“No jewelry? Sarah sounds like the crystal type,” Alec asked.
J frowned, wrinkling his chin in thought. “No crystals. . .” He shifted in his seat, the chest burn obviously painful. “The girl who did the talking. She had this thing, like an insect. An insect pin thing.” He pointed to his chest above his heart.
“An insect shaped brooch? What kind of insect?” Diana asked.
“More like a bee than anything, I guess. It was in the fancy old style my grandma likes.”
“What style is that?” Alec asked.
“Like that,” J said, pointing to a vase that vaguely resembled the Chrysler building.
“The art deco style,” Alec said.
“Yeah, and it looked real. Like a genuine antique. Real stones.”
Well, it’s better than nothing. But not much better.
“And that’s it?” Alec asked. “You don’t know where they are? Haven’t heard any rumors that might help?”
“I already said no.” J’s nostrils flared. “Are we done now? I want to go get Nona. I checked her into a hotel last night. Told her it was for the spa.”
“You may want to have the floors redone first,” Alec said, shaking his head at the charred paw prints.
“Yeah. . .right,” J said slowly, taking a good look at the fire cat sitting at her feet.
“We’re not done yet,” Diana said. “Where are the spells?”
“I left the last one I had in Boston,” he said, waving a hand dismissively.
“No. You brought several with you. Or have you forgotten why there are scorch marks on your floor?”
“That was the only one. A defensive spell.”
Diana sighed. “I figured you’d want to do this the hard way,” she muttered with a little eye roll, igniting her hands.
J jumped up and out of the way, but Diana didn’t follow him. Instead she held out her arms at her sides and walked around the room.
Alec followed her, fascinated as she headed toward the back of the room and out the door. They continued into the kitchen. Diana turned in a wide circle, looking for likely hiding places. She discarded the possibilities in the cabinets and focused on the refrigerator.
It was an old-fashioned Frigidaire, a massive number that probably took two people to move. A tell-tale shimmer came from underneath it. She took hold of the side.
“Do you need help with—” Alec began. “Never mind,” he muttered as she shoved it aside with one hand.
Stooping down, Diana lifted a false floorboard and found the stash of vials and glass globes.
She turned to Alec. “I think you should stand back. Or better yet, go watch J, make sure he’s not doing something sneaky.”
Alec frowned. “Fine,” he agreed before heading back to the other room.
As soon as he was gone, Diana torched the vials, enveloping them completely in fire before she broke the structural integrity of the glass. Normal fire wouldn’t destroy a spell without disastrous consequences, but the fire Diana called was from the center of the Earth, the core at the heart of the planet and closest to the Mother. Nothing could survive, except another Elemental or their mates.
There was no blowback, just complete disintegration of the spells inside. She could tell what most of them did, but at least one in the bunch was ambiguous. She’d never encountered that particular configuration of ingredients. All she knew for sure was that it was pretty nasty. And new.
What are you guys up to? And why do you need two children?
She didn’t know what was going on, but none of the possibilities involved rainbows and candy. Truly exhausted now, she went back to Alec and J, hiding her fatigue.
Alec, the big softie, had found some burn cream from god knows where, and was watching J apply it to his chest. The lion had disappeared as soon as she’d willed it to leave.
“We’ll be leaving now. . .but I’m pretty sure I’ll be seeing you again,” Diana said with crossed arms. “You keep fucking with the black, and I’ll return to make sure it fucks you back, you got me?”
“Yeah, I get you,” a subdued but still defiant J muttered.
“You better, if you want to keep the patronage of the Eastern Coven,” Alec added.
“I said I get it,” a significantly more respectful J reiterated.
Making enemies with the most powerful vampire coven in the Americas would not be a good move for a businessman. Or one interested in the whole breathing thing.
“Come on,” Alec said to Diana. “Let’s leave J to clean up.” He paused. “What does the J stand for by the way?”
“It really is Jay, but it doesn’t pay to let people know that,” he said, backing up from them.
“Hold on,” Diana said.
She walked over to Jay and punched him hard in the face.
“What the fuck!” Jay said, nose spurting blood as he backed away. He covered his face with his hands but the blood still dripped on the floor.
“Stop being so dramatic. I pulled that punch,” she said flatly, brows drawn down. “I promised the others I would do that, for calling your club Whore.”
“Fuck, it’s just a name,” Jay mumbled behind his bloody hand.
“Names are important,” Diana replied with an icy glance before walking to the door. “And clean that blood up before you pick up your Nona!” she called behind her.
When Alec finally joined her in the back of the car, she was raiding the minibar. She dug around until she found another gourmet coffee drink and popped it open.
“Did you kiss his boo-boo and make it all better?” she asked, fighting a grin.
“No,” he said, a touch acidly. “I was simply explaining a few of the ways the coven could hurt his bottom line.”
She rolled her eyes, but she had to acknowledge it was an effective tactic. “It might actually make a difference, your threat. Sometimes moral incentives don’t cut it. Even when someone knows his or her life might be at stake. They just keep on doing whatever it takes to get money or power. But if they potentially risk losing business, then they might think twice about it,” she said with some annoyance.
