Fire Kissed (18 page)
Jack could almost feel the progress of Laurence as his superior navigated the freeways and thoroughfares and side roads to the town house. Jack kept his own mind locked down; his thoughts were full of Kaye, echoes of seeing her beneath him, the sound of her pleasure, the things he’d whispered into her ear. These memories were so much better than the others that crowded his head.
He’d made his decision.
Nothing Laurence could say would sway him.
Now if only she’d return, safe and sound.
A car door slammed outside, and Jack went to meet the argument head-on. He waited in the open doorway, then closed the door behind Laurence after he entered.
“This isn’t necessary,” Jack said as Laurence divested himself of his coat and slung it over the banister.
“I’ve been called,” Laurence responded. “And by no less than fourteen of the angels assigned to Ms. Brand and her protection. Reports indicate that you’ve been compromised.”
“I love her,” Jack said, and realized he sounded like a boy.
“I’ve known you for how long?”
“Long time.”
A sense of swift movement. A clash of blades. Breath heavy, uneven. A friend at his back.
“And you’ve never weakened to sentiment.” Laurence was smiling. Why was he smiling?
“I’m different now,” Jack said. “Everything’s different.”
“That it is.”
“So what are you going to do?” Angels sometimes married. It wasn’t uncommon, and then there was Custo, living in sin with that ballerina while they planned a wedding.
“I’m here to save you,” Laurence said.
“I don’t need to be saved.” Jack stepped back from Laurence for the first time. He’d fight him if he had to. Jack had dedicated his existence to The Order for lives upon lives. This one life was for him.
Laurence instead strolled into the formal living room, sat in a chair, leaned back, pretended to be at his ease. “Damn it, Jack, nothing so terrible.”
“Then why are you here?” Jack demanded, following.
Laurence lifted his gaze. His eyes were sad. “Because I think very soon you’re going to need a friend.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing with the mages ends well. I hope this does, would love to see you happy as you haven’t been for an age, but I don’t trust it.”
“You don’t trust
her
.”
her
.”
“More like I don’t trust Shadow. If you love Kaye, she must be extraordinary.”
“I do and she is.”
“Which is why I am here. Because eventually—and I don’t know how or when—this love will break you, and I refuse to let Shadow squander your soul.”
“You’ll kindly take your hands off me,” Kaye said. The interview was over, the Council members departing to confirm, scheme, and wonder at the news that a pureblood, and a dark one, walked the world again. Only Ferro Grey remained, and he was rabid. He’d pushed her into a dark corner and spoke in strong whispers.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Khan before?” he demanded.
“I know how to keep my mouth shut,” Kaye answered. “I didn’t give Ms. Mathews your name for the very same reason. Mages do not name each other.”
Ferro puffed air out his nostrils like a bull. “He wants you?”
“I think we’ve covered that.”
“But why you? Why not approach others among magekind? Is not my iron as powerful? What is he doing? What is his game?”
“I don’t know,” Kaye said. “Please recall that I refused his offer.”
“I still don’t understand why you would do that.”
“Because I want my own House!” With Bastian at her side.
“Come,” Ferro said, drawing her into a long passage. “We’ve got to move. Got to think this out.”
Kaye yanked her arm free, then followed him as he jogged the length of the corridor, though her coat was in the meeting room. The revelation of Khan’s existence had had quite an effect. And at the perfect time. This couldn’t be better: Ferro’s leadership seemed at risk. A nudge and he might actually start spilling those secrets about controlling wraiths and why and how. Today, this afternoon even, her mission could be complete. She’d have done something to get her own back, to take her stand, and then she could start her new life.
They exited into a wide courtyard, winter stark. His Maybach was waiting. He gestured for her to get in, while he answered a ring on his mobile phone. He listened intently, then scooted in next to her. Since he was talking, she pulled out her own phone to let Bastian know where she was. Or at least with whom.
But Ferro put a hand on her arm again—always touching her—signaling her to wait. When he finished his call, he asked, “Just to be clear ... if you had accepted Khan’s offer, would you have been subsumed under Segue, or would you have been allowed to maintain Brand House?”
“I think he was under the assumption that I was stray.” Like the Lakatoses. “The ‘Brand’ part of me was not interesting to him. Just the ‘Kaye.’”
Ferro grinned. “That pesky House versus mage question again, but in reverse. We know about that.”
“I guess so.” They understood each other on some level.
The car pulled onto the main road. No blindfold this time. No secrecy. Not when Kaye knew the Grim Reaper. She noticed a street sign—
HARPER’S FERRY ROAD
—and a larger sign showing mileage to the next town, Sharpsburg. A useful bit of information for Bastian. The Order would know where the Council gathered. She was doing her job magnificently.
HARPER’S FERRY ROAD
—and a larger sign showing mileage to the next town, Sharpsburg. A useful bit of information for Bastian. The Order would know where the Council gathered. She was doing her job magnificently.
