“You’ve mentioned it before to me.” Ava’s eyebrow lifted sharply. “Have you finally learned what it is?”
“Yes. And I know where it will be.” He slid a paper across the desk. “They tried to kill us, so I thought it only fair to return the favor. When the dust settled, I spotted a little note. They had found it, and were hoping to learn a way to use it against us.”
Ava scrutinized the small scrap of paper. “This is where it is?”
“Where it will be,” Grey corrected. “I have one of our friends retrieving it.”
“If you know what it is, then you know it’s dangerous.” Ava’s tone turned cautiously optimistic.
“Sage here has been doing her research,” Grey replied, with a nudge to her shoulder.
“Touching the object is the danger. So long as it’s encased in something, preferably silver, it’s harmless.” Sage met the Director’s eyes, adding weight to her words.
Ava crumpled the paper in her hands. “Who else knows about this?”
Grey shook his head. “Only the four of us.”
“Four?” Ava asked. “Who is this fourth friend?”
“Didn’t you see the address? Someone we all trust,” Grey replied. “I’m having him hold onto it for a few days until the vampires rage dies down. Then we can move it again.”
“I knew I sent the right agent on this job.” Ava nodded at Grey approvingly.
“With all due respect…” Grey’s jaw tightened. Ava’s approval had clearly failed to give him the same pride it did Rina. “You sent us on a suicide mission.”
“No one knows the vampires better than you. With all due respect.” Queen bitch came back strong as ever. So much for her feigned approval. “You should have been better prepared to deal with them.”
“The way things are headed, we’re on the brink of war,” Grey replied.
“Wars are fought on battlefields.” Ava locked eyes with him. “This is a test of wills.”
As angry as he looked, Grey maintained his monotone. “Where lives are at stake.”
“When are lives not at stake?” Her tone sharpened. The vein in her head made itself known, throbbing with the speed of her anger. “What do you think our job is here? No one appreciates the law until they need the law.”
“According to them, it’s we who need to be policed,” Grey answered grudgingly.
“Are those your girlfriend’s words or yours?” Ava shot back at him.
Sage’s mouth dropped open. Grey had a girlfriend? And if she’d followed that conversation correctly, a vampire girlfriend… That explained a lot. She filed that under questions to ask later, when they had more time for her to annoy him until he told her his story.
“If she were alive to speak them, yes, I believe they would have been her words.” Grey’s voice warbled slightly, the strain of trying to maintain his calm voice apparently cracking his resolve.
“She’d be right.” Ava’s lips tightened. If only Sage had a window into that woman’s mind to see what she was thinking. One moment she was a royal bitch, and then a moment later, she came across as a competent leader. There was just no true way to measure whether or not she was genuine.
“We have much to correct in our operation. Most importantly, we need to retrieve what has been misappropriated.”
“All in good time,” Grey said, the calm returning to his tone.
“Is that wise?” Ava asked. “I’d prefer it here under ASSET protection.”
“We’ve already come under attack. The vampires are all riled up. They’ll expect us to bring it home when they notice it’s gone missing. This is safer until we neutralize the threat,” Grey assured her. “And while we lie in wait, you must be seen operating business as usual.”
“Yes. To that extent, I have to agree with you.” Ava’s eye twitched. Boss lady clearly disliked being ordered around. “The more people who know about this, the more of a danger it becomes.” Ava’s tone might have been all business, but there was an underlying edge of strain there. “That item should have never been tampered with from the start. When you have deemed it secure enough to return, it must be brought in under the utmost secrecy.”
Grey nodded. “Our mutual friend has always been a trusted extension of the team.”
“Which makes him a liability.” Ava’s resolve waivered. She tapped her tattooed fingers nervously on the desk. “He’s very well known. Well connected. That changes things a little.”
“You can order me to bring it in now,” Grey dared her. “But I know the vampires are planning another run at us. Look how easily they came at us the last time, throwing our own people at us. Our mutual friend might be well connected, but he’s also extremely capable of defense.”
