“Apparently, enough time must have passed for some of the damage they did to repair itself, too,” he said, absently rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand.
Her skin felt like silk, which seemed strange. He would have thought they’d be hard and rough like her element. In the flesh, however, this big bad Elemental was soft and yielding.
Damn, he wanted to sleep with her. Just one time. If he got to, he’d happily return to celibacy until he died.
“It took a few decades, but Lucia’s system must have normalized enough to carry to term,” she continued. “It may still be difficult given her age, but no more than other women who choose to pursue a late-in-life pregnancy.”
Her words should have been a comfort, but Salvador was having trouble processing the news. “I don’t know how to feel about it. After all this time, I’m going to have a sister…”
Something he couldn’t decipher flickered across her face before it went blank. Gia let go of his hands, then stood.
“If you’d like to return to Costa Rica, I can send you back now.”
“What happened to the divining rod never leaving my side?”
She shrugged. “In their time, the Delavordo family heads have lied and broken countless promises to my kind. A little tit for tat won’t hurt my karma if you’d rather return to your practice. I’m sure you have patients waiting.”
“There is another healer in the area they can see.”
Gia raised a brow. “One as good as you?”
Was she trying to flatter him?
“I touched the divining rod.”
Her brow scrunched. “And?”
“It’s keyed to Ciro,” he said. “He did that with most of his experiments. Only a family member has any hope of activating it.”
Gia kicked a pebble, pulverizing it into dust. “I see…”
“I am happy to stay to help you with it,” he offered.
“If the rod even works, I don’t know how long this will take,” she warned.
Hopelessly outmatched, he rose so he could at least be taller. “You can count on me for the duration.”
Her eyes closed briefly, but then she schooled her face into a benign expression. “Well, then I would appreciate your help.”
Salvador grinned. “That was hard for you, wasn’t it?”
She surprised him by smiling back. “You have no idea.”
Gia was about to turn away, but he forestalled her with a hand to the arm. A fine line appeared between her brows, but she allowed him to pull her closer.
“Eventually, I hope you will trust me enough to tell me the truth about whatever it is you’re hiding—about my parents and what they did in their efforts to give me a brother or sister.”
“Salvador…” she began.
“What?” he asked when she didn’t continue. For the first time in their acquaintance, Gia appeared flustered.
“I know there’s something. I can see it in your eyes.” He pressed closer until they were actually touching.
Sal expected Gia to push away, but she merely shook her head. “As long as they do no harm, your parents are entitled to their secrets. It would be a violation of the Covenant for me to intervene.”
Questioningly, he cocked his head. “Is telling me what you know really intervening?”
She winced. “It could be seen that way.”
They stood still, pressed against each other. Against everything that was right and rational in the world, he was the one who backed away.
He could feel Gia watching him, but he didn’t turn around. You need to focus. Whether she likes it or not, Gia needs your help to save the world. Salvador picked up the divining rod.
“I wonder if blood will help?” Picking at the spot on his finger, he rubbed off the scab sealing the pinprick wound. He squeezed his finger until a bead of red welled at the tip.
Gia pointed to the joint where the rod handles split. “Try there.”
He smeared the blood on the wood, pulling his head back in case of a reaction. “Nothing.” The wood didn’t absorb the spot, nor did a spark ignite the magic.
“I guess it’s not a blood artifact.”
“No.” She took the rod back, then closed her eyes, but popped them open after a second. “You could have asked me to tell you what your parents have been hiding as payment for healing me and coming to get me in Sheol.”
“I know that,” he said quietly.
“Why don’t you? Honor would compel me to answer if you demanded that as payment.”
At first, he didn’t know what to say. But then it came to him. “That particular piece of knowledge shouldn’t be currency.”
She would tell him eventually, but it wouldn’t be because he bargained with her. He wanted her trust.
Gia scowled. “Don’t do that. Don’t make me like you.”
This time, it was his turn to give her a slightly smug, all-knowing look. “Too late. You already do.”
23
Daniel hung up the phone with a grunt. He squinted at the horizon beyond Biscayne Bay. Sunset was doing creative things with the light. Soaking up the last rays, he let his frustration wash away with the breeze.
“Any luck?” his mate asked. Serin leaned over a rock, using her hand to swirl the water in an infinite loop.
The setting sun reflected off the bay, making her face glow. His heart stuttered involuntarily. She was so damn beautiful it actually hurt sometimes.
Being mated to an Elemental was certainly giving his cardiac muscles a workout.
Serin raised an expectant brow, and he forced himself to focus on the matter at hand. “Nothing on the APB so far. I’m going to send John’s description to my buddy with the Marshall’s service. That should get it circulating more widely.”
She nodded, then resumed swirling.
He grinned. “Thank you for not thinking this is a stupid idea, or at least not saying so aloud.”
Serin rose in a fluid motion, coming to rest next to him. “Well, I admit it is unconventional for us. At this point, however, I’m more than willing to try it your way—a human hunter for human prey. But don’t feel bad if we don’t get a bite. John may not even be in this country.”
“I know, but it can’t hurt.” He gestured around them. “Remind me why we washed up here?”
