“Let me,” he whispered. Turning to the lumpy excuse for a man, he said in a clear commanding tone, “Tomorrow I want you to come in to work and fix all of the things you’ve been neglecting for months. Wear those jeans you have on right now, the ones that ride low. And underneath them, you’re going to wear some clean underwear. Not like the ones you have on now. And they’re going to be lacy women’s panties all right? Something pink… a thong.”
Irritation completely gone, Diana left the office laughing.
22
Diana had Daniel drive them to the safe house so she could change. She was no longer concerned with Alec knowing the location. After pulling on clean cargo pants, she joined him in the living room to search for her boots while he wandered around, checking out the various knick-knacks and weapons displayed. He’d already been through all the swords and crossbows in the gym and had even tested one of the maces.
He was fingering a fourteenth century Japanese Koto when she finally found her left boot.
He turned to her, shock lining his features. “This is from the Kamakura period. It’s spectacular. And priceless in certain circles.”
“Yeah, I know,” Diana said with genuine nonchalance, bending down to tie her shoelace.
“But this thing is not only for display. You. . .you’ve been using it.”
“It’s a weapon,” she said dryly. “It’s common for a soldier to train with a variety of them.”
Alec stared, mouth slightly open. “It’s worth thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars. I can’t believe you practice with this as if it’s any old sword,” he said, taking it in hand and turning to display it to her, as though he was trying to make her see it clearly.
Suppressing a smile, Diana took the sword from him and put it back in its holder. “All of the weapons you see here are used. We train with them throughout our lives. We have to be ready to use whatever comes to hand. It all depends on the situation. We hone our skills with these as well as our Elemental abilities. Sometimes it’s better not to have to start a fire.”
“But this sword,” he said pointing, “it’s meant to be used from horseback.”
“I know that,” Diana said with a laugh.
“You’ve trained with it on horseback?”
“Well, actually, I used my bike most of the time.” She turned to grab her jacket. “Horses don’t like fire.”
“And the other times?”
She paused. “Well, you remember the lion?”
Alec stopped short. “You can ride your element like a. . .a. . .”
“Yes,” she said pointedly, cutting him off before the mental imagery became too colorful. “I left a message for the girls while I was changing. They will look into Brenda’s whereabouts if she left a trail. If she’s dead, the Mother will know.”
“And She’ll tell you that? Speak to you directly?”
Diana looked up at him and decided to be honest. He was a sensitive. He might be capable of sensing it anyway, but might not know how to put it into words.
“Maybe, and maybe not in a timely fashion. She’s. . .grown quieter in the last decades. Especially where humans are concerned. Earth will try to commune with her since the rest of us haven’t had much luck at it. The Earth Elemental is closest to her by design.”
“Is that normal? For Her to be quieter sometimes?”
“There have been periods when She has fallen silent,” she admitted. “Those were bad times for everyone, Supes and humans alike. As for now, She hasn’t withdrawn yet. She’s just slow to respond. A strong sensitive might be affected—have a sense that something is not right. There are probably some worried witches out there right now.”
“Are you saying that if I were stronger I could sense this withdrawal? Because I’ve never felt her presence at all.”
“I think you have. But maybe you didn’t know what you were feeling. Have you felt a. . .greater sense of dissatisfaction lately?”
He sat on a leather chair with a thump. “Yes, but I’m not sure that’s a huge change,” he said honestly.
“Oh.” She decided to change the subject. “I’m hungry. Have you made arrangements to. . .to feed?”
Why did I go for feeding? Couldn’t I have asked about cars or something?
Alec paused. “I’m having some bags sent from our private blood bank later tonight. Do you want to get dinner now?”
She nodded and bit the bullet before heading for the exit. “I thought live blood was better,” she said, holding the door open for him so she could lock up.
“It’s more pleasant that way,” he said carefully. “From a blood bag, it’s more like eating tofu and rice cakes, or drinking plain water when all you want is a coke or a good pinot noir.”
He stopped at the landing at the next security camera. He’d already commented on the infrared sensors and the thickness of the doors.
“Do you have access to these feeds?” he asked.
“Not supposed to, they’re part of the normal building’s security. But we hacked into it. We made our own additions as well.”
“Right,” he said, turning away from the camera and heading down the stairs. “No doubt you have your own wards and spell traps. You could withstand a siege from this place.”
“That’s the idea,” she murmured.
“Expecting an army to attack at dawn?” he joked.
Diana turned and shrugged.
“It’s happened before,” she said indifferently before going out the building entrance.
23
Dinner was delicious as always. Alec had opted to have one of his favorite restaurants prepare a selection of their best meals in advance so Diana could simply choose what she liked without having to wait.
He encouraged her to try a bit of each dish. She was pleased with the selection, but she didn’t feel good about the waste.
“It’s fine, take what you want. The rest will be packed off and taken to a homeless shelter nearby later tonight.”
“You always think ahead, don’t you?” she mused, trying a mushroom risotto that was to die for.
Alec took a bite of Foie Gras poêlé with a fruit compote.
“I try. All the time and as hard as I can.”
