“Damn,” he said. “You should buy cheaper fabric. That would have been spectacular. You put a fright into us, you know.”
I tugged at his leather collar. “Another night out?”
He shrugged. “Can’t a bloke accessorize?” A short grin spread across his face, flashing his dimple as I poked my finger in it. Simon shook his head as if I were being childish and put me into a headlock. I did a little maneuver and got out of it. He arched his brows, clearly impressed.
“You remember the truck that drove us home? Novis found out it never arrived at the location they were ordered to go to.”
“He didn’t mention anything,” I said in bewilderment. “I was just there.”
“Rang a few minutes ago. I wager I know who’s behind it.”
A heavy thought sank in: Nero now had access to the files. He would figure out that Samil was not a unique Creator—that it really had more to do with the names on the list he selected in addition to how we were created, which I’m sure he could have discovered from one of the people he kept. A Creator’s light made our abilities stronger, or gave us rare gifts. In any case, Nero was in control of the game, and only God knows where it was going to lead.
“Does Justus know?”
He shook his head. “You should go downstairs. Page is here. Something about her being sick again, so he called a Relic. Lovely woman if you’re thinking of having a lobotomy done.”
I raced down the elevator lift and met Justus in the hallway. He was uncharacteristically sitting on the floor. I knelt in front of him. “Is everything okay?”
Justus had a worry line on his forehead that would have created a permanent wrinkle had he not been ageless.
“How long has the Relic been in there?”
“Hours. She’s running tests.”
“Well, it takes a while when they have to set up their equipment,” I said. “It sounds like she’s being thorough. Do you know if the blood and medicine were destroyed in the lab? We cleared out the files but left behind the equipment, and I don’t know what’s been going on lately.”
“Novis had his people take care of that.”
“Good.”
“I should get used to my Learner being in the midst of World War Three,” he said.
“Trouble goes, I follow.”
The door pulled open and a little old woman emerged with her bag in hand, lingering in the doorway. She wore nude stockings that stopped short three inches from the hem of her brown dress. “It’s a good thing she wasn’t on that morphine longer than she was or at a higher dose, or that would have become a problem.”
“I didn’t notice any immediate signs of withdrawal,” Justus said, standing up.
The Relic stepped through and closed the door behind her. “She’s finally asleep, so I suggest you let her rest. You should be ashamed for letting her become so sleep deprived.”
Justus paled at her punishing words and folded his arms, cursing beneath his breath. “Will she recover?”
“She needs sleep and food. My advice? Keep work away from her for a while; too much stress on the body is no good and will only lower the immune system and trigger a happy home for viruses to spring to life.”
“Is that what she has?”
The Relic made a cackling sound that was similar to a crow. “I’ve checked her blood and everything looks normal. She was given sedatives along with unknown drugs and we’ll have to see how they wear off, so I’ll be visiting her again.”
The Relic moved down the hall and Simon held a blindfold between his fingers. “I don’t think the blindfold will be necessary, Mage. I have a fantastic sense of converting movement into a mental image. I should be able to find my way up.”
Justus approached the Relic. “Is there any medicine I need to give her, outside of sleep and food?”
She glanced over her shoulder and wrinkled her wide nose. “I swear, you men are about as bright as a bottomless pit. She needs to get all the toxins out of her system, not in. My fee has been paid, so you owe me nothing, Charmer. I’ll see myself out.”
His blue eyes memorized every line in the floor as if it were a mathematical equation.
“What are you going to do?” I whispered.
He took a deep breath and erased all his worry lines. “Make her breakfast.”
That he did.
Burnt toast and undercooked eggs, but Page ate every bite.
Not soon after, I heard them arguing in his bedroom and she stormed out. Simon drove Page home and I briefly spoke with her before she left. Page didn’t feel safe in her apartment anymore and was planning to move. I didn’t ask what she’d fought with Justus about and why she was in such a hurry to leave, I simply let her know I was there if she needed to talk. Justus had an abrasive way about him, and I guess part of me knew it was only a matter of time before she realized he was not a perfect piece of furniture—that some assembly was required.
Some people just don’t have the patience to invest that much time and effort when it comes to a relationship.
Chapter 39
Logan made good on his promise and took me out to see a movie three times that week. The women in the theater turned around several times to stare at him. I smiled privately and squeezed his hand, knowing he was mine.
I visited with Sunny twice and kept a laptop in my bedroom with instant messenger open so she could talk to me whenever she was feeling alone. She said it didn’t seem right coming to stay with me because of the murder and mentioned she wanted to find out where her brother was. He traveled a lot and had fallen out of touch with her over the past year or so. I knew she needed Kane in her life now more than ever.
I decided to stick with my routine and went to Simon’s house on Friday for game night. He talked me into a backgammon drinking game and before the night was through, I hid the dice and locked myself in his bedroom, threatening to dunk his leather pants in the bathtub if he didn’t let me win. I had never been a sore loser until I met Simon. That man could make me completely insane. The following Friday, I brought Logan with me because Simon said I wasn’t worthy competition. I pretended to be insulted and sulked on the sofa with my glass of wine while they tried to save the planet in some new video game.
