Page 22

Kerry

I could almost see her vibrating with curiosity, but “What do I need to know about this place and your contact?” was all she asked.

“’S just a bar.” I lifted one shoulder. “Guy we’re gonna talk to is named Isaac Black, but he goes by Zick.”

“What is he? Nephilim? Div? Human?”

“See if you can guess.”

“Challenge accepted. What do I get if I do?”

“I dunno.” I frowned. “What do you want?”

“Whenever we get to the Sanctuary, I’ll need a sparring partner.

I wanted to ask Rome, but he would hold back because he’d be afraid he might hurt me.

Where’s the fun in that? But you and I are similar in size and neither of us were trained in combat.

We learned tooth and nail on our own. And, as a plus for me, you don’t know how to hold back. ”

While we walked on, I thought about it. I didn’t much like being touched by anyone other than Gemma, although I was getting used to Jax and Gigi.

I could use a good sparring partner, though.

Neither Jax nor John had any idea about hand-to-hand fighting, and Travis didn’t have the right mindset for it.

And while Gemma loved to spar with me, she wasn’t up to my weight if I wanted to go hard.

I went back and forth with myself.

I would instinctively use my power.

No, we could use the high school’s dojo or somewhere like it.

Yeah, but I didn’t need my power to kill someone.

Listen, Boots is tough and good at thinking on her feet. And we could get a ref, someone who could stop me if I went too far. But not Rome. If I bloodied her nose, he’d throw me through the wall. Or try to.

I smirked at the idea of taking on Rome. Now that would be a good fight.

“Okay,” I said at last. “I’ll try it. If you can guess what Zick is.”

“Deal.” She nodded and seemed happy.

I held out the package from my safe deposit box.

“Zick may need more … encouragement … than cash or gold or diamonds to answer our questions. If so, offer him that.”

“What is it?” She took the box, lifted it to her ear, and shook it.

“You won’t hear anything.” I wondered how she’d react when she found out what was inside. “Don’t worry about what it is, but don’t let anyone take it from you except me or Zick.”

“Why? What would happen?”

I started to imagine what would happen.

“What’s with the sudden silent treatment?” she demanded.

“Sorry. I was just adding up how many ways Zick would try to kill us.”

#

The dark-haired man sitting alone at a back table arched one eyebrow.

“You brought your girlfriend to meet me?” Zick purred.

“I’m not his girlfriend.” Mira tucked the package under one arm, put the other on her hip, and planted her feet in a wide, solid stance. As she spoke, her eyes roved over the place and assessed everyone in it. “I’m his bodyguard.”

I had to clamp down on a laugh at the look of entertainment in Zick’s eyes. Humor left me quick, though, as I sat down at the chair across from him. My back was to the rest of the room, a position I did not like at all.

Aw, I trust Mira enough to know she’ll make sure no one sticks a knife in it.

I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of cash, then laid it in the little silver bowl he kept on the table to receive such “offerings.”

“Tell me something I don’t know about Samuel Castle.”

He eyed the thick roll of Franklins and sipped his drink.

“How do I know what you know to tell you what you don’t?” he shot back.

“Nephilim. Warrior with more skills than one should have. Big evil. Blackmailed into working for a human, but would slit his throat in a heartbeat. Saddled me with a demon. Killed my mom.”

As I rattled off the list, my voice steadily dropped until, with the last three words, the crystal glass in Zick’s hand hummed under the pressure.

“Castle ran with a woman,” he said. “Until, oh, maybe twenty years ago. Her name was Susma Tamang. If I didn’t have the habit of keeping my opinions to myself, I’d say she was a nasty piece of work.”

Coming from Zick, that’s saying something. Tamang. Tamang… Where have I heard that before?

“Nephilim?”

“Watcher. Had a flair for dreamweaving.” He tapped his black fingernails on the table. “Liked to plant nightmares in Castle’s targets and zero in on phobias.”

“What happened to her?”

“She drew the attention of the Council. The Old One ended her.”

“Old One?” I was pretty sure who he was talking about, but playing dumb wouldn’t hurt to confirm it.

“They call him Clemency, but that is not his name. Oldest warden I’ve ever heard of. He has become a legend, and I’m sure as many of the stories are true as are exaggerated. One is hard fact, however: Once he’s set on a trail, his prey does not escape.”

He puckered his lips as if the words were sour on his tongue.

“Did Susma Tamang earn the Council’s wrath through a particular act?” Mira asked.