“Me too. But sometimes I feel like I’m just playing catch-up. Punishing the bad guys after the fact has lost something. They keep multiplying. You knock one down and two more spring up in their place.”
“You’re talking about humans now, aren’t you? The supernatural crime rate is fairly steady, isn’t it? It’s the human crime rate that keeps exploding.”
“Yeah. There’s. . .just too many of them. They used to kill each other in wars, used to invade and rape and pillage,” she said, running a hand through her hair. “But that was the part of the process, the mysterious way the Mother worked. Sometimes it’s the little deaths that move the world forward. Or send it reeling back. But more and more, we don’t feel the shift in the balance until the crimes are well beyond the pale,” she said, putting a hand up. “Like I said before, the signal is getting lost in the noise. And it’s going to get worse. The further humans get from nature and the Mother, the less we are able to detect and intervene. They’re slipping away,” Diana finished in a whisper.
“It’s too much,” Alec said almost distantly, like he was thinking of something else.
She took a deep breath and shook off her melancholy. “It’s a burden, but we handle it. It’s just hard sometimes,” she said with a roll of her shoulders. “So many innocents die before we get the call. We don’t get to save very many. I’ve been frustrated lately.”
“You probably save many more people than you realize. The crimes you prevent must number in the thousands. Not to mention the pain you spare the families of potential victims,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “But it’s the emotional burden on you I’m concerned about. The weight on your shoulders and the others is simply insane. You’re not superwoman.”
Diana looked up with a well, actually expressio
n.
“Well, all right, I guess you kind of are. But that doesn’t mean that the emotional burden isn’t intense. . .I think you need something. Someone to help you out, to do recon or research. Even Batman has Alfred.”
“I don’t need an Alfred,” Diana replied, aware of what he was offering.
“Every Batman needs an Alfred. They’re awfully handy. That’s why I have a Daniel. Probably more handy than an Alfred, actually.”
Diana snorted, but her heart wasn’t in it. “Alfreds have high overhead, and I travel light. Always on the move. I bet Alfred would hate that,” Diana said pointedly.
“Not if Alfred was used to being on the move. I bet there’s some that could adapt,” he added in a neutral tone.
But Diana didn’t want to picture life with Alec on the road. It was a tempting image, but it would never work out. She and her sisters lived a solitary existence for a reason.
“Alec, you’ll get bored—or frustrated. In no time, you’d want to go back to your books and scrolls. This life is hard,” she said, her brows drawn together. “Much harder than you think. You haven’t seen anything yet. You haven’t been sent to catch a killer but not known who he was until he killed again. You haven’t been there literally seconds too late. Sometimes we have to let people die. Wars happen, and we can’t stop them. They are part of our nature and Hers. And to be frank, I’m not Doctor Who and you aren’t, by even the most generous standards, companion material,” she said, throwing down her napkin.
Alec narrowed his eyes. “You don’t know what I can or can’t handle. I’ve been around for a long time, Diana. I’ve seen a lot of things in some pretty twisted corners of the world. I’m not only about books and scrolls—although a lot of useful information can be gleaned from those. Besides, I prefer to think of myself as an Alfred-Boy Wonder hybrid. I can handle your lifestyle, and I want to help you. I’ve been helpful on this case, haven’t I? And given your caseload, couldn’t you use the help?”
Diana ran her eyes over him. She had seen this coming but still didn’t know what to do.
“Getting used to a companion, even in the short-term, is a little too much. Being here with you now is weird enough. Besides, you’re the heir to the most powerful coven in North America. Someday you will have to actually settle down and run it.”
Alec leaned in quickly. “I don’t have any plans to run the coven. I never have. It’s starting to sink in with my father that it’s not going to happen. The leadership isn’t necessarily a hereditary position. There is precedent for declaring a non-familial heir. And you’re starting to like having me around, aren’t you?” he finished, giving her his most charming smile.
She angled her head and looked at him sideways. “Look, you’re already on this case even though I never work with anyone. And the fact that you’re not even a little bit singed is enough of a miracle. Let’s just focus on finding those kids, okay?”
“You’re right,” he said, resigned. “One thing at a time. We can start with the list of jewelry stores that carry antique pins.”
“All of those places will be closed by now.”
Alec smiled at her. “For the right price, any store is open.”
“You can’t throw money at everything, you know. It won’t always work.”
“I know it won’t. Usually when it matters the most. I learned that a long time ago. But it certainly makes the everyday stuff go far more smoothly.”
Diana sniffed. “We have money, but we don’t use it like that. We have our own way.”
“And I’m a fan. All that violence really does it for me,” he teased. “But sometimes money greases the wheel, and given the nature of this case, that can’t hurt. Why don’t we get going? Are you planning on any Denon-related espionage tonight?”
“No need,” she said, ignoring the innuendo.
“All right, then, let’s knock off a few of these jewelers and antique dealers. I had the sketch faxed to similar places up and down the coast, and we can expand that if we don’t get any leads.”
“Okay,” she grumbled. “It’s not like I have anything better to do.”
“Thanks. That is so sweet,” he said wryly.
