by T. G. Ayer
I ignored it.
I dropped my bag on one of the armchairs and sat at the edge of the seat closest to Santiani and studied his features. Clammy pale skin, almost greyed, it made me wonder if perhaps he'd been possessed by a vamp-demon, or even worse, the real thing.
Rare. But possible.
"Thanks for letting me know you were here." I filled the silence.
"Better than you calling the house to give me an update and having Marshall tell you."
I nodded, deciding it was time to ask him the hard questions. "I have a few questions regarding Gina."
Santiani stiffened and lifted his head from his pillow.
"No."
The single word conveyed the extent of his distress; dilated pupils, blood-infused skin, wide eyes. Terror filled his eyes and even the most oblivious person could see that he was stricken with fear.
But he recovered quickly, as men of his station do when they realize they've slipped and revealed their true emotions.
He cleared his throat, then raised a hand to dismiss the topic. "Gina is . . . Gina. She's a . . . free spirit." His words slurred and his head sank back onto the pillow.
I moved closer to the bed and rested my hip against the mattress. "Tell me. I know something is wrong. All I want to do is help you."
He stared at me, eyes filled with fear. Fear that dissolved and faded into a neutral lack of concern. "There's nothing to worry about. I just need you to find Gia for me."
I touched his shoulder. "Carlo, you have to help me. The only way I can help you is if you help me to do so." When he shifted his gaze away I leaned closer, intent on getting him to respond.
He opened his mouth to speak, but then stiffened, the muscles in his neck tightening. Hie eyes widened, only the whites now revealed as he began to shudder. The seizure took control, lifting him off the bed, then slamming him back down repeatedly. Lights flashed, machines around the room began to beep. Seconds later the door swung open and a flood of nurses doctors and technicians flowed into the room, elbowing me aside. I was only too happy to comply.
Standing beside the window seat, I watched as doctors examined him, poking and prodding and drawing blood long after he's already relaxed and all signs of the convulsions had dissipated. Before I knew it, they were rolling him out of the room for further tests. As they disappeared out of the room I wondered if I should go with him. Or maybe I should leave altogether and return later.
I stood there in a quandary for a few moments before I decided there wasn't much sense in staying. Then a dark-haired nurse walked into the room, golden bangles jingling at her wrists, and said, "I’m sorry you had to see Mr Santiani this way." She gave me a small sad smile, white pearly teeth glinting against her golden skin. "It’s heard especially with how violent the seizures can get. The doctor will repeating the tests but it’s merely a precaution since he already suspects the cause of his condition." Her strong accent placed her as Punjabi or something else North Indian. The nurse smiled again and shimmied her head in the way only an Indian could, something halfway between a bob and half a twist, with a hint of a jiggle.
The way my grandmother used to do.
I straightened, the sudden recollection setting me off balance. "How soon before it's confirmed?"
"You don't have to worry. He will be back soon." She made a pushing motion with her hand; sit, sit. Then another head shake/bob; don't worry. Even the one quarter of my DNA recognized the code.
She turned on her heel, the single long plait hanging down her back making a wide swing as she moved. Then she was gone, and the room fell silent.
Okay.
So they suspected that they knew what was wrong with him.
I glanced at the chart sitting in a small file stand on the bedside table. I stared at the door. My luck usually went along the lines of the door opening while I stood there, caught with the file in my hot little hands.
Then I figured I had nothing to lose. What could they do to me besides kicking me out? Santiani needed me, so he'd just get them to let me back inside.
I strode to the table and grabbed the file, flipping it open and angling the adjustable desk lamp to focus on the tiny writing. Temperature and BP recordings, other unrecognizable details. And one word that sent a chill through my gut.
Suspected Prion’s disease - second test requested for final confirmation.
Prion’s Disease.
The man had mad cow disease?
Chapter 20
I was so confused.
Add that to the strange way he’d reacted to the mention of his daughter, and I had more than a puzzle on my hands.
With a sigh, I replaced the file and was about to head out of the room when a nurse shoved the door open, and rushed to grab the file. She was spinning on her heel, ready to dash out the door when I hurried towards her.
“What happened?”
She gave me an impatient glance. “Mr Santiani is in a coma.”
Crap on a stick.
Now what?
She began to walk off, so grabbed my bag and kept pace with her. “When will he wake up?”
Her pencilled eyebrows curved dangerously. “Your guess is as good as ours. We’ll send word when he does, but in his case he’s likely to be out for a couple days. You’d better hope it isn’t longer.”
“Why’s that?” I asked, slowing my steps.
Over her shoulder she said, “Because if he doesn’t wake up in the next day or so, then he probably won’t ever regain consciousness.”
Then she took a corner and was gone, leaving me in the middle of the hall, staring after her in shock.
Another person on Death’s radar? My client and I certainly were a matched set.
I sighed, resigning myself to concentrating on tracking Gia down without her father’s help. Before I returned to the truck, I checked my phone for messages.
Scrolling through the list I spotted one that made my heart tighten.
Shit.
Kai Odel had messaged me around midday and I hadn’t seen it.
Mel. Sorry for short notice but I need your help urgently.
