Page 32

Kerry

The peris’ atelier is pretty, I suppose.

In warm months, flowers and vines grow all over the building, which takes up a whole short block.

Even in the dead of winter, plants and trees make a green frame around it.

You can smell roses from the sidewalk and hear the peris singing, their voices like a balm to the weary soul.

Or so they say.

I wouldn’t know.

Every time I got near the place, I only ever felt agony. That’s why I stopped walking as soon as I felt the heat. I wasn’t a coward and I could take pain, but why be tortured if I could avoid it?

Life was torture enough most days.

“Nightingale Gardens.” Jax read the fancy gold-lettered sign that glittered in the morning sun. “This is the atelier? Looks like a flower shop.”

“Yep. Have fun.”

“You’re not coming in?”

“Can’t.”

“Why not? Is there bad blood between you and the peris, too?”

“ No .” I didn’t need him to add the ‘too’ like that. “But this place is Holy, and I ain’t.”

I didn’t add that, even if I could go inside, half of everything in there was Blessed. If I bumped into something, I’d have third-degree burns to deal with on top of my simmering temper.

“It’s warm.” Mira held her hands out and spread her fingers like she was standing before a fire. “Not bad, though. It’s like it was inside that old church at City of the Future.”

“It’s the grace Kerry gave you,” Rome explained. “Plus, your taint is fading quickly.”

“Well, I don’t feel anything.” Jax opened the door and held it for Gigi.

I crossed my arms over my chest, propped my hip against the newsrack, and settled in to wait. Rome stopped next to me.

“Do you want me to wait out here with you?”

In a heartbeat, my temper exploded.

“I’m not a baby! Lemme alone!”

“Fine.” He caught the door and ushered Mira through it.

Really out of sorts now, I paced to the fire hydrant and back and tried to get myself under better control.

#

Mira

I’d never been to France, but that’s what the atelier made me think of with its blue stucco walls, pink and white striped awnings, and wrought-iron scrollwork arches. It was a piece of Old World charm plunked down in the middle of Manhattan.

Even from the sidewalk, I could hear a sweet, chiming song that sank into my bones and encouraged the ever-present tension to relax.

Be easy, it seemed to tell me. You are safe. You are loved.

It almost made me believe that I could be easy, that I didn’t have to stay so tightly coiled twenty-four seven.

Then I entered the shop, and those whimsical thoughts evaporated. Everything glittered and gleamed and seemed small and delicate, including the peris flitting around as gracefully as ballerinas.

Maybe it was the taint stirring, but I felt like I grimed up the place just by stepping inside.

I tucked my elbows close to my body and tried to dwarf my giant self by standing next to Rome, who’d make some pro athletes seem small.

I figured that if anyone was gonna destroy one of the intricate floral arrangements or knock over a peri, it’d most likely be him.

Or I could at least make it look like it was him if I did it.

While I was dealing with my self-image issues, Rome went right about his business. He led us to a glass counter and tapped the tiny silver bell sitting on a white velvet pad.

Seconds later, a man walked over to us, and I couldn’t stop myself from staring.

He had lilac hair, and I didn’t see any evidence of roots in a different color. It didn’t act like any hair I’d ever seen, either, not even that super fine, textureless stuff some people have. No, this floated around his head, swaying and dancing on the slightest air current.

“Hey, I know you!” Gigi spoke up before Rome could say anything. “Or at least, I saw you at the Sanctuary a few weeks ago. You were at the Firsts First rally on the quad. Remember, Jax?”

“I remember.” Jax’s mouth tightened.

Guess that’s not a good memory.

“Call me Mingo.” The peri stuck out a hand at Jax, who shook it. “You’re friends with Hank Bishop?”

“He’s helping us,” Rome said as Mingo offered him his hand next. “His ward is on our team.”

When Mingo shook my hand, I saw his eyes were lilac, too. Not like Chance’s Liz Taylor violet, either. These looked like a pair of those fake contacts people wore as part of cosplay costumes, and I amused myself by imagining his glowing in the dark.

“Aw, man, Hank’s been worried sick about that kid.” He shook his head and his hair went in every direction. “Where is Harker?”

“He’s standing outside. We were hoping to see someone who might be able to provide some insight on our mission.”

“I thought missions were on hold because a bunch of humans got in the neph-hunting business.” Mingo had finished shaking all our hands and now stood arms akimbo. “Last I heard, your Council’s going to vote on whether or not to issue a lockdown.”

