by Jami Gray
Raine and Gavin said good night, heading out of the gym as a small group of men and women trickled by, preparing for a training course. Memories from her own training made her wonder if she ever looked quite that young. Probably not.
Chapter Six
The light rains from earlier passed, leaving the night air clean and cool. Bright moonlight weaved between the scattered clouds. Walking through the Taliesin employee parking lot, the hem of her trench coat nipping at her calves, Raine led the way to her SUV. Beside her, Gavin matched his long stride to her shorter ones, his own dark coat zipped.
“Any preference where we go?” He question breaking the quiet of the night.
He looked down at her. “Got some place in mind?”
She gave him a tiny smile. “Actually, yeah. I have a friend who runs a small pub down in the Pearl District.”
An up-and-coming spot, The Pearl District was home to art galleries, riverside condos, warehouse lofts, restaurants, and brewpubs. Currently, it was under siege by hard hats and cranes as every street corner seemed in the midst of a facelift.
Reaching the SUV, she unlocked the doors so he could climb in. She turned the key and muted the abrupt explosion of music with a turn of her wrist. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Once on the road, she shot him a swift glance. “So, what’s the story from Natasha?”
She could hear him shifting his body—probably so he could watch her. It was a habit she was beginning to dread.
His voice cut through her thoughts. “It seems a couple of her people in lower level jobs at some of Talbot’s research companies heard some interesting stories floating around the water cooler.”
“How interesting?” She kept her eyes on the rain-slicked road.
“Puzzling might be a better word.” He paused for a second. “What do you know about Talbot’s father, Aaron?”
Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel as she chanced a quick look at him. “Just old rumors and stories. Why?”
The weak light from passing street lamps cast shifting shadows across his face, making it hard to read his expression. His voice remained neutral with no hint of where his questions were heading. “It seems of the seven deaths that have occurred, the first four were close business associates of the father’s. Not the son’s. While the last three deaths were men the son, Jonah, had handpicked to help run his various ventures.”
“I know old man Talbot was the one who moved the fading family business into scientific research.” She kept her voice level, burying her own opinions of the topic down deep. “I vaguely remember reading about it when he died in that car accident some years back.”
Gavin was quiet for so long that she chanced another glance, only to catch him watching her. She wished she could see him better. There was something going on behind his shadowed face, and it caused a small shiver to work its way down her back. When she turned back to the road, she felt, more than saw, his small headshake when he looked away.
Finally, his low voice continued, “From what I was able to gather from Natasha, the rumor mill is leaning toward a personal grudge on the last three.”
“These low level employees know Natasha how?” How much of Gavin’s theories were going to be based on rumor?
“Well, they didn’t exactly check the ‘Other’ box on their applications,” his tone was wry. “But it seems they’re both half-demons who fall on the weaker side of the power lines.”
She nodded. “Which means they’re better able to play with the humans.” Some of the less powerful half-demons would pass themselves off as humans. A common decision for those who didn’t want to get pulled into the dominance games riddling Natasha’s domain.
“Right,” he said. “So the information is about as reliable as we’re going to get, unless we actually sit down with Mr. Jonah Talbot.”
“Probably more reliable.” She didn’t bother to hide the scorn in her voice. “Men like Talbot tend to get off on keeping as much information as they can to themselves.”
“You said you didn’t know Talbot,” he drawled with a sharp edge to his voice. “Somehow, I’m getting the impression you do.”
Damn, the man was just too perceptive by half. “Look, I know of men like Talbot. Whether they’re Kyn or human, give a man money, power, and influence then watch as they elevate themselves to godhood.”
“Jealous?” he mocked.
She slid her eyes to meet his. “No, but it gets old after a while. You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed the same pattern?”
He shrugged. “True, but there can be exceptions.”
“I don’t think Talbot is going to be an exception,” she replied tightly.
He didn’t respond to her comment, just changed the subject. “Speaking of power and influence, how did your conversation with Cheveyo go?”
