by Dannika Dark
“We’re in the luxury car. That means we can order anything we want.”
“Is that so? Maybe I’ll have Viktor call and see if they have any in the dining car.”
“How was your flight?”
“Not bad. The view is amazing.” She traced her finger along the smooth surface of the bar with a grim look on her face. Blue looked naked without her trademark feather earrings, but given the circumstances, she probably didn’t want to fool with that kind of thing. “I really hope we’re heading to another big city. I don’t like the idea of hiking around in the wilderness. It’s too treacherous out there for these kids.”
“I feel the same. I’m not a nature person.”
She pursed her lips and looked at me for a spell. “What happened to your hair? It looks like you went through a wind tunnel.”
I tried to straighten it again. “Christian opened the door and threatened to toss me out.”
She raised a brow and looked away. “Typical Vampire humor.”
Viktor entered the room, the phone pressed to his ear and his face as white as a ghost. We both watched him make a quick trip to the back of the train near Shepherd, who was finally waking up from his nap. Moments later, Christian walked in. He didn’t look like himself. His spine was arrow-straight, his eyes intense.
“Something’s wrong,” Blue said, staring at Viktor’s reflection in the rear window.
“That is not acceptable!” Viktor snarled.
Claude sat up in his seat, his nostrils flaring.
Viktor lowered his head. “I cannot.”
Niko rose from the couch and found me. “This doesn’t look good. His light is going dark. Does anyone know who he’s talking to?”
Only Christian could hear the full conversation on both ends. My heart was in my throat as I waited anxiously to find out the news. Was there an ambush waiting? Had someone canceled our assignment? Did our final destination change at the last minute?
Viktor lowered his arm, the phone clutched tightly in his hand. When he turned around, you could have heard a pin drop. The next words he spoke were succinct and yet powerful enough to split a soul wide open. “Gem’s gone.”
Chapter 9
Gem waited a couple of hours after dinner before putting on her swim gear. Her aversion to bathing suits had to do with the way they amplified her petite body. She’d become a Mage at twenty-three because there was no point in waiting for her body to grow any larger. She was as tall as she’d ever be, and her fast metabolism kept her from gaining additional weight. Anyhow, a bikini for a night swim seemed gratuitous. People wore those to tan their skin, and Gem didn’t exactly need a moonburn. She had a few simple gowns, and tonight she chose the red. Something about the way it lit up in the water like a blossoming flower appealed to her romantic side.
On her way to the staircase, she passed by the billiard room and overheard Wyatt and Switch playing games and being rowdy. Kira had already put Hunter to bed and was probably snuffing out candles and replacing them throughout the mansion.
As Gem floated down the stairs, her blue kimono opening in the front, Switch called out from above.
“Hey, Gem. You want company?”
She grimaced and stopped in her tracks. “Not to be rude, but swimming is the one thing I like to do alone.”
“I get it. Just thought I’d ask. Maybe some other time?”
She drifted down a few steps. “Viktor has me really busy, but maybe.” Gem paused, her hand on the stone handrail. “If you look out the window and see me floating, don’t panic. I’m not dead. Shep made that mistake once when he first came here. He dove right in after me and created a scene. I just like to float.”
“For a morbidly long time,” Wyatt added as he joined Switch’s side. “Enjoy it while you can, buttercup. It’ll be mosquito season soon.”
She simpered and waved her fingers, light leaking from the tips. “Don’t you know? I’m a live bug zapper.” She flashed away, their laughter fading in the distance.
Silly boys.
The night air nipped at her skin as she padded across the wide patio that led to the pool. The lights were easy to change colors, but Gem preferred blue and green. She let the kimono drop to the concrete as she walked down the steps of the shallow end. A thin veil of steam hovered just above the pool, and she let her fingers skim across the surface. Nothing made her feel more alive and in touch with the universe than floating on water. If she were a Shifter, she’d be a dolphin.
