Seers (26 page)

“Maybe not,” Patrick said lowly. “But we might find someone else.” He cast a quick look to me. “Don’t be nervous. Just look around, let us know if you see a Demon. Okay?”

“You’re not going to . . .” I lowered my voice as we walked through the front doors and into the large lobby. “Kill anyone, are you?”

Toni grunted. “I wish we’d get that lucky. We’re only allowed to politely ask questions, unless we catch them in the act, or they attack us. Or if we’ve got witnesses against them. You’d think killing a Demon would be more simple, huh?”

“Truthfully? I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I’m sort of relieved, I guess.”

We walked right past the front desk, where the employees seemed almost overwhelmed with all the people trying to procure rooms. Still, I was kind of surprised that three people could slip past unnoticed. That’s when Patrick whispered quickly. “Oh—I should tell you—Toni and I are invisible.”

“What?” I choked lowly, almost stumbling. Patrick gripped my elbow to steady me.

Toni chuckled. “Maybe you should have had a bit of training first. I just didn’t think you’d mess up a regular sweep.”

“It’s just a precaution.” Patrick assured me. “But if you’d feel more comfortable . . .” Nothing seemed to change about him—no blurriness, no mysterious flickering—but Patrick cast me a reassuring smile after a split-second pause. “There. I’m visible now.”

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To me, he looked as solid as Toni did. It was really weird to think that the people around us would see only me and Patrick.

“Can you guys warn me before you do that next time?” I asked in a hard whisper. “It’s weird. How long were you . . .?” Toni shrugged. “I think I went as soon as my door closed.

Habit. You, Patrick?”

“I’m not sure—around then.”

I shook my head, and my phone vibrated suddenly. I pulled it out of my purse, which hung from my shoulder, and answered Patrick’s quick glance. “It’s probably Lee.” I flipped it open, and saw that it was a message from Aaron.

Ur w/Lee?

Still walking, I tapped out a quick answer. @ mal , ya.

Just as I was closing my phone, Toni said lowly, “You’re here to pay attention, my young Padawan.”

“Are invisible people supposed to talk?” I hissed, annoyed.

“You look like you’re talking to yourself, you know.” Patrick led us down a hall, toward some elevators. He spoke thinly, eyes forward. “Toni, knock it off. She’s got a life, okay?”

“You think I don’t?”

I leveled a hard look at him, then addressed Patrick. “Can people hear him when he’s invisible?” Patrick shook his head and pushed the up arrow on the wall.

“No. When we go invisible, it’s like we live on a completely different plane, or frequency. We can’t be seen, heard, or felt by humans.”

“But Demons can see you?”

He nodded. “And other Guardians. And Seers, of course.”

“Can you guys . . .walk through walls?” Toni answered that one. “Nope. That sucks, huh? Someone wasn’t thinking . . .”

Patrick shook his head. “Just pretend like he’s not here.” An older couple came up behind us, just as the elevator doors slid open. I stepped in with Toni, but Patrick waited for the older couple, courteously holding an arm out across the doors, to keep 198 K • • •

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them from closing

The old man nodded gratefully, and the woman gave him a small smile.

Once we were inside the doors closed, and Patrick asked which floor they needed; he obligingly pressed the number five, and then eleven.

Toni caught sight of my wondering expression, and he answered in an extra loud voice, just to further annoy me. “He doesn’t want to draw attention to us by going up to the top floor, or just the next one up. He’s picking a random place to start the search.” I bit my lower lip and focused on the elevator doors.

Patrick sent a quick look in Toni’s direction, but he didn’t dare scowl because the older couple might have gotten the wrong idea.

“We’re here for our fiftieth anniversary,” the woman explained, her words as slow and labored as her step had been.

Patrick smiled, but didn’t verbally reply.

The old man nodded, and took his wife’s hand affectionately.

“The kids paid for this. Isn’t that something?”

“We told them not to overspend, but I think they did.” The woman sighed. “I suppose though, between the five of them . . .” The elevator stopped, and the doors parted. Patrick again extended his arm, and the old couple slowly made their way into the hall. “Thank you, young man,” the woman called over her shoulder.

