Her eyes flitted around Travis’s body, blinking at the newfound smells assaulting her enhanced senses. More than rotten eggs permeated the air. Aviere caught sulfur mixed with sweat as power kissed Travis’s fingers.
As she moved backward, still crouched on the ground, Aviere gasped, glaring at his darkening hazel eyes.
“Goddamn you, you’re crazy enough to attempt fighting me,” Aviere whispered as she rose, positioning her body in a combat stance. “What happened to wanting to survive?”
“Dalara’s got a valid point and you’re instituting a double standard like Shawn.”
“I’ll consider your proposal if you can knock me down, Travis—without using bullets.”
The shocked expression gave Aviere enough time to connect her boot with Travis’s solar plexus and she cursed when she sent the mage flying into the warehouse’s garage door. As he slumped to the ground, Aviere bent her knees, hoping the single kick had knocked her colleague to his senses.
After several failed attempts to rise from the ground, Travis gave up, dropping into unconsciousness within seconds.
Adrenaline coursed through Aviere’s body as she grunted in disgust, displeased the sudden threat had ended within seconds.
Wow, Jemina’s technique worked. Effective little kick. Thank goodness I wasn’t wearing heels. Still, it’d be worth being reprimanded if I sent Travis to the hospital with a heel embedded in his abdomen.
“His opinion about me rubbed you wrong, Sis.”
“Travis isn’t wrong.” The Poisoner walked to the unconscious mage and nudged her foot into his shoulder. “I expected more of a fight, agent. Guess we’re following my lead instead of yours.”
“No wonder agent man’s upset when he deals with us. You’re constantly beating the shit out of him.”
“Payback for lockup. I haven’t forgotten the concussion he gave me.”
Nuke warm hands inspected Travis’s body before turning off the earpiece inside her partner’s ear. After it powered down, she continued in a somber tone.
“We’re both aware how this will play out. It’s pointless to lecture you when you’re conscious of the situation, and I hired someone else to encrypt all my important information.”
“But Travis knows about you. The human, too. What if they exploit you later?”
“No worse than Sanderson. Aquarius might be insane, but always remained loyal when you ordered her around.”
“She’s strong enough, Sis,” Limere answered, whispery voice wobbling. “I taught her and Celene everything I know.”
“You better hope it’s enough.” Aviere matched Limere’s tone as she stood next to him, brushing singed fingers against his rugged jawline. “Aquarius is your woman. Whatever you do with her is your decision. However, I hope you realize the consequences.”
“Will you understand if I let Summer live?”
Her left eye twitched at Limere’s question. Blood pumped hard through her veins, and her jugular vein pulsed harder than normal. Her sky-blue eyes narrowed before returning to normal and she kneeled next to her unconscious partner, groaning as she sat him upright.
“No. Even if I disagree, I won’t break my word.”
“Good. You need someone else to support the family business if things head south. Now, if you’re done being a raging bitch, carry the mage off before the police arrive. If my parole officer finds me, there goes my expunged charges.”
“What about the sample?” Aviere demanded, her arms straining against Travis’s dead weight as she heaved him over her shoulder. “We can’t allow the Zodiac Cartel—”
“I’ll meet with Summer. She’s got notes drawn up. Maybe we can learn something from them.”
Aviere wheezed and closed one eye, flinging her head at her partner’s slack body. “Why are we leaving the Port of Baltimore? What if they’re here? We can stash Travis somewhere and—”
“You’re rubbing off on agent man, Sis,” Limere interrupted, sliding her handbag over her shoulder. “He stole the human’s car so Joe could interrogate him. Karyn and Maurice tagged along, but—”
“One of you destroyed Travis’s couch.” A smile crossed her lips. “And Travis was always a jackass. He’s like the Renegades’ redheaded stepchild. No one gives a damn about him, and everyone’s betting I’ll ice both of them within three months.”
“I’m not paying for another couch,” her brother insisted, ushering her toward the port’s entrance. “Celene busted the apartment door off the hinges. I was so proud of her… like you, when you kicked Travis, Rambo-style. Sometimes, I forget you’re not the helpless kitten you portray yourself as.”