Ominous.
Considering its urgency, I responded straight away, telling her I’d meet her at O’Hagan’s in a couple hours.
Chapter 21
The door to O’Hagan’s had a bell not too different from the one Tara had in her shop, loud, abrasive and completely impossible to hear over the din O’Hagan’s customers made. Still, I wasn’t surprised when Kai looked up the moment I’d entered.
Probably her panther senses.
I stepped toward her, hesitating when I saw her expression; tense, angry. Either way, she didn’t give me time to decide what to do. Below table level, and out of sight of her companion, she waved me away. Whoever the man was, shrouded in shadows, his face well hidden, Kai wanted me to stay away.
I chose the seat nearest to me, a narrow two-person booth beside the door and watched her, worried now. Who was the guy and why did he make Kai so uncomfortable?
A few minutes past, during which I’d shredded one of O’Hagan’s shamrock printed napkins, and had begun on a second. When I looked again, Kai’s companion had disappeared, and she was sitting there, her face pale.
I headed over, determined to find out what was wrong, but when I moved to sit opposite her, she stood up. “Let’s sit somewhere else.”
I sent her a questioning glance. “Sure. The booth by the window?”
She nodded, reaching for her satchel, and following me back to my table by the window. We’d barely seated ourselves before I bent closer. “Kailin, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Kai snorted. “I have, in a manner of speaking.”
“Who was that guy? He looked a little creepy.” I shuddered, hoping he wasn’t planning on returning. I dropped my bag on the seat beside me.
Kai sighed. “That creepy guy wasn’t a guy at all.” She massaged her forehead for a few moments before saying, “Chicago is in the midst of a Wraith
infestation. That was one of them.”
My eyes widened. “What the hell was he doing talking to you?”
“Giving me an ultimatum.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that so we fell into a taut silence. Thankfully, Beth came over and offered me a menu. With a wink at Kai, Beth said, “I don’t think you’re ready to order again, are you?”
“Not by a long shot. I’ll just have an iced tea, Beth.” She scribbled the order on her little notepad, then did the same for me as I requested on of O’Hagan’s amazing burgers, and a soda.
With Beth gone, Kai sat back, looking only slightly less tense. “I’m sorry for the spy-subterfuge thing. I just didn’t want you to run into him. The less he has against me the better.”
“So what did he want?” I demanded.
“He was threatening my mother. Said I needed to stay away from him and his kind or they will kill her.” Kai said the words, a little too emotionless, and the color drained from my face. Kai leaned forward and shook her head. “I think it’s bluster. Mostly. They assumed she’s the Hunter they’re looking for, but they’re wrong. And I told them as much. I will slaughter every single one of them if they hurt her in any way.”
“How can you be sure they won’t hurt her?” I asked, worried.
Kai looked just as worried. “That’s the kicker. I can’t be sure. I’m just hoping they won’t. And that’s what I need you for.”
I nodded. “To track your mom?” Kai nodded. “You have something I can track her with?” I asked.
“Yeah, but I forgot to put it into some sort of protective case.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a portal key. It’s got her blood in the crevices of the carvings. It was the only thing I had on hand in the apartment. If you need something else, I’ll have to go home for it.”
I shook my head. “That’s totally fine. It should work. I don’t see any reason why it won’t.”
“Good.” Kai sighed. Shadows beneath her eyes emphasized her exhaustion. Which was typical of the shifter. She kept going until she couldn’t go anymore. “I really want to get this done as soon as possible.”
“Right, then. As soon as I’m done shoveling food down my throat, we can go back to your place and I will track her for you.”
Kai looked surprised. “No appointment, then?”
“None at all. I have a little time, so what better moment than right now?”
The look of relief on Kai’s face was enough to assure me I’d made the right decision, even though I knew Drake would probably skin me alive for my insistence on multi-tasking.
“And about your fee?” she asked.
I waved her off firmly, glad she didn’t fight me. “No fee. Except, I may call in a favor sometime in the future.”
“Sure,” Kai said, her brow furrowed with curiosity. “Anything you can talk about right now?”
I shook my head, wondering what Saleem would think if I brought his best friend’s main squeeze on board with his search for his mother. “Well, yes and no. I don’t have all the information. It’s just a suspicion at this point. When we have something more to go on, then I’ll call you.”
“No problem. Just text me. And if I don’t answer, call Logan. He’ll know if I’m alive or dead,” said Kai with a twist of her lips.
I laughed mid-bite. “Very optimistic of you.”
“Hey, I’m just calling it like I see it. Wraiths are unpredictable. And the more powerful they are, the more my life is at risk.” Suddenly she looked exhausted again.
I hesitated again before I took another bite and chewed. Then I asked, “So can you tell me something?”
“Sure. Shoot.”
I opened her mouth to ask her if she knew anything about evil spirits or knew anyone with dark magic that would want to curse me this way, but I chickened out. I’d be selfish to place the burden on another person’s shoulders. Not yet. Not until I knew what I was going to do about it.
I changed my topic on the fly, grasping at her mention of Wraiths. “Okay, so when you track the Wraiths, what is it you look for?” I asked.