“Just chasing down a lead. There’s a siren operating in these parts who was approached by a man who made some rather specific promises. I heard it secondhand, so it may or may not be true, but we need to follow up.”
Daniel’s head jerked up. “A siren as in a mermaid?”
Serin shrugged. “A siren is a type of water Fae. Cold-blooded. Only some stories are true.”
“Let me guess… The part where they lure men to their doom with their songs is a factual bit?”
His mate rewarded him with a smile. “The parts with the body count do tend to be based in fact.”
He snorted softly. “Of course they are. What makes you think this siren is going to come here?”
“Because she said she would. Nerissa is nothing if not reliable—the Fae are predictable that way. They have their own code of conduct and rules of governance.”
“Can they really not lie?” he asked. That was something he’d always heard about fairies, but he’d never believed it. As a former member of law enforcement, Daniel knew lying was like breathing.
“They can’t if they are upper-caste Fae,” Serin confirmed. “A few millennia ago, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts were in turmoil. There were countless insurrections and plots against the throne and between the courts. Too many of their most powerful were dying. The monarchs of the time feared they would end up wiping themselves out or diluting their power so much they would be easy prey for enemies from the outside. In an unprecedented move, the heads of both factions collaborated. They bound their followers with a powerful curse—one that keeps them from lying on penalty of death.”
“Wow,” he muttered. “That must have taken a lot of mojo.”
“It did. In fact, the Fae had to sacrifice one of their most powerful artifacts to pull it off. A fair amount of their magic went with it. Today, the Fae are still dangerous, but there aren’t any among their ranks who could be classified as world-breakers.”
He turned that last phrase over in his mind. How many world-breakers had this world seen? Was John one? Nah. Daniel would let that happen over his dead body.
“So the Fae can’t lie, but I bet they can massage the hell out of the truth,” Daniel observed. “Like most politicians.”
“That’s right.” Serin laughed. “The average member of the Seelie and Unseelie can put your human leaders to shame with their skills.”
He grunted. “They sound like a ton of fun,” he added, squatting next to her. “I’m guessing your friend Loki isn’t high caste?”
“No, and thank the Mother that he’s not. The higher you go, the more concentrated the power. Could you imagine the trouble he could get up to if he had that kind of juice?”
“I’d rather not,” he said, wondering what the trickster Fae was up to. Daniel had expected to hear from him by now. He made a mental note to ask Noomi. The pair had gotten close during their last adventure.
“Underhill is their home, right?” he continued, determined to cram as much knowledge into his head as he could.
“It is now. That’s where the Fae Courts are located.”
“Have you been there?”
“Once or twice. Our kind can’t open the door to Underhill.”
“I thought you and the other Elementals could go anywhere?” Daniel asked with a frown.
“We can—anywhere on Earth. But Underhill isn’t on Earth. It exists in its own pocket universe. However, it has many tendrils to our world. Some scholars think they may have been one at some point, but they diverged. Personally, I think it latched onto ours, like a parasite.”
“Huh,” Daniel said with a sniff. She put a hand on his shoulder, then rubbed. When Serin had told him about the spot of Fae blood running through his veins, he’d been a bit alarmed. What she told him wasn’t making him feel better.
“An Elemental can enter Underhill by invitation of the ruling monarch—and the current Seelie queen is not likely to issue one unless it amuses her, or if we find an unsealed passage. Underhill creates them on its own from time to time.”
“It almost sounds like T’Kaieri—alive and with a mind of its own.”
Serin sat up, then stretched out on the rock beside him. “Well, to my knowledge, T’Kaieri has never tried to kill anyone. The same can’t be said for Underhill.”
“Groovy,” he muttered.
His mate snapped to the right as if she’d heard something in the distance. “The siren is incoming. Look alive.”
In the distance, he caught a flash under the water. The localized swell moved toward them fast. It reminded him of a scene in Jaws. He half-expected a fin to pop up, but the tiny ripple stayed beneath the surface, an unseen menace.
A head emerged, followed by a shapely set of shoulders. The siren was stunning, but the beatific smile she gave him reminded him of a predator—like a praying mantis contemplating her next meal…alien and calculating.
“Serin!” Nerissa squealed at his mate before switching her attention to him. She looked him up and down as if she wanted to devour him whole. She flashed him a smile, proving she could do it if she wanted to. She had the equipment for it—sharp, almost needlelike, teeth.
The siren raised out of the water with a hand on the stone, then touched his pant leg. “What a delicious specimen. Did you bring me a present?”
“I’m afraid not,” Serin said, her voice flat and discouraging.
Daniel shied away from the siren’s touch, trying not to let how creeped out he was show on his face.
“Oh.” Nerissa was crestfallen. She dropped into the water with a little pout. “Is he a gift for the queen?”
“Another no. He’s with me.” Serin reached out to pat his pocket, reminding him to take out his phone. “I wanted to ask you about the man who approached you a few months ago.”
Daniel held up the screen, displaying the sketch of John.
The siren narrowed her eyes, scanning the likeness. “Who said anyone approached me?” she asked in a cloying sugar-sweet voice.
