Waiting had to be the worst part about my crazy gollum life. It seemed like someone was always out doing something dangerous, and there was a chance they'd return with an injury, or not return at all. After Vincent confirmed he had located Titan and the rogue agreed to accompany him back to New York, I followed my mate's orders to relax, choosing to do it in front of the television.
A few hours later, my cellphone buzzed with an incoming call from said mate, and I took a deep breath before answering. "Hi, Vincent. How was the trip? Are you and Titan with the she-demon?"
"She-demon?"
"Yeah, I just made that up. I've been watching Netflix all afternoon and... Nevermind. What's up?"
"We're at the warehouse where Colin and Adam are holding the demon."
"Oh, good. Has she said anything? Did Titan recognize her?"
"Funny you should ask. He was able to identify her right away. She's his niece, Terra."
"Holy crap! Oh...but that means... She's not really his niece anymore."
"Actually, she's not dead, but she has the smell of death on her. So, we're thinking she's been traveling with undead backup."
"Then, she can talk? What has she told you?"
"Not much, but Titan is working on her right now. With any luck, he'll get her to crack soon. She's a tough one."
"Well, if she has backup, you need to be careful. They're probably lying in wait somewhere."
"I doubt it. They would have tried something already."
"They may have left to get reinforcements. Maybe Dmitry returned to his Peekskill home and they've run off to tell daddy."
Vincent was silent for a moment. "You make a good point. We hadn't thought of that. I assumed Dmitry would stay in Russia with his precious cube."
"He could still be in Russia, but that doesn't mean his minions aren't using the New York hideout to keep an eye on us. I wonder why Titan's niece is helping Dmitry? He wants to kill off her species."
"Hopefully, we'll know something soon. It seems Titan was right about her building up a healthy hatred for him. She spits in his face every time he comes near her."
"Geez. In hindsight, maybe fetching Titan wasn't such a good idea. So, if she's not a zombie, Dmitry must be manipulating her somehow. Have you checked her for devices?"
"Colin and Adam have made several attempts to do that, and they have the bruises to prove it. No obvious devices or remotes were found."
"Do you think she's the one who deployed the spider?"
"It's possible."
I thought about our last visit to Titan's hideout, and the story he told us about Kimbra having his brother killed.
"You know, I'm willing to bet it wasn't just Titan who took issue with his queen killing his brother. Maybe Terra has built up a healthy hatred for Kimbra too. She might be attempting to seek revenge on the queen who killed her father."
More silence followed on Vincent's end, and I could hear my son starting to fuss in the other room. "Your hypotheses are getting better and better. I must be rubbing off on you."
"Humor. You're ready for your own Netflix special." I grinned like an idiot. He was really making progress.
"I'll share your theory with Titan. It might help to bridge the gap. I won't be much longer here. Are you hungry for anything special? I'll stop somewhere on my way home."
"Well, Dr. Hardwick recommended I eat iron-rich foods, so how about a mushroom and pepperoni pizza with spinach."
"Pizza again? Really?"
"Did you notice I added spinach? You can throw in a side salad if it makes you feel better."
"I'm not judging, babe."
"Sure you are, but that's okay. I'm giving myself license to eat what I want while I'm breastfeeding. I figure once our son is eating solid food, I'll be forced to return to the rec room for more torture."
"Not everything you do in the rec room is torture. See you soon."
If a voice could sound smoldering, that's what I heard coming from the phone, and I imagined myself kissing those smoldering lips as I bid Vincent goodbye. Damn. It was enough to make me forget the pain between my legs.
Henry decided he wanted to be awake after stuffing himself with my special home brew, so I snuggled him inside the dinosaur print baby wrap I'd received from Lindy, and we walked to Mr. Pearlman's old place. I knew Vincent wanted to use the apartment for visiting magisters, and I figured that hadn't happened because of me and my attachment to Mr. Pearlman's recliner. There was really no reason to hang onto the ratty old thing. It was falling apart and stunk like a dive bar.
During our chats about possible decorating ideas, Vincent mentioned wanting to mimic the style of our place. So, I just needed to incorporate minimalist with a dash of pompous gollum splendor. No problem. After doing another walk-through of the apartment, I sat down to make a few calls to furniture vendors while Henry blinked at me with curious eyes.
