by S. J. Day
“Let me deal with this.”
“What are you going to do? Make us pack up our toys and go home?” She made a sweeping gesture with both arms, causing the two Infernals to duck below the arc of the gun. “This is a perfect training exercise. We have something to hunt down and slaughter. You couldn’t have planned it better if you tried.”
Gadara stared hard at her. It took everything Eve had to hold his golden gaze. He was a handsome and elegant man, but when enhanced by the full force of his divine gifts, he was blindingly beautiful. His dark skin like silk, his features finely wrought by a deft and loving hand. “This is far beyond your limited training, Ms. Hollis.”
“So we learn as we go.”
“It is against protocol. You know that.”
“I also know that it’s ‘perfectly acceptable to continue a deviation once it has been set in motion.’ ” She shrugged out of her sweater jacket, switching her gun from hand to hand until the garment fell away from her overheated body. “Isn’t that what you said when you assigned me to hunt tengu and travel to Upland before I was trained?”
“If proceeding is the only reasonable course,” he added. “Remaining here is far from reasonable.”
“I agree with him, Eve,” Reed said, his voice smooth and dark. Comforting, even when contradicting her.
Eve tried not to look at him, knowing it would just make her even hotter, but she lost the battle. He stood with his hands thrust into the pockets of his tailored black slacks, his pale yellow dress shirt sans tie and open at the throat. The wind ruffled his dark hair, draping the locks across his brow. Like his brother, he watched her with a predator’s stare, hungry and determined.
He held her gaze. If he’d touched her, it couldn’t have felt more real. In some ways, the brothers were very much alike. In others, they couldn’t be more different. One warmed her with a slow, steady burn. The other ignited a scorching fire.
With Alec the world stilled, external concerns faded away. She enjoyed him as she would a fine wine, with delicate sips and limitless time. With Reed her response was like a runaway train, increasing in velocity until she was breathless and reckless.
Eve looked away, rolling her shoulders to ease the knotting there.
“We are vacating the base,” Gadara said.
“What if that was the goal of the attack?”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but it’s a possibility.”
“A far-reaching one,” Reed interjected. “And regardless, it’s too dangerous for you to be here.”
Gadara continued to watch her intensely. “I have already ordered an investigative team up here. They are far more qualified and are therefore at less risk.”
Eve knew she couldn’t argue with that. She also knew that doing nothing at all wasn’t an option. “Will you let us participate in the investigation from the safety of the tower? Studying evidence or whatever else can be done?”
A hint of a smile touched the archangel’s mouth, but she was too upset about Molenaar to chafe over playing into Gadara’s hands. So what if she was determined to participate? That didn’t mean she was married to the idea of being a Mark.
“I am certain something can be arranged,” Gadara said magnanimously.
Reed gestured for Eve to head toward the stairs. “I’ll take the class back to the house.”
Gadara nodded. “You can record your report and transfer it to my desk.”
“I’ll be sticking around awhile.”
“That will not be necessary.”
“You haven’t heard my report.”
Eve frowned. “You’re worried about something else?”
He caught her elbow as she came closer and started to escort her off the roof. “I’ll tell you later.”
There was no way to avoid inhaling the unique scent of his skin. It was musky, exotic, seductive. It flowed through her senses, creating tingles where she didn’t need them and aches where she didn’t want them. The heat of his touch burned through her shirt to her flesh. Sweat dotted her upper lip. Her body remembered the feel of his. Craved to feel it again.
Reed glanced at her. She kept her own line of vision firmly on the ground. He opened the rooftop door and she was about to step inside when something long, gray, and quick darted past her booted foot.
Eve yelped. The rat stilled halfway down the stairs. It turned its head, staring at her with teeny beaded eyes.
Are you screaming ’cuz of me? it asked.
A mental shudder rolled through her. The sight of the rodent’s long, ribbed tail was revolting. She swallowed back her disgust and asked, “Did you see anything when you were up there?”
