Shadow's Edge

by Jami Gray

  Raine’s lip curled in disdain, contempt clear in her voice. “I don’t quite believe that. No Kyn would voluntarily put themselves in a scientist’s hands. Where the hell is she getting her samples?”

  Gavin shrugged.

  Raine sighed. “In case all of that wasn’t enough, we’ve got the general fishing for information on a secret Kyn army.”

  “Someone’s talking out of school,” Gavin growled.

  “No shit,” she shot back. “And the cherry on top,” the hardest to swallow as far as she was concerned, “we have Talbot’s fervent denial of not being a chip off the old block.”

  Gavin’s eyes narrowed. “Do you believe him?”

  She stilled her chair, shrugged, and sent the pencil rolling along her desk. “I’m trying to figure out if he’s the world’s greatest liar or a naïve dupe. If he’s lying, then he’s even more dangerous than his father.”

  She pinched the bridge of her nose. “But if Talbot’s telling the truth, is he truly ignorant of what’s happening in his company? Because someone at the foundation is involved.”

  Dropping her hand, she took a breath and listened to her own voice say, “If it’s not Talbot, my next bet is Dr. Lawson and the general.”

  She must have flinched because Gavin gave a wry grin. “Bet that hurt to say.”

  “You have no idea,” she groused. “What do we tell Mulcahy?”

  His grin faded and exhaustion etched lines around his mouth. “That the human military is working with the Talbot Foundation and may be creating their own Kyn/human hybrid army. Just in case that’s not enough of a challenge, there’s a leak somewhere in Taliesin, and the next Kyn they trap will likely be a Wraith.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Raine and Gavin met with Mulcahy to share their thoughts and conclusions. Mulcahy didn’t react until they came to the part where they voiced their theory the leak was a Wraith.

  His eyes went scarily cold, his voice frigid. “How sure are you it’s a Wraith?”

  “We’re not,” Gavin stated. “But since we’re the only group of Kyn who know the Wraiths aren’t an urban myth, evidence suggests a Kyn in the know would have to spill for Wraiths to ping on the humans’ radar.”

  Mulcahy nodded and gestured for them to continue. When they finally finished, he was quiet for a few minutes, thinking things through. Raine could almost see him running various scenarios and drawing conclusions, dismissing those that didn’t fit.

  Finally, he broke the silence. “We need more information on this Dr. Eden Lawson and what she’s found. I’ll see if Rachel can get a hold of Talbot and the good doctor. I need to take them up on their offer of a tour of their offices. Durand, I need you to dig up as much background as you can on Dr. Lawson.” Turning his attention to her, he kept issuing commands. “McCord, if I can get this tour, you’re coming with me. In the meantime, I want you to see how much information you can gather on the Cawleys.”

  Orders delivered, he waved them out of his office. Raine closed the door behind her as he asked Rachel to contact Talbot and arrange a meeting, today if possible. She headed down to research to start unearthing what she could on the general and his wife.

  Interestingly enough, there was quite a bit. Cawley had a distinguished record of service to his country. He came from a military family and carried on the family tradition of service, rising quickly to his command post.

  He married Erica Waverly, the daughter of a southern businessman who made his first million at the tender age of twenty. The Cawley’s had two children, both high school age and currently residing at private boarding schools. The practice of sending children away to school always puzzled Raine. If you had children, why wouldn’t you want them around?

  The general’s history read like a perfect example of a military man on the fast track. His current post was blacked out. Trying to get into sealed military records was more than she could handle, so she turned it over to one of the research techs. Hopefully something would pop, but she wasn’t holding her breath. Cawley’s current project was sealed under so many locks it would take a computer Houdini to release it.

  She made a point of asking the tech to get through without raising any flags. The general’s records were squeaky clean—almost extraordinarily so—and it set off her internal alarms like a claxon. Something was buried deep, but she wasn’t sure anyone at Taliesin would be able to uncover it.

