by Liz Schulte
I set her back down on her feet and cradled her face before kissing her deeply. “You were fantastic.”
Olivia’s hand traced my cheek and her lips parted in a small smile. “I told you I could do it.”
“I never had any doubt.” I kissed her again. “Now you need to go back to the apartment with Baker. I have a lot of work to do for this meeting with Malphas.”
“I—I, what?” she stuttered. “Holden, we need to talk about this. This isn’t the plan—isn’t what we set out to do.”
“We’ll talk about it later. Don’t you see? This is much bigger than us or a few dead guardians. We can raise the jinn up and rule them together.” My mind raced with possibility and power. It was exciting and intoxicating. We could do so much.
“I don’t want that.”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ll talk later. Go with Baker.”
She frowned. I nodded to Baker, and he took Olivia’s arm and led her out the door. “Bring her back at 7:00 p.m. Oh, and, Baker,” he looked back at me, “if anything happens to her, you’ll pay the consequences.”
“I’d expect no less, boss.”
****
Baker brought Olivia back right on time. She didn’t look or feel happy about any of this, but she’d see it my way eventually. It was an incredible opportunity. Olivia flopped down on the couch and stared at her hands. I raised an eyebrow at Baker.
“She’s been quiet.” Baker glanced back at her with a worried expression. “Can I talk to you?”
“Not now. Meet us at my house tomorrow morning. You can see yourself out.”
Baker shook his head, but left without delay.
I sat the proposal on the table and settled in next to Olivia. She shifted away. “Liv—”
“It doesn’t matter, Holden. We have a job to do, and we’ll do it.”
“Sure, it doesn’t matter. That’s why you’re pouting.”
“I’m not pouting.”
“You appear to be, and this isn’t the time. We have a—”
“I know what we have to do. I’ll give a wonderful performance like I did this afternoon. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” She batted her eyelashes at me and snuggled into my arm.
“I’m not amused.”
“Neither am I.”
A sharp knock sounded on the door and Malphas and his jinni, Nicola, walked in. Malphas took seconds to size us up. “Why should I not kill you both where you sit? Why would you call a meeting with me?”
“We have a proposition for you.”
The demon chuckled and took his seat in a chair across from us. “I’m listening.”
I handed him the proposal I’d worked out that afternoon. It stated that I would continue to lead the jinn under the demons’ advisory in exchange for incentives—freedom. Jinn who met their goals would have their souls returned and the process would continue. I had no doubt Malphas would say no, but it was a point to start negotiations.
Malphas flipped through the pages then tossed them back on the table and smoothed his already slick hair. “Is she a gift?”
“No. She’s mine.”
“A guardian?” He looked back and forth between us.
“She’s loyal. She’s turned from her people.”
“You turned a guardian?” His cold laughter bounced unnaturally in the room. “No jinni has ever surprised me. Congratulations.” He stared at us without blinking or moving a muscle. Olivia tensed, but she kept her mouth shut. “I will agree to your deal for a price.”
“What price?”
“Your soul.”
“No,” I told him flatly.
“The girl or your soul. I’m not leaving without one of them.”
I nodded. I expected as much and was prepared for the sacrifice. I would give up my soul again to keep her, but before I could renegotiate terms Olivia stood.
“If you take his soul, I’ll take it back. It would be pointless. It is for all intents and purposes…mine.”
“Guardians can’t do that.” Malphas got to his feet, too, but Olivia didn’t back down.
“Tell that to the last demon who tried to touch him. Oh wait, he’s a pile of ash.”
Malphas stared at her. “What was your name again?”
“Olivia. Olivia Martin.”
Something close to recognition fluttered across his face. He nodded to no one in particular. “Your deal is accepted. Control your people, Holden.” He turned and strode out of the room, Nicola fast on his heels.
“What happened?” I asked Liv, feeling out of my depth.
“He accepted your plan. Congratulations.” Olivia’s voice was deadpan, and she didn’t look pleased.
“Liv...” I turned her toward me and saw it. Disappointment.
“This is what you want, isn’t it? This is the life you want?”
“Only if you’re with me.”
Her big, sad eyes blinked once. “I’m ready to go home.”
Neither of us spoke on the way back to my apartment. She made up the couch. “Stop. Talk to me.” I grabbed her arm before she could climb under her covers.
She kissed my cheek. “I need to think. I do that best alone. Good night.”
****
The next morning she was still unsettlingly quiet, but despite my efforts I could not get her to talk to me for any length of time. We went to the office so I could keep up appearances of as business as usual.
“Explain something to me.” She broke the silence.
I raised an eyebrow, but didn’t look up.
“What’s it like to be you?”
Confusion and distaste curled my lip. What was she getting at? “What?”
“You know, what does it feel like?”
I pushed at the parameters of her mind, but she kept me out. I folded the paper back as it had been before I opened it and set it to the side. “No, I don’t know. What exactly are you talking about?”
