juliet has made you, then tag in someone she isn’t familiar with and head back here.”
“Okie dokie.” He hung up before I could complain. Nervous energy fluttered its way across my stomach and again I knew it wasn’t mine. I didn’t do nervous. I focused on it to the best of my ability, but it seemed to lead nowhere. I hated whatever this thing was. I just wanted to be left in peace.
About thirty minutes later, Baker barged into my office and flopped down on my couch. “You’re a genius, boss. Well, I’m the genius, but you pushed me in the right direction.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Loki.”
I shook my head at him.
“Norse god, shape shifter, likes to inject himself in problems he has no business being in.”
“Sounds like you.”
Baker snorted. “I’m nothing compared to this guy. Now the only question is, if a loki has taken an interest in you, then what sort of mess have you gotten tangled up in?”
My jaw clenched. After she had been gone for this long, why would I still be of interest? “This has to do with the dame, doesn’t it?” I held up my hand, but he charged on. “I know, I know— ‘There is no dame,’—but who do you think you’re foolin’? We both know there is.”
I shook my head. “She’s dead.”
“Human?”
I nodded. He didn’t need to know the details.
He gave a half-hearted shrug. “Hell boss, this is the Abyss. No human has to stay dead. You know that.”
“She didn’t come back.”
“What’s her name? I’ll look.”
There was no way I was giving Olivia’s name to Baker. I trusted him as must as anyone, but that wasn’t saying much. “If she were back, I’d know it,” I said, maintaining my calm demeanor. Baker started to object, but I shook my head in a warning.
“Man, this chick must’ve been the cat’s meow.”
I felt a smile tug on the corner of my mouth, a gesture Baker didn’t miss. I shook it away. “How do I kill a loki?”
“Not to pry or anything, but it doesn’t seem to want to hurt you.”
“Doesn’t matter. It knows too much.”
“I’ll have to research. Gods don’t exactly advertise their weaknesses.” He scratched his beard. “I’d worry more about Juliet than anything else if I were you.”
“Agreed. We need in the warehouse. We need to know what’s in the box.”
“She seems smart. I haven’t seen too many cracks in her armor, except for one big one.”
“What’s that?”
“You.”
I leaned back in my chair and considered. Letting Juliet think she was close to me would bring me closer to her and Danica’s plan. I tapped my foot on the floor. She was annoying, but not insufferable, unless she started talking about Liv—Liv. “No.”
“Holden—“
“Not an option.”
“You have the strangest hang ups for a jinni.”
“Nevertheless, we need a better path.”
“Kill her. It takes her out of the equation, then kill Danica too. Voilá, no more problem.”
“But who steps up to take their place? I know what I’m doing with her. I know who to watch. If I can beat them at their own game, then I show strength and others won’t challenge me—right away. If I sneak around killing them but leaving the army, I make no advancement in the eyes of the jinn.”
Baker stood up. “I’ll keep someone on her. Maybe we’ll stumble across another opening.”
Twenty Two
What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing? I was beginning to wear my carpet thin with pacing. This certainly wasn’t the first date I had been on. Why was I so nervous? Maybe it was because Olivia seemed so unsure, or maybe because it was the first time since Catherine that I wanted to go out with someone. Or maybe it was because I knew I shouldn’t. She was my trainee, and I shouldn’t blur our boundaries. It would only complicate our relationship. However, her moving panicked me in a way I thought I was too old to feel. I longed to have her near me, and it wasn’t until she was gone that I realized how much.
I glanced at my watch. I still had twenty minutes. I resumed pacing. Why did I choose her of all people? She was still in love with the jinni. She may not have wanted to admit it, and she might be trying to move past it, but she was, without a doubt
, fixated on him. In fact, she had probably been from the first time I met her. Her heart had never been open, yet here I was hoping beyond hope she would give me a chance.
If she wasn’t willing to try, she wouldn’t have agreed to this, I assured myself.
