by T. G. Ayer
“So what do you need from me, Kai?”
My eyes snapped to Grams’ face across the coffee table. “What do you mean?” I was very aware of Mom, so still beside me.
Grams smiled serenely. “You clearly need information before you can take the next step. I’m assuming you have your young man already probing Omega for information.”
I nodded, unable to resist her smile. My young man indeed. “So you want to do some probing of your own?” I asked.
“It wouldn’t hurt. I personally haven’t heard anything but we usually don’t know things that don’t pertain to us directly, or when they’re classified.”
“I think knowing about the existence of a man who kills paranormals a dozen at a time affects all of us directly, classified or not. I’d think there’d be a worldwide warning issued so we’re all on the lookout for the danger.”
Grams shrugged. “I can’t even begin to assume what Omega would want to do about such a situation. They have their protocols. We have ours. And right now we need to know what’s going on.”
“Won’t you be endangering your position?” I asked, suddenly afraid for Grams. “What if someone catches you?”
“There isn’t a damn thing stopping me from looking for information except where I need a high-level security clearance. I have a few ways of getting around security.”
“Grams, you devious devil you.” I grinned and Mom did too. She’d sat there so long without saying a word, but if she could still manage to crack a smile then maybe she wasn’t too pissed off with me.
Grams nodded then shifted forward on the couch, patted her knees, and shoved to her feet. “There’s no time like the present,” she said, striding to the coat-rack to grab her bag. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Can’t you access the mainframe from here?” asked Mom. “Going in in person may get you in more trouble if it sets off any alarms.”
“Actually, being here would be worse,” I said slowly. “It would be more compromising since both you and I are here.”
“Good point,” they said together.
“Have you returned to Sentinel yet?” I asked Mom.
She gave a small shake of her head. “Not yet. They’ve insisted I take some time to recuperate. I’m meant to head in for debriefing and testing next week.”
“Perhaps you should start tomorrow?” suggested Grams. “I’m beginning to think it would be best to have more of us on the inside.”
Her pointed look at me was sharp enough to draw blood. “What? You want me to come on board now? Won’t that look suspicious?” I still hadn’t told them about the Elite Corps offer.
Grams shrugged again. “No more suspicious than not joining all this will make you look.”
“What’s suspicious about me refusing to join?” I asked. “My relationship with Logan?”
Mom put her hand on my forearm. “Your associations will always be judged, honey. If you decide to join Sentinel now, getting inside with the purpose of infiltration is no better reason.”
“In that case there’s no better time to join Omega,” I said softly.
They both stared at me in silence. For once I’d managed to shut the both of them up with one sentence.
Always a first time for everything.
Chapter 18
I’D BEEN TO LOGAN’S HOTEL only a few times in the last couple weeks, purely because I didn’t like hanging around in a place owned by Omega.
I’d been surprised that Omega provided so well for their out-of-town agents, even going so far as to offer private living arrangements. Of course, where Logan and Jess were concerned, it seemed that they were now permanently attached to the Chicago branch.
Nobody had even hinted that they would be transferred yet, so the current assumption was they were in for the long haul.
Now, with my mind focused on the death of an innocent, I needed to be around Logan more than anything. Just being with him always had the side-effect of making me feel safe, even if it was for one night. And if he wasn’t home, just being in his space might lend me some calm.
Omega had taken over an entire floor in the once grand and beautiful Blackstone Renaissance hotel. Its split-leveled lobby and dark paneled pillars still lent an air of majesty to the place despite the slightly aged air.
The city had taken over the property when its last owners had fled to greener pastures, and now, the place barely saw a visiting tycoon let alone a president.
Tracking across the white marble floor, I admired the contrast of the little black squares, paying little attention as the scowling concierge gave me a curt nod. If he smiled, I’d never know considering his mustache was long enough to cover his mouth.
Upstairs, I entered the silent hotel room and left my bag and jacket on the floor beside the door. If he wasn’t home they would give him advanced warning of someone in his space. I’d rather let him know I was here than risk having him fry me to a crisp thinking I was an intruder.
I headed past the dark doorway to the bathroom on my right, to the bedroom and caught a glimpse of Logan’s sleeping form. He was sprawled on the bed, sheets tangled around his body. He hadn’t heard me enter. Granted, I was panther-quiet but he looked to be so deep in his dreams that any noise I’d made on entering would have gone unheard.
He struggled, shifting from side to side, his face scrunched up, frustration and sorrow furrowing deep into his brow. His skin was covered with a light sheen of perspiration and I could feel the heat rolling off him from where I stood so many feet away.
I kept still, watching, unsure if I should disturb him, or stay as far away as possible. Being barbecued didn’t appeal to me.
I deliberated for a few seconds then decided to run a bath. The sound of water would wake him in a less dramatic fashion.
Or at least I hoped it would.
I turned on my heel and headed to the bathroom door.
“Hey, beautiful.” His voice drifted toward me, a sleepy croak that made me smile.
