by Ayer, T. G.
Oaths worked both ways. Omega had sworn loyalty and faithfulness too. Tonight the results of those broken promises cried alone in a compound in Virginia, whispered through Logan's dreams.
Logan cleared his throat. "We haven't considered it." He shared a glance with Saleem. "Not until now."
"What if we investigated on our own?" Saleem said.
"That's dangerous, don't you think? An organization like the Grande High Council provide backup in case you need it." I was beginning to sound like Cassie.
Logan shook his head. "Saleem is right. Let's approach this from a different angle. If we change sides and if there is a mole in the Corps then our families may be in danger. If the girl is my sister and she's dead, then all they have on me are memories. But if she's alive somewhere--like Saleem's mother--then we'll be endangering both of them. We can't risk it."
"So we stay and keep on as normal." Saleem seemed to have already made up his mind. "We don't raise eyebrows. Then, on our own time, we investigate the shit out of this whole thing."
"I'm in," I said.
Two pair of eyes snapped to my face, expressions incredulous.
So flattering.
I tensed at the look in Logan's eyes, the one that said clearly that he didn't want to endanger me. But, as I glared back at him, my shoulders tense, ready to jump down his throat, he sighed.
"Fine," he said.
I raised an eyebrow at the single word of assent.
"And Mel is in too." There was a smile in Saleem's voice as he spoke the soul tracker's name.
I hid a grin. "Good," I said. "At least with the two of us on the case something will get done right."
That set the two of them laughing, and I just sat there, uncomfortable at the sound. Not because they were laughing but because this laughter wasn't joyful. It reeked of desperation.
And fear.
CHAPTER 11
AFTER O'HAGAN'S, LOGAN, SALEEM, AND I ended up at my apartment.
They had spent an hour hatching their plans for Omega and an investigation into its involvement in their personal lives.
I'd spent that hour staying out of their plans for Omega, biting my tongue when Logan talked about finding Jess and demanding she tell him what she knew. As Jacinta Carnarvon--an enigmatic Titan--would know a lot more than she was willing to share, I doubted he'd be as successful as he wanted.
She was one of the Immortals, a being that had lived for thousands of years, and one who just happens to be guardian to Logan.
Also, she happened to be employed by Omega.
Even now, Logan had no idea that his partner was a Titan whose role was to protect him. Though Jess had confessed as much to me, she still hadn't told me why he was so important that he needed a Titan to watch over him.
They were still mulling things over when Saleem whisked Logan home leaving me to clean up the kitchen on my own. Which I resolved by heading to bed.
I was still drowsy, squinting at the gleeful morning sunshine streaming through the windows as I made a mental note to ring Mel and talk things through with her as soon as I'd dried the dishes, but I was wiping and putting away the last plate when a knock sounded on my door.
Hurrying to the door, I sniffed the air, finding nothing untoward on my threshold. But when I swung the door open the identity of my visitor took me aback
Nerina.
It figured. DeathTalkers had no living scent.
My stomach gave a twinge as I forced a smile onto my face. "Hello, Nerina," I said and waved her inside. "Come in."
The last time I'd seen the DeathTalker I'd just made a deal with her High Priestess in return for a portal key to take me to the Graylands, an in-between plane where the dead remained if they didn't move on to the next life.
Death talkers engendered a feeling of dread in most people, including me, but I knew Nerina better than any of her sisters. Death talkers were inherently immune to human emotion--or so went the general opinion. Which is why her behavior was worrying. It told me general opinion was very wrong.
Nerina wore the requisite grey robes, the hood covering her gray-white hair and shadowing the features of her pale face. But today the serene calm she always carried with her was markedly absent.
Her fingers shook and she folded them tightly in front of her waist.
"Are you okay?" I asked, guiding her to the dining table rather than to the sofa. Nerina didn't seem the lounging type.
She sat across from me, so still that I wondered if I should urge her to talk. Instead, the words, "Would you like some tea?" fell out of my mouth.
What the hell was it with me and tea these days?
She shook her head and twisted her fingers together.
At last she shifted in her seat and raised her eyes to me. Eyes that had been clear and pale with milky irises the last time we'd spoken were now reddened, the way human eyes got when you cried for hours on end.
"What happened?" I asked softly, really worried now.
She lifted her chin the tiniest bit. "I have a message for you, Kailin Odel."
Why so formal?
I gave a "go ahead" nod, and she took a thready breath, as if she'd been waiting for my permission to speak.
"By the order of the High Priestess of the DeathTalkers of the North American Continent you are hereby summoned to fulfill your Blood Promise."
The words rang out across the apartment and I could have sworn I heard Lady Kira's imperious voice overlaying Nerina's voice.
Not too long ago when I'd needed a way to get to the Graylands to save my sister Greer, I'd been forced to appeal to the DeathTalker High Priestess. She'd given me a key that allowed me to traverse the veil between worlds, and in return she'd extracted a Blood Promise.
And Lady Kira was calling in her marker. Of course I had little choice but to respond. I'd known when I'd struck the bargain that one day I'd have to fulfill my end of it. I just hadn't expected it to be so soon. Or sound so ominous.
