by Susan Conley
This jump was shorter than the other, and she didn’t get past the initial shock of darkness to see what else there was.
“Where’s the next jump go to?” he asked before she could say anything. She noticed he didn’t remove his arm.
Mona looked around. There were no short hops going in here, only one jump coming to this place. But. . .
“That’s odd. The long one goes through that pillar and I don’t see a short one. I wonder how—”
Cart put a finger over her mouth, which didn’t help the skittering of her nerves, although it did stop the babbling.
He unwrapped his arm from her waist, and then took two steps away. “That help?”
“Yeah,” she said, trying very hard not to show how his closeness affected her. “How do those jump things work?”
“Okay if I explain later? Right now it looks like we’re going to have to walk around the pillar.”
“Climb is more like it. Oh!” She’d taken a couple of cautious steps along the side and gotten a peek at what lay hidden. “That’s Raine’s car! Under the slab.”
The tiny car was nose in against the pillar; only a bit of the side showed from under the slab of concrete angled over it. No wonder the Maven was worried about Raine’s survival.
“You see any magic on the slab?”
She shot him a dirty look. If she’d seen any she’d have said something. “Not from this angle. I think we’ll need to go all the way around.”
He nodded his agreement. “So, how long has your brother known Tania?” he asked.
“Who?”
“Tania, the Maven. How long has he known her?”
So Cart knew the Maven on a first name basis. Interesting.
“Well, he’s been on her detail since he started with the agency.” If he was a protector he had to know about the agency. “And he’s been head of the detail for the past ten years or so.”
“He’s that guy?” Cart laughed.
“What guy?” Mona was pressed against the pillar, trying to find a little bit of clear, or at least clearer, ground to walk on.
“To quote my cousin: ‘Thorn-in-her-side-agent-Lombard.’”
She had to laugh. “Yep, he’s that guy. You should hear about her from his end.”
Her laughter ended abruptly as a bit of rubble slid out from under her feet and she slammed against the side of the car. Pain radiated along her arm down to her elbow from her already abused shoulder. A whimper and a couple of tears escaped before she could stop them.
Cart was immediately at her side, holding on to her good arm. “You okay?”
She looked over at him, arrested by what she saw his eyes. Concern morphed to passion that rapidly became heat.
As he said earlier, not the time nor place for them to be getting into this. She closed her eyes and turned her head away.
“Mona?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. I just slammed my already bruised shoulder.” She stepped away, using the excuse of looking up at the top of the slab. “You were right, we needed to see this, there is some residual magic here. Three layers. The top is the spell that collapsed the whole thing. Under that—”
She looked harder at the now faint runes and sigils and her stomach churned. Thrusting the unease aside, she tried to be clinical about what she saw.
“Under that is a spell bound by death. Someone killed a small Folk creature, perhaps a Stellgut or Greypas, for their magic. The creature had been bound here, their residue hiding the other spells.” Which meant the whole thing could have been set for some time; she’d overlook the bit of magic residual a Folk creature had left. “The spell under that . . . man, this guy likes complexity. This is worse than what he put on Raine. Let’s see, at the very bottom. . .”
The runes and sigils where faint, but still connected to each other and still there, separate but intertwined with the other layers. Here, too, there were places where the spell binding was darker, like on Raine’s spell.
“Under it all was another, much larger trigger spell, this one for the turbines’ working. I think, maybe, when a certain thing happened, those runes are faded and their energy spent, but when whatever criteria was met, the smaller trigger spell would release the energy bound by the connected spell—”
“The one set by the small creature’s death,” Cart said.
“Yeah, the magic released from that spell would then trigger the larger one, the one that caused the blades to sheer off. But there’s something else here. It looks like someone’s come through and shifted some of these, putting a delay in, a slight one, so there’d be a moment of warning before it all came together.”
“Not your work?”
“No,” she said as she stared at the original spell. She gestured, trying to remember each movement she’d made the night before. “I moved things once the spell was in motion, to slow it down. Then I changed the quantity to half. I think originally two of the turbine tops, or maybe three, were in the spell. I tried to stop the momentum too, but only managed to stop the blade from spinning.”
“No wonder you were exhausted last night.”
They stood for a moment looking where the spell had been. Mona knew they were both thinking of who could have come along and changed it, and was glad Cart didn’t say it out loud. She had no idea if or how she’d defend Smythe if he mentioned him.
“Let’s get out of here and see if we can track down Raine,” he said. “If she’s able to talk, I want to hear what happened from her.”
Chapter Six
Mona fell asleep again on the way back to base. This time, she half woke up when Cart carried her in.
“Sleep. I’ll wake you up as soon as we track her down. What’s her last name?”
“Sumners.” Mona barely registered that she was in a bed before she rolled to her good side and buried her head in a pillow.
• • •
“What?” Mona said as she batted at the hand on her shoulder.
“Cart said to wake you,” said a woman’s voice, "and to give you this."
Mona rolled over and took her charged phone from Tiffany. Of course she was pretty much calling all the women in the group Tiffany since they’d not been introduced. She ought to correct that.