After she waded farther in, the water quickly reached her shoulders. Gem didn’t have to walk far in a pool before that happened. She kicked off the bottom and waved her arms, finding her center as she drew in a deep breath and raised her body to the surface. When the water filled her ears, a peaceful in utero effect took hold, and she was surrounded by warmth with only the top of her body exposed to the cool night air. She marveled at the heavens. The sky looked like a black pincushion filled with shiny pins. On some nights she glimpsed shooting stars.
As she often did in quiet moments, Gem thought about work-related obstacles. Ancient languages swirled through her head like a kaleidoscope. She fluently spoke sixteen languages. All other languages she understood on paper and kept the words stored in her head. Many belonged to extinct Breeds long forgotten.
She closed her eyes when the patterns overlapped and whispers from her Relic ancestors guided her thoughts back to the new book she’d recently acquired. It wasn’t often she found direct translations written on the page, but what exactly was that language? It seemed strangely familiar but completely foreign. Just when she was on the cusp of an idea, something jerked her underwater.
Gem’s arms sliced through the water as she tried in vain to resurface. Someone was pulling her down to the bottom by her dress. An arm snaked around her waist, and Gem’s heart galloped in her chest as she was pulled to the bottom. What kind of sick joke was this? If this was Switch’s idea of a prank, it would be his last day on the job. She’d make sure of that. A pocket of air escaped her lungs in large bubbles that ascended to the surface.
When her feet touched the bottom of the pool, she writhed and struggled to break free, only managing to turn herself partway around.
Gem was face-to-face with a complete stranger, an Asian man with shaggy hair.
Dry hair.
She could feel the energy sphere encasing his body, keeping him dry and able to breathe. The shield didn’t include her, and her lungs began to spasm. Gem tried to wield an energy ball, but the sparks quickly died in the water. That was the moment true panic set in. She elbowed him and clawed, her lungs squeezing tight as the need for oxygen overrode all rational thought.
Another breath escaped her lungs, and the urge to breathe intensified.
Let me go! she screamed in her head.
No matter how hard she struggled, no matter how hard she tried to kick underwater, his grip was iron, his smile never wavering.
Not like this. Not like this. Please, somebody… anybody!
If only Niko or Raven were here, she could flare and make them realize something was wrong. So many things flew through her mind. Why hadn’t she just allowed Switch to join her? Who would finish all her work in her study and care for those books? Would anyone miss her?
She couldn’t even cry out for help.
The terror of taking a breath was agonizing, the urge so strong she could no longer fight it. She tried again to swim upward, but the man wouldn’t let go.
Of all the languages she knew, the only word that came to mind in those last moments was why.
Why?
Water snaked through her nose and gushed down her windpipe as she took a deep breath. Her lungs filled, but there was no relief. They burned like liquid fire, and she suddenly couldn’t move anymore. It was as if with that final reflexive jerk, all her limbs turned to stone, and she became one with the water around her.
Gem was truly floating.
“Now you’re just showing off,” Wyatt grumbled. What he wouldn’t g
ive to wipe that cocky smile off Switch’s face.
Switch looked over his shoulder. “I learned that trick when I was seventeen.”
Wyatt grabbed his beer and plopped down in a chair. He flicked a glance at the dart, which had struck the bull’s-eye on the dartboard from Switch’s blind throw. “I’m just letting you win, being that you’re the new guy and all.” He put one foot up on the footrest. “Don’t get too full of yourself. You haven’t seen Niko play. He never misses.”
Switch lifted his beer with two fingers and ambled over to the chair across from Wyatt. He sat down and shook his long brown hair away from his face. “Isn’t he blind?”
Wyatt snorted. “Blind or not, he’s the best I’ve ever seen.”
“I doubt that.”
“O ye of little faith.” Wyatt took a swig of his beer. “Say, what’s the scoop on you and Raven? Did you two ever hook up? Is that why she wants you in the house?”
