“So, you’re willing to trade your happiness for a handful of shiny minerals?”
Her gaze hardens into something dark, feral. Dropping whatever hint of pretense remained. “You’ve got ten seconds to return to your friends and take your party elsewhere,” she says.
I square my shoulders and tighten my grip on my bag, poised for pretty much anything. “I think we both know that’s not going to happen.”
She looks me over for a long moment, then snakes her fingers into the front pocket of her denim miniskirt, retrieves her cell phone, and says, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. From what I can see, you have far more problems than me.” I start to turn, troubled by the encounter, but not for the reasons she thinks.
“I’m not kidding, Daire! I’ll tell them what you’re up to!”
“You have no idea what I’m up to,” I mumble, eager to put some distance between us.
“You leave me with no choice!” she shouts.
“There’s always a choice!” I glance over my shoulder long enough to see her tapping on her cell phone, bringing it to her ear, then I break into a run. Racing down a hall that, while not technically booby-trapped, may as well be.
Leandro’s office lies just before me, with the door ajar and a phone ringing.
I rush past the opening, barely reaching the door’s other side when a familiar voice barks, “What is it—I’m busy.” Followed by, “What? The Seeker? You sure? Cade swore she was dead!”
Leandro’s muffled curse soon followed by a hand crashing hard against a desk, and the squeak and protest of a body launching from a stiff leather chair, as I storm the hall at full speed.
My insides sear with a pain that’s white hot. My lungs threaten to explode in my chest. Still I push past the agony and sprint for the vortex. Ignoring Leandro’s voice calling out from behind me, commanding me to stop, I slip my hand in my purse, retrieve the cigarettes Paloma gave me, and dive in headfirst.
Shoving through the wall that isn’t really a wall, I burst free to the other side, only to be met by a sinister voice saying, “Hello, Daire. Last I saw you, you were dead.”
eighteen
Daire
The heels of my sneakers screech and slide across the tin floor until I’m standing flushed and breathless before Cade.
With a long black scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, and a black knit cap pushed back on his head, he looks cozy, relaxed, healthy, and fit. Having planted himself at the entry of the large tin pipe that acts as a passageway to the cave and the second vortex beyond, he lounges in his overstuffed, antique chair like a spoiled young king at his throne. Bearing not a single sign of having bled out from a gaping hole in his gut just a few days earlier.
I steady my breath, regain my footing, and say, “And last I saw you, you were dead too.” I move toward him, wanting him to know that while he may have succeeded in surprising me, it’s not the same as scaring me. “But that was before your faithful Coyote restored you.”
Cade tilts his chair back. Assesses me through narrowed eyes. The corner of his mouth tugging in amusement, he motions toward the stash of cigarettes in my hand, and says, “Seriously, Daire—three packs?” He makes a disapproving cluck of his tongue. “You really should reconsider. Smoking is a dreadful, nasty habit that’s been proven to hasten your mortality. And I think we both know that, as a Seeker, it’s a risk you can’t afford. Your kind tends to die young.”
I move toward the edge of his chair, shooting him a bored look as I sing, “Been there, done that.” I settle before him. “Actually, I brought these for your friends. Last few times I was here they really seemed to enjoy them.”
Cade crosses his legs and drapes his hands over the armrests in a way that allows me to see the blue tourmaline ring I don’t remember him wearing before. “Very thoughtful, Seeker. But, as you can see, my friends, as you call them, aren’t here at
the moment. In anticipation of your visit, I gave them the night off. Sent them to a dimension far, far away where they can keep an eye on my brother.”
His eyes meet mine as though daring me to react, but other than a quick intake of breath, I keep my face neutral, refuse to show the slightest trace of concern. Refuse to let on how the mere thought of his demons sniffing around Dace sends my heart racing. Dealing with Cade is like a never-ending poker game. With stakes this high, I can’t afford a single mistake.
“It’s a shame about that whole Echo business, isn’t it?” He tilts his head to the side and impersonates a thoughtful expression. “Guess that’s something Leandro didn’t anticipate when he was conjuring us.” His lips pull into a frown as he breathes a staged sigh. “Leandro certainly has his faults, and sometimes I can’t help but think he’s a burden. Though I’m sure you feel the same way about Jennika and Paloma. It’s such a drain trying to humor their outdated ideas while we forge much greater destinies of our own. Still, what are we to do?” His gaze drifts along with his voice, musing on the idea for much longer than it warrants, before returning to me almost as an afterthought. “Anyway, you really should forget about Dace. Trust me, it’s for the best. Last I saw, he wasn’t looking so good. Which left me with no choice but to hide him in a place where no one will ever find him.”
“Guess that remains to be seen,” I say, with far more confidence than I feel. Rejecting the picture his words form in my mind. Unable to bear the thought of Dace injured and suffering, left to rot in a demon-filled land.
His face hardens into a series of sharp angles and edges, as he uncrosses his legs and leans forward. Technically, he may be Dace’s identical twin, but Dace is incapable of looking like this. Or at least he used to be.
“I hate to break it to you, Santos, but this is as far as you’ll get.” He grips the armrests so tightly, it seems he’s struggling to contain himself, trying hard not to shift. “You’re trespassing, and I just won’t allow it.”
“I’m not sure you have a choice.” I stand my ground, aware of the nagging tug of foreboding swirling inside me.
“Tough words coming from someone who, not long ago, was lying spread-eagled beneath me.”