by Linsey Hall
“How can you tell I’m on the run?”
“Like knows like.”
I nodded. It would be good to have friends. And damn if this place wasn’t cooler than normal London. “I don’t know if I could afford it.”
“You can.” She squeezed my shoulder. “You’ve got a powerful gift. You could definitely set up shop with it.”
“There seem to be a lot of magical shops, though.”
“Not a lot with skills like yours, if you’re hunting a murderer. You could be a PI.” She made finger guns with her hands, and somehow, it was charming. “Magic PI, here to solve the case. Or a bounty hunter.”
I laughed. “Let me catch this murderer first.”
“Well, you’re about to have your chance.”
We walked down the charming streets, passing supernaturals of all sorts. My head spun from the variety.
“What was Eve?” I asked. “She had wings.”
“She’s Fae. Without a court, of course. Since she lives here.”
“What does that mean?”
“All Fae are members of Courts. Magical—magical realms located all over the earth. There are Sea Fae, Fire Fae, Unseelie and Seelie Fae. Lots of others, too. If they leave their Courts, they can go a bit insane if left on their own.”
“Insane?”
“Yeah. They need the company of other Fae. At least a little. So a lot of them come here and join the Fae Guild.”
“Eve lives in her guild tower?”
“No. She’s like me—a loner. It’s enough for her to be a member of the guild. She lives next to me, actually.”
“That’s cool.”
Mac stopped, and I realized we’d appeared in another grassy square at the edge of town. We stood amongst the shops and restaurants on one side, staring at the tower on the other. It was situated in the middle of the huge wall that surrounded Guild City, and it was easily one of the creepiest towers I’d seen, black-painted stone with windows of red glass that glinted in the sunlight. The one door was guarded by two huge men who looked like bouncers.
“Which guild is this?” I asked.
“This is the only tower in town that doesn’t belong to a guild. It belongs to the Devil.”
“My vampire suspect? How’d he get a guild tower to himself?”
“No one is sure. But he’s had it forever, and no one dares take it from him.”
“If he’s some kind of criminal kingpin, then why doesn’t the local government do anything about it?”
“Do what? He’s more powerful than they are.” She shrugged. “And no one can prove anything. Most believe he just owns a few clubs around town.”
“Does he do really bad stuff? Like human trafficking and murder?”
“Until now, with this murder thing, I haven’t heard of him dealing in anything super evil. Which is why I’m letting you go in there alone. But he’s done bad stuff—mostly dealing in magic, which is carefully regulated by the Council of Guilds. They keep much tighter control on things in here, compared to magical cities in the rest of the world.”
I nodded. “Okay, I can handle a mostly bad vampire kingpin, no problem.” I laughed, low and surprised. “My life has turned insane.”
“It’s always been insane. You just haven’t seen it.”
“Good point.” It’s not like my ability to read objects was new. “Thanks, Mac.”
“Sure thing. If you're not out in an hour, I’m coming in.”
“Don’t risk yourself.”
“I do what I want.” She gave the last word a lilt that made me smile.
I turned and strode across the grass, committed to my plan. He’d seen me at the murder scene—it had been clear in my visions—so trying to trick him wasn’t going to work. I could still be crafty, but I’d be upfront.
And I had these two handy potions, one in me and the other in my pocket.
The two bouncers glared as I approached. Their dark suits were pressed and made of a tough, tactical material. It was a pretty cool look, actually. Not that I got out much to determine what was cool. My only girls’ night out had been a few hours ago when I’d sneaked into the club with the hen party.
Both men were eerily handsome, with powerful builds and an almost animal grace.
“Reason for entry?” the guy on the right asked.
Inspiration struck. “Your boss wants to see me.”
It was true, after all. He’d called me to him.
He raised his wrist and spoke into the charm there, his words low and muffled. After a moment’s pause, he turned, opening the door. “He’s waiting for you.”
Maybe I was imagining the ominous tone to his voice, but I thought not.
The interior of the building was cool, dark, and quiet. The stone floor gleamed with a dark light, like onyx set with stars. The walls themselves were papered in dark velvet, and the lights were sharp and modern.
A slender woman with milk-pale skin and straight dark hair waited for me. Her black dress molded to her form, looking more appropriate for evening than midafternoon.
“Come.” Her voice was smooth and even. “I’m here to take you down.”
She didn’t call my quarry the Devil, and I wondered if his staff called him that or just people like Mac. My heart thundered in my ears as she led me through the only door in the room, which opened into a beautiful nightclub.
The whole place reeked of money and power, with magnificent furnishings and chandeliers that glittered with golden light. The tables were carved of black stone, and the enormous stage was silent. Though there were a few people in the place, they appeared to be speaking quietly.
Having meetings? Magical mob meetings?
Holy crap, what had I gotten myself into?
Fortunately, none of them looked at me, and I kept my head down as I followed the woman. Despite my posture, I made a point to take in all the exits—three—and everyone in the room. If I had to run for it, I wanted to know exactly where I was going and get out fast.
