Song and Key

by Connie Bailey

“Have you been trying to impress me?”

  “Well… yeah. Of course. You’re my only serious competition,” Keller admitted.

  Seva chuckled. “Your ego would be irritating if it wasn’t so innocent.”

  “Innocent is not a word that can be applied to me,” Keller said, glancing meaningfully at his erection and giving it a little wag.

  “Not true.” Seva stroked his fingers down from Keller’s neck to his belly button. “You’re innocent of many things.”

  “Well then, we should do something about that as soon as possible.”

  Seva looked down into Keller’s green-gold eyes. “There really is no fear in you, is there?”

  “Not about things like this. That werewolf made me a little nervous, though.” Keller paused. “Wait, weren’t there scratches on your back earlier?” He put a hand on Seva’s shoulder and pulled him closer. To his surprise, Seva’s back was unmarked. “What the hell?”

  “‘What the hell’ what?”

  “The scratches are gone… like they were never there in the first place. No scabs, no scars, nothing.”

  “Like your puncture wounds.”

  “Weirder and weirder.” Keller’s eyes went soft as his imagination kicked in. “What do you think is—?”

  “You’re beautiful,” Seva said and stopped Keller’s words with a kiss. It was some time before they turned the lights out and even longer before they got to sleep.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Thursday, midmorning, at the inn

  THE next morning Cosmina woke them with a knock on their door. She called out that breakfast was ready and went back downstairs.

  “They were up at the ruins again,” Radu grumbled angrily as Cosmina entered the kitchen.

  She shrugged. “Darius told me earlier. They seem quite dedicated to their hobby.”

  “Are you being stupid on purpose? Those men are not what they say they are.”

  “Well, I’ve never asked what their professions are,” she said. “Perhaps they’re policemen or something of the sort.”

  “Yes, I would guess they did that type of job, though they don’t remind me of Darius at all.” Radu gave her a mischievous smile.

  Cosmina made an indignant noise. “Tease all you like. Despite what Darius might think, I am not interested in him.”

  “He is not enough man for you, my girl,” Radu said with an affable nod. “You need someone more like Mr. Sevastyan.”

  “Not Mr. Keller?”

  “Eh, he is man enough, but a little too tame for you. There is still much of the savage in Mr. Sevastyan. I think he would suit you better.”

  Cosmina laughed, blushing a bit. “What a thing to say! I’m a good girl.”

  He patted her arm. “I know you are, printesa mea. I haven’t asked after your family in a while. How is your brother?”

  “Alexandru is still away at school in Bucharest. He prefers not to come home until he has his degree. I tell him he’s foolish, but does he listen?”

  Radu shook his head. “It’s not good for a man to be so handsome. Women have spoiled Alex all his life.”

  “It’s the truth, and I am the worst example.”

  Radu chuckled. “Would you have time to mind the hotel for me today?”

  Cosmina nodded. “Mr. Creanga did not come to his lesson yesterday and he has not called today, so I have canceled him.”

  “Thank you, my dear.” Radu removed his apron and handed Cosmina the master keys. “If you must go before I return, lock up my office.” He kissed her cheek. “I hope your day is a good one.”

  After Radu left, Cosmina put the roasts in the oven to slow-cook for dinner. She heard someone come into the dining room and went out to see if her help was needed. “Good morning!” she said when she saw Seva and Keller. She gestured to the buffet. “The morning crowd didn’t manage to eat everything. Fill a plate and sit wherever you like, as usual.”

  “Are we the only guests this morning?” Seva asked.

  “I’m afraid everyone else has already eaten, but I could keep you company if you like. I’m ready for another cup of coffee.”

  Cosmina fetched her cup and sat down with the agents to nibble at a pastry. “How did your exploring go yesterday?”

  “We found several interesting things,” Keller said easily.

  “Good. I was worried about you, but it looks as though you’ve recovered very well.”

  Keller nodded. “The wounds weren’t as bad as they looked. I’m not sure where all the blood came from, but it couldn’t have been mine.”

