by T. G. Ayer
I snorted. “Don’t worry. She’d have to stand in line and from the looks of it she’d be too late anyway.”
“What?” asked Erik, straightening with surprise.
“Long story,” I waved him off as I got to my feet. “Are you going to provide the camera?”
He nodded. “Don’t worry. I have that sorted. How soon do we leave?”
“We leave Venice tonight. Our only problem is I have no way of explaining to Elis how I got from Venice to Hong Kong within hours of the robbery.”
Erik made a rude sound. “Yeah. Flight time’s thirteen hours at the least.”
As much as the time zone’s annoyed me, it wasn’t something we could control.
“You get the camera. I’ll wait here for you. We can go to Chicago and wait it out there.”
Erik nodded and left the bar, leaving me to survey the patrons. A room full of supernaturals was a rare sight, glamors all fighting against each other to hide the truth of what they are. Even O’Hagan’s was never this packed to the brim.
I headed over to the bar where the bartender was industriously the shining glasses and wiping off the already spotless surface of his mahogany bar.
“What can I do for you?”
“What’s on the menu?” A sudden growl emanated from my stomach. Great. My stomach can perform on cue now, like a circus animal.
He gave me a smile, “No menu.”
I nodded really slowly. “Ookay.” I stopped my eyes from rolling and return to my table, disappointed and more hungry than ever.
I pulled my phone from my jacket pocket and texted Steph.
Anything?
She responded within seconds.
Cameras are malfunctioning. Nothing to show.
I wasn’t surprised.
Heard from Drake?
I got a no.
Saleem came by looking for you. He’s . . . antagonized.
Stall.
I felt bad to ask her to be the intermediary but Saleem wouldn’t be happy to know I was jumping, let alone on a dangerous case. Now that he knew what I was up against he’d turn into the overprotective boyfriend.
While I waited for Erik, I did a quick projection and tried to see if I could find some kind of track that would lead me to Samuel again.
I drew a blank.
Despondent now, I slid my phone back into my pocket, the sound of plastic crinkling beneath my fingers. I’d totally forgotten about samples that I was supposed to be gathering.
So, while I waited for Erik—I slid further into the shadows and projected to the Murdochs’ apartment.
Thankfully it was empty and I navigated my way towards the captain’s bedroom, in search of a hairbrush. Unfortunately, I came up empty. But I did manage to discover a razor on the sink.
I jumped straight into his bathroom, grabbed the razor and returned to the bar in Venice before quickly depositing it into another plastic bag. Samuel, the Murdochs, Steph, Saleem, Natasha and Drake; all ticked off my list. I now had Storm left.
Possibly Kailin?
I wasn’t sure about that but I figured if was going to betray those closest to me, I may as well go the whole hog and alienate everyone I cared about.
Never let it be said that Mel Morgan did anything by halves.
The samples I already had should be plenty to go on, so I sent a quick text to a certain kitsune I knew, and asked him for a drop-off location.
He responded almost immediately, happy to be of service, asking me to come to his suite—the address of my most recent bout as his captive.
After a quick projection to make sure the coast was clear, I gathered all the bags, made the jump to Hong Kong, and arrived in front of Darius’s exuberant assistant.
Not in the mood to waste time, I handed over the packets which I’d labelled with each owner’s name, and left without saying a word.
I returned to the table just in time, as the barkeep was already heading towards me, bearing a tray of food.
I tried not to look surprised when he set a bowl of jalevi in front of me. The dish was exquisite, something I’d come across once when I’d projected to the Dragon realm. Made from the meat of a cow-like animal, it was technically a beef paella, with the succulent, falling-of-the-bone beef comprising the meat of the dish.
I flashed the barkeep a grateful smile, but refrained from asking him how he’d procured the meal this time.
He had to be a gnome. They were known to travel far and wide in order to procure an item, and usually charged extortionist fees.
What would this meat cost me? I tried to put it out of my mind and concentrated on my food
Only when I’d downed the first delicious bite but did I realize how ravenous I was. The lilting music around me was comforting, and the rumble of laughter and conversation enveloped me in its warm.
I’d just finished my meal when Erik arrived, a triumphant smile on his face. He set a black bag on the table. “Camera obtained, as you requested.”
I wiped my mouth with a paper towel and dropped it into the empty bowl. “Right. I’m ready to leave as soon as you are.” I glanced at my watch. “Time now in Hong Kong? Will your mother be awake if it’s too late?”
“The woman doesn’t know what sleep is.”
I shrugged. “I just wondered if she needed her beauty sleep,” I hid my smile as I bagged the camera and got to my feet, “Let’s pay and get moving.”
Erik waved a hand at me. “It’s okay. I put it on my tab. Besides, I owe you considering you didn’t take me straight to Mother dearest.” Then he paused. “Wait a second. You’re not taking me straight to my mother.”
He looked disappointed.
Despite Erik’s dissatisfaction with my plan, he had no choice. And neither did I.
We had to assume that Elise knew nothing about the supernatural world. And if she was ignorant of it the last thing we needed is to make her curious.
“I’ll call her now. Make an appointment to see her. Let’s just hope she doesn’t tell me she’s booked solid for the week.”