The woman led me through one of the exits, entering a hallway that was simply decorated with dark gray paint and plain light fixtures. As we walked, I grew oddly disoriented.
She turned around and caught my eye. “Don’t worry about how you’re feeling. It’s a spell to make it hard to find your way back in, but it should do no lasting damage.”
“Of course.” I tried to act like that was normal, but it sure as hell wasn’t.
By the time we reached a large door at the end of a hallway, I was completely lost. Even if I did try that freezing potion, I might end up stuck in this hallway forever.
The woman knocked quietly, then waited. I heard nothing, but she nodded to herself and pushed open the door.
Memories of the man in my vision streaked through my head, and my heart began to pound even faster.
I was going to see him.
Holy crap, I was about to walk into the den of a possible murderer. Who could do mind control.
But I had the freezing potion. And I could handle myself.
More importantly, I needed answers if I wanted my life back. And I wanted to see this guy.
I sucked in a deep breath and followed her in.
The first thing that struck me was his stillness. He sprawled elegantly in a chair behind a wide desk, his form so motionless that he could have been carved of ice.
The second thing was his size. His power. Despite the fact that he was sitting, it was clear that he was tall and leanly muscled. He had the tightly leashed power of a large jungle cat, reclined and relaxed…until he pounced. When he did, you’d be dead.
I carefully kept my gaze averted from his, hoping to prevent him from controlling my mind. Still, I managed to get a good look.
His face was cast in shadows, but the parts that I could see were almost too beautiful to be real. He was a predator who lured you with his looks. Slightly long dark hair that gleamed in the light. Strong, sharp jaw, full lips, high cheekbones, and glinting silver eyes. Everything about him was cold, but
in a way that heated me up inside.
That connection I’d felt earlier flared to life, tugging me closer. Everything within me sat up and took notice. I wanted to spend hours staring at him, despite the fact that he scared the crap out of me.
No.
Idiot. He might be a murderer. He might be Beatrix’s murderer.
I had a hard time believing it, though. Wouldn’t I feel something if I were looking her murderer in the eye?
Yes. I would.
Still, I was terrified of him. He was a vampire, for God’s sake. Killing was in their DNA, according to the movies I’d seen. I couldn’t count on my gut feeling that I would recognize Beatrix’s murderer when I saw him. That kind of crazy, could get me killed.
I was so not here to get murdered myself, no matter how powerful the magical connection between us.
Because that’s what this had to be—magic.
I’d never lost my mind over a man like this before.
Behind him, someone shifted. Two guards—both huge, hulking men standing against the wall. They had the same leonine look as the guards out front, like they had the souls of animals—lions or panthers or something. I hadn’t noticed them before, but I couldn’t blame myself. The real threat here was the Devil of Darkvale. He was seated and impeccably dressed, but I’d seen enough deadly people in my life to know he was dangerous.
The guards could do the dirty work, sure. But it was the Devil you had to watch out for. He was all tightly leashed power, but when he released it…
He studied me in silence, then raised his hand. The guards melted into the shadows at the edge of the room, disappearing.
“You’ve come to me,” the Devil said, his voice dark and low.
There was a quiet arrogance there—the kind that kings carried. Kings who had gained their power with sweat and blood and charm and knew that they would never suffer defeat because the world was theirs to control.
I swallowed hard, trying to force back that strange combination of attraction and fear.
Please don’t use your mind control. “What do you know about the murder of the man with the dragon tattoo on his neck?”
He tilted his head, the shadows slashing across his face and making him look even more dangerous. He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. “Please, have a seat.”
And lose the ability to chuck my potion and run? Hell, no. “I’m fine, thanks.”
He rose from his chair, graceful and dangerous, and moved around to the front of his desk. Every bit of me screamed to move, but I held my ground. His gaze flicked to my neck as if he could see my violent heartbeat.
Vampire.
I kept my gaze averted.
Instead of approaching, he leaned against his desk, facing me. There was a good two meters between us, but it felt like a handbreadth. I could detect the barest hint of his magic—the scent of a fire and the sound of thunder—but it was well under control.
Everything about him was well under control but, somehow, I knew…beneath the surface, there was more than ice.
“Did you kill the man in the alley?” I asked, wishing I already had that truth serum.
“No.”
“That’s it? Just…no?”
“Just no.” He strode toward me, his movement impossibly smooth.
My heartbeat thundered as he approached, and my skin chilled. It took everything I had to hold my ground, but I refused to run. There was too much on the line here, and he was an apex predator. I couldn’t show fear, or he would attack.
Even if that wasn’t true, I couldn’t bear to let him know I was afraid.
Instead of coming straight for me, he moved past, so close that I could smell the fire of his scent. Every bit of me tightened as I turned to follow his back with my gaze, and my shoulders relaxed when he went to the sideboard on the other side of the room.
He looked back at me over his shoulder. “Coffee?”
“Um…no.” I wasn’t going to drink a possible murderer’s coffee.
He poured himself a cup, and the wild thought burst into my head that he also drank blood.