“Have a nice stay,” Patrick spoke at last. And then the doors closed, and we were alone. I was deeply touched by Patrick’s actions, but I decided not to say anything. I worried that whatever I said would be seen as corny, or dumb.

The brief silence was short lived, however. The elevator stopped at the seventh floor, and a couple girls joined us, one pushing for the twelfth floor. They were talking loudly, about how disappointing some trip had been, and I tuned them out as my phone vibrated.

It was from Aaron. Funny. Lee thought I was w/u. Yer G-ma is confused 2. Where r u?

I let out a deep breath, pinching my eyes closed briefly. Great.

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Like I needed this now. My boyfriend had just caught me lying to him, and now my grandma and best friend knew about it, too.

Unless Aaron had somehow covered for me? Maybe my Grandma didn’t know . . .

I saw the incoming call from her phone, and I knew my luck had run out.

“Trouble?” Toni asked, leaning against the wall beside me.

I only frowned. The elevator stopped, and the girls got out.

The next stop would be ours. I debated about answering my grandma’s call, and then quickly pressed send.

“Hi Grandma.”

Patrick and Toni watched me as I listened to my Grandmother’s even words.

“Kate Bennett, I don’t set many rules. But I don’t expect you to go lying to me. Where are you? Aaron just called—he said he talked to Lee, and you’re not with her. He’s worried about you. So am I.”

“I—I just had to get out of the house.”

“Kate . . .”

“Please, try to understand.”

There was a slight pause, and then her voice was more understanding. “Are you at the cemetery, honey?” I swallowed hard. “Yeah. But please—don’t tell Aaron. I need to be alone right now.”

The change in her voice was instantaneous. “You just take your time, sweetheart. But please—don’t lie to me next time. I can take any sort of truth from you, but no more lies.”

“Deal.”

“Come home when you can. Should I be finding a new sitter for your sisters?”

“No, of course not. I’ll be home in . . . a bit.” The elevator stopped, and I hoped she’d miss the little ding that signaled our arrival.

“Okay. I love you, sweety.”

“I love you too.”

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We said quick goodbyes, and then I turned my phone completely off. I’d feel guilty later, but I needed to focus now.

I could feel Patrick’s eyes on my face, but I didn’t bother to comment about the call. We stepped out of the elevator, and my first official day as a helpful Seer began.

s

We found nothing at the first hotel. We walked down every hall, through the dining room where breakfast was being served, and we even walked the grounds. It was true, it would have been easy to miss someone, but still—after just over an hour, Patrick suggested we move on to the next one.

We followed the same procedure, and got the same results.

There were no Demons in sight, no matter where we looked. Or rather, where I looked. I was the Seer, after all.

By noon we’d eliminated three hotels, and we stopped at a fast food place to grab something to eat. I wasn’t that hungry, but Patrick insisted that we take a quick break. In an effort to make me eat, the two immortals also ate.

The break was relatively short, and we were at the next hotel about twenty minutes after we’d left the last one. I can’t speak for them, but I was getting tired and more than a little frustrated.

More than once on the walk toward this hotel I doubted if we were even using our time constructively. I mean, we were just guessing that we might get lucky enough to see something. It really wasn’t the most reliable way to get results.

We entered the lobby, and I was just about to open my mouth and suggest we try hunting down Selena Avalos, the teacher, when Toni spoke suddenly. “We’re not going to be able to slip past these guys. There’s not a big enough crowd.”

“Your suggestion?” Patrick asked, his step slowing beside me.

“I’ll take care of it. You two work your magic, and I’ll join you when I can.”

“Don’t get arrested,” Patrick warned, but Toni was already

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stepping pompously up to the counter.

“Excuse me!” He declared loudly, to the man seated there. “I have a complaint that I want addressed immediately!” The clerk stood slowly, looking bored. His smile was entirely fake. “Of course, sir. What seems to be the problem?”

“Don’t you take that tone with me. I know I look young and hot, but that’s the plastic surgery. I’m old enough to be your father.

So show some respect!”

I don’t know if the young man at the front desk believed him, but his smile wavered, and his eyes became more alert. “Of course.