Because the girl's tone was worrying.
"Of course I'll come," I told her. "But what's wrong? You can tell me."
I waited while Nerina bit her trembling lip. When I leaned closer she jerked her head away, and I figured she had no authority to tell me what I wanted to know.
That left me with one choice. To go to the death talker estate and find out for myself.
CHAPTER 12
AS SOON AS NERINA LEFT, I hurried to my room to change. Soft slacks and an oversized tee were not the clothes I wanted to wear when going head-to-head with the ice-priestess.
I drew on a pair of formal black pants, a silky long-sleeved blouse, and my leather jacket--a concession to normal working attire.
I was pulling on a pair of black high-heeled ankle boots--and wondering why I even bothered to dress up for a woman who neither liked nor respected me--when someone knocked.
This place was Grand Central Station all of a sudden.
I stifled a grumble and headed to the door, only mildly appeased to detect Logan's signature scent on the air.
I'd gotten into the habit of sniffing before I opened the door, and before I entered the apartment. I'd let my guard down once and paid for it. My wood floor still bore the marks of my abduction by a band of crazed Walkers.
Lesson learned.
I opened the door and though I was in a hurry, one look at his face sent me straight into his arms.
He'd held back last night while Saleem had been with us, and now the truth of his emotions showed in his eyes.
He crushed me tight for a moment and then I leaned back so he could read his expression. "I wish I could help you remember."
He grabbed my butt, gave it a squeeze then looked over my shoulder his expression a little chagrined.
I laughed. "Don't worry. Grams won't catch you in the act. She's off somewhere investigating something."
I pulled him inside and closed the door. "I can't stay, sorry. I'm on my way out."
"That's fine. Just came by to thank you, and to tell you not to w
orry about me." There was an odd note in his voice.
I thought I knew why. "You heard about the High Council meeting."
He nodded. "I have a high clearance level."
"Figures," I said, as I zipped up my boots. "I was going to tell you, then Saleem came and . . ."
"You don't have to explain." His crooked smile flashed. "You always put everyone else first. I'm used to it." He curled his arm around my waist. "So how was it?"
"Awful. You should have seen Dad's face." Then I laughed softly. "And wonderful, too. Three non-walker women threw the pack law back in their faces. It was brilliant."
He chuckled "I heard. A lot of people are impressed with them. So what happens now?"
"Now the couples stay away from each other until things settle and they have a better handle on where the clans stand in relation to the High Council."
I leaned back to study his face, my stomach a little queasy as I wondered if I could trust him with the whole truth.
His eyebrows rose. "Sounds like they got it bad for your dad. What'd he do to them?"
"What makes you think he did anything?" I asked, unable to keep the defensive note from my voice.
"Well, they aren't likely to have picked his name from a hat. Whether he did something on purpose or it's just because he is the man he is, they have a reason. Find that reason, then you find the way to break them."
Good point.
Logan ducked down to scan my face, took my chin in gentle fingers. "Nothing you say to me will ever be repeated beyond this room."
"Really?" I patted him down, shoulders, hips. Butt. "What if you're wired?"
He frowned, seriously considering it. "If I am, I actually have no way of knowing. So good point. Let me verify our security before you say anything you regret."
I frowned too. "I didn't mean--"
He shook his head. "Kai, it's got nothing to do with anything you said. If I'm bugged, something I hadn't even considered until now, then I'm a danger to us all. What we discussed at O'Hagan's could have incriminated us."
I shook my head. "I'm just not sure that either your or the djinn are buggable."
"What do you mean?"
"You guys are both hot."
He smiled. "What can I say?"
"Shut up." I smacked his shoulder, then skipped around him and headed into my room where I grabbed my messenger bag and returned as fast as I could.
"I meant your body temperature. I'm not sure any electronics can survive that kind of contained heat. Not unless it's the NASA kind. And that's bloody expensive."
"Both Sentinel and Omega have access to a lot of money."
I sighed. "Just great." There was a very real possibility that all my secrets were out there for anyone to see.
"So where are you off to?" he asked too brightly.
"The DeathTalker Estate. To see Kira."
Silence stretched between us as a flicker of flame flared in Logan's eyes. It wasn't often that his fire showed.
Not good.
"She collecting?"
"Yup. And something big is going down. Nerina was so jittery, she looked like she was about to explode into shadows."
"I'm coming with you."
I lifted my chin. "Not on your life. You saw how angry she was the last time you tagged along. How many hours did you wait outside for me?"
His cheek twitched, as if he didn't care that the high priestess had made him wait more than two hours outside her library.
"You're not coming."
Logan's eyes narrowed. "Fine. If you don't take me, then at least ask Lily to go with."
"Just to make you feel better?"
He almost blinked.
I grunted. "Fine," I said ignoring the surprised arch of his eyebrows as I dug inside my bag for my phone and texted Lily to come over.
Knowing her, she'd bring Anjelo and I'd have to kick him out before dragging her with me.
Fabulous.
Just fabulous.