“He still hasn’t traced your friend and needs suggestions.”
Mona stumbled out into the hall, blinking in the light.
Cart was sitting on the couch she’d slept on last night, phone in one hand, the other resting on a laptop. Spread out in front him was an array of carryout containers along with a stack of paper plates. Seeing food made her realize she'd not had a solid meal in days.
“Have you tried St. Stevens in Lackawanna?” she asked as she sorted through what was left. “They have a neonatal unit.”
“No. They were actually next on my list. There’s a box in the kitchen, the chef sent it up for you.”
“Ask for Fergie in records.” She pushed open the swinging door. “She monitors all Folk who come through.”
Mona slid the box open. Oh, yum! Stuffed mushrooms in masala sauce. She took a bunch, managing to get the sauce all over the thumb holding the plate. Cart came in, giving the tail end of a message to Fergie before he clicked off the phone. Mona shifted the plate to her other hand and licked the sauce off while she waited. No sense in taking a bite if he was just going to start quizzing her.
“Sharing?” Cart looked up as she popped her thumb out of her mouth.
“Say ‘please.’”
“You’re killing me, you know that?” His voice had deepened and that look was in his eyes again.
“Stop it,” she said, pitching her voice low in case someone was close by. “I don’t have time for you and . . . and . . . that right now.”
She crossed to a chair as far away as she could get in the small room, taking a big bite of mushroom so she wouldn’t babble.
“You think I do?” he hissed back. “It’s my job to track this guy, not yours. I don’t have time to be distracted by your fine ass. I’d
say we should ignore it, but personally, I think that strategy is going to bite us in—”
Cart clenched his jaw on what he’d been about to say.
“Eat up and get ready to go, since I doubt I’ll be able to dissuade you from tagging along. I can’t stay around here and do nothing.” He headed out the side door to the hall.
Mona put her food down and followed him. “I’m going because it’s my area to protect.”
“It’s yours to ward. There’s a difference. You aren’t qualified to track down this guy and you’re a danger to others.”
“So teach me.” Mona didn’t back down an inch, invading his personal space to prove the point.
They stood at the far end of the hall, just past where it turned before the bathroom. Behind them they both heard low voices and chatter as people came into the apartment from the entry at the opposite end of the hall.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“What do you mean ‘if you can?’” Mona’s voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “Aren’t you some big hot shot trainer?”
His eyes narrowed and became flecked with gold. “I am some big hot shot trainer. But given that I’m fighting the need to press you against that wall and fuck you until you scream, I’m going to have to pass for my sanity as well as yours.”
“So maybe we should just fuck and get it out of our system.” As soon as she said the words, Mona realized sex with this man would never be that simple. Some part of her wanted more, and the intimacy would only increase that ache.
Mona swore he growled, not just a rumbling, but a true growl. “When I have you, we’re going to have hours and be alone because screaming isn’t going to be all of it.” He turned and stepped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
Mona bit back her childish retort—no reason to antagonize him further.
Great. Just great. She had a huge, strong Were lusting after her, one to whom she was just as attracted. She so did not need this right now. Her training came first; she wasn’t going to risk losing her position and the connection to Folk after finally finding a place where she fit in. And she wasn’t going to turn into Averill, a leader who had not been given a chance, because she was in a Were pack. No, being a Warder was both a calling and a way for her to embrace her Folk heritage, and she wasn’t going to put that aside for anyone. Oh, she’d use his help to find Raine, and track down the person doing this. She wasn’t stupid. But anything more was out of the question.
• • •
“Hey, Cart,” Menlo called out, the phone in his hand.
Cart emerged from the hall, much calmer now that he’d had a few minutes to settle down, and joined Mona and Menlo in the kitchen.
“Some woman named Fergie said to tell you ‘she’s here.’”
Raine! The idea of food flew out the window; Mona would finally be able to go check on her friend, far more important. “Okay, let me at least grab a coat before we head out this time.”
“No,” Cart said, “you’re going to eat and then we’re going to go.”
“Excuse me? Are you ordering me around?” Just like a male Were, give him an inch, and he thought he ruled the roost. She was not going to put up with it.
“Yes.” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “The Folk at the center know to keep an eye on her should something happen, which I don’t think will. They’ll let us know. And you need to eat. I need to eat. Right now, if we run into a problem, I don’t think either of us have the energy to help.”
Mona didn’t immediately respond; one, because she was too mad at him and two, because she was trying to assess how drained they both were. He was a little low, nothing adding the last bit of residual magic wouldn’t fix. Good thing they were above D’Allesandro’s, with so many Folk stopping at the eatery gathering stray magic was easy.
She flicked her hand at him, putting the now clean magic into the stream that clung to him. There, now they were all set.
“We’re fine.” Mona grabbed her coat off the hooks lining the wall. “Let’s go.”
“I’m in charge of this unit and if I say you’re not fit, then you’re not going.” He stood, arms still crossed, barring her path.