Switch nearly spit out his beer. After he wiped his mouth, he set the bottle between his legs and brushed his hand down his tattered shirt with a bar logo on it. “Do you really think I’d roll up in here like some kind of home-wrecker?”
“I don’t know you from Mr. Magoo.”
Switch tilted his head to the side. “Not that I think that toothy little Vamp deserves a woman like her, but that’s not what I’m about. Raven and I are just friends, nothing more.”
“Even if they split up?”
Intriguing. Wyatt noticed how Switch’s eyebrows sank a little as if he was giving it measured thought. Wyatt had been around the block a time or two, and he gathered that Switch had once had a thing for her. Sometimes old feelings were hard to bury, especially when the other person had undergone too many life transformations. Raven was pretty in a black widow kind of way, but she was batshit crazy. Wyatt didn’t feel any attraction to her; she was the worst kind of woman for a Gravewalker to hook up with. Rule number one: never ever marry a killer. That was his motto.
Especially now that the mansion was spook-free.
Well, all except for Niko’s buddy. Seeing him show up had taken Wyatt by surprise, but the ghost never bothered him like the others had. Never came in his room, messed with his lights, scared the bejesus out of him at three in the morning, or crawled into bed with him and threatened to stay there unless he did them a favor. Wyatt hadn’t really seen him since the blackout.
Not until last night. For a split second, he could have sworn he saw the specter floating out the door when Shep had left to pick up a new satellite phone from one of Wyatt’s contacts. Of course, Wyatt had been up all night, and hallucinations after six cans of soda were often the norm.
Switch polished off his beer and belched loudly. It was the no-holds-barred kind of burp that men only felt comfortable doing in the presence of other men. “Is this what you guys sit around doing all day?”
Wyatt yawned. “I wish. I spend most of my time in my computer lair, working on assignments.”
“What’s your job?”
“Resident computer hacker extraordinaire. I’m the intel guy—the brains in this operation.”
Switch arched a single eyebrow. “You think highly of yourself.”
“Someone’s gotta do it.” Wyatt looked Switch over. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy Wyatt imagined taking care of kids. “So, Mary Poppins, how did a biker like you get into the nanny business?”
“Been doing it since forever. I used to watch the kids in my first pack, and when I was old enough to move out, I just expanded my services. It started out as babysitting, but I mostly teach now. Age doesn’t matter. Kids need structure, especially in a large pack where the house can be chaotic. Everyone has different schedules, different jobs.” When Switch spoke, he waved his hand slowly as if he were stretching the muscles in his wrist. “When their parents are gone, it’s better if they hang out with the same person instead of getting passed around.”
“You got your hands full with Hunter. Kira’s always losing track of him. He likes to run off when he gets bored, and because he doesn’t talk, he won’t yell out where he is. We have to go find him.”
Switch stroked his lower lip, his eyes pensive. “Maybe we should give him a whistle.”
“Not a bad idea. We’ve tried keeping an eye on him, but some of us have work to do. You turn around for one second and”—Wyatt snapped his fingers—“poof, he’s gone.”
“Kids do that when they don’t have responsibilities. He’s at a good age for a few chores. Just something to make him feel good about himself, like he has a place in the house. Once we start lessons, I don’t think he’ll be pulling any disappearing acts. If he does, my wolf will find him.” Switch tapped his nose. “The benefits of being a Shifter. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
“True words, my friend. Especially with Blue. She can’t smell you, but she’s got eagle eyes.”
Switch set his empty bottle on a table next to him. “What’s her story? Did she get kicked out of her tribe or something?”
“Nobody knows, and we like it that way. You’re new, so I’ll fill you in on the unspoken rules. Once you enter Keystone, you leave your past outside the door. I’m a little more open about some things, but people here don’t like questions.” Wyatt stared at the ink on his fingers. “And don’t bother wagging your tail around Blue. She’s hot to look at. Nice breasts, long legs, and you should see what she can do with that tomahawk. But that girl’s not interested.”
“In me?”
