Looking over, I spotted the same shadowy figure. We’d likely all seen it and just hadn’t truly noticed.
“She could have killed us all,” I said, voice shaken. “Why didn’t she? She demolished our group at the holiday store without any effort until Eldan arrived. Why do this?”
“To toy with you?” Chief Benson suggested, his voice hazy and nebulous through the fog of the memory. I tasted the salty bitterness of blood in the air, and heard a grisly noise with Carter’s vampiric senses.
Adrianna’s dying scream sounded like a cat in the night.
“Maybe she’s injured from that fight with Eldan,” Carter replied. “That had to take a lot out of her, and I think I read somewhere that his canines are tipped in silver.”
“They are,” Benson confirmed, smiling.
“Eldan is badass like that,” I agreed. Which brought to mind a question to consider later. Would I have to do extreme stuff like that if I became Lia’s Morrigan? Silver-tipped nails?
The illusion faded, leaving us back in the office. The chief and Sebastian had turned their backs to us already, talking in low tones together, while the blood witch rose to her feet. She was a petite thing, barely over five feet tall.
“If that is all, I’d like to return to my lab.”
“Lab?” I asked before I could stop myself.
She slanted her gaze up at me, and I couldn't help but notice the way her nostrils flared and she swallowed. “I run the forensics lab," she finally said.
“Oh. That’s so cool. I’ve always liked forensics.”
Once the vampire swept from the room, robes swirling around her, Chief Benson returned to his seat and began to type. His fingers flew over the keyboard.
“Had she been capable of taking you three out, she would have. My theory is that she wanted easy, undisputed access to the fae. She’s healing from traumatic, silver-inflicted injuries.”
“She’ll be at her full strength in no time,” Gabriel said glumly.
“Unfortunately, son. With a fresh fae heart in her gut, she’s likely back to her regular power level.”
My heart sank. “If we’d noticed—”
“You can’t notice everything,” Benson cut in. “I know you’re young and optimistic, Corazzi, but it’s just part of the job. Mistakes happen, and sometimes they’re out of your hands. In the future, look for chinks in the illusion.”
“The radio light,” Carter said.
Benson nodded.
“C’mon, I’ll get everyone back to campus,” Sebastian said.
“That’s it?”
“That’s all we can do for now. But until we catch Annalise, we’re going to have to make some changes. A mage with every group that goes out, most likely.”
“Someone to dispel illusions,” Gabe said.
“Exactly. If she’s truly this strong, we can't trust anything or anyone without careful vetting.”
And we couldn’t trust our own eyes and ears as long as Annalise continued to gain power.
9
Two Hot Men and a Baby
In the week that followed Adrianna’s death, no further sightings of Annalise occurred. She and Tricia both vanished into the shadows again. I hated them. Gabriel tried to console me, and when that failed, he gave me space. He joked that at least I didn’t retreat to the bedroom to lie in my own funk again. God. They were never going to let me live that down.
I spent the evenings attending classes after dinners with Pilar, Lia, and Anji, wondering what the hell it was all for.
Twice, I had been beaten.
And supposedly I was destined to become Lia’s Morrigan. Following my final class of the morning Friday, I sat on a stone bench near the fountain of Oberon and Titania, suddenly struck by the similarity to Lia’s features.
How hadn't we noticed? We must have been blind not to see it.
Or maybe the fountain had changed to reflect the current queen. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if it had, but I was pretty sure that wasn’t the case.
“Staring at it that hard won’t make you part of the statue.”
Sebastian's voice startled me from my musings and I nearly fell over the back on the bench in my hasty jump to my feet. He reached out and steadied me.
"You okay, Skylar?"
“I’m f—" The lie stuck in my throat. “No, not really.”
He made a quiet sound in the back of his throat. “Yeah, thought so. Come with me then.”
“Am I in trouble?”