Remembering her own discoveries, her shoulders tensed. “It went.” Her short tone earned another sharp look from Gavin.
“It went where?” he prodded.
She wasn’t going to touch on the personal aspect, but he needed to know what she’d found out. Keeping the retelling short and to the point, she told him of the missing Dimtri, finishing the story as she turned into one of the public parking lots scattered throughout the Pearl district.
He didn’t say anything as they got out and walked through the lot to the sidewalk. They both ignored the wary looks they gathered when they passed an art gallery, a restaurant, and an antique shop.
Raine paused next to a large smoked glass window beside a heavy wooden door. Before Gavin could grab the twisted black metal door handle, she put her hand on his arm, ignoring the flare of heat the touch of his skin caused. “By the way, this place is warded.”
He raised an eyebrow, lips tilted slightly in the age-old male answer to a challenge. “How strongly?”
“Very.” She dropped her hand. “It’s a refuge for both Kyn and mortals, hence the name.” She indicated the letters etched in the window.
“Zarana’s? What’s that?” He pulled the door open and gestured for her to precede him.
Giving him a slight smirk, she stepped back and waved him first. He shrugged then crossed the threshold, stiffening momentarily when he hit the edge of the ward. He turned his head slowly back to her, looking a bit shocked.
“I did warn you.” She gave him a half-smile. “The name’s Sanskrit. It roughly translates to a place of shelter or refuge.”
Bracing for the ward’s impact, she followed, not visibly reacting to the shocking sensation of having her magic cut off. Considering Gavin’s reaction, he must have more Fey blood in him than she’d guessed. Those who could lay claim to Fey blood could feel—like a constant white noise—the natural magic, which still existed in the world. The amount running through your veins determined the volume of that noise. Some wards could be used as a barrier between you and your magic.
A pure blooded Fey was a rarity. Actually, finding a pure blooded Kyn of any line was an oddity in their world. With so much intermingling among the supernatural races, those who could claim pure blood status were either very old, or Shifters. A long life and low birth rates were Mother Nature’s solution for keeping the Kyn and human populations balanced. Humans outnumbered the Kyn, but what the Kyn lacked in numbers, they made up for in power.
As the door swung shut behind them, the noise level dropped before quickly resuming. Looking around the warmly lit pub, she saw a group clear out of a booth in the back. Stepping in front of Gavin, she led the way. As they threaded through the crowded tables, she heard her name called. Turning to the long bar on the side, she smiled at the diminutive figure currently pulling a couple of drafts.
“Go ahead and grab it before someone else does.” Raine gave Gavin a slight push toward the now open booth. “What do you want to drink?”
“A black and tan,” he answered, still moving toward the empty table. He reached it just before a group of four could stake their own claim. Shooting him wary looks, they moved away.
Sh
e turned back toward the bar, taking off her coat. A nervous looking man grabbed his drink and headed toward a nearby table filled with, what appeared to be, a bunch of female executives. The man looked as if he was gearing up to ask one of them out.
When Raine passed the table, a slight vibration danced lightly over her skin. The small blonde closest to her was probably a shifter. Grabbing Nervous Guy’s recently vacated spot at the bar, Raine waited for the bartender.
It didn’t take long.
“Hey McCord, tell me it’s your night off, uh?” Dark eyes sparkled with humor out of a face that could be called cute, even with the four long, thin scars running from temple to chin. However, telling the small female bartender she was cute could get you cut off at the knees.
Raine grinned with true warmth at the woman on the other side of the counter. “No worries, Alexi. I’m just here with a business associate.”
Alexi looked at Gavin sitting in the booth, and her smile grew bigger, her gaze speculative. “So, you’re finally getting a social life?” She set a glass in front of a bleary-eyed executive a couple of seats down. Wiping her hands on the white towel at her waist, she moved back in front of Raine. “Good lord, girl, let’s break out the good stuff.”