Sorry sir. Is there a problem with your room?”

“Ha! Don’t get me started on my room. I just wanted to reprimand you about your food, and the lack of service. And when’s the last time this rug was vacuumed? My asthma can’t be ignored!” Patrick and I walked past the desk and toward the elevators—

I could barely hear the clerk’s stilted, awkward defense, before Toni was going off about something else.

I just shook my head. “He’s good, isn’t he?”

“Don’t tell him,” Patrick begged, though his eyes looked somewhat impressed “His head can’t afford to get any bigger.” He pushed the up button, and the elevator responded almost immediately.

We entered the elevator, and Patrick pressed the eighth floor.

We followed the by now familiar routine. Pick a floor, walk the halls—no Demons—pick another floor . . .

We’d been to several now, and were just getting off the elevator on the fifteenth floor when I heard his voice.

It was the Demon from the theater—there was no mistaking that strangely high-pitched voice. “I want some more towels,” he was saying. “Do I look like a guy who likes drying off with a wet towel?” I looked up at Patrick, but his narrowed eyes and suddenly stern face let me know that he recognized the voice too.

Now that the moment of confrontation was here, I was nervous. The elevator closed behind us, and I looked up at Patrick, worry leaking into my expression.

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Patrick bit his lower lip, and then pulled me aside, away from the Demon’s voice. He pushed me gently into a small alcove, where two padded chairs sat against the wall, a table with a large flower arrangement between them.

“Stay here,” he whispered lowly. “I’m going to follow him. I don’t want you around if things go badly.”

“But—”

“Once we’re gone, wait for two minutes and then go down to the lobby. Find Toni, and then head home, all right?”

“But—what if he’s not alone? What if you need help?” He smiled just a little. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, Kate. Trust me. I’m just going to ask him a few questions.” I wanted to argue some more, but then we heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall. Patrick ducked around the corner, hiding in the alcove with me. The footsteps came closer, and Patrick peeked cautiously around the corner.

I heard someone push the elevator button, and tried to push my fear away. Patrick wasn’t worried. I shouldn’t be, either. He knew what he was doing.

The elevator arrived after a brief wait, and then—a last, small smile in my direction—Patrick was gone. I looked quickly around the corner, but all I saw was Patrick darting into the elevator, a startled gasp immediately following his appearance.

Then the doors closed, and I was alone. I gnawed on my lower lip for a tense moment, clutching the corner of the wall for lack of something better to do with my hands. I still couldn’t believe we’d found my stalker. But what did that mean for us, really? He’d tried to act haughty and creepy in the theater—and he’d succeeded, honestly—but there had been fear there, too. If Romero was half as evil and dangerous as Toni claimed, I had a feeling that the Demon Patrick was hoping to get answers from was going to be very reluctant to betray his boss.

Before I’d consciously made the decision, I found myself heading toward the elevator—and then I turned and walked slowly

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down the carpeted hall instead. I didn’t know what room was his, but when I spied a maid’s cart outside an open door halfway down the corridor, I made a guess that this was it.

There was no one around—the hallway was completely deserted. I could hear the maid in the small bathroom, and I took a chance. I tried not to think about what my Grandma would say if I got caught as I carefully stepped inside.

The room was nice, but basic. Two beds, a desk, a nightstand, and a dresser. The bathroom door was closed, and the only other door I assumed was a closet. That’s what I headed for. I opened it slowly, and then pushed inside the small space. I closed the door, and then tried to keep my breathing low and even.

I still wasn’t sure exactly what I thought I’d find in his room, but I hoped I might find some clue as to why he was interested in me—or rather, why Quin Romero was interested in me. If nothing else, I might find something about Selena Avalos, my sisters’

Demon teacher.

I listened to the maid as she quickly and efficiently cleaned and restocked the bathroom. Then I heard her reenter the room, and then finally close the outer door. I strained my ears and waited for the sound of her cart rolling away, and then—once I was sure she was gone—I opened the closet door and stepped back into the room. I started with the suitcase in the corner, but soon dis-covered that it was mostly empty. He’d probably been living here since he started stalking me, and had grown quite comfortable.