In reply, Sebastian slung his arm over my shoulders and drew me in against his side. “You’re never in trouble for having feelings, Skylar. We’re sentinels, not robots. It hurts when we lose people. Hell, I’ve punched a few walls in my time to keep from unleashing my anger on people."
I had little to say as we wandered along the path, leaving behind the courtyard for the residential quarter. We passed the townhomes, the apartments, and carried on to an area of the school I never traveled. Dozens of two-story row homes stretched down the lane in various shades of brown, red, and in between.
Sebastian let us in the front door of a brown one and ushered me ahead of him. “Found her, Simon! She was in the courtyard like you guessed.”
“Um…” I hesitated in the entry hall, completely out of my element. Sebastian kicked off his boots and left them in a shoe rack set against the wall. Then he shrugged off his coat and hung it in a small closet.
“Come on in. Don’t be shy,” he coaxed.
“Okaaaaay…”
Following his example, I took off my sneakers and set them in an empty spot, then followed him farther inside.
Their place was nice. Wood floors, tasteful paint colors, and some really nice-looking furniture. Some of it looked antique, but well cared for. Simon relaxed on a leather couch, his feet kicked up on an ottoman as baby Helena slept in his arms.
An empty formula bottle occupied the polished coffee table, and the muted television played with subtitles scrolling across the bottom of the screen, no doubt the source of Simon's entertainment.
Awkwardly, I lingered without taking a seat. Until now, the whole dynamic between us had been one of them calling me into their—or Riordan’s—office whenever I managed to screw up.
“You were both looking for me? Um.” Rocking from toes to heels, I struggled. “Why? I mean—what made you…”
“Gabriel mentioned you were going through a difficult time,” Simon said gently.
“Oh."
Sebastian nudged me forward with a gentle hand at my back, guiding me toward a cushy armchair. Taking the hint, I sat, perching on the edge with my hands in my lap.
“I’m grabbing a beer. You want one?”
“Um…"
“I’ll get you one.”
Simon chuckled, probably at my bewildered expression. “Relax, you’re not in any trouble here.”
“Am I allowed to drink with my professors?”
“You’re an adult, Skylar, and we’re off duty for the moment. We’re just friends sharing a drink.”
“Right.” God, I sounded lame, like an idiot who spoke in monosyllables.
The werewolf emerged from the kitchen with a chilled bottle, cool air wafting from the top of a brand I’d picked up before from the grocery store for my mate. No wonder Gabriel and Sebastian had gone out together on beer runs during the emergency lockdown situation.
I held it between my palms for a few before taking a reluctant sip, letting the sweet and sour ale wash the bitter taste of anxiety from my mouth. “I really fucked up, and she’s dead because of me. I can’t stop thinking that maybe I’m not cut out for this after all.”
Hero complex.
I’m a phony.
An imposter.
“Did you rush off and abandon Adrianna on your own directive?” Simon asked after a moment.
“I should have known the call was—"
“So you received orders to pursue."
“Yes, but I should have realized it was fake and stayed.”
“How?” Sebastian asked. He eased down beside Simon, careful not to disturb the sleeping baby.
"Because we’d never receive an order like that.”
“You sure about that?"
“Well, yes. I mean, no,” I sputtered.
“Good, because sometimes an order does come through like that,” Sebastian said in a softer voice. “Because sometimes, that’s what the job calls for, choosing the lesser evil in a shitty situation. I know it isn’t what you want to hear, Sky, but that’s how it is. That’s what being a sentinel is about—doing what’s best for everyone and stopping the immediate threat.”
“When I started this job, I thought we could save everyone. I was full of idealism about never losing a soul on my watch.” Simon shifted the baby in his arms. A wet burp from the child followed, bringing a grimace to his face. “Whoever said baby’s breath is sweet lied.”
“I know that,” I admitted in a tiny voice, hanging my head. It didn’t make it any easier to hear, and not even an adorable baby burp could lift my mood, as much as I wanted it to.
