She sounded so matter-of-fact but the tightness around her eyes and mouth betrayed her. My heart ached for her. We were more similar than I’d realized. I’d grown up surrounded by family, but feeling like an outsider. Something of what I was feeling must have shown on my face because she kicked me under the table and grinned.
“It’s okay, you know. I’m fine with it. I have my work and my friends. It’s all I need.”
No. It wasn’t. Man I wanted to hug her so bad.
“Don’t even think about it, Hunter.”
“That transparent, eh?”
“Totally.”
Her phone beeped with a text. She checked the message and drained her cup. “Come on, eat up, we have our list. Let’s finish up, get tracking and find this fucker.”
***
Four internet cafes, an antiques store, two used book stores and the local library later we’d tapped out our resources.
“Maybe he went back home?” Melody suggested.
The sun had set an hour ago and the city was transitioning into its night self, like slipping on a slinky black dress and steel tipped boots to kick the shit out of you if you were daft enough to lift the skirts to take a peek.
Melody started up the engine, and we pulled into traffic. Ten minutes later we were back at the warehouse, pushing on the buzzer and staring at the camera.
Melody jumped down the steps and began to pace in agitation. “We’re running out of time. We have three days till the eclipse. Three days! If we can’t get the evacuation going by tomorrow we’re doomed.”
I dialed Nathaniel’s number for the kazzilionth time and, once again, got shafted to voicemail. “What is he, a ghost?”
Melody shrugged, throwing up her hands in agitation. “Maybe he is… maybe he is.”
I joined her by the car. “Either that or he’s deliberately avoiding us.”
“Like running around the city one step ahead of us? She let out a bark of humorless laughter. “You must have made some impression if he wants to get away from us that bad.”
Point. “Okay, so he’s not running. We’re just looking in the wrong places.” Maybe Kevin’s girlfriend hasn’t been as forthcoming with him as he thinks. It’s not as if she knows what’s at stake, plus Nathaniel probably chewed her out about revealing his identity to Kevin. She may just be giving us the run around.
Melody puffed out her cheeks and blew out a breath. “I think we should give Lisa a visit.”
“I’ll grab her number off Kevin.” I dialed the technician.
“Yo,” Kevin answered.
“Kev, I need Lisa’s address.”
“What? No. U-huh.”
“Seriously, Kevin. You do know there’s a dragon inside me right?”
“Um…yeah.”
“So, what are you more afraid of? Lisa’s wrath or mine?”
“Dammit, Carmella, she’ll never speak to me again,” he whined
Man, the dude was desperately hung up on this woman. “At least she might get to live, keep her free will, all the good stuff. Think about what a hero you’ll be to her then?”
He groaned. “Fine, okay.” He rattled off the address.
I entered it into the Satnav. “Thanks. Oh, and Kev?”
“What?” He sounded drained.
“You deserve much better and, trust me, when you meet the woman for you, she’s gonna be ten times more amazing than this Lisa ever was.”
He snorted. “Yeah, thanks.”
***
Lisa’s apartment building was on the outer edge of Soho in a quiet, neat area that had either been rebuilt by the council after the void attack, or had been left untouched. I voted rebuilt—the place was just too immaculate and new.
A concierge, dressed in a neat navy uniform, buzzed us in, but when he went to dial Lisa, Melody flashed her badge and shook her head. He stared at the phone, then back at the badge torn between duty to his residents and following the law.
“This is an official investigation,” Melody said firmly.
We didn’t want to give Lisa a heads up and allow her to prepare a story.
The concierge nodded and popped the receiver back in its cradle.
The lift was lingering on the top floor, so we took the steps to the fifth where Lisa lived. Clean plum carpets and magnolia walls greeted us, and fancy wall lights creating an ambient air, lit our way.
Melody stopped at number fifty-six and rapped lightly on the door. Long seconds ticked by and when Lisa didn’t answer, Melody banged a little louder. A door to our left opened and a slender man stepped out, a frown on his unshaven face.