Christian remained my guard, and there was no weirdness between us.
Beyond the usual.
On the odd occasion, I would remember what had happened between us and somehow he could always read my expression. He’d say something infuriating and get me into a verbal sparring match with him. I would crack Irish jokes while he would say that I had sprung from my mother’s loins, mouth first.
Christian was a man who was destined to live alone.
Logan invited me out with his brothers for a bite to eat and a drink at the bar. It was a ritual of theirs, and it was a great feeling to be a part of it. Leo wasn’t as rambunctious as his younger brothers were. He was a serious man with a warm personality, but I still got nervous in his presence. He just had that vibe, and it had something to do with the fact that he was the eldest. I hadn’t met their father; he traveled a lot for work and dropped into town only now and again. I had a sense that he wouldn’t be receptive of our relationship, but Logan never spoke a word about it.
Finn was growing increasingly self-assured. In the beginning, he had little control over his wolf and shifted in public without a second thought. He still had his moments, but not around humans. The Cross brothers were rubbing off on him in all the best ways. Except that Finn had picked up an annoying habit of belching, thanks to Levi.
He fit right in.
Lucian had only gone out with us once, but being the introvert in the family, that didn’t come as a surprise.
Tonight I had been given an assignment by my boss. Maybe I was just an apprentice, but I enjoyed getting assignments other than a consultation for my opinion. I was a girl who needed to be a street cop, not a paper pusher.
So I hopped in the Silver Bullet—the name Christian had baptized my car with—and headed acro
ss town just after sunset.
Novis had given me the location to a human club and I immediately got butterflies going to an unfamiliar place by myself. Breed clubs were like a church, or Switzerland. In a human establishment, all bets were off. Sometimes juicers hung out there, looking for new Learners who still hadn’t left their old life behind. Juicing was such a problem because Mage light was addictive, like a drug. I had to periodically flare and release my energy in small bursts in case another Mage was in the area. Christian stayed close behind as I made my way inside.
Novis hadn’t told me the name of the man I was meeting up with, nor had he told me what he looked like. He’d handed me an envelope, suggesting that I pay close attention to what the man said and did and trust my instincts. Well, it was all very James Bond, but I was so in.
As instructed, I sat at the bar wearing a red button-up blouse. I sized up the humans getting their happy hour on and decided to order a bottle of weak beer. I tore pieces off the label, making occasional checks on my surroundings.
“You should order a drink that has taste,” a deep and magnificent voice said. I turned to the left and nearly tipped my bottle over.
Towering over me was the Chitah Overlord. He slipped his arm around my back and guided me to a vacant booth, which was amusing to watch him fit in. He had to angle his body to stretch out his legs beneath the table. Women stared at him like he was royalty; they couldn’t help it. His coal-black hair and bright eyes were as magnetic as his height, and he had years of wisdom carved in the small lines on his face and brow. His guards spaced apart, taking positions at key points in the room.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be you,” I said. “Novis didn’t mention who I was meeting.”
He gave a hint of a smile and pulled a heavy black scarf away from his neck. His short hair had a slight wave to it that reminded me of a classic style I’d seen in old movies. It wasn’t uncommon for a Chitah to go out in public wearing contacts or sunglasses so they wouldn’t stand out. Logan often kept his gaze low to the ground. The Overlord did none of the above, and these days with special FX contacts, I didn’t think most people would think twice about it. How remarkably easy it was for Chitahs to blend into the modern world compared to centuries past.
“If you did not expect me, then Novis kept his word. It is important that we keep our distance and not show public signs of association. It creates too much… speculation. When we do speak on matters of the utmost secrecy, we cannot afford to draw attention.”
“Is that why we’re in a human bar?”
He nodded very slowly.
“So how do you know there aren’t any Vampires here listening? You can’t smell a Vampire.”
“What a clever Mage, thinking outside the box. I always liked that expression. Colorful, isn’t it?”
“Guess I never thought much about it. I always liked ‘coloring outside the lines’ myself.”
He studied our busy surroundings and smiled enigmatically. The Overlord didn’t strike me as a man who got out much, and if he did, he sure didn’t spend time lingering with the lower class. It made him wildly fascinating.
“You are uninjured from the attack? I hope my guards were of some protection,” he ground out, seemingly annoyed.
“Yes, no injuries to speak of. It could have been a whole lot worse if they hadn’t been there to buffer the attack. Thank you, your Lordship, um, Overlor—Sir.”
He tucked his chin against his chest and laughed the way a man does to hide his amusement. “Sire is what I’m usually addressed as. But between you and me,” he whispered, “I hate the formalities. Please, call me Quaid.”
“Do you want a drink, Quaid?” That felt wrong. He was royalty and I was speaking to him like a regular person.
“I believe it is the male who orders the drink for the female,” he pointed out.
“Did the female lose her voice?”
“No, but perhaps she lost her manners.”
I tapped my fingers on the table. “What’s so rude about being polite?”
Quaid stirred with laughter. “Now I know what the Chitah sees in the Mage.”
I glanced at the bartender near our table and pointed at my bottle, holding two fingers in the air.
“He definitely bit off more than he can chew,” I remarked as the waitress sauntered over with our refills.
