“It’s another chance for you to work with a team,” Doran said. “You don’t have the same level of experience as the others.”
“I still don’t think Evadne has experience working as part of a team,” Liam interjected. “I don’t care how many assignments we’ve done together.”
The tri-brid gave him the finger.
“And Saxon will go, of course,” Abra said.
Liam blew out a frustrated breath. “Why does Daddy have to come? We don’t need him to check out a burglarized house.”
“He’s the team leader,” Emil said. “I don’t think we’d be comfortable sending you to the grocery store without Saxon.”
I bit back a smile.
“I am perfectly capable of picking up a carton of milk without supervision,” Liam huffed. “The one time you shift in the dairy aisle and they never let you live it down.” He gave a rueful shake of his head.
“What happened? Were you forced to walk on eggshells?” I asked.
“I think the butter was a little salty,” Evadne said.
I laughed, which only increased Liam’s annoyance.
“Let’s get back to the business at hand,” Purvis said, his tone gruff and unamused. The older werewolf had been sullen and quiet since our return from the Grand Canyon, which was understandable given that his nephew died there. I had a feeling that Leto haunted his dreams as well as mine.
“What are we supposed to do while those three play detective?” Evadne asked.
“I have a research assignment that I’d like help with,” Doran said.
Evadne’s lip curled. “You want me to research? That’s what we have geeks like Nita for.”
“And Nita will be on hand to assist you,” Abra said.
Evadne leaned her cheek against the palm of her hand. “Great. I can’t even research without a babysitter.”
“Nita isn’t a babysitter,” Doran said. “She’s an analyst and a very good one. You should try to learn from her.”
Evadne plucked an imaginary thread from her sleeve. “Learn what? How to be a dork? All I need to do is hang out with Liam for five minutes and I’ll be an expert.”
Liam squared his shoulders, seemingly affronted. “Hey, I resemble that remark.”
“Every agent should be able to perform her own research in a pinch,” Abra said. “You won’t have the luxury of a team in every situation.”
Evadne grunted. “No kidding. Why do you think I prefer to work alone in the first place?”
“Because you’re a narcissistic wench?” Liam offered.
“Wench,” Natasha repeated with a dreamy smile. “Now there’s a term I haven’t heard in a very long time.”
Liam grinned. “I aim to please.”
“That’s not what I heard,” Evadne said.
Abra cleared her throat loudly. “It’s our understanding that Mr. Friedan isn’t aware of the amulet’s significance, but we’d like confirmation of that fact.” She fixed Liam with a stink eye. “A deft touch will be required so we don’t share more than is necessary.”
Liam pretended to write himself a note. “Do not, under any circumstances, mention the soul capsule.”
“Do you really think he doesn’t know that his amulet contains the soul of a goddess?” I asked.
Natasha inspected her shiny black nails. “That’s right. We’re lucky he chose to call his old pal Lloyd for help or this could’ve ended in disaster.”
Abra surveyed the table. “Does anyone have any questions?”
“Me!” Liam’s hand shot into the air. “When are we replacing Harmony? I gotta be honest, I don’t love being examined by Emil.”
“And Emil doesn’t love examining you,” the older fae said curtly.
“I meant questions about the assignment,” Abra said.
Evadne pressed her feet against the edge of the table like she was about to push off. “The werevamp has a point. We can’t have Emil playing the role of healer indefinitely.”
Natasha’s black leather boot swung out and kicked Evadne’s feet to the floor. “We say when Emil is finished acting as your healer. Not you.”
Liam raised a finger. “I’d like to volunteer to be involved in the interview process, whenever that happens.”
Natasha’s fierce look made my skin tingle with fear. “So that you can rate the applicants on a scale of one to ten in a swimsuit competition? I don’t think so.”
“We’re getting off track again,” Purvis said, his expression lacking its usual luster. “I know burglaries aren’t as glamorous as hunting Plague demons, but we need to focus and do our best. Even these types of investigations come with a certain amount of risk.”
Evadne stared at the table with a stubborn jut to her chin. “We’ve been doing this long enough, Purvis. We know the risks.”
“Maybe now we do, but not always.”
All heads swiveled in Tate’s direction. The young witch had remained quiet up until now.
“Do you have something to say, granddaughter?” Abra asked. “If so, I suggest you make an appointment to see me separately.”
Tate clenched her hands into fists. “Forget it,” she mumbled.
I observed Tate from the across the table, wondering what was on her mind. Along with Saxon, she was normally the most even-tempered member of the team. It had to be about Leto. The weight of his absence hung heavy in the conference room and his uncle’s gloomy demeanor didn’t help.
Doran set his china teacup back on the saucer. “Let’s table the healer discussion for another time. Lothar is expecting a visit from us sooner rather than later.”
Evadne straightened in her chair with both feet now on the floor. It seemed that Natasha’s swift kick had its desired effect. “So we don’t know whether the amulet was taken for its value or for the soul inside?”
Abra folded her hands on the table. “Not yet. We only know it’s the Ab because we asked Lothar to send us a photograph for the file and Nita identified it from that.”