Melody waved her badge, and he ducked back into his apartment.
I rapped on the door again. She was probably wondering how someone had gotten up without the concierge ringing her to let he know she had a guest. Well, only one way to find out…
Lisa must have come to the same conclusion, either that or she’d called down and spoken to the concierge. Either way, she opened the door, her neat brows pulled low over her huge blue eyes. My mouth fell open. I’d told Kev he could do ten times better than Lisa? I’d unwittingly lied. The woman was a divine goddess with flawless skin and rippling golden hair and a figure to die for all wrapped up in a diminutive package of perfection. And no, I didn’t swing that way, but if I did—wowzer. She was dressed in those cute shorts pajamas with the vest. Bunny slippers hugged her tiny feet.
My reaction wiped away the frown, and she cocked her hip, hand on the door jamb suddenly in cocky mode. “Can I help you?” Her lashes fluttered becomingly.
Oh, wow. “Hi, we’re from the IEPEU and—”
She slammed the door in our faces. Okay, so maybe she hadn’t called down after all.
Melody’s jaw tensed. “Fuck this.” She hammered on the wood. “Open the damned door. Otherwise, I’ll be back with a warrant to arrest your ass for obstruction of justice.”
Long minutes ticked by and, for a beat, I honestly thought Lisa would call our bluff. But then the door swung open and she appeared looking resigned and irritated.
“What do you want?” she asked, her voice dripping with resentment.
“We need to know where Nathaniel might be. Not the shitty fake list you gave Kevin, but a real list,” Melody said.
She rolled her eyes. “What is it with you guys? You meet him once and now you have a hard-on for him?”
I was tired, I was hungry, but most of all, I desperately needed a shag, because the needing was playing havoc with my hormones. Sex was not on the agenda so pummeling would have to do. Lisa was suddenly no longer a twinkly thing to be admired. She was an annoying gnat to be crushed. I stepped into the apartment pushing out my asura power and forcing her to back up.
“Listen, you little twit. There is a bag load of shit headed for this city, and we need Nathaniel to help us stop it. You either give us the information of your own accord or I’ll beat it out of you.”
“Carmella!” Melody grabbed my arm.
I pulled out of her grip. “No. I’m done being given the run around. While miniature Barbie here paints her nails, danger grows closer.”
Lisa looked from Melody then back to me. “There’s something coming? Like when the void came?”
The fear on her face was like an icy slap.
I sighed and the anger drained out of my limbs. “Yes, Lisa. We’re in danger and we need Nathaniel. So, please, just tell us where we can find him.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize. Nathaniel was just so mad when he found out I’d told Kevin about him being Night Owl.”
“Trust me, if it wasn’t life or death, we wouldn’t be here.”
She nodded. “Of course. She tapped her temple. Okay, it’s Tuesday night. Nate always play’s at the Blue Moon on a Tuesday.” She glanced at her watch. “If you leave now, you can catch him before he starts his set.”
Melody and I exchanged glances. The Blue Moon was a bar in the roughest part of the city, an area filled with the most viscous monsters outside of t
he red zone. Gang wars, turf disputes, and other nasty shit were the norm there, and the Blue Moon was the favored hang out of the worst of the worst.
Lisa winced and shrugged. “What can I say? Nathaniel likes to live on the wild side.”
This Nathaniel bloke was beginning to get more and more intriguing.
Leaving Lisa wringing her hands, we headed out of the flat and down the many flights of steps to the street below. We had a twenty-minute drive ahead of us, and if I didn’t get to grab a burger on the way, I might just eat Melody.
***
The Blue Moon was a long low building lit up like a Christmas tree and surrounded by haphazardly parked cars and motorbikes. Music blasted out into the parking lot from strategically placed speakers, and supes lounged against metal and chrome chugging beer from glass bottles. And was that two yaksha on the roof having a fist fight?
Melody grabbed my arm. “Stay close.”
“Just call me your shadow.”