She rolled her eyes, but moved from the couch to chair in front of my desk. Progress. “When I look at people, not with my human eyes, but as a guardian, I see colored lights around them. Their auras—maybe their souls—lead me to a better understanding of their problems or what troubles them. It is pretty easy to shut off the Abyss and see things as I always have, but seeing people like that helps me do my job. What is it like for you? How do you do what you do?”
“What brought this on?” I had no idea what any of this had to do with the jinni or whether or not she would stay with me. Why did she care how I saw things?
“Boredom.” She scrunched her nose. “Come on tell me. I want to know.”
“I don’t see lights or the Abyss, at least not in the same way you see it.” I thought about what she said and even though I knew I could never see the world like her, I wanted to. “It’s a shame you can’t photograph it.”
I felt a slight crack in her defenses. She shrugged, trying to dismiss the softer feelings. “I prefer it this way, the normal way.”
I laughed and watched her eyelids droop ever so slightly. Her cheeks colored and her lips parted. Olivia should have known I didn’t need to touch her to tempt her. My presence, my voice, my gaze were weapons; just as surely as a brush of my hands, they were capable of making someone weak. Her eyes darkened and nostrils flared as the air between us thickened and went still with anticipation.
She cleared her throat. “Not fair.”
“Whoever agreed to fair?” Her pale aqua eyes swirled and enticed me as much as I did her. “You still want to know what it’s like to be me?”
She nodded, swallowing hard.
“Come closer.” I challenged her, knowing she couldn’t resist standing up to a challenge, no matter the consequences.
Olivia walked around my desk, twisting her head so we didn’t break eye contact. She wouldn’t stand down; she wouldn’t let me win. I stood to meet her, taking a small step to cut the distance between us in half. I lifted my hand, palm up and waited.
“What?”
“Take my hand and we’
ll go on a field trip.”
“You can tell me.”
“No, you have to experience it or you won’t understand.” I waited through several heartbeats of her indecision. “Up to you.”
She exhaled, placing her hand in mine.
I winked, knowing how she was struggling with loving this moment and hating that she loved it. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“You don’t have to be smug,” she grumbled.
I led her out of the office, fingers entwined with mine. We left the quiet, closed club and headed out on the street.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere with people.” When we reached a busier street, I slowed our pace to a stroll. “Stay between me and them.” What I was going to do was dangerous. The last thing I needed was to make a spectacle, so I needed to take precautions that no humans got close enough to touch me.
I relaxed and let a low energy pulse between us, channeling some of what I felt to her. As we moved down the street, I was hit with a wave emotion from the people around me. Olivia’s knees nearly buckled. My muscles clenched in irritation, her heart broke from sadness, my blood boiled with anger, and laughter bubbled in her stomach. I let myself feel everything from everyone who passed by and it passed to her. She leaned against me, but lasted a couple blocks before she said she had enough.
“Fun, isn’t it?” My tone was flat and dry.
“How do you do that every day?”
“First thing you learn is to block it out. Feeling nothing is easier than feeling everything. Those who can’t, lose their minds. I only use their emotions when they can be manipulated to my advantage.”
“Is it different now that you have a soul?”
“It’s hard to say. I feel less volatile, but that could be that you’re here.” I tilted my head and looked up at the bright blue sky. “Daylight is much more enjoyable now.”
She smiled. “It never stopped you before.”
She was right, I did go outside in the day more than other jinn. The sun burning my skin always was a challenge, and, in my own way, I couldn’t stand to back away from a challenge any more than she could. I remembered our long walks while we lived in St. Louis. Perhaps that was what she missed. Maybe everything had been off with us because we hadn’t just been us. “Since we’re out, do you want lunch? We can go back to the apartment and pick up your camera.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you still have things to do?”
“They’ll wait.” I tugged on her hand urging her forward—to let me back in.
She slipped her fingers from my grip. “We should keep this professional.”
I tilted my chin in acknowledgement of what she wanted. We walked back to Xavier’s much faster and each lost in our own thoughts. Together, but still very much apart.
The rest of the day was spent in near silence. I worked and she sat stubbornly on the couch staring off into space and biting her lip. Even at the apartment she remained lost in her own mind. She made light, vague conversation before she retreated back into her thoughts, far away from me. I couldn’t sit through another day like this, so I called Baker and made other arrangements for her for the next day.
When I woke up the following morning, Olivia was already awake and almost cheerful.
“What’s on the docket for today?”
“You’re in a better mood.”
“I am. So what are we doing today? I have some ideas.”
There was a knock on the door. “One second.” I let Baker in. Olivia gave him an uncomfortable smile. “So what were your ideas?”
Olivia cleared her throat. How can we talk with him here?
Give him a chance.
“We need to find Juliet.”
“I agree,” I said.
“Wait, you didn’t kill her?” Baker clapped his hands once loudly. “Why not? I’ve been wanting to bump that tomato off for a long time.”
“You might get your wish,” I grumbled.
“No, he won’t,” Olivia objected. “We need to find and talk to her, but no one is killing her.”