Relieved, I turned back and headed to his side. “Hey. You were dreaming again.”
He shifted over, making space for me to sit. “Yeah. More and more each day.”
I sank onto the mattress beside him. “Late night?”
He nodded, rubbing his hand across his face. “Yeah. Got back from Japan five hours ago.” He sighed deeply. “Onmoraki demons are the darnedest creatures to banish.”
The mere name of the demon made me shudder. “Crap. I disturbed you.”
When I began to move away he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me gently over his body so I landed on the other side of the mattress. “You are welcome to disturb me anytime. Not even a half human, half bird demon can keep me from you.”
“Mhhm,” I murmured as he nuzzled my neck. “Good to know.”
Laughter rumbled through his chest and the sound vibrated against my ear as I cuddled close.
We stayed like that for a while, with Logan tracing his fingers across the top of my neck. Right then, lying within his arms, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere without him. How had I even considered leaving him out of my future? The High Council be damned.
“What’s bothering you?” he murmured.
“My problems are the least of your worries.” I lifted my head. The strain of the dream was still painted across his features. “You were dreaming again.”
He smiled. “I’m always dreaming.”
“The same girl?” I pressed, knowing he’d be reluctant to respond. He always was because he always put everyone else before himself. This time it was all about him and I refused to let him hide.
“Yeah.”
“Did you speak to Jess?”
“Not yet.” He cleared his throat.
I sighed. “I really wish we could find something concrete to go on.”
“Me too.”
He sounded sincere but I knew him well enough by now not to take what he said at face value.
Had he spoken to Jess, but just didn’t want to worry me about what
she’d told him? The Titan had already provided me with a couple of major revelations but I wondered if she’d even share them with Logan should he rustle up the nerve to ask her.
Jess had admitted she was here to look after him because he was special. But did that have anything to do with these dreams? I intended to find out. Sometimes men were so pigheaded they needed female guidance, gentle or not, to get their act together.
“How did it go with Kira?” he asked as he turned on his side and propped his head on his hand.
“One of Kira’s daughters was killed not too long ago. She wants me to find and kill the SOB.”
Logan scowled. “Nice. What happened?”
“I saw it for myself. A large room, a pool table, a bunch of paranormal kids all gathered and killed by someone who wasn’t a paranormal using a power that seemed to be ethereal. Add to the mix the strange fact that the killer’s face was blurred and unrecognizable and you have a more than terrifying case.”
Logan’s face whitened and he shoved up into a sitting position. “There was a pool table?”
“Yes.” I asked getting to my knees. “What about it?”
He rubbed his hand over his face. “Couple of days ago I attended a scene. The place was a mess, like a hurricane had erupted within the room. Splintered wood lying around. I figure it was the remains of a pool table.”
He’d walked the murder scene. “Did you see the bodies?”
He nodded and then took a huge breath. “I didn’t get the memo that one of the kids was Kira’s.”
“Not just one of Kira’s.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, his dark eyes hooded now.
“She was Kira’s daughter. Flesh-and-blood child.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s bad.”
“Yeah.”
“Makes sense now why she’d call in her marker.”
“Yeah.”
“Having vocabulary issues?” he grinned, despite his tension.
“Yeah.” I sank to the bed again. “I’m done already and I haven’t even started.”
“Tell me what you need and I’ll help you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You mean tell Omega?”
“I work for Omega but who knows how much longer that will last. Either way, if you don’t want me to talk about it, I won’t.”
I nodded. “Okay.” His word was enough for me. “The guy was professional. Calculated. Organized. It looked like he’d been with them long enough to be familiar to them, to not look like a threat. He took them by surprise. They never knew what hit them.”
“So he infiltrated them with ease. Definitely a pro. And he took them out with ease. More professional. But what I don’t understand is why?” Logan got more comfortable on the bed and linked his fingers, his brow furrowed. “Is it a vendetta? Or an organized elimination drive?”
“I’d bet on the latter.”
“What gives you that idea?” Logan asked. “We haven’t received any news of other incidents.”
“Maybe not on the North American continent.”
I gave him a quick rundown of Gaia and Sini’s presence and information. And the more I spoke, the darker his face grew.
“This is not good at all.”
“Yeah.”
He grinned at me. “Okay, so let me get into the system, see what I can find. You think you can get more information on the other deaths?”
I nodded. “I’ll speak to Nerina. Check if she knows anything.”
“Have they been helpful?”
“Very. They aren’t holding back. The girl’s death affected them all. And it’s not only the DeathTalkers who are grieving for her.” Logan’s head jerked up. “Anjelo was her friend.”
“Crap.”
“Ditto.”
“He okay?”
“I think so. He’s pretty determined to help so he’s channeling his grief in a constructive way. The same can’t be said for her mother. Kira was like a stone. Rock-hard, as if nothing affected her. Then suddenly she blew.”
“Understandable.”
“Ditto.” I sighed. “Okay. I’d better get moving. I need to speak to a few people, then speak to Nerina. I hate that Tara isn’t around, though. Not that it matters. I have no idea what type of weapons I need anyway.”