“A little birdie mentioned it,” Serin deadpanned. “Was this the man who sank the cruise ship?”
“John sank a cruise ship?” Daniel exclaimed. “When did this happen?”
“It was last year, but nobody died.” Nerissa sneered, her tone clearly conveying no deaths was a bad thing. “Humans are far more prepared for disasters at sea these days. And they have much faster rescue vessels. All hands were saved—well except for an old man who had a heart attack. Sadly, he was not buried at sea.”
Her regret over that fact was palpable. Daniel smothered a grimace as the mental image of Nerissa munching down on a human leg popped into his mind.
“He was trying to get your attention,” Serin continued. “John wanted in with the Fae, and he risked thousands of lives to do it. My source told me that you were there when the vessel sank.”
“And you believed them?” The siren practically batted her eyelashes.
“My source wasn’t lying—it can’t.” With her fingers, Serin drew something in the air. A symbol appeared, glowing briefly before sinking into the water. The light flared, and a ghost of an image appeared on the reflective surface—a massive cruise ship in distress. Just off to the side was a telltale shimmer. Nerissa’s head bobbed in and out of view for a second, just long enough to identify her.
Serin had told him the ocean had many secrets, but a Water Elemental could discover them if necessary.
“Fine,” Nerissa snapped. “I saw him on a small craft near the sinking vessel. He was playing a recording of a siren singing.”
“So, he was trying to get the passengers to jump off the vessel to what…feed you?”
Nerissa scoffed. “A facsimile doesn’t have the same power as a siren’s voice. He wasn’t even close enough for them to hear him.”
“But a siren has excellent hearing,” Serin observed. “How else would you be able to hear all those drowning sailors? What did John want from you?”
Daniel didn’t think the Fae was going to answer. She flicked a drop of water in his general direction. “He offered to sabotage every Coast Guard vessel on the Eastern seaboard for me, in exchange for an audience with the queen.”
Serin was starting to lose her patience, but it was hard to tell by her deceptively bland expression. “And did you carry this message to your regent?”
Nerissa was incensed. “As if I would ever do such a thing! It’s against her dictates. The queen does not consort with upstart practitioners—or Elementals if she can help it.”
The siren turned away as if bored. “Is that all you wanted, Serin? I have things to do…”
“Did you make your queen’s policy clear to the suspect?” Daniel asked.
Nerissa turned, batting her long lashes. Her hand snaked out again, touching his shoe this time. “Are you very attached to the human, Serin? I have all manner of treasure I could trade for him.”
“Excuse me, but I am not up for barter.” Daniel was starting to feel objectified, like a piece of meat. This must be what those Magic Mike guys feel like…if they were going to be eaten at the end of the fun, that was.
“I just love the sound of his voice. It’s so deep and rumbly, like an earthquake under the water.”
“Glad you like it,” Daniel growled. Not being addressed directly was starting to get on his last nerve. “Did the suspect mention anything else? Something that suggested where he was going or who he was going to speak to next?”
The Siren ignored him, putting both hands on the rocks and resting her head on her arm. Behind her, an ornately finned tail rose out of the water, flicking him and Serin with drops of saltwater.
“If there’s nothing else, I should get going.”
“Seriously,
you’re not going to answer my question?” Daniel was getting pissed.
“She can’t,” Serin guessed. “The Fae have standing orders from the queen—minimal compliance with our inquiries.”
His mate knelt, squatting in front of Nerissa. Unlike most Supernaturals they’d met since he’d started running with Serin, the siren didn’t blink. “But this man isn’t wanted by us because he’s a danger to Elementals. We’re hunting him because he’s a threat to the Mother… and I don’t have to tell you how uncomfortable life would be for the Fae if something happened to Her.”
Nerissa ran sharp teeth over her full lower lip, contemplating Serin’s words.
“This man is looking for a way to get to Her, but there is no path to the Mother. There are, however, a number of entrances to Underhill popping in and out of existence all the time. Not all lead to the Seelie Court, but some do. You might want to consider that.”
The siren made a little smacking sound. “I will pass that along.”
She retreated a short distance from the rock.
“Pity you didn’t sing for John,” Daniel called. It wouldn’t have solved all of their problems, but it could have saved them a whole lot of legwork if the siren had just eaten the bad guy.
“What makes you think she didn’t?” Serin asked.
Annoyance flickered across Nerissa’s face.
“He would have been prepared for that,” his mate finished.
“No comment.” The siren was petulant now.
Serin glanced down at her, raising one fine eyebrow.
“It was a charm,” the siren admitted grudgingly. “I don’t know where he got it, but I couldn’t undermine its hold.”
“How would you do that?” he asked curiously.
“The way most spells are undone—with saltwater.” Nerissa’s expression was wicked. “Like this.”
A wave built behind her, heading toward them. It flew over the edge of the rock to slap them down or sweep them over the edge—or at least that was what the flesh-eating mermaid intended. Daniel put his hands up in reaction. He felt a push as if the pressure dropped, and the water fell away from him almost as if it hit a wall.
The Elementals Collection Page 100