Hours later, after posing as newlyweds for five different jewelers and antique dealers, Diana was looking for any way to escape. Not only was the search fruitless, but pretending to be part of a happy couple with Alec was disconcerting.
Diana would have set a building on fire before admitting that playing Alec’s other half felt completely natural. There hadn’t been a trace of awkwardness as they chatted about fictional wedding plans and Art Deco rings and brooches. None of the dealers had heard of the beetle brooch, which Diana said was a family heirloom that had been stolen from her. Her fake groom’s evident wealth ensured helpful answers from the dealers. She hadn’t been able to detect any subterfuge.
They gave up soon after the last antique shop, where the motherly dealer started naming their future children. Alec dropped Diana off after that. She entered the apartment alone, emotionally drained. After showering, she went to bed without checking her messages and slept like a rock.
The next morning, Diana woke up with a renewed sense of purpose. She gave herself a pep talk, one that dealt mostly with Alec. And she told herself in no uncertain terms that they would find the missing children.
She checked for messages, hoping for good news. Unfortunately, there was nothing from Logan and only a worried message from Gia saying the Mother had remained silent.
The last message filled Diana with anxiety. Was the Mother going to sleep again? If so, it would be the start of a period of strife and turmoil for all of her children.
Or maybe it’s us? Are we being punished? Have we not served her as well as others in the past?
Diana silently admitted that she hadn’t, not really. This was her case, but she hadn’t tried to contact the Mother herself because she had been afraid of failing. It was cowardly.
On impulse, she turned on the television and scanned all the news channels. It didn’t take long to find what she was looking for. A large wildfire was currently burning in Colorado. In the height of summer, it was common enough, though she felt more than a twinge of guilt for being happy about it.
The buzzer distracted her from making plans. The doorman had a package for her. A few minutes later, she was opening a large box marked with the distinctive Broussard crest. Two smaller boxes were inside. Opening the larger of the two, she was greeted by the smell of fresh warm bagels.
Taking them out of the box, she found an assortment, including her favorite, poppy seed. While she toasted it, she pulled out a bag that held several types of schmear. Humming a random tune, she picked a salmon one and applied a generous amount on her bagel.
Nibbling on her treat, she pulled out the smaller box. Inside, she found a phone—a weird industrial looking one. She had just pulled it out to take a closer look when it started ringing in her hand.
“Err, hello, Morpheus?”
“I was going for that!” Alec said, laughing. “Did I time it right?”
“Yeah, you did. But you shouldn’t be giving me a phone unless you are prepared to send it to that big electronics graveyard in the sky. And why is it so bulky? Are you recycling your old phones? Is this from the eighties?”
“No, it’s not.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “I was checking with my contacts in the defense industry. This is the latest prototype they are developing for generals deployed to the Middle East. It’s been adapted for the heat of the desert. It should last you a bit longer than those portables you’ve been burning through. All my contact numbers are pre-programmed for your convenience. There’s also a special app that features a list of top rated restaurants, and it’s global. It even has a search feature for places that do take-out.”
“According to you, every place does take-out,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“For the right incentive, they do,” he insisted. “You should try it sometime.”
&nbs
p; “Throwing money at something is your thing. I’ll leave it to you,” she said, taking a bite of her bagel.
He laughed. “Knowing when and where to throw it is a skill I’ve honed over the years,” he said before getting serious. “Besides, the police do it all the time in smaller amounts.”
“Because they have to. We do things differently,” she reminded him.
“I’m sure your ways are best, but we shouldn’t leave any stone unturned while we lack leads.”
“You mean while my tracking ability keeps failing.” Diana said in a self-recriminatory tone.
“No,” he said forcefully. “You can’t blame yourself. These guys have found some way to evade your ability.” He paused. “It’s time to try something else. Think outside the box. Any ideas, chief?”
“I have one. It’s time to do something I’ve been avoiding. I shouldn’t have let Gia make the attempt to contact with the Mother without trying myself.”
“You’re going to contact her? How?”
“I’m going to start a fire. A big one.”
“How big a fire?” he asked.
“Big. And I’ll need enough fuel to keep it going for a while.” She was silent for a moment and then spoke before she could change her mind. “You can help. You can keep it going long enough to complete the ceremony.”
She decided not to spring the other details on him until it was time.
“There’s a ceremony?” Alec asked excitedly.
“I’ll tell you all about it later. Right now, I need to find a place with a fire pit or a really big fireplace. Bigger than the one here,” she said.
“Well. . .there is a rather large one in the coven house. We used to observe the tradition of burning a Yule log, a custom from the old country,” he offered.
Diana’s insides curdled. “That sounds like a terrible idea. I don’t think I’m a welcome guest there right now. Have you even told your parents you’re working with me?” she asked, trying to hide her horrified reaction.
“Not exactly,” he admitted. “Being over two centuries old means I don’t have to check in with my parents all the time. I told them I was working on the children’s disappearances and not much more. Going into detail is generally unproductive when dealing with members of my house. It slows things down. And I think we should go in daylight. I keep track of the day servants’ movements pretty closely. I’ve got tracking devices on all of them.”
The Elementals Collection Page 18