CHAPTER 13
THANK GOODNESS I'D GIVEN LILY a key to my apartment. One more knock on the door and there was no telling how safe she would have been.
She flung the door open, kicked it shut and staggered in hunched under the weight of her rucksack.
"Did you rob a bank?" I asked, tapping my finger against my wrist as I leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed. I'd gotten tired of pacing.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Almost." She set the rucksack on the table. "I brought whatever I thought would be needed." She opened the flap and untied the mouth. "What do you think?"
I walked over and peered inside. Laughed. Shook my head. "We're going to see a high priestess, not to fight the whole wraith army."
Lily sighed, looking from the bag to my face then back again. "Can we fight the wraith army after we see the queen B-word?"
"Empty it and let's go. We don't want to keep the B-word waiting." It surprised me Lily had actually used a clean version of the term. She'd never been one to couch her thoughts in niceties.
"No Anjelo?" I asked.
Lily jerked her head. "Nope. He's otherwise occupied."
I stopped in my tracks and turned around.
I'd known Lily long enough to recognize when something was bothering her. Her inability to shift had always been a chip on her shoulder but she'd learned soon enough that I wasn't the judgmental type. Having her at my side in a fight had taken getting used to but now I used her skills to my advantage.
And she'd become more than just a sidekick.
I waited until she caught up with me at the front door. Then I blocked her exit. "Talk."
Lily gave the way out a longing glance over my shoulder. Then her shoulders sagged. "Oh, all right. Anjelo's been in a mood since we got back from Wrythiin."
"Mood?" I prompted, hoping I wasn't going to have to pull every detail out of her like some deranged dentist.
"Yeah. I think he's taking it bad. You know, the whole how-could-I-have-trusted-Illyria song. You'd think he had feelings for the bitch."
That's more like it.
I shook my head. "I don't think it's that, and nor do you."
She shrugged. "Maybe. Yeah, okay. But she played him and he risked your mom's life with his carelessness. That's more or less what he believes."
With a sigh, I set my hands on my hips. "I should have gone to talk to him but I've been crazy busy with all the hell that's breaking loose. It didn't cross my mind he'd be taking it this hard."
"Not your fault."
"It's not his either and it's time he faced it."
"I've tried to make him face it," Lily said. "Believe me, I've tried. But it's like he can't hear me."
I snorted. "Yeah, that's usually the case with the people we care about the most. We don't listen when they talk because we take them and their opinions for granted."
Lily's mouth turned down. "You think he still cares?"
So that's what was really going on.
"Lily," I admonished as I walked toward her. I held onto her shoulders, tipping my head to meet her gaze. "You know he cares. His feelings haven't changed. He's just taking longer than most to adjust. Guilt is a difficult burden to bear."
She nodded, sniffed, shifted her gaze. Anjelo wasn't the only one taking it hard.
"Look. If I makes you feel better, I'll go talk to him after I see Kira." I spoke softly, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong away.
She turned to face me, her eyes shining. "Yes. That's probably the best thing. He'll have no choice but to listen to our Alpha, right?"
Their Alpha.
I'd forgotten that Anjelo had declared me his alpha before he'd ended up being pulled into the wraith plane. Now it looks like Lily had taken up the same standard. It probably wasn't legal to acknowledge an alternate alpha and I wasn't sure how I felt about it since it meant he was divesting himself of my father as his pack leader. Too late now.
"Right," I said. "No choice. Let's go."
I slung my messenger bag over my shoulder and headed out
of the apartment and toward the stairs, a pensive Lily in tow.
No choice.
Heading for the stairs, I wondered when I'd grown up and chosen to stop using the rickety fire-escape at the back of the building?
Sure, it had always been untrustworthy and its rusty bolts had had me clinging on to both walls and guts a few times as I teetered above the street.
Could that need for excitement, for the rush of death defying stupidity, have had something to do with my panther's needs? Since I'd chosen to give her more freedom, time to run as a cat, perhaps I no longer required the rush of adrenaline that came with choosing to risk becoming a chalk outline on the pavement below.
Who knew?
But even that rusty-lattice web of doom was better than the Birdcage. I could deal with troubled teens and a certain death talker B-word, but nothing--not even imminent death--would get me to choose that clunking monstrosity over the stairs.
CHAPTER 14
I DIDN'T HAVE A CAR, so we'd run to the meeting.
What was the point of a walker owning a vehicle anyway, when they run like the wind?
Oh yeah, for times when you want to appear cool, calm and collected instead of looking like you'd been hit by a windstorm.
I should have though this through, but it was a little late now.
The street outside my apartment was deserted enough but we made for the back alley. None of the surrounding buildings had windows facing the alley.
There, Lily tightened the strap of her rucksack. She'd only removed the heaviest weapons from it. Good thing even Pariahs--walkers who couldn't shift into their animal form--could run or I would have had to leave her behind. Then she'd have been mighty peeved.
I gave the nod and we both set off, Lily following close behind me so she could see where I was going.
It was difficult to enjoy the scenery as we went. Our speed meant most things passed by in a blur while wind dragged our hair away from our faces and flattened the fabric of our clothes against our bodies.