“In anyone. Viktor’s the center of her universe. Kinda sad.” Wyatt rubbed his chin. “I love Keystone, but I don’t love it enough to be celibate. A man has needs.”
“Maybe she has those needs filled when you’re not around.”
Wyatt snorted. “I doubt it. You start to notice a person’s habits when you go out drinking at the bar. She keeps to the pack, so to speak.”
“Maybe she’s asexual.”
Wyatt stood up and stretched, the pain reigniting in his ass. “That’s a therapy session I ain’t got time for. Feel like crashing the pool party?”
“Gem said she wanted to be alone.”
Wyatt’s lips sputtered in a noisy retort. “Don’t let the girl fool you. She’s a people person. Maybe we can take our beers to the hot tub.”
“You have a hot tub?”
“Follow me.” Wyatt headed down the hall, Switch not far behind him as he descended the stairs to the first floor.
A born night owl, just thinking about a hot tub party was giving Wyatt the munchies. Maybe while the tub was heating up, he could forage for snacks. What he needed to do was go grocery shopping and buy a giant bag of tater tots and french fries. Kira liked making everything from scratch and cooking it the healthy way.
God forbid the woman deep-fry anything and serve it with cheese. To Kira’s credit, she tried. Wyatt had Viktor translate recipes, and she’d become less restrictive than when she first moved in. But Wyatt still had to buy his own soda and snacks.
“This is the easiest way to the pool,” he said, approaching the courtyard door. “There’s another one down the hall that leads directly to the hot tub. You’ll get used to this place. It’s like a castle.”
As soon as Wyatt opened the door, he could smell the chlorine. “Hey, Gem. Company!”
He stepped over her kimono and approached the edge of the empty pool. “Where the Houdini is she?”
“Maybe she’s in the hot tub.”
Wyatt looked down the veranda to the dark spot where the hot tub was. There were no lights on, and the cover was still in place. “Gem? Come out of the bushes, it’s just us.” He circled to the other side of the pool. “Maybe she had to pee.”
“Look at this.”
Wyatt turned around and wondered why Switch was kneeling.
“There’s a lot of water here. A pool of it.” His eyes followed the water trail that led toward the other side of the dark courtyard. Switch stood up. “Something’s not right. There’s too much water.”
Wit
hout warning, he shifted into a wolf.
Wyatt jumped back and almost fell into the pool. He windmilled his arms, regaining his balance before getting the heck away from that mongrel. The last thing he needed was to get his ass chewed up by that dickish wolf. Viktor said he’d deserved to get bit after tugging on Switch’s tail and cracking a joke, but people needed to lighten up.
Switch’s animal raised his head and drew in several quick inhalations before sniffing the ground. In a blur of movement, he took off down a trail that cut between clumps of New England asters.
Wyatt peered into the pool as if Gem might be hiding at the bottom, but the lights exposed every corner. She could have gone to the bathroom, but it wasn’t like her to leave her robe lying on the ground, and she would have locked the door behind her.
On the plus side, he didn’t see her ghost wandering around. As a Gravewalker, Wyatt had a different view of death than most people. When you saw with your own eyes that there was another realm with more destinations to come, it took the fear out of finality. It made it easier for him to not get emotionally attached to life. Dying was dying, but it wasn’t the end.
When Switch’s wolf came barreling toward him, Wyatt stumbled backward and crashed into the pool. Wyatt sank right to the bottom. Something caught his eye, and he picked it up before kicking toward the surface. Switch grabbed his hand and hauled him out. Soaking wet, Wyatt crawled in front of Switch, who was buck naked. That was the one thing he loved and hated about Shifters.
Loved it about women, but he took a hard pass on all the male nudity.
He flipped back his wet hair, and a spray of water arced over his head. “What did you find?”
Switch reached for his clothes. “My wolf picked up two other scents on the property. What’s that?”
Wyatt stood and held up the coin. “I don’t know. Never seen it before.”
“I’m gonna search for a trail. You better call your boss.”