“Glad I might be of some use,” Alec replied wryly. “Look, I have a plan. Our best move may not be to go back to Boston right away. I think it might be a good idea if we check into a hotel and regroup. Put out feelers to our contacts to see if they can track that insect pin or have heard anything new. Get some real rest. By the time we leave tonight, we should have a better plan of action. The circle may have bolted to a place far from here.”
Diana thought about it. “All right, but if there’s not a good reason to search elsewhere, we go back to Boston. I have another case to wrap up there.”
“Is there a lot of collateral damage being accumulated by a delay on the Denon case?” Alec asked, leaning over to buckle her seat belt when she didn’t do it herself.
“Not in the short term. It’s a slow burner,” Diana said absently, too tired to complain about the liberty he had just taken.
The sleep on the plane hadn’t been enough. She nestled into the leather upholstery and closed her eyes.
* * *
Alec smiled at Diana’s absent use of fire metaphors. Before she drifted off completely, he picked up the phone and made reservations at the Hotel Maison de Ville. Once he was done, he found Diana wide awake, staring at him expectantly.
“I’ve never actually stayed there,” he said. “I usually go to the Ritz when in town. It’s a famous landmark. Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire there.”
“Finished it there anyway,” she said, surprising him. “It’s okay with me. Staying there. But I’ll pay for my room. I’m well provided for.”
“And yet you don’t treat yourself enough,” he said, running his eyes over the long length of her legs. “Tonight after we’ve done our research, we are going to indulge in the best cuisine New Orleans has to offer. It’s too good an opportunity to pass up,” he said. “This case is going to take its toll. It’s important to take some dow
ntime.”
Diana gave him an openly skeptical look. “Will you sleep this time?”
Alec paused. “You know I didn’t sleep? On the plane?”
“Yeah, of course,” she said as if it were obvious. “Is it a side-effect of being a Daywalker?”
Damn, she was good. He nodded. “I can forego sleep for a long period. Up to a week maybe. But I am hard to wake up when I do go down.”
“I think you should sleep, and I’ll wake you for dinner. Don’t start racking up a deficit, just in case.”
Alec smiled. “It may not be easy. I sleep like the dead, pun intended.”
Diana cocked her head, considered him silently. “May I be blunt? And slightly terrifying?”
“Of course,” he replied, enjoying her quirky and rare flashes of humor.
“When I’m standing above a vampire about to torch him, they always wake up first. Waking you up isn’t gonna to be a problem.”
“Ah. . .all right. Well, in that case, I’ll get some shut eye,” Alec said, his voice pinched.
They arrived at the hotel a little later. After Alec flashed his black card, they were checked in at speed by the efficient smiling staff. They ended up in two of the four historic Audubon Cottages. Alec saw Diana to her door before going inside his room. Grateful for the good Wi-Fi, he started making inquiries right away, searching for the antique bee pin or any insect pins that resembled bees. He also checked in with Daniel for a report on Pedro.
Pacing the length of his room, he listened to Daniel’s deep gravel voice run down Pedro’s progress. It was times like this he was grateful that he’d added Daniel to his staff. The man was a fount of information, and what he didn’t know he soon found out.
Alec also put Daniel on the trail of the bee pin and asked him to scour the club scene for other witnesses who might have seen the members of the circle. Maybe they could get a better description of the clothes and basics about their stature and weight. Alec was pretty sure a spell couldn’t disguise the body’s basic height and weight. The image had to conform to the laws of physics.
After informing Daniel that he should offer a reward for information on the circle, he hung up.
He checked in with some of his other contacts and spread the same information among them and then followed up with his lawyers and business interests. After contemplating what Diana might like best for dinner, he made a final call before lying down on the bed.
For a long time, Alec stared at the ceiling, trying to decide whether or not to sleep. The idea of being woken up by Diana had definite pros and cons. If he did sleep, she might change her mind about their temporary alliance and leave town without him. It would be a challenge to find her again, but he was getting pretty good at that.
It still felt weird, lying out in the open in an unsecured room. But, somehow, knowing Diana was in the next room made him safe.
Oh, I’m in deep shit.
Pushing away the impending sense of doom, he shut his eyes.
18
Diana walked into the guest cottage and marveled at her surroundings. The place wasn’t big, but it was a decent size and had some lovely old furniture. Their safe houses had nice furnishings and probably some real antiques but those were mostly of the weapon variety. None of the buildings were historical. Even in Europe, they shifted to newer buildings with higher security as a precaution. It would take an army to take down a single Elemental, but it had happened before, if their history was to be believed.
This place was cozy, and the huge four-poster bed looked inviting. Maybe they could shift a few safe houses back to old buildings and retrofit the security. It might be worth it in a few cases, she mused, stripping down for a shower.
Even the bathroom was charming, Diana decided.
This town was an interesting contradiction. She’d passed through before but hadn’t spent a lot of time here. Despite what people thought, this place wasn’t all that different from any other in magical terms.
It was her theory that people confused a pleasant historical atmosphere with a magical one. It made no difference to an Elemental, but most Supernaturals and even some humans swore that New Orleans was special. A place where magic was closer to the surface.