Wow. Mingo’s pretty informed about nephilim matters for a peri who works in a flower shop.

“We need to rescue one of our team members before they do.” Rome was very good at answering questions without giving away a drop of extra information. “Do you know if anyone here would be willing and able to answer a few questions?”

“We’re in a bit of a disarray right now. Our queen—”

“We know,” Rome told him. “Our condolences and our apologies for intruding during this stressful time.”

“Thanks. That’s why they’re all so … chaotic.” Mingo gestured to the peris buzzing around us like frantic bees. “But none of them would have anything to do with Harker, anyway.”

“Excuse me?” I broke my silence.

“Just as nephilim are prejudiced against the formerly possessed, so too are the peris.”

“You hold it against him?” Anger firing me up, I stopped caring if I knocked over any of these sanctimonious nitwits or their precious arrangements. “Samuel Castle tortured his mother in front of him when he was nine years old, and you blame him for that?”

I didn’t realize I was leaning forward with my fists clenched until Rome wrapped one arm around my waist and pulled me back against his chest. I wasn’t done, though.

“If that’s how you feel, then we don’t need your help. You and your people can go f—”

Rome put his hand over my mouth, and for half a second, I debated whether or not to bite him before deciding no more drama was needed right now and let him get away with it.

“Hey, I didn’t say I was prejudiced!” Mingo threw his hands up. “I’m happy to talk with you!”

“All right.” Rome’s voice vibrated against my spine as he removed his palm from my mouth, and I was suddenly struggling for control for a whole different reason. “Thank you. Give us a minute, please.”

“Of course. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

#

“Can we trust this guy?” I muttered. “He didn’t hesitate to tell us that his people are prejudiced against the formerly possessed.”

We were huddled around Kerry, who kept a good five feet between him and Mingo. I wondered about that at first, then realized the half peri’s very presence would hurt him if he got too close.

“I don’t know.” Jax blew a giant pink bubble. “We need information, though. We’ll have to be careful how we ask, that’s all.”

“I’ll call Hank.” Kerry pulled out his phone.

I looked over at Mingo, who stared back at our group.

When Hank answered, Kerry put him on speaker and told him what was going on.

“Let me see him,” Hank demanded.

Kerry gave his phone a hateful look, then held it out to Jax.

“Here. Do what he wants.”

Jax rolled his eyes, but switched to a video call. Mingo waved a peace sign at Hank’s unsmiling face.

“Well, you look like Mingo.” Hank raised an eyebrow. “What happened in Tucson?”

“You broke your promise to Gina.”

“You had to bring that up, didn’t you?” Hank’s face puckered up like he was sucking on something sour. “You couldn’t have just said I saved your life.”

“If you hadn’t broken your promise, you wouldn’t have had to save my life.”

“He’s who he says he is,” Hank said. “I have zero reason to believe he’s the traitor. He’s not on the Council and, while his father is a Fallen, his mother is the emira of the peris, their second in command. Even if he found a way to hide that kind of corruption from me , he couldn’t from her.”

“Thanks, Hank.” Jax gave him a little salute, ended the call, and passed the phone back to Kerry.

“Now that I’ve passed your test,” Mingo raised one eyebrow, “what is it you want to know?”

“Sorry if we offended you with our suspicions,” Gigi said.

“I would have been offended by your stupidity if you hadn’t been suspicious.”

That’s when Kerry’s patience hit its limit.

“Where’s the djinni called Darius?”

“If he is not at his master’s side, he could be anywhere.” Mingo shrugged.

“You don’t know where he and his brothers live?”

“Solomon’s djinn are not like us or the divs. They have no atelier or lair. Bound to the ring, they have no need for one.”

“Well, where do they go when Hubler isn’t commanding their presence?” Jax asked. “I’m sure they don’t stand around outside his office waiting for his next decree. They must go some where.”

“I am sure they do, but they keep to themselves. They don’t go shopping or out to dinner or the movies, you know. Enslavement prevents them from doing much more than existing when not in their master’s service.”

“So you never see them?” I frowned at him. “Never run into them anywhere?”

“Nope. Occasionally, Darius or Bashir or Zana— Well, maybe it’s Dana. The twins are hard to tell apart. Anyway, occasionally, one of them comes to see my mom or the queen, but there’s no pattern to the visits.”

And Rome moved . I mean, he was a blur as he shot past me. I never woulda thought such a big man could hustle like that.

What in the world? My eyes followed him and— Oh.

Kerry was losing it.