Raine was constantly amazed to find herself friends with Alexi. The woman loved to flirt and considered sex part of a balanced diet. “Not quite. It really is business. Let’s just stick with my usual, and he’ll take a black-and-tan.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Alexi’s gaze was reproachful, her tone admonishing. Her short cap of dark curls danced in time with her quick movements as she pulled Gavin’s drink and then poured Raine’s cup of tea. “You’re a foolish woman to be passing up something like that. I can’t think of a better way to mix business with pleasure.”
Unfortunately, even though she knew better, a small part of Raine agreed whole-heartedly with her friend, no matter what her secret yearnings were. Getting involved with Gavin was not smart. Not now, and the outlook for the future wasn’t too shiny either. Grabbing the drinks as Alexi was called away by another customer, she wove her way back to Gavin.
Handing him his drink, she sat down across from him.
He looked at her cup. “Tea?” She could see the silent laughter in his eyes. “It’s a bar, Raine. Don’t you drink?”
She warmed her hands around the mug and shot a deliberate look at her tea. “It’s liquid. That equals a drink in my world.” She didn’t like the taste of alcohol, or the resulting loss of control.
He turned back to the bar, watching the diminutive bartender. “A friend?”
She nodded. “Alexi Savriti, she owns Zarana’s.” When she stopped, he turned toward her obviously waiting for the rest of the story. She sighed. “We met a few years back when someone I was tracking ran in here looking for a place to hide.”
She took a sip of her tea, not wanting to go into the details. She’d followed the psychotic necromancer into the bar. He mistakenly thought since it was a refuge, he’d be given sanctuary. Alexi was all about providing neutral ground, but when the crazy man told the bartender she was the main course for his zombie, she helped Raine open his line of communication with the dead a lot wider than he’d been expecting. Then, together the two women disconnected it. Permanently.
“Going to share?” Gavin was still looking for an explanation.
She turned her cup around in idle circles. “Since this place is kind of a neutral zone, she picks up all sorts of interesting tidbits. We help each other out occasionally.” She figured Alexi kept her around to keep the more exotic customers in line.
Her friend provided a safe place for Kyn and human alike that alone demanded respect. Here was one place the two worlds could coexist in relative harmony. No one questioned how weird your behavior was. Instead everyone enjoyed the food, drink, and entertainment, leaving the outside world on the other side of the door. But more than that, Raine cherished the fact at Zarana’s she could just be another anonymous face, not the dreaded Wraith or the weird misfit.
Gavin interrupted her internal musing. “She’s a witch then?” Raine’s puzzlement must have been obvious because he explained, “The warding, it’s damn strong.”
Immediately she understood why he’d make that assumption. Witches were notoriously good at setting wards. He would know considering his warding skill probably came through his witchy mother. Not that it mattered. As long as he did his job, identifying his DNA wasn’t her priority. “No, she’s actually a human/half-demon mix.”
His eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s not possible. Half-demon blood drives the human half insane by the time they hit puberty. They fall apart and generally end up dead—by their own hand or someone else’s.”
“True,” a throaty voice broke in. The woman in question sat next to Raine, who scooted over to give her some room. “Except I’m thinking my gypsy blood helped to counter that particular nasty side effect. Though some would argue differently, especially when I’m a tad upset.” She flashed a quick, flirtatious smile at him. “I’m Alexi, and you are?”
“Gavin Durand,” he answered with his own devastating grin, proving even he wasn’t immune to a little flirting.
Raine could never figure out what it was about her friend, but the woman drew men like a magnet. If Raine could ever figure it out, she’d make a fortune, or at least end her own dry spell.
Alexi turned to Raine, curiosity plain on her face. “What are you looking into now?”
Raine shifted a glance at Gavin, before meeting Alexi’s gaze. “Actually, we’re both looking into separate situations. The boss thinks they’re connected.” Her friend may not know she was a Wraith, but she did know Raine was a Security Officer, who’s job description sometimes included hunting down outlaw Kyn on behalf of Taliesin. She was Raine’s ace in the hole when it came to obscure information on various members of the Kyn world. The barkeep’s information was always gold.