  “I am glad to hear this. Did you see a doctor in Sinaia?”

  “We saw a nurse at a drugstore,” Seva lied, trying to end the line of conversation.

  “I’ll have another look at you when we get back.” She smiled. “I know it sounds a bit boring, but I’m a practitioner of natural healing. I like to pick and dry my own herbs.”

  “It doesn’t sound boring at all to me,” Seva said.

  “Us,” Keller said, nudging him under the table. “It doesn’t sound boring to us.”

  “I’m sorry,” Seva said, turning to smirk at Keller. “Did I make you jealous?”

  Cosmina laughed. “You two make me wish for the camaraderie of my university days. Where are you hiking today?”

  “Do you know of any caves or tunnels around here?” Keller asked. “We saw something in a guidebook, but it wasn’t very specific.”

  “There was a tunnel that the local Christians used to escape the Huns. I’ve never seen it myself, but my brother played there as a child, or claimed he did. He liked making up stories, so I never believed him, but if it is there, it’s somewhere up the mountain, above the abbey ruins.”

  Seva glanced at Keller, and Keller nodded. “Perhaps that’s what we found yesterday, so we’re going back to check it out,” Seva said.

  She made an agreeable noise. “Radu packed a lunch for you. I’ll get it when you’re ready to go.”

  “He’s not here?” Seva asked.

  “He had some errands in Ploiești, I believe.”

  “When he comes back, you can let him know where we’ve gone. Might as well make it easy for the search party tonight.” Keller grinned, doing his best to look chagrined.

  Cosmina laughed again. “Believe it or not, you’re well-liked in the village. People say you aren’t like most tourists. You’re respectful and you don’t hang out at the local bar like you own it.”

  “There’s a bar?” Keller joked.

  “Yes, and I’ll take you on Friday if you’re still here,” Cosmina offered. “Both of you, of course.”

  “Absolutely,” Keller said. “I guess we might as well head out. I’m done with breakfast if you are, Sev.”

  Cosmina brought the leather pouch from the kitchen, and Keller put the strap over his shoulder.

  “I noticed your car wasn’t parked out the back when I came to work,” she said.

  “We ran out of gas,” Seva said with a glare at Keller to warn him to keep silent.

  “Would you like me to—?”

  “No, that’s okay,” Keller said. “We’ll buy a few liters from the mechanic on our way out.”

  “Have a good day, then,” Cosmina said as she began clearing the table.

  They left the inn and headed down the street toward the gorge, dawdling enough to make it seem like they weren’t in a hurry, but not excessively. At the police station, they stopped in and told Darius their plans. He snorted dismissively, wished them luck, and went back to reading the paper. As they walked away, Darius watched over the top of the pages.

  “WE should be able to find out who’s passing information about us to TWISM soon,” Seva said.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t hear that name without giggling.” Keller grinned as he made his way around one of the larger rocks in the now-familiar path. “But yeah, I think we told our plans to the right people so the word gets around. Hey, Sev?” Keller’s questioning tone was extra casual and nonchalant, which betrayed him.

>   “Yes?”

  “This thing we have. It’s not going to go away when we go home, is it? I don’t want a Brokeback kind of relationship.” He chuckled a little, a bit forced.

  Seva sighed. “We can be as open or secretive as you like, but I have no intention of dropping you like a hot tomato when the mission is over.” He paused. “I understand that’s your specialty.”

  “Ouch! You’re an asshole, but you’re not wrong,” Keller said, more relieved than hurt.

  “So which of us should be worried?”

  “You always have to take the moral high ground, don’t you?”

  “It’s not a question of taking it. It’s just where I happen to be,” Seva answered smugly.

  “My God, you’re a magnificent bastard.”

  “And underneath your cocky-asshole exterior, you’re an even bigger, cockier asshole.” Seva grinned.

  Keller laughed. “I love you too.” The instant the words left his mouth, he regretted saying them. He’d said it as a joke, but things were different now. He didn’t want to spook Seva by being either too needy or too offhand. Whatever this thing that had sprung up between them was, he wanted to see where it went.