Despite my words, I had a good feeling Elise Garner would not turn me away. I’d seen a certain desperation in her eyes, and I knew the woman wanted her son found. I had to admit that she scared me a little. She’d displayed an icy ruthlessness, even when it was directed at her own flesh and blood.
I made a mental note to check with Storm, because I was beginning to suspect that Elise Garner was a mage of some sort. Nothing outwardly obvious, even to a paranormal like me, but something nonetheless.
Placing the call, I was surprised when Elise herself answered wondering was in the early hours of the morning. I’d expected to leave a message.
She seemed equally surprised to hear from me, her strained voice confirmed she was distracted. She agreed to meet in at 5pm her evening at her office.
Her tone had been clear; don’t be late.
Chapter 21
When I rang off from my call with Elise, Erik’s expression was withdrawn as he stared at his phone.
“What’s up?” I asked, worried that he may be changing his mind.
He glanced at me. “I won’t come with you to Chicago. There’s something I need to do first. I’ll meet you here at 3pm Hong Kong time?”
I hesitated, wanting to say no, but I couldn’t control his movements. And any attempt to restrict him could backfire too.
My phone buzzed, announcing an incoming text.
Package from Fulbright in your study.
Saleem had come through. Not that I’d doubted him for a second.
I focused on Erik and gave him a neutral smile, then held my palm open. I had only one piece of collateral that I could ask for to ensure he didn’t just disappear and leave me to deal with his mother alone.
Erik gave a rueful smile and withdrew the diamond as well as a small velvet-covered case. He flipped it open and placed the stone onto a bed of white silk.
Closing the case, he handed it over to me with a smile, gave me his cellphone number and then
phased away through the wall.
Guy made an impressive exit.
A second buzzing from my phone had me checking the screen again. Force of habit, or just eager to communicate with Saleem?
Spoke to Logan. He’s agreed to join my team and go to the Mithras with me. He’s offered extra fire power. A couple more bodies too, just in case.
He sounded a little more enthusiastic and I smiled to myself, glad that Logan’s inclusion into the mission had eased Saleem’s pre-mission planning stress.
I’d never felt comfortable with Saleem keeping the truth from Logan, but I’d never pretended to understand the way the male mind worked.
I was just glad that Logan, with his power and his experience, would have Saleem’s back during the mission, and whatever the djinn world had waiting.
The only thing that surprised me was how fast Saleem and Logan were moving on this. He’d said ‘just recon’ but who knew what that meant.
My fingers curled around the phone and I inhaled slowly.
Given that Saleem had progressed from I-should-maybe-make-a-plan to we’re-about-to-head-out, I figured it was time to give Saleem’s mom a head’s up.
I teleported to my study and caught sight of the small envelope sitting in the center of the desk.
Dropping my satchel on the desk, grabbed the envelope and headed upstairs. Inhaling slowly, I listened to the house. The place was silent except for the hum of the old refrigerator and the energy emanating from the ward around the house and the comms room upstairs.
No sign of the poltergeist.
Not yet, anyway.
I shrugged off my negativity and crossed my fingers as I headed down the hall to my bedroom.
I sat on the bed, ripping open Saleem’s envelope and was surprised when two sets of samples came tumbling onto my lap.
The first bore a white rectangular label with Fulbright’s name scrawled in black ink. I studied the two strands of oily brown hair and sent Saleem my virtual gratitude.
The second bag made me go cold.
The clear plastic revealed two long strands of black hair. The label said Saleem.
I took a deep breath, stowed the samples inside the hidey-hole and wandered downstairs, my mind on Saleem.
Sinking onto the sofa, I sent a quick text to Steph, giving her an update on the djinn mission in progress, fake robberies in Venice, Adamas elves in captivity and pink blood diamonds.
Then dropped my phone at my side and lay back against the pillows, fatiguing getting the best of me.
Saleem had felt the need to clear himself from my suspect list, volunteering his DNA for testing. That he’d done so made me wonder how he felt about being on the list at all.
Was he upset? Or angry? I wouldn’t blame him either way.
Sucking in a harsh breath, I pushed the thoughts away and closed my eyes.
I had a quick visit to make to a certain queen.
I closed my eyes and projected into the ether, using the Djinn Queen’s feedback thread to guide me straight to her.
The mansion in which Omega was keeping her was well warded, but safe. Even Saleem had grown used to the idea of his mother remaining in captivity until they found a smarter and safer way to extract her.
She was comfortable enough with her own large suite, and vintage furnishings, a stark contrast to a cold, bare cell.
I transitioned from the ether, and slid through the gap in the Veil, lowering my essence into her room. I got my bearings inside the large living area, finding her standing beside the gigantic window, staring out onto the grounds.
Queen Aisha’s profile was regal—back straight, chin slightly jutting out—her bearing even more so. The woman was not one to be messed with.
She wore a long green silk kaftan-style dress and from the basket filled with colored threads and needles on the table behind her, I expected the intricate embroidery to be her creation.
Impressed, I skittered forward without hesitation, not stopping even when her spine stiffened, telling me she knew I was there. She was intimidating, but I liked her.
And she didn’t scare me.
