So!” Jack said, clapping his hands and grinning at me. “We ready to go? What’s the transportation plan?”
“I guess I’ll go with Reth, and—”
Lend shouted, “No, you’re not going anywhere alone with Reth.”
“Fine, I’ll go with Jack, and—”
“That doesn’t work for me either.”
I laughed drily. “Okay then, I’ll click my heels together three times and say, ‘There’s no place like the Center, there’s no place like the Center,’ and then magically appear there!”
He was quiet for a few seconds. “You’ll probably be safer with Reth.” It sounded like he was speaking through clenched teeth. “And I can keep a better eye on Jack.”
“Well, I for one am thrilled to spend more time with Lend. That’s the top of my Fun Things to Do list. We should come up with a secret handshake!” Jack said, pushing me to the side and throwing the door open, which resulted in Lend falling to the floor immediately unconscious. “Oh, whoops.” Jack smiled, his eyes gleaming. “Too bad, I like him so much when he’s talking.”
“Very funny. Keep him safe, okay? I don’t Raquel’s in the Iron Wing—she would have heard me shouting. Look anywhere you can think of. They might have her in a random room somewhere. We’ll meet in Raquel’s old office in two hours, whether we’ve found anything or not.”
He nodded, not looking at me as he poked Lend repeatedly with his foot.
“And, Jack? That threat Reth made about your hands? I’m going to apply it to Lend, too. Keep him safe. Or else.
You have no idea where Anne’s office is?” I asked, grouchy and beyond footsore, seriously envying Jack’s completely healed feet. We’d already been here for an hour and had nothing to show for it other than a few close calls with security patrols. I’d figured since I couldn’t check every room for Raquel, searching Anne-Whatever Whatever’s office for records was my next best bet.
“Surprisingly enough, I do not make a habit of concerning myself with the locations of offices of people I neither know nor care anything for.”
“I thought you had some big vendetta against IPCA for controlling you.”
“Have you seen anyone who ever once used my name against me? Present company excepted.”
I frowned, checking around a corner to a hall that was, as usual, empty. This was so much less exciting than I had been afraid it would be. Reth walked calmly forward, never pausing, never frantically checking over his shoulder.
I wondered what he did to those poor suckers who had trapped him with his true name. I almost asked, but honestly, I didn’t really want to know. “Wait—you didn’t do anything to Raquel.” I inwardly cringed. Raquel had used his name against him, and there I went reminding him.
“Hmm. An uncharacteristic oversight.”
I snorted. “Yeah, mister always has a plan, you’re constantly missing details.” I shouldn’t push the issue lest I convince him that he still had some vengeance waiting, but I couldn’t help it. It was so unlike him.
He waved an elegant hand through the air as though brushing off my observation. “Some things are beneath my attention.”
“Liar.”
He stopped short, and I walked a few paces before realizing he wasn’t beside me anymore. I turned and found myself sucked into his golden gaze.
“You are quite blind sometimes, my love.”
“What do you mean by that?” I snapped. Then my jaw dropped as he actually rolled his perfect, gigantic-bordering-on-anime golden eyes. That was so not a faerie gesture. “You just rolled your eyes!”
“It would appear you are a negative influence after all.
Wolfie growled, narrowing his eyes. “You know, the best way to get a predator to chase you is to run.”
I snorted. “Oh my gosh, did you practice that line in front of a mirror or something?
Bleep, I hadn’t fought a werewolf ever, and had never had to tase one who was actually expecting it. He grinned maliciously as we circled each other, each looking for an opening.
“I can smell your fear.”
“Again with the lines! What do you think this is, a B movie? News flash: you are not a tortured hero and we’re not going to have a hot make out scene after we fight.
For this to work, we need to find a computer system to break into.” I looked up at Jack. “I don’t suppose either one of you have previously undisclosed hacker abilities?”
Jack shook his head. “Not one of my many talents, sadly. But if you have a cherry stem I can show you a really cool one.”
“I’m not great,” Lend said. “You need Arianna.”
“I think you’re right. Jack, can you take Lend back and bring Arianna here?”
“But—” Lend started.
“No, there’s not anything you can do here. Go back home and figure out what, exactly, your mom and the others want me to do. If I’m going to make a decision about them, I need all the information I can get. Also please put some clothes on because sleeping, nude Lend is a huge distraction I can’t deal with right now.”
He laughed.
It was pretty clear from the conversation we overheard that one way or another I’d be dead.”
Something smashed to the ground. Jack looked at me, all the mugs forgotten. “I’m not going to let anyone kill you.” He grinned. “If I don’t get to, no one should.”
“I’m touched.” But I couldn’t help smiling back at him.
By all means, stay,” Anne said. “Have a seat. We’ll take care of you next.”
“Yeah, see, I think someone else is going to be on trial next.” Baring my teeth at her in a grin I pulled out my file folder. “I’ve got some interesting reading here. And I even brought copies for everyone so you don’t have to share.”
A distinguished-looking South American man on the end shook his head. “What is this? Another farce?”
“No, but bonus points for using a funny word. You really want to read what I have here. Anne, you’ll be especially interested, since you have a starring role.”
“Enough. Rhia—”
Reth quickly flicked his wrist at her; her mouth kept moving, but no sound came out. It was one of the most satisfying things I’d ever seen. Sure, that trick had sucked when he used it on me, but I wholly approved of it now.
I might want to help the paranormals, but I’m not willing to give up my soul for it.”
“Of course not! No one can ask you to do that. No one should. If you decide to do this—and I man you decide, not anyone else—then we’ll figure out how to make it work so you come out safe and sound. Besides, I wouldn’t let you sacrifice your own soul. It’s mine.”
“Uh, I think you mean my heart is yours. That’s a little more romantic and less stalker creepy.”
“Well, regardless, you know mine is yours, right? Heart, soul, whatever. It’s all yours.
I have to go in with Raquel and fix this curse. Why don’t you come in and . . . umm, lie down on the couch or something.”
Reth gave me a humorless smile. “In all our time with each other, have I ever struck you as the type to nap on a couch?”
I snickered. “Not really. But it would be entertaining for me, at least. I’ll bet you snore, even.”
He looked indignant. “What makes you think I even sleep?”
“Do you?”
“Not in the same way you do. Go and waste your time trying to ‘fix’ Lend. I will try my best not to die waiting.”
I took a step away, then turned back. “Wait, seriously? Are you going to die?”
He smiled, this time a genuine one. “I knew you cared. Not at the moment, but I will need you for something very soon.
You probably thought that curse was the cleverest thing ever, didn’t you?”
His lips turned down as he tried not to smile. “It was one of my better moments.” I saw lights ahead of us past the trees, and for a moment I thought I was seeing souls in a whole new freaky way until I realized they were, in fact, red and blue and flashing. Police lights. Lots and lots of police lights.
“What the crap?” I hurried toward the flashing police lights, but Reth put a hand on my arm to slow me.
“Perhaps, for once, it would be best to evaluate the situation before charging in. This particular type of human carries weapons slightly more lethal than your beloved pink monstrosity.”
“Why would the police be here though? Something must be wrong.”
Reth looked exasperated. “When is something ever not wrong in your life?”
I frowned. “That’s my line.
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