Alexi listened while Raine repeated what they knew. She was quiet, her gaze unfocused as she thought it through. “So, not counting the stud boy—”
“Justin Black,” Raine cut in.
Alexi waved her hand dismissively. “Fine, Justin, who was scoped out, you have a missing wizard and a witch in hiding, both approached for testing, and someone going around knocking off humans involved with the Talbot Foundation.” She searched Raine’s face. “You think the research company is one of Talbot’s don’t you?”
Raine did actually. Those supposed stories about old man Talbot were true. He’d been snatching up Kyn and screwing with their DNA in an attempt to create beings that were never meant to be. He even picked up the occasional human just to test his obscene theories. Unfortunately, due to the lack of living, breathing witnesses this was not common knowledge. Those precious few, who had survived, were so broken they would probably prefer death.
She wouldn’t be surprised if Talbot’s son was following in his father’s footsteps. Few knew the old man had actually succeeded with some of his experiments, but Raine couldn’t focus on that. Faded screams and blurred faces flashed in her mind’s eye before she pushed them back.
Returning Alexi’s look—hoping her nightmares weren’t showing—she aimed for a casual tone. “Don’t know for sure yet, but I should by tomorrow morning. I have someone at the office connecting the dots.”
The barkeep turned serious, obviously following the directions of Raine’s thoughts. “You know those old rumors about his father have never been proven. You can’t go after a human based on past gossip. Pissing off someone like Talbot could get you hurt. That man’s got some serious influence in this town.”
Raine couldn’t keep her hands from tightening on her cup any more than she could eliminate the frustration from her voice. “So I’m supposed to ignore the possibility of someone with enough power to stay hidden, funding experiments on Kyn? Ignore the fact it’s damn suspicious when a research company is trying to test drugs on a wizard, then all of a sudden he disappears into
thin air? When it comes up that this Polleo is connected to Talbot, I’m supposed to believe it’s a big coincidence?”
“Just be careful,” Alexi’s tone softened, an obvious effort to calm Raine. “You’re not indestructible.”
Raine tried to ignore the worry on her friend’s face.
“You’re leaving out the murders,” Gavin cut in, shocking her into remembering he was silently following their conversation. She heaved a mental curse, wondering what he was going to pick up from her little rant.
He took a sip of his beer before continuing, “If you believe the logic of what you’re thinking, Raine, and Talbot is picking up where his father left off, it could explain why some of his top people are being picked off. It wouldn’t explain all of them, but it’s a place to start.”
And that was the last thing she wanted to give him. How in the hell did she get into these situations? She needed to watch what she said, which was why she preferred working alone. Gavin wouldn’t stop until he had every scrap of information on these deaths, all of them. As much as she admired his tenacity, right now it was a pain in her ass.
“Look,” Alexi said before Raine could say anything to throw Gavin off. “I don’t have much to add, except if I hear anything you can use, I’ll let you know. Especially about Dimtri, okay?”
Raine nodded, grateful Alexi was backing down. She hugged the smaller woman briefly before Alexi headed back to the bar.
Silence filled the booth as Gavin watched the milling crowd. Raine sipped her now lukewarm tea, thinking. She needed to wait until tomorrow to find out if she was right about Polleo. Not to mention letting Mulcahy know his hunch might once again be spot on. Once she was finished with that lovely task, she needed to decide how much information she would share with the increasingly disturbing, but attractive man sitting across from her.
She leaned her head against the back of the booth. She was fairly certain the term “full disclosure” played into Gavin’s definition of a partner. It did for her. Unfortunately, in this case, full disclosure could mean the end of their tentative partnership. No way did she want to instigate that volatile discussion. Inwardly she winced. She had a feeling he would be ticked—actually more like wickedly pissed should that discussion take place.