  Around one, she got the call from Rachel to meet Mulcahy downstairs for their appointment with Talbot. She headed toward the elevators, sighing when she caught sight of her jeans-clad reflection in the glass doors. She was definitely underdressed for the meeting, but there wasn’t much she could do about it.

  A few minutes later, she sank into the dark leather passenger seat of Mulcahy’s sleek black BMW sedan. He and Gavin seem to share a love of a fine automobile.

  Unobtrusively she studied her uncle. He drove with the same deliberate control that marked every aspect of his character. His hair was unruffled, and his Armani suit impeccable. Watching him, she realized not once in their relationship had she ever seen him off balance or unsettled. There had been anger, coldness, hints of a wickedly dry humor, and his normal business-like mien, but she couldn’t remember any softer emotions. For the first time she wonders at what happened to make him such a controlled being?

  “Do I have something on my face, McCord?” his voice broke through the silence simmering in the plush interior.

  She shook her head slightly, mortified to have been caught staring. “Are we meeting just Talbot for this little tour?”

  “Actually, no. It seems Dr. Lawson was excited at the prospect of visiting supporters and would enjoy showing us her lab and research.”

  She frowned. “Excited?”

  He shrugged.

  “That makes zero sense if she’s been doing what we think she has.”

  She met Mulcahy’s gaze briefly before he focused on the road again. For a moment, she thought she’d seen a flicker of gentle amusement. It made her wonder what he saw when he looked at her.

  When she was younger, she would comfort herself with stories of how he loved her. She convinced herself his cold demeanor was a shield, covering his guilt and shame at being unable to save his beloved sister and her only child.

  The illusion faded when she ran across a picture of her mother and realized how alike they looked. Similar enough that Raine decided it wasn’t any gentle emotion tightening Mulcahy’s face when he really looked at her, but resentment. Resentment she was alive, not her mother.

  His voice brought her back to the present. “It makes perfect sense. It’s the concept of hiding in plain sight. Dr. Lawson has probably decided it will negate any questions we have on her work if she appears to be open to letting us see what she’s accomplished.”

  She raised an eyebrow at the dry tone in his voice. “So she’s showing off?”

  “That would be my guess.”

  She watched the passing scenery as they headed into downtown Portland. Trees gave partial glimpses into buildings hidden behind thick foliage. The overcast skies lent the developing downtown skyline a blurry edge. “Is Talbot a player in her game, do you think?” Her deceptive casualness belied the importance of his answer.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the reflexive tightening of his fingers on the steering wheel before he relaxed them once more. “I don’t have enough information to give you an answer.” His response was as bland as his tone. When the BMW pulled into a parking spot outside the Talbot Foundation’s main office, he slid her a sharp look. “Why is it you want him to be guilty?”

  Meeting his penetrating gaze with an unemotional one, she challenged, “Why is it you want him to be innocent?”

  “I never said he was, Raine.” There was an edge of something she couldn’t identify in his voice. “However, I don’t judge the children for their parents’ actions.” With that, he opened his door and got out.

  Liar! Her mental voice hissed. The barb wedged
deep as she watched him stop at the doors to look back at her. Hiding the impact of his verbal hit, she kept her expression blank. She wasn’t up to playing on her uncle’s level, but one day he would stab too deep, and when the bleeding stopped, there would be nothing left between them.

  Straightening her shoulders, she got out and walked up behind the man she knew would never love her, never trust her, and forever blame her for his beloved sister’s death.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The Talbot Foundation was almost as impressive as Taliesin’s offices. To Raine’s mind the sleek lines, modern edges, glass walls, and gleaming steel were more intimidating than welcoming. She followed Mulcahy across the marbled tiles to the front desk where he gave their names and, like the magic they lived with, they were ushered into a private elevator. When the doors opened, plush carpet stretched along the hallway of the top floor leading to a set of imposing wooden doors.