Ava sighed deeply, the vein in her head still throbbing furiously. Stress kills. But does it kill Terras? Was Ava really a Terra?
“You, Miss Cynwrig, are you okay?” Ava sounded almost genuinely curious about her health.
“I’m good.” She shrugged. “Nothing I wont’ recover from after a day of rest.”
“Go home. Take your rest,” Ava ordered. “And Grey, until further notice, you are her shadow. Stay with her.”
Grey nodded.
“I’ll let you know my decision regarding our mutual friend shortly.” Ava waved them off like pesky flies and re-opened her laptop. “Dismissed.”
THIRTY-ONE
Delivering the message had been surprisingly easy. Sage had expected much more pushback from Ava. People in control often struggled with not having it. All the more reason for her to be a suspect. Ava would make sure she got her hands on that stone before anyone else knew about it. And if she were secretly something other than Terra, they’d have her!
The hard part would be waiting – holding her breath until those suspicions could be confirmed.
Sage needed a distraction, or she’d drive herself crazy. “Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?” she asked Grey as they left Ava’s office.
Grey took the lead, putting his back to her, walking like a man on a mission to avoid any conversation. “Nope.”
“A vampire? Really?” she whispered, still trying to process the shock of that information.
“We’re not doing this.” Grey passed Rina at the reception desk as he headed toward the elevator. “We’re going to take you home to collect your belongings.”
“But I don’t want to move in here.” Sage made a good show of pouting angrily, realizing what Grey was doing to aid in their quick getaway. “I have a home already.”
“Listen up, newbie. That bandage on your neck is proof you can’t be left alone. And I’m not going to babysit your ass out in the open any longer.” Grey pressed the button for the elevator and took hold of Sage’s arm with his free hand. If she didn’t know better, she might have taken his overwhelming act of dominance seriously. Her knee itched to give him a taste of just how capable she was of defending brutes like him, but that would be taking things a bit too far.
“Be nice to her.” Rina came trotting up, looking equally ready to start a fight. “Being new sucks sometimes.”
“At least she understands,” Sage grumbled.
Grey all but rolled his eyes. “You’ll thank me when you’re older.”
“It won’t be so bad.” Rina tried to look hopeful as she reached a hand to pat Sage’s shoulder. “When you get back, I’ll hang with you.”
That was a small gesture of solidarity that almost made Sage feel bad for her deception. Rina had been nothing but nice. She was probably the only person at ASSET who hadn’t tried to manipulate her or talk down to her. They even shared a common grief, both having lost parents recently. But since Sage and Grey had agreed that everyone within ASSET was a potential suspect, even Rina had to be kept completely in the dark.
The elevator doors opened, and Grey shoved Sage inside. She gave Rina a silent look of sorrow before the doors closed. Grey didn’t say another word until they reached his motorcycle. “I hope we did the right thing?�
�
Definitely not what she expected to come from his usually arrogant mouth. Mr. Asshole suddenly going soft? “You getting cold feet now?” she asked.
“No!” he scoffed, but she saw straight through his pride. Grey avoided eye contact as he retrieved his helmet. “I’m hoping we were wrong to suspect–”
“We’re not wrong to seek the truth.” She cut him off, annoyed by his wavering tone. “Remember, that weapon is a danger in the wrong hands. And if those hands are inside this building, we’re all screwed.”
“This isn’t a damn game, you know!” Grey shot back at her. “We’re playing with real people and real lives. Ava is the director of this facility.”
“Was my mother playing a game when she was destroyed? Believe me, if I could just roll the dice and resurrect her, I would.”
“I’m sorry for what happened to her.”
“All the more reason we need to find out if Ava can be trusted.” Sage fisted a hand at her side to give her strength. “Ava controls everything here. That kind of power can be used for good or evil.”
“We still don’t know where the weapon is.” Grey’s tone lacked confidence. “Ava’s alliance is moot if it’s in the wrong hands right now.”