“YOU. ARE. NOT. IN. CHARGE. OF. ME.” With each word she poked him in the chest, right below the sternum, causing him to step back until he hit the counter.
With a panicked look, Menlo slipped out of the room.
“Watch it, woman.” Cart’s eyes narrowed.
Not taking his flack, Mona closed the minimal space between them, ignoring the heat searing her from knee to shoulder.
“Do I deserve the same respect as the other members of your team?”
“Yes.” He spit the word out as if it was an anathema.
“Have I informed you every time I was tired, cold, hungry, or otherwise unsure of my ability to handle a situation?”
“Yes.” He somehow made the word shorter than it had been before.
“Have you or your team been in danger due to my actions or lack of action?”
“Yes.”
Mona stepped back, appalled, when it hit her. He’d told her all he could think about was fucking her.
“No way, buster! Your inability to not be distracted by your libido is not my fault.”
He grabbed her hand.
His calloused palm covering hers, and she realized how close he was to changing. The energy they created had no other outlet. He closed his glittering eyes and his body started to bulk up.
Hell.
She yanked her hand out of his and wrapped her hands on either side of his face.
“Not now, Josiah,” she whispered, his first name coming unbidden to her lips. He shuddered and her grip tightened. “Stay here with me.”
The tension in his face eased, so subtly that if she hadn’t been focused on him, she wouldn’t have noticed. His eyes opened, once again tawny and gold-flecked.
With a growl he slid his hand under the thick mantle of her hair and captured her mouth with his.
Fangs still slightly extended, they grazed her lips, sending a rush of desire through her, making her press her now aching chest against him.
He deepened the kiss and Mona realized she was unwittingly getting a full imprint of him, reading his energy and abilities on a far deeper level than she’d ever read anyone before. As they kissed, his sense of self, family, honor all became embedded in her memory, became part of her.
Along with his raging desire.
Energy burst out from them, rattling the cabinet doors and causing the kitchen chairs to skitter across the floor.
A loud crash of glass made them pull out of the kiss, Cart turning them so he shielded her from the danger. She looked over his shoulder to see the brand new coffee pot had shattered.
Mona rested her forehead against Cart’s back, trying to get her breath to slow down. The kiss had made her tingle in places she didn’t know a kiss could make tingle. It had been fantastic, literally electrifying, and a really bad idea. He’d only get worse from here on out.
Her suggestion that they just get it over with was clearly dumb, dumb, dumb. She opened her eyes to find him staring at her.
“Better?” she asked as she absentmindedly gathered the released energy.
“For now.”
“Good, I—” She turned away only to find a row of faces in the doorway.
Cart and Mona bellowed “OUT!” in unison, sending the group scurrying back.
“Let’s get out of here.” He brushed past her, grabbing his jacket as he headed to the door.
“And where are we going?”
“We’ll grab a slice or two and eat them in the car on our way to the hospital. That suit you?”
“A slice of what?” Mona pulled the door shut behind her and heard someone locking it up.
“A slice of pizza.”
“No place close does pizza by the slice, only whole pies. Can’t stop downstairs or Howard will want to know why I didn’t eat the mushrooms he sent up. Yo
u okay with fast food?”
He’d gotten to the bottom of the stairs and turned to look at her. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. You’re not in New York City anymore, Toto.” Mona took the final couple of steps. The thin storm door rattled as a cold wind whipped down the alley.
“Don’t I just know it,” he muttered.
“We can pick up a beef on weck—it’s a local version of a roast beef sandwich on the best roll you’ve ever had,” she said at his confused look. “There’s a place around the corner. They should be quick, if they’re not crowded. That work for you?”
“Yes. And Mona?” He looked her in the eye and the wonderful but distracting tingling sensation flooded over her again. “Thanks. I . . . I need to be in control when my beast comes out or bad things happen. You stopped that, and I’m grateful.”
“My pleasure,” Mona said, and then realized just what she had said. “Wait, I didn’t mean it that way. Not that it wasn’t nice. It was actually really nice. Actually, I did mean it that way, but not, you know, the other way. The I-want-to-do-it-again-soon way. I do think I want to do it again, but not soon. I mean, I’m busy, you’re busy, and I have things to do and if we made the cabinets rattle with a kiss—”
Cart’s grin transformed his face, if possible making him more handsome than before. Damned man. He placed a finger over her lips. “Next time, just say ‘you’re welcome.’”
Chapter Seven
As he’d been directed, Cart parked in the emergency room lot.
“Can I help you?” The security officer behind the desk looked Mona then Cart up and down, radiating irritation.
“We’ve been called in by Nurse Ferguson.” Cart raised the pitch of his voice, somehow making him seem less threatening.
“Go to registration, someone will help you there.” The guard went back to monitoring the camera in the ambulance bay.
They mentioned Fergie’s name at the desk and immediately someone came through the locked door to let them in. They were led off to a room so small, the swing of the door took up half the space. Mortal emotions strong enough they left a residue, lingered here. Pain, despair, and grief all swirled around Mona. She grabbed onto Cart’s arm, swaying from the pressure.
