Blue Flames

Chapter 51

Noah actually cracked a half smile before he turned around. "Eleventh floor, number 1125."

He walked out of the hotel.

"Won't it pose a problem if we just go barging in, throwing accusations?" I asked.

"You were about to slice him to pieces if I hadn't stopped you."

I frowned. "I wouldn't have sliced him to pieces." Maybe. Probably.

"Mhm." Arthur looked pointedly at the sword strapped to my hip. It was partly drawn. I cleared my throat and pushed the sword properly in its scabbard.

"Let's go," Arthur said. "I was intending on having a few words with Taro, anyway. Venus and I shared our dislike for the man even before the recent events. It's high time he learns his place."

We moved to the elevator. "Just because you don't like someone, doesn't mean you have the right to beat him into submission."

We entered the elevator. Marianno leaned against the inner wall and crossed his arms, looking amused.

"Of course I do," Arthur said. "Who can stop me?"

I rolled my eyes. "'Who will stop me?' isn't enough reason to do what you like."

"Why?"

"Because some things are just wrong," I said. The elevator doors opened. A couple stood shocked in front of the doors. Two witches. The male recovered first. He pulled his gaping lady into the elevator. The two witches bowed their heads and stood almost plastered against the side wall.

The elevator closed.

"Torturing someone to make them follow the rules isn't wrong," Arthur said. I glanced at the witches. They looked quite uncomfortable. So we were finishing the argument. Alrighty, then.

"Taro is getting a little too power drunk for my taste," he continued. "One would think he was starting to believe himself on par with the Five. I will do whatever I have to do in order to keep him, and anyone else, from becoming too arrogant."

"Pot, kettle," I mumbled right as the doors opened to our destination. As we left the elevator, I smiled at the couple. They looked a few shades paler. "Have a lovely night."

My urge to tear through the hotel, find Taro and make him spill everything he knew about Martin Malone must be clear on my face, because the couple did not smile back. They were frozen in place. Oh, well.

"What do you think, Marianno?" I asked, scanning the door numbers as we walked through the hallway. The nude carpet muffled our steps.

"Immortals are not humans, Elle," he said quietly. "You cannot apply human morals in our lives. If Taro forgets his place and thinks himself better than even the Five, there will be problems. Immortals need a bogeyman to stay in line."

"And the Five are it," I said.

"Yes."

I still had more to say on the subject, but my efforts to distract myself by the argument were no longer needed. The golden numbers gleamed against the dark wooden door.

1125

"Is he inside?" I whispered. Arthur nodded, knocked on the door and took a step back. I heard no movement inside. But my senses agreed with Arthur. There was someone in there.

"Open the door, Taro," Arthur said. "Or I will."

A few seconds later, the door swung open. Taro had ditched his suit jacket. He was in a white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and hair mussed up.