Rearing up on its rear legs, the rat made a noise suspiciously like a laugh. I scared ya. Gotta love newbies.
She aimed her gun. Reed chuckled and lounged into the stairwell railing.
Take it easy, doll, the rat said hastily. Where’s your sense of humor?
“What’s your name?”
A loud screeching was his reply.
Eve cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Okay, let’s call you Templeton.”
What kind of name is that?
“A rat’s name.”
“Charlotte’s Web,” Reed murmured.
Startled that he would know such trivia, Eve looked at him with a widening smile. “I’m impressed.”
Who is Charlotte? Templeton barked.
“Never mind,” Eve dismissed. “Did you see anything on the roof?”
Nope. Nada.
“You’re lying.”
Prove it.
“Come on,” she cajoled, firmly squelching the voice in her mind that shouted, You’re talking to a rat! “You had to see something.”
It’s not true.
“What’s not true?” She glanced at Reed, who shrugged and grinned boyishly, the combination briefly distracting her. She cursed her raging libido, which seemed to be fueled by her low-grade fever.
What they say about rats. Templeton’s whiskers twitched in a manner that seemed . . . affronted. It’s pigs who squeal, the miserable bastards. They’ll do anything for food.
“I like pigs. They’re useful. They make bacon and ham. What have you got to offer?”
Entertainment?
She waved the gun carelessly. “I have to be honest, it’s not looking so good for you right now, Templeton. You’re giving me the willies, not information.”
You’d shoot an innocent rat? Man, that’s low.
“Gimme something, then.”
Did you see the lip around the roof? It’s at least three feet high. I couldn’t see shit.
Eve considered that. “What did you hear?”
Struggling. Gurgling. Hammering.
She swallowed hard. “That’s not helpful.”
Templeton dropped back down on all fours. Told ya. Can I go now?
Her gaze shot to Reed. He raised both brows and straightened. The air around him stirred, causing his scent to waft to her. She changed her line of questioning. “Did you smell anything?”
Nope. Nada.
“I don’t believe you.”
Templeton looked at Reed. Tough crowd, Abel. You sure she’s worth the effort?
Reed looked at Eve, his dark eyes soft. “She’s worth it.”
Eve forcibly ignored the physical response she had to his tone and words. “You’re a rat, Templeton—”
You’re brilliant.
“—which means you have a great sense of smell. You can tell me what kind of Infernal did . . . that.”
Templeton shook his head. I didn’t smell anything but Mark.
Her head tilted to the side. “I could maybe see that if there was blood everywhere, but there isn’t any.”
Right, doll. So you tell me . . . No blood to stink up the air and a killer exerting himself strenuously, but all I could smell was Mark. How is that possible?
“What are you—” Reed’s hand came to rest at the small of her back. She swallowed hard. “Are you saying there wasn
’t an Infernal down there when Molenaar was killed?”
Seems that way.
The chill in her gut spread. “Then who did it?”
Templeton’s whiskers twitched. That’s the question, isn’t it?
* * *
“Who was the last person tae see Molenaar?” Ken asked, his gaze raking over the other Marks.
They were waiting in the men’s side of the duplex for Gadara to return from Anytown and the tension was thick as fog. Eve stood on the open threshold between the dining and living rooms. Reed leaned a shoulder into the wall beside her, a causal pose she knew was only a facade. She was unusually antsy, with a simmering need to move. The itch to leap into offensive action crawled over her skin like a thousand tiny ants.
The smell of mold and decay in the house was more pronounced now, almost oppressively so. The weak rays of sunlight shining through the windows showcased every flaw the moonlight had concealed: the stained and warped hardwood floors, the crumbling walls, the scuffed baseboards. The air was choked with the proliferation of dust that swirled around them like tendrils of smoke. Eve found herself becoming more agitated by the moment.