  As they approached, one of those doors opened and Talbot appeared, dressed in modern businessman attire, complete with dark pinstripe slacks, deep blue shirt, and a tie that brought the shirt and slacks together. Raine bet there was a jacket somewhere in his office. He wore a welcoming smile and an air of excitement. As Mulcahy’s official bodyguard and unofficial extra set of eyes and ears, she stayed a couple of steps behind.

  “Mr. Mulcahy,” Talbot’s greeting was cheerful. “I’m so glad you found the time to visit.” He aimed his charm her way, offering his hand. “Ms. McCord, a pleasure.”

  Shaking his hand, she gave him a nod.

  Jonah turned back to Mulcahy. “Won’t you come in?” He motioned them both inside. “I have coffee, or tea if you’d like, before we tour the offices.”

  She followed Mulcahy in, but stood near the door. Her boss took a seat in front of the black walnut desk, behind which a set of floor-to-ceiling bookcases dominated the wall space. A nice, flat-screen TV, complete with sound system, hung on the wall beside the door. Papers were strewn across the desk, while a sleek desktop computer sat on one end. Like Mulcahy’s office, the occupant could enjoy the breathtaking view afforded by massive windows on the far side of the room. The only difference was the view—Mulcahy’s courtesy of Mother Nature, and Talbot’s the manmade beauty of downtown Portland.

  The two men exchanged pleasantries and general conversational gambits about mutual acquaintances while she listened with a half an ear. Scanning the titles of the books on the shelves behind Talbot, she noted a variety of subjects. There were a great many historical texts, and a few Kyn texts tucked in discretely here and there. Scattered throughout the office were pictures of Talbot with a number of local movers and shakers. The typical one with the mayor, the governor and, if she wasn’t mistaken, he even had one with the current president. Interestingly she didn’t see one with his late father.

  There was a soft knock at the door, and Raine turned as it swung open.

  Dr. Eden Lawson strolled in, her expression cooling dramatically when she caught sight of Raine. Today the good doctor sported a black skirt ending just above the knees and three-inch heels to showcase her legs. The ivory colored shirt was severe, but on her looked feminine. Her red hair was in a complicated French twist Raine would never master.

  After a quick dismissive appraisal of Raine’s worn jeans, scuffed boots, and oversized sweater, Eden turned her charisma on Mulcahy. “Mr. Mulcahy, a pleasure to meet you, finally,” her sultry voice wrapped around the room as she offered him her hand. “Jonah has told me so much about you.”

  “Nothing too unpleasant, I hope,” Mulcahy answered, raising Eden’s hand for a brief brush of lips across her knuckles. A faint rose tinted the good doctor’s cheeks. Raine stifled a grin as Mulcahy played the charm game with innate ease.

  Eden gave a tinkling laugh. “Not at all, I assure you.”

  “Well then,” Jonah cut in, regaining Mulcahy’s attention. “What would you like to see first? We have a few projects in progress which might interest you.”

  “Why don’t we start in the lovely doctor’s lab?” Mulcahy suggested, turning to Eden again. “I’d be honored to see your work on DNA. It sounds fascinating, not to mention ground-breaking.”

  Appearing slightly flustered at Mulcahy’s intense regard, Eden smiled. “I guess we’ll start in the labs, then.” She glanced at Jonah and demurred prettily, “If that’s all right with you, Jonah?”

  Watching the show, Raine thought she caught a glimpse of irritation in Talbot’s guileless eyes. It was so swift she wasn’t sure. Instead, she gave herself a mental shake. More likely, she was projecting her own irritation at the shining Eden and Mulcahy seemed intent on doing to each other.

  Talbot came from behind his desk and headed toward the door. “Sounds like a plan to me. Shall we?” He held it open as Eden walked out, followed by Mulcahy. Talbot gestured to Raine. “After you.”

  She kept her smile casual and her tone light, “Actually I prefer to stay in the background while I’m working, if you don’t mind.”

  He raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing, “You consider this visit work?”

  She gave a polite laugh. “I’m not here for the visit. I’m here for Mulcahy.” She followed him into the carpeted hallway and waited while he closed the office door.