That was true. Olivia was never anything but completely frank. If she believed she had no interest, she wouldn’t have said yes. Enough! No more worrying. Tonight we would just have fun and see what happened. I nodded to myself; that was a reasonable plan. And then it was time.
I opened my eyes at her door. Taking one last deep breath, I knocked and waited.
Olivia answered in a red dress with a plunging neckline. Her hair was down and flowing in rolling waves around her slender shoulders. She looked breathtaking and a little nervous which calmed me.
“You didn’t say where we were going. I wasn’t sure how I should dress.”
“You look lovely.”
She smiled. “Thank you. Would you like to come in?”
“Sure.” It had only been a day since I’d last seen it, but it already looked like a different apartment. All of the furniture had been changed, and it had a decidedly more “Olivia” feel to it. No longer modern, nor was it like her last apartment. Now it was warm and soft.
“You’ve done a lot to the place.”
“Yeah, I worked on it last night. I haven’t figured out if I want pictures or paintings on the walls yet. I’ll have to stop by a bookstore and flip through some books. The only images I can visualize well enough to create are my own.”
“Your abilities are becoming quite impressive.” I was amazed at the detail she created in one night.
She shrugged. “Not bad for an illusion.”
“It’s better than mere illusion.”
“Don’t you ever just want to hold something real, something you didn’t have to manipulate?”
“I haven’t really thought about it.”
She smiled again, though her eyes dimmed slightly. “I’m sorry. I never offered you a drink. Do we have time? What are the plans for the evening?”
I checked my watch again. “Would you rather walk to the restaurant or transport?”
“Walk.”
“Then we probably don’t have time. I have reservations at the Signature Room and tickets to the theater. If that is acceptable to you. Otherwise there is a popular new night club that we could check out.”
“No, it sounds perfect.”
“Shall we then?” She nodded and we walked out the door like any normal couple headed for a night on the town, and I guess, for one night at least, that’s what we were.
Dinner was nice, but Olivia was quieter than normal. By the time we got to the theater, however, she was more like her normal self. The more I spoke with her about nothing of importance, the more her stance eased and the nervous weight also lifted from me. The show seemed to change her mood completely. She watched the actors with undisguised interest and for more than a brief second she looked like the person she once was. When the show was over, old Olivia wasn’t quick to fade away. She was too vibrant, had too much life to keep hiding from the world because of one broken heart.
Walking her home, she linked her arm through mine and something in my chest tightened.
“Thank you, Quintus. I had a good time.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t have rather gone to that new club?”
She laughed. “Not even a little.”
“You were quiet at dinner.”
She looked away. “I know. I’m sorry. “
I didn’t say anything else. I didn’t want to ruin the evening by pushing the subject again. We’d had a good time, and I was willing to leave it at that. I had an eternity to show Olivia that there was more to life than Holden.
“It’s just that this is all strange. I don’t do well with change,” she whispered.
“I want to see you happy, Olivia.”
“I know you do. Is that why you asked me out? You think I’m unhappy?”
“No . . . Well yes, but no.”
She smiled. “So which is it?”
“Both. I asked you because I wanted to go out with you. And I was hoping it would also make you happy.”
“Quinn, you're the nicest guy I've ever met, but when I said you should date, I didn’t mean me. I’m—”
“You're the first woman I’ve wanted to date.” I cut her off before she could list all the reasons I already knew about why she wasn't the right girl for me.
She chewed on her bottom lip. “Why me?”
“Who can say for certain, but I realized when you were leaving that I'd miss having you around.”
She smiled sadly. “It’s the human condition.”
“What is?”
“Loneliness.”
“We’re not human anymore. Besides, I think it’s more than that.”
“Really?” She looked the other direction, her arm retracting from mine.
I tightened my grip to prevent her from sliding away. “I don’t know how to explain it. You’re different.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“Look, I know you don’t love me—yet. I know you still want him. But in time that will change. In time you may grow to love me. We know we get along, right? I’m not exactly repulsive, and as you said, I'm a nice guy. It wouldn’t hurt to give this a shot.”