“I think you and Baker should check out Danica’s office. There might be clues lying around about where this fiasco started—maybe even about where Juliet’s working these days.”
“What are you going to do?” Olivia asked.
“I have work.”
“Oh. Well, I can come with you or I can manage on my own. I’m sure Baker has better things to do than hang around me all day.”
“That’s something I wanted to talk to you both about. You made two very public displays of your power, Liv. It let people know we’re formidable, but it takes away our element of surprise. From this point on, you can’t be alone.”
“What?”
“Either Baker or I have to be with you all the time. People showed their support, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try to take you from me.”
“You saw what I did with that bear of a man. I don’t need him as a bodyguard.” The way she said “him” made Baker sound like an annoying younger brother who couldn’t protect anything.
“Constant vigilance isn’t as easy to maintain as you might think, doll.” Baker did a good job at not responding to her tone and he was right, vigilance was hard to maintain.
I took a more direct, yet gentler approach. “How did you get caught in the warehouse? How did you let them take you when you can do that?”
“I wasn’t ready. I was prepared yesterday—”
“Exactly. That’s why you have us. We’ll keep you safe with our lives. Isn’t that right, Baker?”
“Absolutely, boss. I live to serve.”
“Holden.” Olivia grabbed my arm and pulled me into the bedroom. “I cannot do what I came here to do with him following me around.”
“I know this isn’t ideal, but we have to make do. I need to keep you safe and this is the best way I know how. You have a shadow, and you don’t have a choice.” I gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
“Argh!” She stormed off to the bathroom. I went back to the living room.
“She’s not so happy about this, is she?”
“Is that a problem?”
“I can handle the dame. How are you going to handle the revolution you started?”
“I don’t have a clue.”
Baker nodded. “This might not be the time, since the dominos have already started to fall and it isn’t my business, but you need to cut this one loose.”
“You’re right, it’s none of your business.”
“I don’t mean it in a bad way. I like the dame and I can see you do too. That’s why you need to get rid of her. Our world isn’t meant for people like her. She’ll change, and that’s not something I’d like to live with.”
“Olivia’s too stubborn to be changed.”
“Have you seen the news?”
I shook my head. When did I have time for news?
“There’s been another massacre.”
“What do you mean another? And please tell me this had nothing to do with jinn.”
“I would, but I’d be lying. My money is on Juliet, since you left her alive.” He shook his head at the stupid decision. “I take it the only reason she’s still breathing is Olivia. She’s gotta be taken care of, boss, and quick before she reveals us to the entire human population. The girl might be soft, but you don’t have that luxury.”
“Shit. How bad is it?”
Baker shrugged. “Pretty bad. It’s made national news.”
“I’ll put out this fire. You watch Olivia. And, Baker, try not to piss her off.”
“I’ll take good care of her, boss.”
Sixteen
I turned the water to the hottest temperature I could bear and tried to calm down under the rhythmic spray. Nothing was going like I planned. All I wanted to do was find out who was betraying the guardians and then figure out my life. I’d thought I could control Holden... Well, maybe not control him, but that he’d do what I wanted him to do. Stupid! The illusion that we w
ere partners in this melted away; I was the little woman he planned on keeping busy with pointless activities and my very own babysitter. I had news for him though, it wasn’t going to happen. First things first. I had to ditch his chauvinistic henchman, Baker.
I toweled off and dressed. I needed to find Femi, but my phone was in the living room with Baker. Femi talked about going to someplace called the Office. It couldn’t be that hard to find. Before I could talk myself out of it, I transported to the first place Femi ever took me to, a supernatural hangout that looked like an old world pub and served all sorts of exotic and strange creatures and food. I went straight to the bar, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The bartender had a greenish tint to his skin and oversized ears that came to a point above his head. His black, fathomless eyes stared at me.
“I’m looking for the Office,” I said to him. “Where it is?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why would I tell you?”
I mimicked Holden’s impatient expression. “I need to find the sekhmet Femi—and the reason’s none of your business. Where’s the Office?”
He snorted, but gave me directions. I considered transporting , but a walk would clear my head and help me focus. I knew the instant Holden heard I was gone, but I locked down my mind to the point I couldn’t even hear him trying to get through. I needed to find Juliet before Holden or Baker. Neither of them intended to let her live, but I hadn’t given up hope. I understood she wanted to kill me, but so did Holden when I met him and I’d gotten through to him. Juliet was my oldest and dearest friend. All couldn’t be lost, not like this. The demons poisoned her mind, but maybe I could fix it—and that’s where Femi came in. As a bounty hunter, she found people for a living. At least she could point me in the right direction.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t see the people passing me on the streets. A hand on my shoulder startled me. I whirled around, hands glowing, ready to fight. The person in front of me took a moment to register. It wasn’t a jinni: it was the young guardian conspiracy theorist I met with Quintus.
“Whoa, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender with a goofy, lopsided grin. “Marshall.” He pointed at his chest. “Remember?”