Inside her mind, Reed murmured words she couldn’t understand in a soothing tone. Their connection was too weak to convey more than impressions, but she got the gist. He wanted her to take it down a notch. She was hot and irritable, and she wanted to cry but her eyes were dry as bone.
“Well?” Ken demanded, looking oddly fierce in his ski cap, like a bank-robbing felon. “The last time I saw him was when we entered Anytown. I went tae the left. I saw Hollis, Edwards, and Richens go intae the office building. Who went tae the right with Molenaar?”
Claire raised her hand. She stood with feet wide and arm wrapped around her waist in a defensive posture that belied the aggressive tilt of her chin. “I did, in the beginning. We separated when I entered a video rental store. He continued without me.”
“What time was that?”
“Half past eight?” She muttered something in French. “Maybe eight. What does it matter?”
“What about you?” Ken directed his question to Romeo.
“I was with Laurel.”
Ken stared a moment at the pretty Kiwi, who looked chagrined and might have blushed if she wasn’t a Mark. “You two make me sick,” he bit out.
Laurel blinked, then recovered. “Fuck you, Callaghan.”
“Isnae that what he was doing?” Ken jerked his chin toward Romeo. “While Molenaar was losing his head, you two were houghmagandying on a training mission!”
“You didn’t save him either,” Laurel snapped. “What were you doing?”
“Where was Seiler?” Edwards interjected.
“She was following us,” Eve said.
“I was not!” Izzie protested.
“You came onto the scene awfully quick,” Eve drawled, deliberately goading.
“I am fast. That’s all. I do not care about what you are doing. You have problems if you think I would.”
“Since you and Richens keep contradicting each other, it’s clear that one of you is a liar. Which one of you is it?”
“I am confused,” Romeo said, frowning.
Izzie palmed her blade and spoke with dangerous softness. “Do not call me a liar.”
Eve crossed her arms. “We don’t have time for these games you and Richens are playing. Until one of you admits that you told me a lie, I’m not going to believe either of you.”
“Sod off, Hollis,” Richens bit out. “My arse still hurts, you know. I told you to pick the knife!”
“I shot you on purpose,” she said wryly.
Reed’s hand touched her elbow. She caught his frown and shrugged it off.
Ken stepped closer. “What are you talking about, Hollis? What lies?”
“They know what I’m talking about. Let’s go back to what happened to Molenaar. Did anyone else notice the lack of Infernal stench around Molenaar’s body?”
A stillness came over the group, then a cluster of protests. Eve cut them all off with a wave of her hand. “I understand you were all freaked out. I am, too, but we need to stop thinking about how we feel about this and do something about it instead.”
“I didnae smell anything but Mark blood,” Ken said.
The others quickly concurred.
“Right.” Eve’s gaze raked over everyone, searching. “So what does that mean?”
“We weren’t paying attention?” Edwards suggested gruffly.
“Or maybe the only thing to smell was Mark. Maybe there was never an Infernal there.”
“You accuse one of us?” Romeo cried, dark eyes wide. “Sei matta! Come puoi dire una cosa del genere?”
“I have no idea what he said,” Laurel snapped. “But I agree!”
Reed’s grip on her arm tightened. “Come with me.” He dragged her toward the door.
“She is lying,” Izzie said with a smile in her voice. “I think it was the faery.”
Pausing, Reed faced them. “Leave this matter to Raguel and his team.”
“If there’s a traitor among us,” Richens said, “we have a lot to worry about.”
Reed snapped his fingers at the two guards standing watch just outside the front door. “No one leaves.”
Without waiting for their acquiescence, he yanked Eve down the steps and away.
CHAPTER 10
Eve stumbled after Reed as they rounded the driveway corner and stepped out of sight. He tugged her around the hedges that separated the duplex driveway from the drive next door and faced her, scowling. “What are you doing?”
“Talking.”
“Bullshit. You’re instigating infighting on purpose.”