Aviere snorted and wrapped her arms around Travis’s legs as she followed her brother. “They saw through my ruse within the first three or four meetings. It’s nice to stop pretending for a little while. I mean, there’s you guys… but there’s something about them, despite their naiveté or inability to handle the supernatural.”
“You won’t have to worry much longer, girl. The mage will survive. He might have blended elements, but he is evolving. When the time is right… maybe someone worthy will receive his power.”
Limere’s statement weighed on Aviere’s conscience as she continued, praying she misinterpreted his grim, ominous words or the way his body flinched afterward. She caught a hand digging into his back pocket and almost whispered when his trembling hands tried opening the silver box.
After evaluating his words, Aviere dropped her sentence, wrinkled her brow, and locked her jaw as she broke away and headed back to the Ferrari. The smoggy air from the pyres bothered her, but the breather allowed her to endure and return to the entryway.
However, doubt lingered in her heart, suddenly stabbing her once her pulse spiked from the stress. The seductive voice she heard caused Aviere to shudder but stopped once the mage groaned over her shoulder.
Limere, I cannot save you from this. Whatever atrocity the Red Coat Society did, it occurred years ago. But who’s responsible? Is it related to those people working for Chelsea and Donahue?
“Limere doesn’t mean to hurt you, you know.”
As Travis became more aware of his surroundings, Aviere held her breath before tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. She placed the conscious mage on the ground, faced away from him, and punched Jet’s frame, hissing after seeing her fist’s indentation.
She released a deep growl at the LED timer blinking in her peripheral vision, recalling some of Limere’s remarks. The important part of their conversation sent another shock of pain through her… the part about killing them, one by one.
Sharp aftershave in the breeze alerted her that Travis had settled inside the Ferrari.
Whoever is responsible planned this. It’s the perfect setup—take away my right hand, no matter what organization. The only question is… who will I lose when everything ends, Jet? Can’t I save both of them from themselves?
“If you want to leave before the werewolf arrives, hurry up, Mye.”
As she followed suit and bit her lower lip, the Poisoner vowed to save her brother, praying she had longer than what her silver bracelet displayed.
Chapter Twelve
The LG Touch creaked underneath Limere’s hand as he hurried along through the winding roads of Kilgore Falls the following evening, admiring the scenery of orange-red trees standing proudly behind the leveled ones around him.
Despite the crisp breeze and cooling air, the news he received from the phone call made Limere break into a cold sweat. The rest of the caller’s voice faded along with the revving engines behind him. He squeezed the steering wheel until his knuckles hurt, making sure his informant gave him accurate information.
“Darren, repeat what you just said, man.”
“Summer Watson’s dead.”
Darren’s voice contained no compassion, but Limere detected fear as he spoke—the same emotion causing an unwanted adrenaline spike when he needed clarity.
His heart hammered in his chest and it took every
ounce of self-restraint to continue driving. Limere let vehicles pass him as he assimilated the unwanted news, attempting to ignore the cruel laughter echoing inside his head.
~You allowed her to live and look where it landed you.~
Limere took a quivery breath before speaking softly into the black square Bluetooth in his right ear. “How?”
“Something ripped her apart, piece by piece. Didn’t have to look far—there’s blood everywhere.”
Pain lanced through his left eye as the demoness’s laughter crescendoed, whispering about his failed efforts to save his family. Limere forced a breath and squeezed his eye shut, concentrating on the road. He slammed the accelerator, banged a fist into the steering wheel and whispered profanities mixed with Christian prayers.
“I’m not certain how long she suffered, but I’m sorry, Lim.”
“It wasn’t the blood,” Limere whispered. “Thank God it wasn’t the infection. Someone issued a contract. Hard to determine who, since everyone’s a monster hunter, these days.”
“Of course they did. She’s part of the Zodiac Cartel.”
The simplistic fact grounded Limere as darkness filled his eyes. “You said mutilation.”