Well, it did have a good vibe—even if she didn’t feel a closer connection to the Mother here. And really, she was already as close as she wanted to be.
Diana put her pack down and pulled out a candle. She felt Gia’s presence across the connection and no other. Secretly relieved she wouldn’t be forced to dish for Logan, she called out.
“Diana? Is everything okay?” Gia asked concerned, more adept at feeling emotion across their connection.
“Yeah, I’m just processing a lot. I’m in New Orleans with the vampire,” she said.
Though Logan was the most open and tolerant of other Supes, Gia had more rational insight into their natures. She knew a lot about the major families and their scions and probably knew more about Alec than Logan, whose only information was based on gossip.
“And how is that going? Are you two working well together?”
“Well, he hasn’t gotten in the way. And I’m not being that much nicer.”
“Not nicer how exactly?” Gia asked.
“As in not pulling any punches with the people I’m trailing and questioning. Not with this last one anyway, the club owner who was trafficking black spells on behalf of his VIPs. Or so he claimed.”
“What did you do?”
“Called forth a lion and gave the ass a permanent brand,” Diana said.
The Earth Elemental laughed. “A brand? Couldn’t you just burn his house down?”
Gia sincerely believed in the destruction of property over people.
“It was his grandmother’s house, and I get the sense she is good people. And at least I did his initial and not mine,” Diana reasoned.
“And how did the vampire take that? They do tend to be more flammable than the average Supe. Did he run from the flames?” Gia asked.
“Didn’t seem to bother him at all.”
“Really? That’s certainly. . .refreshing.”
“No, it’s not. There are no self-preservation instincts in that sucker at all.” Diana sighed.
“And you think that’s because he’s an academic first and vampire second?” Gia asked, a smile in her voice.
“Yeah, I do,” she said, mulling over her impressions. “I also think being friends with one of us is a goal for him, probably has been for a long time.”
“Do you really think he doesn’t like you for you?” Gia’s voice was gentle.
“More like he’d probably be predisposed to like any of us. Like a kid hanging out with celebrities, only not that bad. He’s. . .trying to be useful.”
“Which is extremely high praise for you,” Gia admitted. “Do you think you can trust him?”
“I think so, but actually doing it is difficult,” Diana spit out grudgingly.
She didn’t like addressing her trust issues with Gia. Mostly because the Earth Elemental understood her better than the others, how Diana had been abandoned by a mother on the run and left in foster care and what a disaster that ended up being. It was also why when it came to this situation it was Gia’s opinion she trusted the most.
“You have to take the leap sometime, and I honestly don’t think you could choose a better man than Alec Broussard for it. Or vampire in this case. I’ve done some homework on him since his name came up,” Gia informed her. “He’s genuine.”
“Just friends,” Diana said emphatically.
“Of course,” Gia replied though the smile was back in her voice. “You know, if you feel comfortable and he reciprocates, you should share some personal details of your life. It’s normal to confide in your friends.”
“You want me to tell him about my childhood?” Diana asked, slightly sick to her stomach.
“Only if you want. If you get to the point where you trust him. Friends confide in each other. Real ones anyway.” Gia was firm. “He
’s your first potential friend outside our group. It’s always a risk taking someone into your confidence, but it can be a rewarding one. I think it’s time you took that step.”
“You really sound like a therapist,” Diana grumbled.
“I’m sorry. I’m just excited for you,” Gia said, with genuine enthusiasm.
Diana decided to broach the subject now that it had come up. “You know, you could find someone to confide in, too. I don’t want to sound like Logan, but it’s been a long time since. . .well, you know. You should find someone for yourself. It’s not like you’re, well, me.”
Gia paused before answering. “I’m keeping an open mind. I may not be actively looking, but I’m not against meeting someone new anymore. I think when I meet someone worth it, I will be all right. . .with being friends.”
“That’s good. That’s real good. Um, did Logan mention that I wanted an assist with the Denon situation? A bit of your special computer voodoo,” Diana said, eager to change the subject.
“Yup, and I cooked up something special and sent it to the safe house in Boston. You’re going to love it. All you have to do is plant it. I tried looking from the outside, but their secure servers are in-house only. But this thing is thorough. It should get everything you need with a minimum of face-time. And your listening stone is still active. I checked. I suspect it got some interesting stuff.”
“I hope so. I’ve definitely been neglecting that case,” Diana said, shifting uneasily on the bed.
“A delay there won’t have much effect at this point. You’re right to focus on the circle. We know what’s at stake.”
“Gia, what if they’re already dead?” Diana voiced her worst fear for the children the circle had taken.
“Then we avenge them, and make sure no others are taken,” Gia said in a soft steady voice.
It may have sounded cold to someone who didn’t know her, but the Earth Elemental had been around the longest. She had seen a lot of messed up shit in her time and accepted what she couldn’t change.
Of course, some of what was happening now could have been avoided. “Regardless of the outcome, I think we should take a vote,” Diana said, deciding. “Whether or not. . .to make an example and extend punishment outside the immediate circle. I think they are getting help from someone who knows better.”
Fire: The Elementals Book One Page 14