Kai sipped her tea, then put the glass down. “One of my skills is the ability to see the tracks they leave. Everything they touch is colored by a fine dust. To me, it appears as a glowing coral powder. I can see it anywhere, on people, on furniture, anywhere a Wraith touches.”
“So the ability to see these coral prints has allowed you to successfully track them?” I asked.
Kai nodded. “I guess you could compare them to a snail’s trail rather than fingerprints.” She shrugged, her expression saying she’d rather be talking about something else. Her cell beeped and while she attended to it I finished off my burger and drink.
She followed suit and when we got the check she insisted on paying since I wasn’t charging for tracking her Mom. I wanted to say that I could get my new boss to pay for the dinner, but I ended up just shaking my head at her.
We grabbed our bags and left the buzz of the bar. We walked to Kai’s apartment as the sun set, throwing an orange glare over the cobbled streets.
Chapter 22
At Kai’s apartment we headed to the dining room table. I hadn’t planned on wasting any time especially with Santiani still in hospital and the Gia/Gina puzzle to solve.
Kai seemed to understand the need to be quick as she retrieved her portal key from her pocket and set it on the table in front of me. “Is it okay that I touched it?” she asked.
I nodded. “It should be fine. I need DNA, and I don’t usually have a problem with epithelial DNA causing interference.”
I took the key, sensing from Kai’s expression that she was tense and worried. I leaned forward and touched her arm. “Hey, I’m going to do a projection first, so I’m not going to disappear or anything. I’ll project, get the lay of the place, then come back and tell you what I know.” Only when I nodded did she let me go.
Giving her a quick smile, I focused on the portal key.
Shaking my hands, I inhaled and concentrated for a few moments before resting against the back of the chair for support. I took the key, holding it gently within my hands. My spine went taut as the blood drew me through the Ether to Kai’s mother with lightning speed, a mark of a powerful mage.
The feedback thread dropped me into a bare space, more a cell than a room. It took me a moment to figure out what it was, even then I was surprised. It’s not often that you see a giant refrigerator used as a prison.
A dark-haired woman lay unmoving on a cot against the left wall, her skin pale, her arms bandaged with filthy rags. Her eyelids fluttered and she stared blankly at the white ceiling, her chest rising and falling evenly. Though she was alive, she seemed to be holding on by a thread, her thin, fleshless arms and bony shoulders screaming of starvation.
I slipped through the metal coils and plastic, giving the building a quick scan, taking in the odors of oil and salty ocean and rust, the feel of metal and stone, the distant sound of gulls and the irregular blaring of a tugboat horn.
I returned to my body, feeling awful to leave her behind, and praying she wouldn’t suffer in any way until Kai was able to save her.
Kai bent close, speaking softly. “Are you alright? Do you need anything.”
I waved her off, giving her a tight smile. “I’m totally fine.”
“Did you see her?” Kai asked, her voice filled with urgency and fear.
I nodded, choking back the dry chafing in my throat.
“Is she okay?” Kai asked.
I shook my head. “I’m not sure. I arrived right beside her. She’s conscious, but I think she’s been injured or maybe … I’m not sure … I think she’s being bled. There were soiled bandages around her arms. And she looked thin, emaciated. I’m not entirely sure what they’re doing to her.”
“I think I know.” Kai’s voice was soft and pained.
“What is it?” I shook my head, trying and failing to unsee the torture I’d witnessed.
“They probably
know about the glow.” Kai whispered.
“What glow?” I asked, my voice a tad high-pitched with worry. Holding onto Kai’s arm, I waited until she was ready to speak.
“It’s my fault. The Wraiths know about the glow. It’s what happens when my killing power comes into play. My hands glow golden and the Wraith I’m touching dies.”
“That sounds cool, in a gross way.” I made a face, somewhere between impressed and weirded out. “So you’re saying the Wraiths found out about this glow and think your mother has the same power because she’s also a Hunter?”
Kai gave a jerky nod. “And it’s my fault. They never would have learned about it if I hadn’t told Illyria how it works.”
Kai shook her head, her eyes a little unfocused as she frowned. Then she blinked and met my eyes. “Tell me, did you manage to get a good idea of where she’s being held?”
I nodded. “I got a feel for the room, then did a little exploring. She’s in a warehouse by the docks somewhere. She’s being kept in a disused commercial refrigerator. It’s fortunate I can project through anything, even metal. Or else I wouldn’t get her out.”
“I thought jumpers couldn’t pass through lead and… What was the other metal…? Silver?”
I smirked. “Metals are no match for a Master Teleporter. I can get her out.”
“Can we go now?” Kai asked impatiently.
“We can, but just because I can project in doesn’t mean I can jump in. So be aware that it might not work on the first run.” Kai nodded, disappointment darkening her eyes. I sighed. “There could also be another problem. Sometimes I can jump in, but I can’t bring the person through.”
“Why would that be?”
“Many reasons. Blood magic preventing the person from moving through the Veil. Or the person could be too weak.” I looked at Kai sadly.
“You think Mom will be too weak for a jump?”