“And Brand House would also be assumed under Grey if we were to marry,” Ferro continued.
The word
marry
jolted her, but the custom of taking on the male spouse’s name and House was a relief—yet another handy reason to get out of this tangle, if her goal was to stay Brand. “Yes,” she said, though slightly hesitant.
marry
jolted her, but the custom of taking on the male spouse’s name and House was a relief—yet another handy reason to get out of this tangle, if her goal was to stay Brand. “Yes,” she said, though slightly hesitant.
“What if I were to offer you better terms?” he said. “What if Brand and Grey were to stand as equals?”
Kaye could only make a “Hmmmm” sound. She wanted out of the car.
“You could maintain your own accounts and personnel, within reason,” he began.
“You’re giving me permission?” Kaye asked, amused. As for personnel, he was, of course, referring to Jack Bastian.
But he either didn’t hear her sarcasm or wasn’t ready to answer it. “In addition, I would be willing to agree that any of our children who lean toward iron will be under my House, any to fire under yours. Brand House will stand if you side with me.”
“Very equitable,” Kaye said, but she made certain that her tone was not completely engaged. That she’d have to think about it. That she had options to consider.
She looked out the window to watch winter-bare farmland rush by.
“But ...” Ferro led. Was he grinding his teeth?
“But I’d have to know what you have,” Kaye said, going for it all, “or think you have, that someone else does not.”
And then she could be free. This was it; she had to control the sound of her heart so Ferro wouldn’t hear how it sang. The muscles in her face ached to draw into a beaming smile. She wanted to say, “Yes ... please Shadow ... just tell me!”
“How do you think I hold my seat among the Houses when each is vying for the prize?”
“I couldn’t say.” She shrugged, but kept the tone mellow so as not to insult.
“I will show you,” Ferro said, “and it’s a power to challenge even a lord over life and death.”
Jack read the text message from Kaye on his mobile phone:
Will be late for dinner plans. Can you pick up champagne?
Then he lifted his gaze to his friend, whose expression matched his own spike of concern.
She says she’ll be late.
The only part of the message that mattered.
She says she’ll be late.
The only part of the message that mattered.
I’ll have every free soul start looking for her immediately
, Laurence said.
, Laurence said.
“You shall see,” Ferro said to Kaye. He reached across the seat and took her hand in his. Raised her fingers to his lips.
Marriage was the answer. Union with Brand was the key. And as soon as possible.
She was not allied with any other House against him, not even the pureblood. Her Shadow was strong. She glowed with youth. What more could he possibly ask for?
Kaye looked over, her scars etching her cheek in the harsh light. He loved the faint, jagged lines, loved that he had his mark on her already. The last Brand, claimed.
She smiled, extracting herself. “Where are we going?”
“Grey House,” he said. “I can’t wait to have you with me there.”
“With you?” Still edgy, on her guard. He liked a careful woman.
“Well, you need to be in a warded House.” That went without saying. “You’ll be beset by angels or humans if you remain where you are. And after you conceive ... really, there is no other option. A warded House is necessary. And I happen to have a comfortable one.”
Her expression went remote, though he already knew she wasn’t eager. That bodyguard was sleeping with her, and worse, she’d developed an attachment to him. The guard had come to her with inside knowledge about Shadow and had therefore been a companion as well as trained protection.
Had she considered the possibility that Khan was using the guard to get to her?
Enough was enough. The affair would be put aside.
She’d do her duty to her House, and Ferro and she would both see to it that there was no speculation about who fathered her children. Loyalty came first; affection would follow with time. And he wanted affection. Wanted true love, because among the Shadow-bred, true love was not myth. True love was magic, and they breathed magic every day.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she said. “I understand that the news about the pureblood mage has startled the Council, but nothing has changed for me.”
“Just wait,” he said, with a smug smile. “I’ll change everything.” He reached forward and tapped the driver on his arm. “Faster.”
Ferro had known this was coming. Had to be coming. Supposedly no one born to the mortal world could understand the whispers within Shadow. In fact, an old magekind lullaby warned against listening too closely,
lest you go mad, lest you go mad
. But every once in a while he’d let the chatter into his mind. The language of mage progenitors was irregular and lacked cohesion, but if he stopped listening with his ears and brain, he could almost
feel
meaning in the sounds.
lest you go mad, lest you go mad
. But every once in a while he’d let the chatter into his mind. The language of mage progenitors was irregular and lacked cohesion, but if he stopped listening with his ears and brain, he could almost
feel
meaning in the sounds.
The news that a great fae had become mortal was only a verbal confirmation of what he’d somehow already understood in an upside-down dream. Other creatures of Twilight had been known to cross into this world, but none in recent history had been a pureblood mage. No, the great power of mages had been consigned to story for hundreds of years. Some stories went back millennia. When Shadow coursed into the world, the mage Houses grew strong and ruled over the lesser humans. When Shadow weakened, so did the umbras of the Houses, and magekind was forced to labor alongside humanity. Never again.
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