  “And I love cocky assholes,” Seva replied in an easy tone.

  Keller relaxed, having been tenser than he’d realized. Everything was going to be all right. As far as the mission went, they had established that Gwillym Cynwrig’s death was a murder, and they knew who had killed him. They had learned of the existence of a new underground criminal organization. Soon they’d know the identity of the local liaison who had sold out his cultural heritage by aiding land developers in their quest to bulldoze a piece of history. Above all, he had this new incredibly exhilarating partnership to explore. Relationships were a whole new ballgame. Keller smiled at Seva’s ass as Seva climbed the trail ahead of him.

  “THIS seemed a lot farther away last night,” Keller said as they came within sight of the tunnel. From below, the entrance looked remarkably like a cave mouth surrounded by the remnants of a landslide. “Nice camo.”

  Seva nodded. “Unless you flew over, you’d never notice it. I’m always amazed by the people who earn the interest of GLEN.”

  “In what way?” Keller sat on the ground with his back against a tree and took the canteen from the pouch.

  “Villains always seem to do things in such convoluted ways.”

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed that.” Keller offered him the canteen.

  Seva drank and gave it back. “And they seem positively addicted to grand gestures.”

  “True.” Keller lifted an eyebrow. “What’s your point?”

  Seva shrugged. “I don’t really have one. Just making an observation.”

  Keller hooked an arm around Seva’s neck and pulled him into an embrace. He hooked a leg around Seva’s, pushed, and they overbalanced and sprawled on the warm pine needles with Seva atop him, hoping for an alfresco make-out session. But something was wrong.

  Lithe as a cat, Seva scowled and sprang up. Crouching, he signaled to Keller to stay quiet. Keller rolled onto his stomach and looked up the slope. Men in camouflage coveralls were moving around the perimeter of the tunnel entrance, their rifles at the ready.

  “Definitely expecting us,” Keller whispered. “Good thing I was thirsty enough to stop for a drink.”

  Seva nodded and continued watching one of the men, who was searching the ground in front of his feet. The soldier crouched and examined the dirt at the end of the concrete. The man looked up and into the woods before calling out to the others.

  “They’re going to search the woods,” Seva said.

  “Split up, circle around?”

  Seva’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “I’m getting a little bored with that one.”

  “But it’s a classic.”

  “Let’s stick together,” Seva said, grinning.

  “Fine by me.” Keller smiled back and then took the lead as they worked their way farther from the line of soldiers.

  “They’re not giving up,” Seva said as they reached the vicinity of the ruins. “Hide or keep running?”

  “It’s still a ways to the village, but it’s all downhill.”

  “I’m game,” Seva said and followed Keller past the tumbled stone walls.

  They were nearly at the bottom of the gorge when Seva stopped and held up a hand. “I don’t hear them anymore.”

  “Me neither.” Keller smiled. “There’s the road. I was thinking we should ask Cosmina to take us out tonight.”

  Seva was about to step into the road when a car swept around the curve. He drew back and waited with Keller until the vehicle was close enough to see.

  “It’s a police car,” Keller said. He stepped out and waved.

  Darius stopped his ancient Dacia and rolled down the window. “What is this? Hitchhiking?”

  “Not exactly,” Keller said. “We just came down from the mountain.”

  “I can give you a ride, if you like.”

  “No, that’s okay,” Keller said, glancing meaningfully at Seva.

  “I insist.” Darius stuck his gun out the window. “Get in the car,” he said with a cruel smile. When neither agent moved, Darius pointed the Walther PPK at Seva. “Get in the car, Mr. Key,” he said, “or I will shoot Mr. Song.”

  Keller climbed into the passenger seat.

  “Mr. Song,” Darius said. “Come and sit on your partner’s lap or I will shoot off his pula. I am sure you would miss it.”

  Seva tried not to roll his eyes at Darius’s tough-guy act and Keller’s mock-scandalized face.

  “Where are we going?” Keller asked when Seva finished contorting himself into the passenger seat with him.