  He moved to walk beside her as they headed toward Eden and Mulcahy waiting by the elevator. “For Mulcahy?” He sounded puzzled. “Like a bodyguard?”

  “Exactly that,” she answered.

  “Why would he need a bodyguard here?” There was a hint of offense in his question.

  Mulcahy caught the tail end of the conversation, and answered it smoothly, “An unfortunate drawback of my position. I rarely go anywhere without an assistant.”

  “Assistant?” cut in Eden as the doors gave a soft ping and began to open.

  Mulcahy waved her in before holding the doors for Talbot. Only then did he step in ahead of Raine. “McCord is one of a handful of my employees with the ability to combine her considerable talent in security details and extensive skills as an executive assistant into one efficient position.”

  “So I shouldn’t be offended you feel a bodyguard is a necessity when visiting me?” Talbot’s tone carried a wry twist.

  Mulcahy’s smile was his most civilized. “Not at all. For us it’s simply standard procedure. Besides, I always have need of an assistant.”

  Eden shivered delicately. “It seems such a harsh way to live.”

  “Not harsh, Dr. Lawson,” Mulcahy was casually dismissive. “It’s simply the way things are.”

  The elevator doors opened into a bustling lab, which would be the envy of any research center. Raine followed behind the group, taking in the various stations gleaming with esoteric equipment she couldn’t even begin to understand. Muted conversations flowed from one area to another. Tuning out the historical tour, she continued to follow behind the small group.

  The lab was laid out in a circle. Closed doors with retinal and fingerprint security guarded various entry points. These doors seemed to lead into another level. There were surveillance cameras placed thorough out. Computer stations were locked down, unless in use. Walking between stations, as Talbot and Eden expounded on their lab’s achievements, Raine watched a tech place his thumb on a fingerplate sunk into the desk before the computer screen lit up and requested a login and password. Whiteboards were covered in a jumble of letters and numbers, which were totally incomprehensible to her.

  “What do you think, Ms. McCord?” Talbot pulled her back into the conversation.

  “I think your security here is impressive,” she kept her tone polite. “I do have one question for you.”

  He smiled briefly. “Ask.”

  She motioned out to the lab floor layout. “Why a circle?”

  His smile widened. “Actually, it worked security-wise to design the labs this way. Each progressive floor requires a higher level of security clearance. There are five levels, each a bit smaller in square footage, but more defined in their objectives.”


  “Each project requires a different amount of research and experimentation,” chimed in Eden. “Unfortunately, we can only show you this floor, as some of our other projects are under a higher level of security. Our religious artifacts must be kept in temperature-and-humidity-controlled rooms to protect their integrity.” She led them into a white walled conference room.

  “That makes complete sense,” Mulcahy agreed. “We wouldn’t want to endanger any of the progress your labs have achieved.”

  Eden gave a light laugh. “We aren’t worried you’d endanger our progress. We like to keep things to ourselves until we’re certain of our findings.”

  Talbot, Mulcahy, and Eden took seats around the black table. Raine resumed a familiar post against a wall, picking a spot behind Mulcahy. Her position gave her line of sight to the only door. A laptop sat next to Eden’s chair on the far end of the table, and a white screen blanketed the opposite wall.

  “Speaking of findings,” Talbot said. “Why don’t we show you how we found the DNA strand, and how we hope it will benefit society?” The lights dimmed. He and Eden moved into their presentation with a confidence that spoke of a well-rehearsed routine. They must give these types of performances to interested backers often.

  The information Eden shared was not much more than what she’d relayed at the party. It didn’t take long before Raine realized Eden was quite aware of the existence of the Kyn. Two years ago, Eden, as the assistant to the previous head of research, was given access to quite a few delicate secrets. It took her two more long years and many frustrating tests before she managed to get this strand separated. She made it clear the reason this particular discovery took so long, was due to the fact it was hard to find volunteers with Kyn blood.

  “How did you find the Kyn willing to donate, Dr. Lawson?” Raine broke in, her quiet voice slicing through the room.