Blood Promise (A SkinWalker Novel #4) (A DarkWorld SkinWalker Novel) (24 page)

"We have a problem."

You don't say.

"Which one?" Right now, we had a whole bunch of them.

"The killings."

The most annoying thing about Jess was that she was stingy with information. She only gave me bits and pieces, and only then when things got dangerous.
 

I folded my arms and waited.

Jess sighed and began to pace. It was uncommon for a Titan to display such human emotion. Interesting.

"I have been with Omega for a long time and nothing like this has ever cropped up on my radar." She made a disgusted sound. "I am beginning to sound too much like these . . . agents."
 

She said 'agents' like it was a dirty word. Even more interesting. "So Omega had something to do with the massacres?"

"I cannot be certain. We suspect it may be the case but we have no definitive proof."

"Who is
we
?"

"I cannot tell you." Jess tipped her chin. "I can only tell you what will assist you in your investigation. I do not have the authority to divulge anything beyond that."

I raised an eyebrow, the action drawing an indulgent smile from her.
 

"I am sorry, Kailin. I am doing everything possible to help, without stepping over the boundaries placed on me. I have orders, and I am fulfilling them to the best of my ability. But something has gone very, very wrong.

"Omega agents have been involved with killings. Logan told me about Agent Blake at the massacre site. And then there is the paranormal ammunition. It even knocked
you
down. Perhaps it didn't kill you but it was certainly powerful enough to incapacitate you for a time. That is a concern.

"More killings are happening daily, and we are frustrated that we cannot trace the source. The perpetrators are smart, and ruthless."

That was for sure. "Why are they doing this?"

"At this point, we cannot be certain, but from the nature of the killings and from studying some of the scenes, I believe the person behind it all has something against paranormals."

"You don't need to be a genius to figure that one out," I snapped--and then wished I could stuff the words back down my throat.

Titans were many things but they weren't patient and they didn't like disrespect. It was one thing to think rude thoughts. It was quite another to say them aloud. With some Titans it was asking for a death sentence. I'd also heard stories of people losing their tongues, or their minds, and sometimes both.

"Stop being so melodramatic, Kailin."

I stared at her stunned. "You--"
 

"Read your mind?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "Of course, I read your mind. You have absolutely no shields. I can hear every thought you have. Titans, Immortals, and Angels all have the ability to hear the thoughts of other beings."

"Can you hear each other's thoughts?"

"Thankfully, no." She seemed relieved.

"So, if you can hear our thoughts, why can't you just read everyone's minds and find the culprit."

"Because they seem to have help from someone. Someone who knows how to bypass my ability."

"Then Omega knows who you are?"

"Strangely enough, no. Whoever this is. either knows who I am or they suspect an Immortal has infiltrated. Or they are just being paranoid and careful. In any case, it is bad for me because the culprits are either magically blocked, or they are manipulated in such a way that they have no idea that what they are doing is wrong."

I nodded. "And if they didn't think they were committing a crime they wouldn't be thinking like a guilty person."

"Precisely." Jess was still pacing. "Everyone I have read is going about their business. Nobody has walked past me with fear or guilt or awareness on their minds."

"That just proves whoever is behind this is very smart."

"And very powerful." Miss State-the-obvious.

"Any ideas?"

"Possibly an Elder, an Ancient or one of the Immortals." Jess looked worried.

"Why would you think that?"

"Just the breadth of knowledge that they seem to possess, the ability to manipulate people so skillfully. The ability to evade Sentinel's investigations."

"So Sentinel has been aware of this?" I asked.

"Since it began." She fell silent.

"When did the killings start?" I asked. Something told me I wasn't going to like the answer."

"About a year ago," she said with a sigh. "I have been keeping an eye on the attacks, reporting back. We have been monitoring the situation and trying to implement ways to stop it. But we have been frustrated at every turn."

"Almost as if they know you're coming?"
 

She nodded, frustration lining her face in deep grooves.
 

I knew the feeling. I was still stunned from learning that the killings weren't a new thing.

"We did not think it prudent at the time to educate the Races," Jess said before I could ask why they hadn't shared. "Only when the murders began to increase in frequency and number, did we realize the severity of its escalation would make wide-spread awareness unavoidable."

I narrowed my eyes and watched her. She spoke so impartially, with so little emotion, that I almost understood how they could have ignored the murders for so long.

"You do not understand," Jess said, her tone steely. "We did not ignore the murders. We believed they were separate incidents. Unfortunately, we were wrong. It soon became clear that we were not dealing with either separate incidents or a serial murder spree."

My voice was dead when I finally said the words.

"We're dealing with attempted genocide."

"Yes."
 

Jess sighed, her shoulders drooping. I'd never seen a dejected Titan before. But then I'd never talked about paranormal genocide before either.
 