We wove through the outdoor revelers and ducked into the building through the double doors. The interior was just as heaving as the outside. Miniskirts and skin tight jeans, vest tops and open necked shirts—just way too much cleavage and biceps on show. The place reeked of violence and sex. Eyes skimmed over us, assessing and then dismissing. Melody’s back was stiff as she led the way to the bar where a stocky female with jet black hair and dark eyes was busy topping up beer jugs.
“Be with you in a sec,” she said without looking up. The crush at the bar wasn’t so bad, probably because she was doling out beer by the jug and spirits by the bottle. Damn, these Supernaturals could put it away.
The bartender finally looked up and made eye contact, her peepers narrowed a fraction, nostrils flared and then she screwed her lips to the side. “Bold move coming here, ladies. You know the kind of scum that hang out here, right?”
“Do you include yourself in that label?” Melody asked.
“Hardly, I’m the cream of the crop. But you two look primed to attract trouble. My advice? Go find a cocktail bar in the city center. I know the rough dangerous type can be a fanny tickle for your kind, but trust me, they’ll chew you up and spit you out…literally.”
I leaned against the bar. “Well, thanks for the pro tip, but we can handle ourselves. We’re looking for a guy called Nathaniel Ranger.”
Any inkling of warmth that had been on her face vanished. “Yeah? And what you want with him?”
So she did know him. “We need his help.”
She grinned but there was no humor in the action, just derision. “Damsels in distress, huh?” She jerked her head toward the other end of the bar. “Nathaniel has a soft spot for the damsels. He’s over by the pool table surrounded by them.” She sniffed in disgust and turned away, dismissing us.
“Woman scorned?” Melody said.
“Undoubtedly.”
We shoved through the crush, inhaling the odor of stale sweat mingled with the distinctive smell of wet dog, and broke out into a relatively crush free zone by the pool table. A gaggle of females surrounded the green topped table, legs were kicked up, giggles punctuated the air and an undeniably male laugh penetrated the hubbub.
The sea of females parted, and I caught a glimpse of Nathaniel, head thrown back, the masculine column of his throat exposed as he let out another one of those chocolate laughs.
Melody stood up straighter. “Is that him?”
“Yeah.” But he looked different. More relaxed, more…sexy. Shit. How had I missed that?
Melody was already moving across the room, badge in hand. “Nathaniel Ranger, IEPEU. Please, come with us.”
She was going for the we’re-here-on-official-business approach. Nathaniel’s laughter cut off, his eyes took on an assessing glint, but he didn’t move from his spot leaning up against the pool table.
The ladies closed in, cutting Melody off. She rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”
One of the females morphed. Her snout elongated and her lips peeled back from lethal teeth in a warning growl.
Melody raised her voice. “Call off your bitches, Nathaniel. This is important. Trust me, nothing else would drag me across town to this shit hole.”
The women moved aside as if on some hidden cue and Nathaniel emerged from his cocoon of estrogen. His gaze fell on me, strayed back to Melody, then settled on me again.
“It’s happening isn’t it?” he asked.
Of course, he was referring to our conversation days ago and his gut feeling of huge danger on the horizon. “Yeah, Ranger. It’s happening.”
His shoulders rose and fell in a heartfelt sigh. “Come with me.”
We followed him across the room to a door tucked away at the side of the bar, and through into a narrow corridor. He pushed open another door and indicated we enter. It was an office, small and neat. Nathaniel perched on the desk.
“I knew something big was coming. I’ve felt it in the air but I kept telling myself I was imagining it. That it was probably all resolved by now.”
“I wish.”
“Tell me what we’re up against.”
I filled him in as quickly and economically as possible.
“And you need me to get the supernaturals to a meeting spot?”
“Yes.”
“I know just the place. It’s familiar to them, even though it hasn’t been used in a while.”
“Yeah? Where’s that?” Melody asked.
He glanced at her quickly but didn’t linger. “The Circle. The old fight club for Supernaturals in Finchley.”