“He had a selection of photos to choose from,” Natasha said. “I’ve never seen so many pictures of a jewelry collection.”
“According to Lloyd, Lothar catalogues his belongings as a matter of course,” Doran said.
“Sounds like an OCD neat freak,” Liam said.
“He has an entire jewelry collection but only the Ab was stolen?” I asked.
“As far as we know,” Abra said, “but there could be another explanation for that. It will be your job to figure that out.”
Natasha tossed a set of keys across the table to Saxon. “Fill up the tank before you leave town. The house is in Virginia.”
“Road trip!” Liam held up a hand for a high-five. “We don’t have to take the white van, do we?” He snatched the keys from the table before Saxon could retrieve them and studied the logo. “Thank the devil. Not the van.”
“It’s only the three of you,” Natasha said. “You can take the Mercedes.”
“What about a portal?” I asked, looking at Emil. The older fae was an expert in portal creation, one of the fae’s rare gifts.
Evadne held up both hands. “I’d be happy to try, but the last portal I made had me vomiting for a whole day afterward.”
“Bonus,” Liam quipped.
“You don’t need a portal for this trip,” Emil said.
Liam nudged me with his elbow. “What’s the problem, Callie? It’s only five or six hours in a car with me.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “How bad can it be?”
Chapter Four
Lothar Friedan’s ‘house’ was a brick mansion on the James River in Virginia. The house had matching entrances at the front and back of the house—originally designed for arrivals by horse (and later carriage) and by boat. The main section of the house consisted of three floors flanked by single-story extensions.
Saxon gave an admiring whistle. “Sure beats my cramped quarters.”
“You have a lovely view of the bay,” I said and immediately realized my mistake.
Liam
frowned. “How do you know that? You haven’t been to the residential floor of headquarters.”
“I told her,” Saxon said.
“I was complaining about wanting an ocean view,” I added, trying to make the conversation seem genuine.
The butler saved us by opening the door. His scent was human and it occurred to me that the elders hadn’t mentioned Lothar’s species. I highly doubted that a human owned a grand property like this one. It may have been possible before the Plague, but not now.
“We’re here from Pandora’s Pride to see Mr. Friedan,” Saxon said. “He’s expecting us.”
The butler bowed his head. “Mr. Friedan awaits you in his study. Right this way, please.”
I lingered at the back of the line, interested to check out the interior of the house. The ceiling was adorned with a floral design and the elegant furnishings were in sharp contrast to the glitzy interior of Salt. Growing up in the mountains, I wasn’t even exposed to the average home, let alone a grand manse like this one.
The butler stopped at an open doorway. “Your visitors have arrived, sir.”
“Ah, right on time. I appreciate punctuality.” Lothar Friedan waved us inside. It was only when I fully entered the room that I noticed Great Danes on either side of the desk. They were black and white harlequins with paws bigger than my hands. They lifted their heads and growled as we approached the desk.
“Should we talk elsewhere?” Saxon asked.
“Leave it,” Lothar said to the dogs in a low, firm voice. He looked at us and smiled. “No, this will be fine. They’re good listeners. Please have a seat.” His bald head was smooth and shiny and his broad shoulders spanned the width of the chair.
“You have a beautiful home,” I said.
Lothar lit up at the compliment. “Thank you. It was built in the mid-1700’s. Of course, it’s changed hands quite a few times since then. During the Plague, the owners were forced to cede the house to demons.” He clucked his tongue. “Took some remodeling to get it back into shape after that.”
“I guess the owners didn’t get it back,” Liam said, scanning the study with its walls lined high with bookshelves.
“The human owners died not long after the initial outbreak,” Lothar said. “When the demons were finally forced out of this area, the estate went on the market. I was fortunate to be in a position to make an offer.”
“Who managed to force out the demons?” I asked. No small feat.
“Werewolves and witches,” Lothar said. “The packs and covens around here are fairly strong. They go back centuries in this region.”
“Probably thanks to the acres of forest,” I said. Easier to hide and flourish.
“No kidding,” Liam said. “There was nothing around for miles. Don’t you get lonely out here by yourself?”
“Exactly as I prefer it, Mr….?”
“McAvoy,” Liam said.
“Mr. McAvoy, I have found that the only one I care to rely on in this world is the one I see in the mirror every morning. If I’m in need of company, I simply invite them to visit.” He spread his arms. “As you can see, I have ample space for guests.”
“You live alone?” Saxon asked.
“My staff reside on the premises,” Lothar said. “There are four of us total.”
“We’ll need to speak with everyone who was here the night of the burglary,” Saxon said.
“Not a problem.” Lothar slotted his fingers on the desk. “Lloyd tells me that your team is the best of the best. I hope that means I can expect the return of my amulet. I hate seeing that empty space between gemstones. It throws off the balance.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you come to possess such a treasure?” Saxon asked.
“The old-fashioned way. I inherited it.”
Saxon leaned forward, giving Lothar his full attention. “Can you take us through what happened the night of the burglary? It would also help to know the security features you have in place.”
Lothar rose to his feet and the Great Danes followed suit. “Very well. First I’ll show you the room where the amulet was kept. It’ll be quite a treat for you.”