“Mee-yow,” she said, looking Quaid over. “Let me know if I can bring you a big boy drink. I’m Tina. Just yell out if you need anything, Stretch.” She winked and Quaid looked offended by the casualness with which she openly hit on him. After setting our beers and a bowl of pretzels on the table, Tina shook a tail feather and disappeared.
“That was rude,” I grumbled.
“How so?”
“She didn’t even presume that I might be your girlfriend.”
“Perhaps she did,” he said as he lifted the bottle, staring at it.
“Go on, Quaid, live a little. It won’t kill you, but it might put some hair on your chest.”
He wiped the lip of the bottle and risked a careful sip, cringing at the bitter flavor. “Fascinating. You enjoy this?”
“Nope, but it passes the time.”
Quaid studied the bowl of pretzels before he lifted one and tasted it with his tongue.
“Tell me you’ve seen a pretzel before? You’re the Overlord. If I was in your position, I’d make sure my pantry was stocked full of ice cream, chocolate bars, and those horrible cheese and crackers with the little red stick.” I snorted into my bottle of beer as if I were having a conversation with an old friend.
“I have staff to do the cooking, so there is no need for me to go out on such excursions. My food is carefully prepared by a personal chef.”
“My chef’s name is Boyardee.” I snickered. Then I realized he didn’t get the joke so it made it less funny. “In my humble opinion, I think you should go shopping one day and just throw a bunch of food in your cart and taste the world. I’m telling you, if all they serve you is lamb chops and roasted potatoes, you’re really missing out on the little things.”
“So I gather,” he said, crunching on his pretzel and grabbing another. “Interesting. Stale bread seasoned with salt. So tell me, young Mage, what is it that you have for me?”
I reached inside my satchel and pulled out a manila envelope, sliding it to his side of the table. He rubbed his fingers together, knocking off a few salt granules before reviewing the contents. Several quiet moments passed as he read the paper, pulling pretzels to his mouth almost involuntarily. Finally, he leaned back and tapped his finger on the bottle, eyeing me.
A Chitah’s gaze is terrifying; it’s more than a gaze, it’s a threat. If you dare to look deep enough, you can almost see the savage animal within, prowling patiently and waiting for you to rattle its cage. I lowered my eyes and felt my stomach do a somersault with a back handspring. My hands trembled as I peeled the label from my beer and when the bottle tipped over, I quickly grabbed it, only spilling a few drops. Maybe I had a record for spilling beer on laps, but this was one person I didn’t want to end up on that long list of names.
“I thought a lot about what you said that night. You don’t resemble a Chitah; how is it that you are half?”
I shrugged. “Kind of a long story on that,” I stated, deciding not to go into the details. “I’ve never carried any physical characteristics of a Chitah, even in my human form.”
“Ah, but you weren’t so human, now were you?” His voice was thick and deep, leaving goose bumps across my arm.
“Guess not.”
“Your employer does not bring me good news,” he said, tucking the paper in the envelope. “The files were stolen?”
I sank into my chair.
“Extremists are difficult to control. This information tells me that there are Chitahs aiding in the experimentation, either willingly or not.”
Aside from the Chitah DNA, someone had been supplying them with Chitah venom. Were they holding one prisoner and using him for th
eir experiments? I couldn’t imagine, as he would be difficult to contain and control. Especially since some Chitahs had the ability to dreamwalk. Quaid appeared to have more information in his hands than I knew about.
“I hope this doesn’t bring too much trouble for you,” I said. “I’m sure Novis has good reason for telling you whatever is in the note.”
“You are correct. I do hate to cut our time short, but I must say that I have had a pleasant evening with you, Silver. It is not very often that I sit and converse with a Mage.”
Taking that as my cue, I slid out of my seat. As I slung my purse over my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of the Overlord dumping the bowl of pretzels into his coat pocket. I turned my smile away to the crowd of drinkers, pretending to fumble for my keys.
“Do you have a driver?”
“No, I drove. Is there a message you want me to deliver to Novis?”
We moved toward the door and Quaid slipped his arm around my shoulder, guiding me through the crowd. Heads turned, watching a man who was at least a foot taller than me part the crowd like a superstar. His guards fell into place by the time we were outside, and he tipped his hand, signaling for them to stay back.
“Please tell Novis that his gesture in sharing information is one I will not forget. We have never been allies, but we have made progress with small steps to build trust between us. Regardless of what I have learned, it is not information that I can share publicly, therefore my hands remain tied when it comes to legal matters. Do drive safe, and my gratitude for the beer.” He smiled warmly as his fingers fished in his pocket.
There was an awkward moment when I thought I was supposed to do something, so I bowed a little and said, “Sire.”
Quaid spun around without a word and an army of men escorted him to his car.
***
Page nervously wrung her cold hands together as she sat in her car, staring down a paved walkway that led into the city park. She thought about how leaving Justus might have been the hardest thing she’d done, but it was the right thing to do. It would be unfair to drag him into her messy life. It wouldn’t take long for a man like him to move on. It’s not as if they were in a relationship, and he had every woman at his disposal.
Gravity (Mageri Series: Book 4) Page 37