I was still on the phone when I heard Vincent's calling my name outside in the corridor. He sounded panicked. Pressing the speakerphone option, I slipped my cell inside the baby wrap with Henry, listening to the saleswoman explain the warranty details of their most popular wingback chairs as I stepped into the hall. Vincent was pounding on Amelia's front door, still yelling unnecessarily.
"We're right here, Vincent," I said over the saleswoman's monologue. His head jerked, and he started beating a path toward me.
"What are you doing over here?"
I held my finger up to shush him as I picked up my phone. "Ma'am, I have to go. Why don't you email me the warranty information. Thank you."
I attempted to hang up as Vincent tugged me back toward our apartment. "Who were you talking to?"
"A woman from Keystone Furnishings. I ordered a pair of wingback chairs in your favorite shade of gray, and a walnut bar cabinet for Mr. Pearlman's old apartment. I also called John downstairs to have that smelly recliner removed."
Vincent blinked at me as we stood in the foyer while the dogs circled our legs. "You did all that since we last spoke?"
"Yep. Ooh, do I smell pizza? Yummy." As I started to unfasten Henry from my chest, Vincent offered his assistance, continuing with his inquiries.
"What motivated you to do all that?"
"Boredom, first of all. And I know you want to fix up that apartment for visiting magisters. I'm the only one who's been holding up the progress by clinging to that silly chair. We need to let go of stuff that doesn't serve us, right? I think that's one of your quotes. Anyway, I'm determined to get the place looking spiffing before the first magister's meeting in September."
Vincent stared at me as he unraveled the baby wrap and Henry along with it. "Spiffing?"
"Yeah, it's the British term for wonderful. I heard a comedian use it today while I followed my darling mate's advice. What kind of salad dressing did you get? I forgot to say."
Vincent was still standing in the foyer looking like he'd been involved in a hit and run. "Blue cheese. I know it's your favorite. How much caffeine have you had?"
"I've had one cup of coffee today, but that was hours ago." I got Henry settled in his baby swing and walked back to open the pizza box, letting the aroma fill my sinuses. Vincent had finally woken up from his stupor and loaded the pizza onto plates, while I dug into the salad. "I'm actually craving salad. Isn't that funny? I don't have to force myself."
"Well, you didn't have any specific cravings when you were pregnant. Could be post-pregnancy cravings."
"Is that a thing?" I took a bite of pizza, giving it a second to cool on my tongue before chewing.
"Hell, if I know." He sat beside me on a barstool and started in on his slice. "So, we finally got some information out of Titan's niece."
"Really? Was it useful?"
"Not as far as the device is concerned, but we learned why she hooked up with Dmitry."
"Oh? Do tell."
"You were right about her hatred for Kimbra. She only stayed in the hive after Titan left because she wanted to be trained by the queen's guard."
"Hence, the tattoo Glade noticed."
"Exactly. She had plans to take Kimbra out herself, but she eventually realized the scope and difficulty of doing it alone. So, she left the hive to search for reinforcements. She was apparently spotted by one of Dmitry's henchmen near Peekskill, and he sent out a squadron to bring her in. She bartered for her life by impressing him with her metal working skills, and when he learned of her plan to take out Kimbra, they struck up a deal. He would help her destroy the hive queen and she would make devices for him."
I blinked at Vincent as the cogs in my brain started turning, which may have been the nourishment it was receiving by way of a gooey, cheesy masterpiece. "Did Terra make the evil spider?"
"She didn't admit to it outright, but she seemed pleased with herself when I mentioned what happened with it. She's refusing to give up details about what Dmitry's plan was for it. We're still hoping Titan can wear her down."
"Is he the only one with her now?"
"No, Adam stayed."
"So, did you and Colin leave together?"
"Yes, why?" Vincent surveyed me as I hid behind a forkful of salad. I'd been debating whether or not to mention my conversation with Colin to him. I felt like I knew Colin pretty well, but Vincent definitely had more experience with his brother. He would know if Colin was a flight risk.
"He called me earlier."
Lowering his pizza to his plate, Vincent gave me his undivided attention. "And...?"
"It had to do with Sylvie. She called him to say she wasn't over him."
"Damn." Shaking his head, he stood from his chair and walked around the counter to fill his glass with water. As he drained it, I dropped the next bomb.
"He's not over her either...apparently."
A heavy sigh left Vincent like the air was being dragged from his lungs, and he set the glass down hard on the counter. "I could tell he was distracted today. But I figured it had something to do with Claudette."