“I saw those memories, and even I would have been fooled, kiddo,” Sebastian continued. “Illusions aren't usually that good, which is what makes this situation all the more fucked—”
“Bash.”
Sebastian winced and the first hint of a smile curved my lips at the corners.
“Language,” Simon chastised him.
“I know, I know. Sorry. Anyway, sweetheart, that was a masterful illusion. This monster knows what she’s doing.”
Despite my effort to be at ease, my mouth pulled into a frown as I considered how easily Eldan had foiled her attempts in Holiday City. He'd swept in with his team of fae and turned the tide of the battle in seconds.
“Ki—” I sucked in a breath. “Oberon want me to become her Morrigan. What if I only get her killed?”
The two exchanged glances, but neither of them looked surprised by my revelation.
“Skylar, your destiny is your own, but I think you should consider something,” Simon said.
“What?”
“Look at all you’ve accomplished. You broke barriers.”
“Big ones," Sebastian added.
“You are a fae in the sentinel program, and you’ve faced off against foes that most sentinels wouldn’t run into until well into their career. Hell, Bash and I didn’t come up against a true big bad until a few months after we started at the office in Manhattan.”
“The nosferatu nest.” We’d all heard the story.
“Right. Biggest case of our early career. Darklings and the ass—” Sebastian cut himself off abruptly the moment Simon’s brown eyes cut toward him and the wizard raised his brows. “And the jerks who encourage them want you to believe they’re all powerful. They want us to think they can't be stopped and that the tradeoff is worth it. But they can be stopped. So can she. She’s survived all this time because she isn’t on the front line.”
“She’s using everyone else to fight her battles for her. Except for New Orleans. She came out and attacked me there. Tried to kill me.”
“Yeah. She did.” Sebastian leaned back in the seat. “That’s why I’m positive she knew the prophecy. There’s a whole reason diviners keep these to themselves and we lock them away in files and records. When someone knows a prophecy is about them, they can’t leave it alone. It consumes them.”
“Nothing about the prophecy mentions Annalise though,” I argued. “It’s just about me finding Titania.”
“And, for whatever reason, that was threat enough to Annalise.” Simon shrugged. “Like I said, people latch on to things and let it consume them. Don't let this consume you.”
“Easier said than done.”
“We know, kid, we know.” Sebastian offered me a faint smile. “Best thing you can do is stay strong here in here.” He touched his temple then his heart. “Trust in your friends and your mate. Let them help share the burden. You don't have to do this alone.”
“Yeah…” My shoulders started to sag, until a memory coalesced in my mind. “Hey, can I ask something about the old days?”
“Sure,” Sebastian said. “What’s up?”
“I glanced through one of your old case files and saw a heavily redacted file. Holgenson said I’d have to ask you guys about it.”
As Sebastian fell silent, Simon asked in a quiet voice, “Which file?”
“The cath palug of Manhattan.”
They exchanged a look that spoke volumes. Sebastian took a long drink from his beer, which told me Simon was going to do all the talking.
“What makes you ask?”
“No big reason. While we were at the Cook County Office, I tried to follow the Annalise Dekker case for clues. This happened a few years before her suicide, so I wondered if there could be a connection. Darklings turn in groups, right?”
“Sometimes, but these two cases weren’t related.”
“What happened? Why didn’t you guys destroy it?”
When Simon opened his mouth, Sebastian sighed and squeezed his thigh. “I’ll get this one, Sim. This one’s all on me.”
Simon chuckled. “It was back then, too, remember?”
“Yeah, and you covered my ass.”
“This feels like a really juicy story.”
“It is and it isn’t,” Sebastian explained. “She was a girl we went to school with. A real spitfire fae. Hot, charming, intelligent. Everything I wanted but didn’t have the balls to approach, because back in our day, shifters didn’t approach mages or fae.”
“You got Simon.”
“Yeah, after we graduated. We took some shit for it then, too. Anyway, the cath palug case fell on our desk as a series of murders; all men between twenty to thirty-seven years of age. A couple outliers, but the majority young.”