“I know it.” Malina had told me about it. “We need to gather them asap. Tomorrow night if possible. Can you get the word out in time?”
“Oh, I can get the word out. But it’ll be up to you to convince them to fight. There’s no love lost between the supernatural community and humans, especially with the government brushing the supe concerns under the carpet in favor of human ones. They’re sick of being second class citizens in a world that wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t risen up and fought the first time. So, be prepared to do some smooth talking.”
“You’re not going to be there?”
“No.”
Okay. I’d take what I could get from him, and the newsletter was going to have to do for now.
“I’ll get the newsletter out asap,” he said. “Now, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to get on with my evening.”
“The world is about to go to shit, and you’re worried about your night out?”
He shrugged. “Looks like we may not have many of those left. So…” He pushed off the table and headed for the door. “I have a set to play, stick around and enjoy the music if you like.” His gaze travelled to Melody once again, lingering longer this time, but then tearing away. “Or don’t.”
He ducked out into the corridor leaving us in the office.
I grabbed the door before it could shut. “What was that about?”
“What?” Melody asked.
Had she seriously not noticed how weird he’d been around her? “He wouldn’t look at you properly and when he did, it was weird.”
She shrugged. “He seemed fine to me.”
O-kay. “Let’s get out of here.”
Back in the bar, the first strains of a lilting melody had begun to play and the rowdy crowd was a serene sea of faces pointed toward a small platform on the other side of the pool table.
Nathaniel sat, spotlighted, guitar in hand, strumming a tune that brought a wave of nostalgia and longing rising up in my throat.
“What is that?” Melody asked.
I didn’t know, but it was beautiful and relaxing and it made me want to let go, to stop fighting to…
“Carmella!”
The floor rose up to meet my face.
5
It was so dark that it was almost impossible to tell whether my eyes were open or closed. The only giveaway was the tiny prick of light far off in the distance. Why was it so dark? Someone, please turn on the lights?
“Where are yo
u little mouse?” A voice filtered into the gloom. “I can sense you. I can feel you.”
The voice was familiar and comforting. Maybe I should walk toward it, out of the darkness and into the light—the warm, welcoming amber light. I’d feel it on my skin and let it in.
My dragon dug her claws into my mind, tearing a silent scream from my throat. No. She warned. Wake up.
Wake up?
Was I asleep?
“Come out, come out, little one. Don’t you wish to meet your sire?”
Sire? My lazy brain woke up and alarm bells began to ring.
Malachi.
I was trapped in the dark with the cosmic god—a cosmic god eager to claim my body as a host for his energy. Damn it. I needed to wake the heck up!
“So close…I can almost reach out and touch you.”
Fire raced through my veins, a gasp exploded from my lips and the world swam into focus complete with Gita’s face hovering over mine.
“Carmella, thank God you’re awake. You were mumbling and thrashing.”
I sat up, covers tangled and stuck to my fever soaked skin. Someone had undressed me, leaving me in my bra and panties.
“I took your clothes off,” Gita said. “You were burning up.”
My throat felt like sandpaper. “Water.” My voice came out croaky.
She handed me a glass, and I glugged it down. Last thing I recalled was listening to Nathaniel play the guitar, and then the floor had made a lunge for me.
“I passed out.”
“Yeah, you did. That operative named Melody brought you home. Vritra spoke to the high witch and this could be the effects of the anchoring. You’ve been ordered to rest.”
There was no time to rest. “I need to get to office and make sure the evacuation preparation is going okay. I need to be there for the meeting with the supernaturals.”
“You need to lie back down.” Gita gave me a stern look. “Melody told us you’d say all that stuff, and she said to tell you they have everything under control.”
Probably, but that didn’t mean I was happy sitting here twiddling my thumbs. “My phone?”
“Vritra has it.”
I slumped back on my pillow. “And where is Vritra? Look, I can’t stay in bed while shit goes down. I need to be useful.”
Unleashing Magick Page 4