If only he knew the truth! But Sage wasn’t about to reveal that little nugget of information just yet. Ava might be the primary suspect, but anyone attached to ASSET could still be a mole. She hoped that the small amount of trust she’d given Grey was not misplaced, but until all was revealed, her lips would be sealed on that subject. “That’s why we have to know who to trust in the organization. If Ava’s as good as her word, she won’t let on to anyone where the weapon is. We can explain ourselves after we’re certain she can be trusted. But, if she so much as sets foot in Devon’s gym, then we know ASSET is compromised at the highest level, and it’s better we don’t have the weapon at that point.”
***
They rode fast, making it back to the gym in record time. Nyx, sporting a calming shade of lavender, flitted around Devon’s office, casting her magic in every corner of the room.
Deadly as she’d learned the pixie could be, Sage still stood in awe as she watched the explosions of color knitting themselves into a tight webbing that encased the room.
A small part of her wished that she could use magic – pull whatever she wanted from the very air and bring it to life. During her dungeon raids, she would often be the one casting healing magic, but occasionally she enjoyed a good damage blast. Her imagination would conjure up lightning bolts or green fog. But the glittering specks that Nyx tossed around were far more beautiful than anything she had envisioned. If she could not use it herself, at least she was able to watch.
Devon came out from the back of the gym, clipboard in hand, and immediately began doling out instructions. “Make sure the doorway isn’t blocked. We want our burglar to enter and feel they’ve made it through our defenses without a problem. Once they break the seal of my office, that’s when they need to be blocked. I want them trapped there.” Devon gave a quick nod to Sage as he continued on to an electrical panel by the door.
Quarn had a bag of tools and sat clipping wires and running cables from an outlet to a small box he’d fixed to the wall outside Devon’s office.
“Looks like you’ve been busy since we left.” Sage admired the new security system being installed.
“To keep the illusion, we’re rigging some alarm boxes and a new key code lock for my door.” Devon handed the clipboard to Quarn. “Key code.”
Quarn nodded and tapped some numbers from the page Devon had just given him.
“What do you need us to do?” Grey asked.
“Go make yourself comfortable in the back. I’ve set out some cots and stocked the fridge back there. We might be in for a long haul.”
The work Devon had put in was impressive. The place definitely looked more secure, though she wondered exactly how much was needed for this hoax.
Devon held a silver ring box in his hands. “A decoy for our thief.” Inside it even held a small garnet gem. He’d gone to great lengths to make it all appear believable. All they needed now was to see if Ava would take the bait.
“What do you want me to do?” Sage asked.
“Nothing. We have it all in hand. Go home. Tend to your wounds,” Devon replied, pocketing the little silver box.
“Licking them,” she scoffed. No way in hell was she going to be benched for this. It had been her idea from the start. “I’ve come this far; I’m not turning back now.”
“Can’t blame me for trying.” Devon smirked. “But one day you’ll learn to heed warnings.”
“Today is not that day.”
“If you end up dead–”
“As long as we’re not facing vampires again…” Her hand moved to the patch on her neck. The look on Devon’s stole the sound from her voice. Her heart nearly came to a screeching halt. No one said anything about involving those jerks! She’d made that comment as a joke. Why hadn’t anyone thought to let her in on that part of the plan?
They were only supposed to find out who was after the stone. Bringing the bloodsuckers in meant retaliation. If the vampire covens got involved in this….Sage sucked in a breath. The image of her mother gone dark again flashed in her memory. Her instinct was to plead for Devon to change his mind. Send the vampires away. But just as she wouldn’t allow herself to be sent away, she knew begging Devon would be futile.
“Why vampires?” Sage groaned.