“So what happened?”
“We followed the trail of bodies and the evidence. Some of the guys were sighted in the company of a gorgeous lady at a bar. At that point, we didn’t know for sure what kind of fae we were looking for.”
“We hit a dead end of course, because the number of female fae in Manhattan was ridiculous back then. Still is ridiculous. But Scruffy was the genius who cracked open the case.”
Simon’s compliment sent a flush of color into Sebastian’s face. These two had been together for over two decades, and he still made him blush. I grinned a little, the dark cloud over my mood alleviated by the flirtation between my two favorite teachers.
“Hardly a genius. You gave me the idea. Anyway, I started looking into the guys. I had a hunch that if there was more connecting them, we could find a pattern, beat her at her own game, anticipate her next move.”
There wasn’t a student in all in the sentinel program who didn’t enjoy listening to their tales about the good ol’ days when they were rookie SBA agents learning to work together despite the divide between shapeshifters and mages. “What was the pattern?”
“These guys were shitheads.”
“Bash—”
Sebastian ignored him. “Real jackasses, Sky. Histories of domestic violence, sexual assault, child molestation—you name a shitty act a dude could perpetrate against a woman, they’d done at least one of them. So we figured we weren’t just looking at a hungry fae ready to suck up a random guy’s life force.”
“You had a vigilante on your hands.”
“Right. When we found her, Sim was within his right to kill her, but…I asked him not to. For me. We took her in alive instead and let the system sort it out with the evidence we had gathered.”
“How do you make that call in the field?”
“That’s not really a question with an easy answer. It’s not something any textbook can teach you either. In this case, we made a judgment call based on what we knew of the person and the situation at the time. I like to think that, even if she wasn’t someone I had admired during school, I would have made the same choice.”
“You would have,” Simon said.
My phone chirped with an incom
ing message from Gabriel, judging from the alert notification. The text from Gabriel mentioned his brother would be visiting for dinner along with Ashley, his girlfriend.
Joy. I wanted nothing to do with company or entertaining anyone, but I tapped out a brief response to confirm.
“Gabriel need you back?”
I shook my head at Sebastian. “Just confirming that I’m cool with his dinner guests. I’m not in a rush to leave, unless you’re in a rush for me to go.”
Simon smiled. “You’re always welcome in our home, Sky,” he said, just as the baby began to stir, whining and fussy and making noises that a child with a soaked diaper often made.
“Yeah? Then…” I hesitated a moment. I needed a fresh dose of untainted happiness, and the answer was right in front of me. “Then pass that baby over here and point me to the diapers.”
“See? Told you she'd be our savior.”
I rolled my eyes at Sebastian's triumphant grin and took the little girl in my arms, grateful to have something—anything—to distract me from my dark mood. And nothing was better than a dry baby's laughter and smile.
* * *
Sam and Ashley beat me home, which was probably just as well. Despite the dose of happiness, I probably would have tried to find an excuse to cancel the dinner. This way, I couldn't.
Their voices spilled into the hallway outside our apartment. I let myself in to the delicious smell of chicken katsu. Every so often, Gabriel pulled out some recipe he'd learned from his grandmother. If it wasn’t that, he hand-rolled sushi himself.
“Hey, Sky!” Gabe called from the kitchen. “Dinner’s almost done.”
My gaze darted to our sofa, where Sam sat beside a buff, golden-haired guy who looked like a stand-in for Thor.
I thought we were having dinner with Sam and Ashley.
A couple things came to mind at that moment, however, just at the same time Gabriel said, “Have a seat with Sam and Ash while I finish up in here, unless you want to bring out the drinks.”
My mouth didn’t gape open because I was better than that, even if I was realizing just now that after a year of Sam dating his lady friend, he had never referred to Ashley as a lady.
The Puppet Master: The Paranormal University Files: Skylar, Year 4 Page 11