  “Back up the mountain.” Darius backed the car up the dirt track for a couple of miles. He put the vehicle in park and used a radio to report his position.

  “Now we wait for instructions,” he said. “You can get out of the car if you like. There are snipers on the ridge if you think of running.”

  First Darius and then Seva and Keller got out of the car.

  “Let me guess,” Keller said as he leaned on the fender. “Creanga promised you a juicy job and a fat paycheck after the hotel was built.”

  “You know about Domnul Creanga?” Darius paused. “Of course you do. You aren’t idiots. You’re poponari, but you aren’t stupid. And you for sure are not tourists interested in history.”

  “Not really,” Keller acknowledged. “Our boss asked us to look into his friend’s death. It wasn’t until we got here that we found out the man owned a large portion of this mountain.”

  “La Bizar was a stubborn man and a very foolish one. He stirred up things that should have been left alone.”

  “Are you sure it was him and not the surveyors?” Seva asked. From the ridge, the glint of sun on glass caught his eye, and he knew a sniper was looking down a scope at him, or worse, at Keller. He immediately revised his plan to edge close enough to lunge at Darius while simultaneously shielding Keller from the gun. If they were among the trees, it would be child’s play, but out here in the open, it was suicide.

  “Tell me you aren’t doing this just for the money, Darius,” Keller said in a world-weary tone.

  Darius scoffed. “Call me Domnul Gheorghe. You Americans have no respect, casually calling a man by his first name. Yes, I’m doing it for the money and the status. I’ll be head of security.” Darius hitched up his belt with one hand. “And I’m also doing it so the villagers will have good jobs. Why should we be expected to survive on Sinaia’s leftovers?”

  “I’m assuming you were in on the plan to scare away property owners,” Seva said. “Did it occur to you that the area could get an unsavory reputation?”

  Darius made a dismissive noise. “No. We were only frightening the older villagers and la Bizar. The boss says tourists aren’t frightened by stories of vampires. They are attracted to them.”

  “Probably right,” Seva conceded. “Did you know Atanase Creanga shot the acto
r who was playing your Dracula?”

  “The boss didn’t authorize him to— It doesn’t matter,” Darius stopped himself. “He was going to be killed eventually anyway.”

  “And you’re okay with that?” Keller said. “That’s pretty far to go for a few jobs.”

  “He was an outsider.” Darius obviously considered this the last word on the matter and moved to another subject. “Why did you keep looking around after all the things we did to discourage you? I would have gone home after being attacked by a gang, a vampire, and a pack of wolves.”

  “You don’t know our boss,” Keller said with a rueful grin. “He doesn’t accept excuses.”

  Darius sniffed. “Neither does mine. His men will be here any moment to take you to him.”

  “Why?” Seva asked. “Why does your boss need to see us?” Seva kept his expression curious but didn’t show his surprise. Either Darius wasn’t aware that Creanga was dead, or someone else was calling the shots.

  “I don’t ask questions like that,” Darius said.

  “Oh. I see,” Seva said. “Then I guess there’s no point talking to you.” He turned and focused his gaze on the ridge.

  “He doesn’t have any social skills,” Keller said apologetically to Darius. “Hey, if your boss kills us, will you make sure our rental car gets back to the agency? It’s parked at the other end of the tunnel.”

  “You were in the tunnel?” Darius blurted, obviously taken aback.

  “You didn’t know that either?” Seva asked without turning.

  “Hey, Sev,” Keller said, “I bet you anything he doesn’t know about the real werewolf.”

  Darius snorted.

  “That’s how I felt,” Seva agreed. “Until I saw the thing kill Creanga with a swipe of its paw.”

  Keller nodded as his partner turned to face him. “Don’t forget those half-dozen guards that got shredded.”

  “You think I’d believe such a ridiculous story?” Darius said with a sneer. “I might be from a small village, but I’m not going to stay here forever. I’m smart and I’ve got will.”

  “You’ve also got an expiration date,” Seva said sympathetically. “Do you really think your boss will let you live considering what you know about his methods?”