“Not really. She left a trail of nightmares wherever she went. I’m sure she was on the hit list for years before Clemency found her.”

“And Castle wasn’t with her when she died?” That didn’t sound right to me.

“Apparently not.” He tilted his head. “Or he bounced when he caught the scent of something going down. Susma played around with summoning circles. Became very adept at using them like portals. Ha ha! I remember the day Castle used one to break into the Nepali Sanctuary. Anyway, could be he used one to escape when the Old One found them.”

“What else?”

“Fire, the human you mentioned, must be keeping him pretty busy.” He paused to take a drink from his glass. “So much so, he hasn’t been seen at his usual haunts for the last few months. Otherwise, I haven’t heard anything else of interest about him.”

“What hold does Fire have on him?”

“Who could say? But I do know their relationship was strictly business at first. That seemed to change within the last three or four years.” He shrugged. “Fire obviously found a leash for him.”

“Have you heard anything about a healer being kidnapped by a djinn? Or about a miracle worker?”

“No to the first question, but everyone is looking for that miracle worker.” He shook his head. “A prince of Hell is offering a bounty for one.”

“Why? Why does he want a miracle worker?”

“Who would care, when the reward is an indulgence?” He chuckled. “Two nights ago, some fools kidnapped a neph, set up a meeting with the prince’s avatar, and tried to pass the neph off as the miracle worker. It did not end well.”

“I suppose not.” I half-smiled. “Was there anything left of them?”

“A charred outline on a brick wall in one of Brownsville’s alleys. So far, it has deterred any further acts of idiocy.”

“How does someone meet the shadow prince?” Mira wanted to know.

“Simply ask, my dear.” Zick’s index finger tapped his phone where it lay on the table. “I’d be happy to arrange it. For a small fee, of course.”

“Of course,” I muttered.

A few more questions and I learned he didn’t know any more than we did about Darius or his brothers. Disappointed but not surprised, I moved onto the next topic.

“What do you know about the Alchemists?”

“Oh, Harker,” he laughed, “you’re taking on more than you can chew.”

“You have no idea how big my appetite has become. I will consume everything in my path to get my girl back.” I smirked when his eyes widened slightly. “And I know I gave you that one for free. Call it an appetizer for the rest of your payment.”

“I am hundreds of years old, Harker.” He rolled his eyes. “I have accumulated more wealth than you can imagine. Human money or even the gold I smell in your pockets holds no allure for me, nor will it benefit me should certain parties discover I spoke to you about this.”

Boots tapped my chair leg with her shoe, and I gave my head a tiny shake.

“What if I could give back what you lost a century ago and have mourned every day since?”

“That is a dangerous subject, Harker, and a more dangerous promise.” His pupils turned red with rage.

“Not a promise. A guarantee.” I stared at him without flinching. “I know the exact location. Tell me what I want to know and I’ll give it to you.”

“Even knowing what it means to me, you would withhold such information? Bah, why do I ask? You are demon-ridden! Of course you would!”

His voice was a snarl, and my instincts told me to attack before he did. With an effort, I stayed in my seat.

“The Alchemists are four humans who seek immortality. Fire is their leader.” He flung the words out like daggers.

“They think the blood of your kind holds the secret and harvest it with zeal. In Pennsylvania, there is a blood ‘donation’ center, although the donors are far from willing. They call it City of the Future.”

“Not anymore.” Mira snorted. “Kerry destroyed it.”

“There’s also a lab where they butcher nephilim and call it science.

Using the elements of alchemy, they gave themselves code names to keep their true identities secret.

It’s a crime syndicate more than anything, and a young one.

The first whispers I heard of it were ten or twelve years ago.

Air specializes in smuggling, Water in trafficking, Earth in racketeering, and Fire in money laundering. ”

He shared a little more, but it wasn’t anything we didn’t already know. When I asked about their old scoreboard, he shrugged.

“I never met anyone. Couriers from a variety of professional services dropped off a package of information every day. I posted it to the scoreboard and ran book for those who wished to bet on it. The Alchemists had no other part in it.”

“They didn’t make money off their own sport?” Mira scoffed.

“Not through me, and not to my knowledge.” Zick leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. “It was a short-lived sport, anyway. The last posting was six or seven years ago now.”

“Do you know their true identities?” I asked.

“I do not. And believe me, if I don’t, no one else does.”

“Fire is Reginald Hubler.” I gave him that one for free, too, because I wasn’t playing very nice.

“ The Reginald Hubler? The next American president? Are you sure?”