But where were his fangs?
My gaze flicked to his mouth, but I saw none. When I looked at his eyes, I realized that he was smiling at me. Not a big smile, but he was definitely amused.
7
The Devil
I watched the woman. She stood still as a hare spotted by a fox, her gaze carefully averted from mine. My body screamed with an awareness I hadn’t felt in years. Hell, that I had never felt.
What was it about her that made me feel alive? She had eyes that seemed to see right through me, though she wouldn’t make eye contact. The back of my neck prickled as if I were being watched from all angles. Like she could see right to the heart of me and all the terrible things I’d done.
Was that what so intrigued me?
No.
There was a connection, one that I’d never felt before.
And I wanted to sink my fangs into her pale neck and feel every bit of it.
I wanted to touch her. It was something I hadn’t felt in hundreds of years, and she ignited it.
I reached out for her mind, attempting to make contact in a way that would compel her to do my bidding. I wouldn’t use it in an unscrupulous way—I never did that with women—but I wanted to feel that connection. I wanted to make her look at me.
She didn’t comply.
How was that possible?
Did my power not work on her?
She stiffened her spine and demanded, “What do you know about the man in the alley?”
“You could see me there, then?”
She nodded. “I saw you.”
“But you weren’t there. Not when I was.” I studied her, trying to get a hint of her magical signature. It was locked down tight, though not by her own effort. I detected the faintest hint of a suppressor potion.
She wasn’t used to keeping her signature locked down, which confirmed that she wasn’t from Guild City. Everyone here knew how to keep their magic under tight lock and key—the Council of Guilds demanded it. Their strict control of magic in the city was half of what made it possible for me to run my business. Smuggling boomed under strict law and governments. It was perfect for my particular talents.
But then, I’d already known she wasn’t from my city. I knew everything that went on in this part of London. It was impossible not to be painfully aware of her.
“Well?” I prodded. “You weren’t in that alley at the same time I was. I’d have noticed you. But you made a connection with me there.”
She nodded sharply, and I spotted the indecision in her eyes. Finally, she said, “I saw you in one of my visions.”
“Does that happen normally?” If my power didn’t work on her, then she was special to me. I wanted to know if I was special to her.
“Tell me about the body in the alley.”
I grinned, liking that she evaded my question. She wasn’t an easy woman, and I found that it appealed to me. “If you were worried that I was the murderer, why come here?”
“Because I can take care of myself.”
I believed it—for the most part. She could handle herself around others, yes. Still, I could have her underneath me in seconds if I wanted.
But no, that monster was dead inside me now. Killed by my own hand.
These days, I found I preferred the chase.
And no matter how much the citizens of Guild City believed otherwise, I wasn’t a monster. Not all of me.
“No.” I tilted my head to better study her. “You came because you are backed into a corner.”
She scowled at me but didn’t press for more answers. “Tell me about the man in the alley.”
“Persistent, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea.”
“I’m not the murderer.” I sipped the coffee and watched her from my spot across the room.
“I’m not sure I believe you.”
“You’re not dead yet, are you?”
She scoffed. “Just because you killed him doesn’t mean you’ll kill me. Not right away, at least. You might want me for something.”
Want me for something.
An unfamiliar heat blossomed inside me. Yes. I very much did. But not for killing.
I shoved the thought to the back of my mind. Now wasn’t the time for that.
“Why are you tracking the murderer?” I asked.
Her lips tightened, and I could see the thoughts behind her eyes. She was debating how much to tell me. Clever. I trafficked in information as much as anything, and the wise ones knew it was dangerous to tell me things.
Except…
I couldn’t hurt her.
At the mere thought of it, the strangest sensation of protectiveness roared inside of me, a beast bigger than my need to feed. Bigger than anything.
“Why?” I demanded, suddenly more interested than I had been.
“The police think I killed him, and I need to clear my name.” Surprise flashed over her face, almost as if she couldn’t believe she’d told me that.
“You live in the human world?”
“I do.”
“But…why?” Why would any supernatural ever do that? I couldn’t imagine hiding what I was.
“We’re not here to talk about me.”
“Oh, but I’d like to.” And I meant it. I wanted to know everything about her, even as I marveled at this new interest. I hadn’t been interested in much of anything in years.
But her…
She ignited it.
I tried again to compel her to look at me, but she didn’t.
I still couldn’t control her.
She watched the space just to the left of me, her muscles tense and her expression wary. “You’ve been dancing around this. Just give me some answers.”
She was right. The frustration seemed to bubble inside her, and I didn’t want to drive her off.
Anyway, I was interested in the murder, too.
“I don’t know who killed the man. I was there just after it happened.” Her arrival on the scene had driven me off, in fact. I’d left before I’d seen her coming, once I’d sensed someone else was arriving on the scene. If I’d seen her, I would have stuck around longer. Instead, her vision had snared me once I was several streets over, dragging me back to the scene of the crime—or at least dragging my consciousness back. Such interest in another was uncharacteristic of me.