But she'd known, so why would she be reacting this badly?

Unless...

"Did your High Council know this was going to happen?" I asked. The Immortal High Council was the most powerful council across the Planes, the Fae excluded. Fae were a whole other story altogether.

Another breath. "Not exactly."
 

I waited. No sense in pushing her.
 

"We knew something was going to happen," she said after a moment. "Sometimes Oracles are highly specific. At other times they are more confusing than informative."

"That I know," I said dryly.

Jess gave a soft laugh. "These predictions were specific enough that we knew the timeframes. We have been watching. But we still did not recognize it immediately." She began to pace again. "The problem has been, that with for every step we make that gets us closer to the killer, we seem to take two steps back. It is as you said. Perhaps we have a mole."

"Or maybe the killer is a Titan?" I suggested, knowing I put my life in her hands as I did so. Titans were known for their fury. Maybe my mouth would get me killed after all.

Jess's face paled, but she met my eyes. "I am beginning to wonder that myself."

I inhaled slowly so she wouldn't know I was taking a huge freaking sigh of relief.

"What can I do to help?" I asked. She'd come here for a reason, after all.
 

Jess inclined her head, a regal thank you. "If you would help me fill in the blanks, it would be most helpful."

She wanted information. But that would mean I'd need to tell her everything that we found out. If she was part of the problem then I'd be giving information straight to the killers.

Wait
.
What
? Did I really think Jess was capable of murder?'

The Titan laughed, the sound soft, yet musical as it danced around me. "My dear, you must know that I do not need permission to obtain information from you. I much prefer that we both worked together on this. I dislike having to probe the minds of the unwilling." She made a face. "I usually emerge feeling . . . tainted."

"Uh . . . Yeah." I wasn't sure what to say. "I'll help, of course. Anything to end this horror."
 

I was being truthful. I'd even help the perpetrators if it meant being the instrument of their downfall.

Jess paused and stopped in front of me. "I thank you, Niamh."

I blinked. "I haven't been called Niamh in a while" I sighed. "I wish I knew more about that, too. And about what's going on with Logan."

Jess smiled. "To show my gratitude I have a gift for you."

"A gift?" I parroted, wondering why she'd be gifting me anything right now.

"If you encounter any other Titans, your suspicions, along with what we've just discussed, will be available for them to read if they so wished. Therefore, I will give you a shield, a permanent block on all your thoughts against anyone who has the ability to read minds. The only time the power will fade is when I remove the block."

I nodded, unsure how to thank her.

She just reached out and placed her fingers on the side of my head, her thumb against my temple, the rest of her fingers spread against my skull. She closed her eyes. "Be still."

I held still, not moving a muscle. Jess's eyes remained closed as the pressure of her fingers against my skull increased. A tingling spread into my brain. Before I could worry about the cold lightning sparking inside my head, Jess let go and stepped back.
 

"It is done," she said with a satisfied gleam in her eye.

"Thank you," I said. "I never imagined I'd need such protection."

"That, my dear, is my job. Do not worry. You will get your information."
 

I smiled.
 

"But not yet."

I frowned, suddenly very unimpressed.

"I apologize, but I must get back--and I have frozen your family long enough. Unless they remain so for months or years it is not wise to keep someone in stasis beyond fifteen minutes."

Months?
Years
? Not a chance. "Oh, then we'd better wake them up now."

Jess smiled and turned to face the table. "I will be in touch shortly. You will have your information as promised."

She waited only for me to take my seat again and then, with a wave of her hand she freed everyone from the trance.

"--like some tea?" Grams said.

Grams and her tea.

Jess shook her head. "Sadly, I am only here to collect my agent." She shifted her gaze to Logan who got to his feet and reached for his plate.

And got a smack of the back of his hand from Grams for his troubles.

"Don't even think about it, young man," she said. "You go do your job. We'll take care of the dishes."

I was about to comment that dishes weren't solely a woman's domain, and that she was an agent just as much as he was, when Grams crooked her finger at Dad. "You. In the kitchen. With me."

Dad's strangled response was enough to make laughter bubble up inside me. I turned it into a cough and averted my eyes, glad when Logan signaled with a lift of his brows that he wanted to talk privately.

I went to his side. "What's the plan?"

He lowered his voice. "I have to leave. We need to be on site in Alaska." I nodded. "You want to come with me to see for yourself."

I shook my head. "I would, but I have to do something first. And we'd need Nerina, of course." I frowned and looked around the apartment. "Where did she go?"

"Back to the estate. Said she'd return soon." He glanced at Jess over his shoulder. "Can you call Nerina?"

She nodded.

"I'll be back," he said as he headed for the door.

"Famous last words?" I asked, unable to hide my amusement.

His laughter was still wrapped around my heart long after he'd left.