“Identify the foe,” Logan said. “Then arm yourself accordingly.”
“Easy for you to say. While I’m identifying I might get my head exploded because I wasn’t prepared.”
“So could I. If you say this killer is after paranormals that would be me.”
“We all have to watch our backs.”
Logan nodded and swung his feet to the floor. “Right. Let’s catch the bastard.”
I burst out laughing.
Chapter 19
I WAS STANDING IN MY apartment trying to decide what to do next when someone knocked on my door.
For the first time in a long while, all I wanted to do was to dive into the bed and hide under the covers. Unfortunately, hiding under the covers wouldn’t get rid of my visitor. So I did the adult thing and opened the door.
Nerina gave me a weak smile and I waved her inside. My stomach did a somersault, and I was grateful I hadn’t had breakfast. What else had she come to tell me? Who else had died?
“Has something happened?” I asked, unable to keep the ripple of fear from my voice.
Nerina looked sad. “There has been another incident. Lady Kira has sent me here so I can keep you informed. She believes you need to know exactly what happened. She also believes that any knowledge we can provide may help you find and stop the killer.”
I nodded and guided her to the dining room table and into a chair. I stood there for a moment, wondering if I should offer her something to eat or drink. In the end, I just sat down beside her.
“Tell me,” I said.
She sighed and lifted her gray eyes to mine. “This one won’t be easy.” Then she let out a ragged laugh. “What am I saying? As if the first massacre was easy.”
“It’s okay.” I covered her trembling hands with mine, pressing down gently to help stop the shaking. “I know what you mean.”
How was Kira treating the people around her? Not with tender care. In her grief, the woman was likely amplifying her awfulness.
“How is Lady Kira?” I asked, feeling as if I should at least inquire. It was the respectful thing to do.
Nerina gave me a bleak smile. “Worse than usual.”
I raised an eyebrow, surprised at her openness. “That’s as expected. Grief does terrible things to people.”
Worse, it does terrible things to terrible people.
Nerina bobbed her head, the movement making her hood slither off her head. She didn’t seem to care, not bothering as the fabric drifted away to reveal her gray hair, and fall around her shoulders in a silky pile.
I gave her hand one final squeeze before moving away.
DeathTalkers, despite their humanity, became something other after their Turn. They lost their human scent, and even their skin took on a cool, almost bloodless feel. Spending a lot of time in the Graylands ate away at their humanity, the place being devoid of all life. There were rumors of ancient DeathTalkers who walked the path of the dead for thousands of years. Some were said to still exist in a state of half-life.
At last, Nerina cleared her throat. “I’m here at your service, Kailin. I will remain with you to assist in whatever way you require.”
This I wasn’t expecting. I forced a smile. “You don’t really need to, you know. I can handle it.”
Nerina smiled too, a little self-deprecatingly. “I’m sure I’ll probably end up in your way, but I’m here on the strictest of orders.”
“Ah, I see.”
I did see. Kira had sent Nerina to keep an eye on us.
Her face fell. “Please don’t be offended.”
“Of course not. I understand your position. And you’re more than welcome to stick with us.” I grinned. “We have
nothing to hide.”
Nerina shook her head. “I’m not here to spy on you. Despite my orders, I will only relay the information that you wish me to. Lady Kira does not need to know how you tie your shoelaces, or what you have for dinner.” She gave a conspiratorial nod.
I trusted her. A little. But I was still aware that her loyalty didn’t lie with me. In any case, we really didn’t have anything to hide.
“All right,” I said. “I’ll tell you where we are so far, but there are a few things we can’t reveal simply because they are only leads. Nothing certain.”
“That’s fine,” she agreed. “You give me the formal version and I’ll pass that on.”
I nodded, launching into a brief description of nothing.
After I finished, Nerina considered what I’d told her in silence. “Perhaps I can broaden the picture for you.”
“I’m sure you can. Will you do another mind-meld?”
She nodded. “Come.”
We got to our feet and she led the way to the sofa where she waited as I lay down with my head on a pile of cushions and straightened my clothes.
Then she knelt beside me as our sofa was barely wide enough to seat two comfortably, and only one lying down. Less than one. My legs stuck awkwardly off the other end of the sofa.
My stomach felt a little strange, churning in anticipation of the mind meld. My last experience hadn’t been fun.
“No special juice this time?” I asked.
Nerina laughed. “Unfortunately, no. But having already had the experience once before, your body should be able to adjust very quickly.”
I settled back down as Nerina held my hand gently within hers.
“Just remember, keep calm. Relax. Nothing that’s happening around you is happening to you.”
I took a deep breath and waited as the strength began to slowly leave my body. Although Nerina would be near to guide me, I still anticipated disliking the whole experience.
I did as she’d instructed me to do the previous time, leaned on her energy which pulsed beside me, a constant comfort.
Lights danced beneath my lids, much brighter than in the last vision.