"I'm sure he's considering her too. Do you think he'd do something rash, like drop Claudette and go back to Sylvie?"
"To be honest, your guess is as good as mine. Colin doesn't know what he wants. He never has. He jumps from one thing to another without giving it much thought. I don't think he's ever set a goal for himself."
"Do you think that's why Claudette has been hesitant to commit to him?"
"That's probably part of it." He returned to the barstool and hunched over his plate, staring daggers at his slice. "It may have been a bad idea to dangle the family business in front of him. I was hoping it would inspire him. Give him a purpose within the domus. I could have easily offered it to Jonathan and been done with it, but he and Amelia are trying to repair their relationship. I didn't want to pile on more shit. Dammit, Colin."
I slipped my hand under Vincent's, and his fingers wrapped around mine. "For what it's worth, Colin seemed to be happiest when he was with Sylvie. He did whatever the domus asked of him without complaint, and he went above and beyond the call of duty when you went missing. At least, that's what I noticed. But I don't know Colin as well as you and your family."
"Actually, you're not wrong. I noticed it too, but I didn't want to admit it had anything to do with Sylvie. I knew their affair was destined to cause problems with the domus, so I didn't encourage it."
We both let the silence take over and focused on our food, allowing the rhythmic ticking of Henry's swing fill the void. After we finished, Vincent received a call and excused himself to his office, while I stepped onto the balcony to try and clear my head. The summer heat hit me like a wool blanket soaked in hot water, but I ignored it. A little sweat never hurt anyone.
As I stood in the shadow of the balcony wall, I decided to spend a few minutes playing with fire. The thought of facing off with Dmitry scared the crap out of me, but I wasn't going to sit around and do nothing. I was the only one with the gift, that we knew of. I just needed to grow a pair and get on with it. If I was able to hold my own against my demon ex-boyfriend, there was no reason I couldn't take down an arrogant asshole with unlimited power. The ones with the biggest heads were often the easiest to destroy.
Sure, Reese. Down with the bloody big head. That will be your battle cry.
I opened my hands and stared at the tattoos on my palms. They hadn't faded at all. In fact, they looked darker than before. How had the marks gotten there in the first place? What did they mean? Isis hadn't bothered to tell me anything other than to practice.
As soon as I recited the mantra, my palms sparked to life, but now that I was watching, I noticed how the flames followed the patterns of the marks. It was totally freaky. My skin should have burnt to a crisp.
"Now what?" I said out loud. "How am I supposed to know what to do?"
You're a clever girl. Let your spirit guide you.
The voice seemed to come from inside my head, but it wasn't mine.
"Isis?" I looked around the empty balcony, expecting to find some kind of spectral apparition. That was silly, of course. She hadn't appeared to me before.
When the voice didn't answer, I went back to staring at my hands. I knew the ankh was a symbol of life. Some even believed the shape represented a woman's reproductive organs, which seemed fitting, given my condition when the mark appeared.
Then there was the evil eye. Although it wasn't evil itself. Worn as jewelry, it was supposed to protect the wearer. Sylvie bought an evil eye pendant from a psychic at a fair. The woman had said it would give her the sight of the third eye, and she wore it for an entire school semester, thinking it would help her take better photographs. I just thought it was a load of shit. But now...
I lifted the burning eye higher, bringing my hand close to my forehead where my third eye was supposed to live. I felt a little dumb doing it, but it also seemed like an oddly sensible thing to do. A tingling sensation started inside my head, probably caused by the flames, but I left my hand there, ignoring my fears for a moment. Then some deep, foreign instinct compelled me to bring my palm to rest on my forehead.
The flames immediately went out, but not before a flash of light exploded in my field of vision, and I stumbled backwards, hitting my head on the concrete wall.
"Ouch!" Fisting out the flame in my other hand, I reached around to rub the back of my head. "That went well."
Having had enough strangeness for one afternoon, I stepped back inside the apartment to the sounds of a grumpy baby. The swing had apparently lost its appeal, and when I picked him up, he flailed his arms as if to say It's about time, woman.
Vincent appeared around the corner just as I got Henry bouncing on my shoulder, and he walked straight up to me, his gaze narrowing as he reached for my forehead. "What happened, Reese? Did you hit your head? I heard a thump on the office wall."
Damn. What did I do to myself? "Oh, that was just me being an idiot. Is it red?"