“I wonder if that’s a good thing,” she murmured as I drew to a halt beside her.
Cringing, I remembered too late that she could read my mind. Regaining my composure, I said, “Why would it not be a good thing? It’s not as if we’re about to head off on a girl’s spa day.”
My comment brought a smile to her face, one which she kept directed on the view. The large multi-paned window reached to within a foot from the high ceiling. A wide cushioned seat filled the bottom of the window, but the queen remained on her feet, her spine straight, her eyes on the wide expanse of green that was the back lawn of the property.
The old French-styled manor house had held the queen captive within it’s walls for more than a year now and the only thing good about it was she’d been kept in relative comfort.
“Nice needlework,” I whispered.
“Are you being facetious?” Amusement warred with annoyance in her tone.
I smiled, even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “The plan is a go.”
“Saleem had left for Mithras, then.” She sighed and straightened her dress, the green silk rustling as she moved. “I pray that he is in time.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. Praying won’t change what’s going to happen, whether it was fate—or us—who controlled our destiny, every action we perform had a result.
And that combination of action and result would be difficult to be directed by simple prayer.
“You are very pragmatic, my dear.”
I made a sound in my head that I knew she wouldn’t hear; one of frustration because she always lulled me into feeling at ease, so much so that I often forgot she could read my thoughts.
“I thought you should know that he’s left.”
The queen gave an almost imperceptible nod, one only I could see and understand. “It’s considerate of you to come.”
I gave an ethereal shrug. “Not like I could call your cell or anything.”
She snorted, the sound oddly regal.
Letting out a sigh, I said, “I’d better get going. There’s a lot happening right now.” I found myself strangely sad to leave. And more puzzled by it than ever.
She nodded, the light playing on her features, the shadowed hollows of her eyes making her look almost skeletal. I studied her again, wondering at the toll her incarceration would have taken on her.
I cleared my throat. “I’m waiting until I hear back from them. As soon as Saleem tells me they’re safe and things are under control, I’ll be back here to get you to safety.”
Her lips tightened into a thin smile but her eyes sparkled. She was controlling the urge to laugh.
“Okay, fine,” I controlled the urge to sigh, “I’ll let you know so you can get yourself to safety.”
I rolled my eyes.
Then stiffened. Hopefully she hadn’t seen that
When she snorted just as I left the room, I knew she had.
Chapter 22
My phone was buzzing when I returned to my body, Kailin Odel’s name blinking bright green. I slid my finger across the screen, expecting the familiar voice on the other end.
My smiling greeting faded away as soon as I heard the desperation and fear in Kai’s voice.
“Mel?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“Kailin? What’s wrong?” my voice rose as I spoke, spurred by the fear almost tangible through the phone.
“I can’t . . .” She took a breath and cleared her throat. “I need help finding Anjelo. He’s in trouble. I’m at Storm’s place.”
“Where’s Storm. Can he not help?” I asked, more worried now.
Kai made an odd sound in her throat. “Storm’s not who we thought he is.”
I frowned, and was about to ask her to explain when she cut me off.
“Please Mel. It’s urgent. My friend Anjelo . . . his life is in danger. Can you come now?”
She didn�
��t need to repeat the question. Kailin Odel, Alpha of the Panther Walker clan, was my friend. And I’d never heard her sound this afraid before, even when she’d asked for my help in saving her mother.
And whatever she was saying about Storm—while I didn’t believe it for a minute—I could clarify it with her later.
“Give me two minutes.” I rang off without waiting for her response. Tucking my phone into my jacket pocket, I hurried to the study, grabbed my satchel and checked for my dagger and weapons.
Heading to the kitchen, I grabbed a sheet of paper from the notepad on the kitchen counter and scratched out a quick note to Steph.
Leaving the note on the kitchen table I projected to Kai, tracking her through the ether using her familiar feedback threads. All clear, I straightened my shoulders, shoving down my fatigue as far as I could, and jumped straight to her.
The jump wore me out, but thankfully I didn’t have a bloody nose episode. I could deal with being tired.
I materialized and tucked my hair behind my ears as I arrived. Standing in front of the elevators in Storm’s apartment building, Kailin stared at me, her normally bright green eyes huge, and dull.
And stricken.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly.
I gave her a quick nod, and forced a smile on my face. I was more concerned with the panic I saw in her eyes than my own issues. "I'm fine. Just a whole lot going on."
"Is Saleem okay?” Kai asked, stepping closer. “He hasn't been answering our calls and I'm starting to worry." Her eyes were enough to confirm her concern.
Shaking my head, I tugged the strap of my satchel higher up my shoulder. "He's okay,” I studied Kai’s face, trying to understand why she was evading the real reason she’d called me here, “he had to go home to see his brother."
Her eyes widened. “Home as in Djinn-world home?" She looked a little stunned.
I nodded, trying not to show how much his absence worried me, how hard it was for me to not be with him on this journey that he was taking to his home . . . to danger unknown. More especially, I wondered if my guilt was written all over my face.
Kai studied my face, and looked as if she was about to drill me, but then her expression shifted. Without a word she held out her hand and beckoned me to follow her upstairs to Storm’s apartment.