“I have a really good reason,” she said. “Maybe they’ll wake up and smell the stench.”
“You aren’t in any position to train others.”
“This is just a game to them. Richens acts as if we’re playing for points and not lives. Ken chose brass knuckles for his weapon. Brass-fucking-knuckles, against Infernals? And Romeo and Laurel were screwing for christsakes—ow!” She glared at the sky and rubbed her mark through her armband. “That doesn’t count!”
Reed’s mouth thinned into a disapproving line. “You should be working together, not fighting among yourselves. You know none of them did it.”
“Says who?” she challenged, spoiling for a fight. “We can’t rule anyone out. We need to be looking very closely at everything and everyone around us. We can’t afford any blind spots.”
“Marks don’t do shit like this, Eve! They’re not capable of it.”
“And demons don’t exist. Sometimes what we think is an absolute truth is completely false.” Eve stabbed a finger viciously toward the house. “They have to step outside of the cocoon they’re living in and face facts. You can’t trust anyone, and if you turn your back, don’t be surprised to find a knife in it.”
He growled. “Not the conspiracy theory again.”
“Gadara has wiretaps in my condo and cameras on every floor of my building. You think he doesn’t have Anytown scoped out?” Eve ripped off the Velcro-secured armband. “We’re all wearing these. They’re supposed to simulate a call, but I would be willing to bet they have GPS locaters in them and maybe bugs, too.”
“Will you listen to yourself? You’re nuts, and you’re driving me nuts, too. Gadara wouldn’t let a Mark die, Eve.”
“Why? Because he’s an archangel?”
“Because losing a Mark during training looks bad,” he bit out, his powerful frame taut with frustration. “Really, really bad. It will take Raguel centuries to regain the standing he lost today.”
Eve’s hands went to her hips. “Then why didn’t he stop it from happening?”
A muscle in Reed’s jaw ticced. He knelt down to get the armband. “You’re leaping to conclusions based on assumptions. Look—” he straightened and snapped the metal plate of the band in half, “—there’s nothing in here. It’s solid. Raguel’s running on full power now; he doesn�
��t need secular electronics. These are for your benefit. The pressure on your arm keeps you focused and the metal gives Raguel a concentrated area to heat.”
“Are you telling me there’s no way Gadara could have known about the attack and prevented it?”
“He’s an archangel. Not God.”
“I don’t see how—”
“Do you think he’s evil?” Reed demanded, shoving the destroyed band into his pocket. “Is that what this boils down to? You think he watched your classmate getting butchered on a live feed and ate popcorn?”
She rubbed at the bead of sweat that ran down her nape. Said in that manner, it did sound implausible. “No.”
“Everything happens for a reason.” His voice softened. “You have to believe that.”
“I don’t believe, Reed. I’m agnostic.”
“You’re a pain in the ass.” He caught her face in his hands and tilted it up. With his thumbs brushing over her cheekbones, he examined her. “Shit. You’re burning up. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I did say something,” she groused, “to both Gadara and Alec. One says it’s all in my head, the other says it’s just my body adjusting to the mark.”
He snarled something in a foreign language. Eve meant to ask what it was but was distracted by the feel of his touch, which cooled her. The scent of his skin filled her nostrils, altering the tension that gripped her from anger to something far more dangerous.
She caught his wrists and tried to pull his hands away. “Uh . . . Maybe you shouldn’t touch me right now.”
“No wonder you’re so combative,” he said roughly. “The Novium is on you.”
“You sure that’s what it is?” Her voice was a whisper, her throat clogged by the images that filled her mind of him on her.
“Oh, yeah. No doubt.” He released her abruptly. His gaze was sharp . . . and frighteningly fervent. “You’re crawling out of your skin. Marks don’t reach this stage until much later, but you’re primed like a veteran.”
Her hand lifted to her face, coming to rest over the spot where he had touched her. The skin tingled and was cooler. “Why?”