“Yes, I love looking at jewelry,” Liam replied. “Can’t get enough of it.”
We followed Lothar out of the study and down a long corridor to a back door.
“Wait. It wasn’t kept in the house?” I asked.
Lothar twisted to look at me. “No, I have a special building dedicated to my collection.”
We stepped outside onto a veranda and continued away from the house, crossing the extensive grounds to the first of three outbuildings on the left. I glimpsed the river to my right where a boat was docked.
“Do you think they might’ve arrived by boat?” I asked.
Lothar shrugged. “It’s possible, but no one heard anything that night.”
“How do you know for sure it happened at night?” Saxon asked.
“Because I was in here after dinner to select my cufflinks for the next day’s brunch. The amulet was still here at that point. By morning, it was gone.”
“You keep your cufflinks in another building?” Liam asked.
“These aren’t everyday cufflinks.”
Liam pulled a face of mock horror. “No, I mean who would be caught dead in everyday cufflinks at brunch in their own home?”
Lothar opened a panel and hunched over to stare into it. A green light flashed and the door to the building slid open.
Liam examined the panel. “Talk about an update.”
“I love old buildings, but I love modern amenities more.”
“Is there an alarm system for this building?” Saxon asked, as we crossed the threshold.
“Yes, but it deactivated when my retinal scan was approved.”
Although I continued to listen, my attention was immediately drawn to the assortment of sparkling gemstones in greens, blues, reds, and yellows—every color of the rainbow seemed to be represented in the form of rings, earrings, necklaces, and even tiaras. If I were remotely interested in jewelry, this place would be a treasure trove.
“Could someone have used magic to match your retinal scan or found a way to override the system?” Saxon asked.
“I highly doubt that. I’m a warlock. Every security feature has a magical component to it that I designed myself. That’s how I made my fortune, so it would be very bad for business if customers knew that I’d been burglarized.”
Aha. “Which is why you called us and not the authorities,” I said.
Lothar nodded. “Lloyd and I know each other from our pre-Plague lives. I sat on my hands at first, not willing to contact anyone until I remembered that he was involved with your organization.”
“Do you know the amulet’s value?” I asked, trying to keep the question as vague as possible.
“You can tell it’s an ancient piece of jewelry simply by looking at it,” he said. “I’ve never had it appraised, but I imagine it’s priceless.”
Saxon and I exchanged looks. He didn’t seem to know about Tefnut’s soul.
“Did you have any plans to sell it?” Saxon asked.
“No, no. I like to keep valuables like that as an investment just in case the world goes topsy turvy again.” He motioned to the cases around us. “Every one of these contains items worth anywhere from thousands to…” He waved a hand.
“Priceless,” I finished for him.
“And there was no sign of a break-in,” I said. “You didn’t see anyone or hear anyone. Nothing was broken or damaged.”
“And nothing else was stolen?” Saxon added.
“Correct.”
“Any reason why this piece would’ve been targeted?” Saxon asked.
“I have to imagine the burglar has discerning taste,” Lothar said. “The amulet stands out even in a crowd like this one.”
“The burglar also knew that you had valuables and where you kept them,” I said. Another reason to speak to his staff.
“It isn’t hard to guess when you li
ve in a house like this,” Lothar said.
“What about vampires?” Saxon asked. “A vampire could’ve compelled someone to open the door without tripping the security system or setting off the dogs.”
“We can’t be compelled,” Lothar said. “We all take a daily potion to prevent such a thing.”
“You make your staff ingest potions in the off chance that a vampire shows up on your doorstep to compel you?” I asked, aghast.
“I encourage all my customers to do the same,” Lothar said. “It’s a key element of my comprehensive security package. I created the potion myself.”
“That rules out vampires then,” Liam said.
I frowned. “Based on that?”
Liam shrugged. “We have a lazy side to us. If we can’t compel and there’s no bloodletting to be had, we can’t be bothered.”
I snorted. “That’s ridiculous.”
Saxon shook his head. “You should probably stop speaking for the species, Liam, especially because you’re only half. Maybe it’s your werewolf side that’s lazy.”
Lothar eyed us curiously. “I’ve long been fascinated by the idea of hybrids. I thought you were only myths.”
“Like the humans thought about all supernaturals before the Awakening,” I said.
“I can see what they are,” Lothar said, gesturing to my companions. “What about you, my dear?”
“Nothing as exciting. I’m half mage, half human.”
Lothar gave me an appraising look. “Hmm. I’m surprised they’d have you as part of the organization. Lloyd described you as members of an elite task force.”
“I can assure you that we are, Mr. Friedan,” Saxon said. “We try not to flaunt our abilities. It makes others uncomfortable.”
“Also makes us targets,” Liam added. “You know how it is. The more powerful you’re known to be, the longer the line of those that want to test you.”
Lothar smiled. “I understand that very well. I’ve had competitors call me out for jobs just to see what I’d recommend. Unfortunately for them, I can usually sniff them out ahead of time. My trade secrets are secrets for a reason.”
High Stakes and Vampires (Pandora's Pride Book 2) Page 3