“They removed her head, but… they overdid things.” The last two words Darren uttered sounded disgusted. “They used fire and embedded a cross inside her forehead where they discarded it. However, she called before her death, asking me to secure certain items. I was doubling back to pick up a Book of Shadows, a sealed envelope, and a small vial box. She went on about some complex math, but I failed to keep track in between her ramblings.”
Summer… your optimism shined through. I never got to settle things… or thank you for everything.
A dull ache trailed through Limere’s chest as he brooded over his childhood friend, fighting for him until her dying breath. The disagreements between them over Aviere seemed trivial compared to the news Darren delivered. Again, Limere’s fist pounded against the steering wheel, this time setting off the Ferrari’s horn.
She was one of my direct subordinates, but Summer was more than that. She understood my actions… how important Reese and Sis are. She felt like me and trusted they would change this corrupted world, and now she’s… wait.
“Darren, you’re positive you saw Summer’s body parts?”
“…Yes. I found it odd since she’s a freaking vampire.”
“I see.”
“They removed her right hand—severed it from the wrist. Everything else is here, even if it’s scattered across the safe house.”
Cutting off Summer’s right hand… a personal challenge. Is it for me, or Sis? Or both?
“Where are you at now?” Limere demanded, voice sharper than intended.
“Driving back to Charm City. I’ll come back with Martinez after cleaning up and—”
“No.” Limere’s voice deepened at the thought of his dead friend. “Leave Summer there. We don’t need any more causalities. I’ll return later with someone qualified to preserve her remains.”
“Will the donna accompany you?”
Limere nodded, until remembering Darren couldn’t acknowledge an action he couldn’t see. “Yeah. We argued over this last night. Sis isn’t responsible. She might hate Summer, but she allowed me to decide her fate.”
~And look what happened, boy… a futile struggle. I said to end the creature’s pain. Don’t make the same mistake twice with sister dearest.~
Juggling two conversations and the lancing pain through his left eye proved problematic, but the refreshing breeze helped ground the mage. As he pulled into a spot next to Maurice’s black and white Mercedes Benz and Karyn’s silver Stingray, Limere readjusted his Bluetooth, then programmed the LG to open another app.
After several beeps, an error message occurred. Another try later, the application ran, scouting for better reception.
“Lim, without Summer, the contingency—”
“We’ll continue, Darren. Summer thought something might happen.”
“We’ve lost good men,” Darren agreed. “But the boss— would he continue?”
“Everything I have done, Gunther outlined. However, Sis won’t understand until afterward. She holds hope, despite my condition. I don’t want to criticize her optimism, but if my soft-hearted nature holds me back, optimism and tenacity are Sis’s weaknesses.”
The meeting between him and the black and white cat rolled in Limere’s memory. He snuck a glance out the window and saw Maurice heading in his direction. The scowl on his younger brother-in-law’s face added to Limere’s morose mood, increasing the darkness inside his irises.
~You’re cruel, Limere.~ He didn’t miss the satisfaction in the demoness’s voice. ~Sister dearest—~
Aviere can handle the truth once she discovers Gunther’s reasons on her own.
“Sometimes, I forget you’re part of the donna’s administration along with being an enforcer,” Darren interrupted. “You’re someone I’d vouch for, but I’m not sure about Maurice. To assign him a place—”
“We’ll discuss Reese later. I’m at Sis’s race, so I need to clock the mage’s abilities. If something happens, she needs someone reliable when she’s investigating, and I’m not hiring another mage to watch Sis. She’s leery of the ones she’s got.”
“Her feds worry me. She’s cautious, but—”
“Travis won’t snitch, but you’re right. He’s good at his job. In fact, he’d rank capodecina easily. However, the human’s an empty suit—a fucking pencil pusher.”
Limere paused as Maurice tapped on his window, pointed at the Rolex on his left wrist, and then raised an eyebrow as he thumbed behind him.