She shook her head, but she was smiling.
“It’s true, Firefly. Just promise you will think about it before you say no.”
We continued on silently until we came to her building. “Well, here we are,” she said in too high a voice. “I did have a nice time, and I'm sorry I was quiet.”
“No apologies—it was wonderful. And next time will be even better” I felt Ezra calling me, but I ignored the pull, wanting her to agree that there would be a next time.
“We’ll see.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek softly. “Good night.”
“You’ll think about what I said.”
She nodded and shut the door.
I let Ezra’s call take me away. This time we met in a bright white room with a large table in the center and nothing else around us. Ezra sat on the edge of the table waiting for me.
“I’m sorry, sir, I was … in the middle of something.”
“Never mind that. I called you because I have a mission for you and Olivia. As you know, I have done my best to keep the disappearances quiet and out of general knowledge, but there has been a steady string of information leaked from what can only be the highest ranks. Our missions have been jeopardized as well as the lives of those who serve. It must be stopped.”
“What can I do?”
“I haven’t been able to flush out the traitor, but I finally have a good lead. I have received information that the informant will be meeting with the new North American jinn commander who has been capturing guardians and selling them over to the demons for his own advancement.”
“Why would they do that? None of the species have ever been at war with one another. We have always managed to co-exist. The truce—”
He brushed off my words and continued. “The jinn aren't interested in co-existing. They want to eliminate the guardians and prey on human souls, uncontested. With this leak it would be easy enough for them to do so. Have you heard about George, Stuart, or Emily? And most recently, Jace.”
The air rushed from my lungs. I could hardly believe it. “No. I just saw Jace. He’s an elder.”
“He disappeared last night. All missing and more I’m afraid. All of your lives are in grave danger.”
It was maddening. They couldn’t target us. It had never been done before. Who was this new leader? How did he think he could get away with such actions? Stuart and Jace were friends of mine. Hatred fought its way in around the edges, though I tried not to let it. I had to remain calm. “What's our mission?”
“I want you and Olivia to go to the meeting location and find out who the guardian is behind this. Report back to me with no delay. Do not a
ttempt to intervene or apprehend. Just watch and gather intelligence.”
“You cannot expect Olivia to go. Please, sir, I'll go alone. She is a novice. This is far too dangerous. As you said, the traitor is someone high in our ranking. Olivia could be caught or worse.” I knew I wasn’t supposed to argue with our orders, but I couldn’t let her already fall into peril.
“She must go. She has uncanny abilities as you yourself have reported. I'm convinced she is necessary to the success of this mission. She may be the one weapon they will not anticipate, giving us an edge. I have kept her existence as quiet as possible for just this reason. I know I need not tell you this, Quintus, but we may never have another chance to discover who the informant is. It is a matter of life or death, or I would not ask.”
I didn't want her involved in any of this, but how could I stop it? Ezra was right. It was a matter of life or death, and Olivia wouldn't appreciate being sidelined in such a matter. However, exposing her to more jinn seemed like the worst idea imaginable. Ezra didn’t know anything about Holden, so he couldn’t possibly know why this was a horrible plan. I considered telling him for half a second, but couldn’t bring myself to betray her like that. Against my better judgment, I held my tongue about the affair and asked the only question I had left.
“Who's this new commander?”
“Oh, his name is Hollis … No, that’s not it. Holdus … Hold…” Ezra tried to work out the name with little success, as my stomach turned inside out.
“Holden?” I asked weakly.
“Yes, I believe that’s it. How did you know?”
“I've heard of him.”
“Have you? Intriguing.”
It was hard to tell if Ezra really found it interesting or whether he was just eager to get on with things.
“Here's the date, time and general location of the meeting. We’re depending on you, Quintus. Do not fail us.”