THIRTY-TWO
Zack was the last person she hoped to run into, but he was far better than another Twisted Sister reunion. When he arrived to represent the vampire covens, Sage found herself a little relieved, though she would not dare admit it aloud. She’d seen what vampires were capable of. Tough as she pretended to be, Sage still had a lot of learning to do if she hoped to hold her own in another fight. Zack, however, had a reputation for being the least lethal of his kind, though he did have an amazing level of overconfidence and those dangerously hypnotizing eyes.
Night wore into day and back into night again with not so much as a solicitor coming to call at Devon’s gym. Waiting was the worst kind of hell. Bingeing on reruns and old movies would be the best way to pass the time, but Devon didn’t have a television. She tried reading, but as close as mythology came to epic fantasy, the plot just couldn’t hold her interest, and definitely needed more dragons.
She started to regret not returning home when her wounds began to itch. The tape at her neck caught on her hair every time she moved. Between the boredom, discomfort, and severe lack of sleep, Sage was ready to snap. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a nice hot shower, either. Showers always made the world more bearable.
Hours blended together, and she wondered whether or not their plan had worked. She’d been uncertain about Ava’s position and if she was a person who could be trusted. Surely having not attempted to take the weapon herself was a credit to her worthiness. But how long would they wait before giving up and coming clean?
Scratching at her neck again, Sage remembered to send a message to Matt. Not knowing when she’d return home, she kept her words vague, making sure he understood she was safe. Vampires might be scary, but nothing topped her roommate when his claws came out.
Zack’s eyes wandered in her direction as she tugged at her bandage.
“Don’t even think about it,” she threatened the hungry-looking vampire.
“As you wish.” His lips drew back, not quite a snarl, but still an obvious attempt to put his teeth on display. “You seem afraid.”
Sage glared at him. “Not of you.”
“Is that wise, I wonder?” He mocked her openly.
“How do I kill him again?” Sage threw the question to Devon. He’d been pacing the lounge like a caged animal for the better part of the afternoon. The wait was putting a strain on everyone. More than once, she’d caught Devon muttering to himself, discussing backup plans and failsafes, as if confirming items on a checklist.<
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“Play nice, you two.” Devon glared at Zack angrily.
“I’m not playing.” Sage rolled her eyes. “He’s sitting here looking at me like I’m his next meal.”
Zack leaned in close and whispered, “You are most certainly an acquired taste.”
That sent a shiver down her spine. Goosebumps erupted all across her skin. She remembered his finger tracing through her bloody wound, just before he licked it clean. Disgusting!
The smile blooming across the vampire’s face turned her fear into anger. He was screwing with her head, and it was working.
Two could play at that game. Sage put every ounce of aggression into her face as she replied in a deadly whisper, “Say something like that to me again and you’ll be drinking your next meal through a hole in your neck!”
“Will you two shut up?” Grey groaned loud enough to stop Sage from adding more to her threat. Grey had been lying with his legs stretched across an old pleather futon, his fedora covering his eyes.
Zack responded before Sage could summon a good comeback. “I remember thinking the same thing about your last girlfriend.”
Grey’s hat fell as he sprang to his feet, machete in hand, ready to strike.
Sage ducked out of the way as Devon jumped in between the two men. “Is this how it ends? We all fight each other until there’s no one left to fight the true threat?”
Devon was right, of course, but she did wonder who might win between the two of them. Zack had been called a pushover more than once, but like everything else she’d been told, the truth didn’t always match up. Grey was quick, but she had a feeling Zack might surprise them all.
Grey sheathed his machete, but the look on his face said he’d rather put it somewhere else.
Zack folded his arms, turning his annoyance toward Devon. “Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. This is pointless. We know the weapon came from ASSET. Why are we trying to get them to come here?”
Devon returned to his pacing, offering no response to Zack’s petulance. The lounge, just behind the gym, wasn’t large enough for much more than a few strides in either direction, but it had all the necessities to keep them safe and close while they waited to see if anyone took the bait. After the hours of waiting, though, the walls felt like they were closing in on them. Any longer and they really would come to blows.
A Weapon Of Magical Destruction Page 24