“Listen, Darren… we’ll finish our discussion later. Do not go back to the safe house… lie low until morning. Let me get through Sis’s race, and then we’ll double back. Armandi is temperamental enough. I don’t need Sis losing money or her sponsorship. She’s gone through enough changes… best not to tempt fate.”
Before Darren objected, Limere ended the phone call. He rolled the window down and stared at his brother with an impassive expression on his face. Under normal circumstances, Limere would tease Maurice about his fashionable outfit, but even the silver suit jacket above his sooty black buttoned shirt didn’t hold Limere’s attention.
Instead, he stared past Maurice, considered the various Grand Ams parked opposite of them, and returned to staring at the blurry windshield.
He rolled his shoulders forward before collapsing over the steering wheel, breathing in shallow breaths before hyperventilating.
All he remembered was the sultry snickers and whispers of broken promises, not the fainting spell that followed afterward.
When Limere woke next, he shivered as leather brushed against his neck.
At first, he thought snakes were slithering across his skin and jumped in the driver’s seat, slapping his arms to stop the sensation. Limere sniffed and regretted trading his shifter abilities, thinking about the ability to distinguish one by scent. After another whiff, he caught familiar tea tree shampoo.
A few pounding heartbeats later, he stopped when he recognized Aviere’s familiar cerulean eyes flickering in amusement, despite the tight-lipped expression on her face. Color dissipated seconds later as monochrome took over, only showing streaks of silver with twinkling gray stars and growing darkness in the lithe woman’s forest-green aura.
It’s starting. I can’t see the color of Sis’s aura anymore. I miss the splatters of color, but it’s unavoidable. How can I give her enough closure to move forward?
A streak of brown caught the corner of his eye and Limere blinked when Aviere thrust a full bottle of Coke at him.
“Drink. It’s been two hours… I’ll bring you up to speed.”
Her authoritative tone startled Limere along with her defensive posture. One leg remained crossed while she watched him, expecting him to snatch the bottled drink she offered. Her eyes implored him as she unscrewed the bottle cap and sugar hit his nostrils.
Saliva flood Limere’s mouth at the perceived taste: sugary, rich, and euphoric. A moist tongue ran over his parched lips, unaware they had parted slightly.
“You went through a bad trip. Figured sugar might help. It wasn’t the greatest idea with Travis’s nausea, but Snickers and Coke settle your cravings. The convenience store ran out of grape Pop-Tarts, though.”
The aforementioned king-sized candy bar rested on his thigh and he ripped through the packaging, rolling his eyes once he smelled chocolate, salt, and peanuts.
“Eat. I’ll explain everything.”
Limere tore through the candy bar, decimating it in three bites. He longed again for shifter senses but relied on watching her chest rise and fall after taking several shallow breaths. At one point, they grew deeper, after she clung to her wrist and fiddled with the bracelet underneath her glove.
Once the LED numbers flashed, she showed him, then hugged herself while rocking back and forth.
This is not good. Racing isn’t stressful for Sis.
The mage swallowed and fastened his gaze on his younger sister, struggling to adjust to her face without her trademark glasses. “Aviere, what happened? Did they cancel? Did everyone argue over me again?”
“Everyone’s dead.” The answer came in a subdued whisper. “Everyone but us. We arrived too late, Limere. A whole gang of racers, independent from our business, was wiped out before I arrived—as a goddamn experiment.”
Limere coughed, gagging on the last swig of Coke while he scrutinized the area with his magic. Darkness covered the forest. Only a few auras remained. The people he sensed were his companions, except for Travis and his double-elemented aura.
“On the way here, we found several bodies scattered along the road.”
Great way to start this conversation, Sis…with a deadpan stare, emotionless voice and glaring daggers at me like I’m responsible.
“We found their wrecked cars against trees where they’d swerved off the road. We would have investigated, but Travis said they passed within seconds, before puking outside my car. Three were puddles of flesh, but he blew chunks when one exploded right next to Jet’s door. That time he didn’t get his head out the window in time.”
Drift: The Renegades Saga: Book Two Page 21