"Yes. But... wait a sec." He brought his face right up to mine until I felt his breath on my cheeks. It was nice, but I refrained from kissing him while his lips were pursed. "What's this shape? It doesn't look like you hit a wall. It looks like..." He reached for my hand, the one with the eye on it, forcing my fingers open. "This... This is what it looks like. What happened?"
"I was just practicing out on the balcony and noticed the flames were following the path of the tattoos. I remembered hearing something about the evil eye and the third eye being the same thing, so I just..."
"You touched the flame to your forehead?" he said with more than a hint of scorn.
"I was following an instinct. I know it sounds crazy. But, at the time, it made sense."
Vincent shook his head, looking disappointed. "Maybe you should save the practice until after your body isn't being flooded with post-partum hormones.
I wanted to be angry and tell him where to stick his advice, but there was concern hiding behind his disappointment. "Like I said, I'm going off instincts here. Isis said to practice, but she wasn't specific. I've got these black streaks in my hair and tattoos that just appeared. I don't want to screw this up, Vincent. I'm the only one with the gift. Isis chose me. She must have seen something."
"Yeah, a sucker."
"What?" Okay, the anger was back in full swing. "I am not and never will be a sucker."
Vincent turned away and began pacing in a tight circle. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you, and that makes me feel...out of control. I don't like feeling out of control."
"Tell me what you want me to do, then?" I stood in the path he was beating in the floor, forcing him to stop and look at me. "It's not a good idea to spend the next...however long...lashing out at me because you're worried."
Without blinking, he stared at me, his gaze flicking to my forehead. Hopefully, the red mark would subside soon. I damn sure didn't want a reminder of my fuck-up plastered on my face. "It's all so fucking complicated. If we go back to Russia and have Dmitry remove the curse, who's to say he won't come after you again. You're the only hybrid we know of who can wield the eternal flame, so unless we mount a search of every hive on the planet to find someone else with the same skills, Dmitry is likely to keep his hooks in you."
My thighs clenched when he mentioned the word hook, remembering how that nasty spider had attached itself to my... "I don't want that either. And since we've already jumped into the rabbit hole, we should just commit already. Glade emailed me a bunch of stuff on Isis. I'll try to find something that will give me a clue about her magic."
Looking unhappy but resigned to his fate, Vincent nodded. "Wren has some texts about ancient magic. And Lucy made several trips to Egypt before my dad was born. Her grandparents lived in Cairo."
"Really? I wonder why Lucy didn't mention that before?"
"I think she's been holding off until you've recovered from the birth of our son. It's only been three days."
We both looked down at Henry as I cradled him in my arms. His dark eyes were pinned on Vincent, as if he was trying to figure out what his father was saying. Vincent's phone rang, causing Henry to blink, and the connection was over.
"It's Adam. He must have an update on our she-demon." Vincent's expression softened, and he touched my cheek with his fingers as he answered. "What's happening with our captive?"
As the conversation ensued, Vincent began a slow return to his office, and I followed him. He said he wanted me to stay in the loop when it came to the Valentino business, and I had nothing better to do, at the moment. In the hallway, I stopped at the mirror that hung on the wall and inspected my forehead. I could hardly see the red mark Vincent seemed so concerned about. Thank goodness.
While I stood there, I lifted Henry so he could catch a glimpse of himself. It was hard to tell what he thought, since he wasn't paying attention to his reflection. His eyes were focused on the open door where Vincent's deep baritone carried into the hall. Was he recognizing the voice of his father? Did he remember it from all the times Vincent talked to my belly?
"She said that, did she?" Vincent wore a pinched expression as Henry and I walked into the office and took a seat in one of the leather wingbacks. "And you've searched her thoroughly for a wire?" Shaking his head, he stopped pacing and dropped into his captain's chair across the desk from me. "Well, you should have kept your finger away from her mouth. I don't know, a stick, maybe. I'll see if Reese feels up to making the trip. I'd rather not move the prisoner if we can help it. Hold on a minute. Reese is right here."
Vincent captured me in his steely gaze, making me second guess my desire to follow him in. While he looked the part of a hard-as-nails CEO who commanded companies, he also commanded my heart, and I retracted my earlier concern. I would follow him anywhere. "Baby, how do you feel about taking a ride to the warehouse?"
"Why?"
"Apparently, our she-demon has agreed to tell us everything, but only on the condition that you be there to hear it."