Chapter Ten
Audiv
Her mouth tasted like Cheetos, but Audiv had the feeling that an answer was just around the corner. She couldn’t go to refill her water or grab something else to eat until she was done this passage, at least. The librarians were going to be furious with her for leaving cheesy fingerprints on their books, but she’d already wiped her hands off the best she could on her pants. What more did they want?
Besides, they had the magic to clean them up and keep these ancient tomes in perfect order.
She stood at her normal table in the library, hunched over a book sitting open in the middle while two others were open and pressing into her stomach closer to the edge. So far, she’d been able to find a lot of quotes from a dude named Plimy about warlocks, but they were all in scattered pieces throughout these books; she was just trying to piece them together.
“Here.” A voice at her elbow made her jump.
Audiv turned to see Dominique standing there, the tips of her ears pink as she held out Audiv’s water bottle to her. When had she taken that? Audiv’s brows furrowed together as she accepted the bottle, eagerly washing out the taste of Cheetos. When she looked back at Dominique, the younger woman also had a cheese sandwich on a plate, holding it out.
“Thanks,” Audiv murmured. “You didn’t have to.”
“You’ve been in here for hours. Thought you might need a bit of a pick-me-up.”
Surprised, Audiv glanced at the clock. She had been here for hours. Next time she needed to bring more snacks. She sat down, hungrily devouring the sandwich while reading over the last paragraph again. There was a lot of talk about how to reverse a warlock’s magic, but so far, she hadn’t found any instructions. It was so frustrating, to have it at the tips of her fingers but unable to find the actual process.
Dominique glanced at the books and shook her head. “This is all so terrifying. I didn’t know that someone could be that hateful…” She shuddered. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yeah.” Audiv pointed at a stack of books she’d glanced through and had decided there might be something in them. “You can take a look through those and make a note of any page that has something to do with Plimy, warlocks or stolen magic.”
Dominique nodded as she grabbed the book and sat down. “With all that’s happening, I’m surprised that Indulf asked Antonio to help with the FBI stuff, too. Not that I know what it’s about,” she added hastily. “I just know that he’s been asked to do something with the FBI.”
There was a fair bit of evidence of someone fairly high in the FBI who was sending people right to Angstrom to have their magic stolen away from them. Audiv didn’t know all the details about it, either, since Antonio told her that it was being kept secret and though he knew he could trust her, he didn’t want to put her in any awkward situations. She just hoped that he wasn’t biting off more than he could chew. There was a lot of work to be done, and even though this FBI corruption was involved with Angstrom, he was also doing his own side investigation to find out where he was.
Audiv let out a deep breath and tried to focus on her page again. “It surprised me, too, but Antonio did used to be part of the FBI, after all. If anybody can do this, he can. He can accomplish anything he sets his mind to.”
Dominque giggled, sounding oddly flustered for such an innocent statement. “Oh, I think I know that.”
She blushed when Audiv sent her a questioning look and ducked her head. What was that about? Was… was she attracted to him? Was that why she was acting like a schoolgirl? Audiv was almost amused, imagining this shy, tongue-tied woman with Antonio. She could see him going out with her a few times to help her build her confidence, but not anything serious or permanent.
“I have never seen a man so focused on what he wants.” Dominique peeked up again and gave her a sly smile. “So how long have you two been dating?”
Audiv choked on her own spit, the question knocking her off guard. “What?”
“Don’t play coy, I have eyes. I can see the way you two are always looking at each other. Plus, the other day I came to check on you and…”
She wasn’t going red. It just suddenly got very, very warm in the library. Audiv bent her head over her book, grimacing. How much had Dominique seen—or heard? The other day wasn’t exactly clear. It didn’t have to be the day when Antonio’s fingers played between her thighs when her core tightened and explosions of pleasure washed through her.
She doubted that it was any other day, though, and her cheeks went even redder. She swallowed hard, trying not to think about that right now. Dominique already looked like the cat that got the cream, she didn’t need any more fuel for the fire. And, Audiv thought wryly, I need to stop using clichés.
“Well?” Dominique pressed. “I thought something was up when he called me to come stay with you after your accident. Why haven’t you told me you’re dating?”
“Because… we’re not.”
Dominique’s brows rose.
Audiv closed her eyes, wishing she hadn’t said that—why couldn’t she have just told Dominque that it wasn’t any of her business and that they were supposed to be working? Now she had to explain something she didn’t want to explain… didn’t know how to explain, really. She didn’t even know what her relationship with Antonio was. But she had to say something, otherwise, Dominque would think that she was a total slut…
Does it really matter what Dominique thinks of me? I have plenty of friends.
Only that wasn’t entirely true. Audiv wasn’t lacking in companionship, but friends? Who could she have called to come sit with her when she had her concussion? Nobody. I wouldn’t have called Dominique, either. So maybe it’s just that I don’t consider myself a friend to them when they’re friends to me…
Maybe it was time to start opening up a little more.
“Uh… it’s complicated,” Audiv said, shifting uncomfortably. “Antonio and I haven’t talked about what our relationship is. And we haven’t gone on any traditional dates. I mean… he hasn’t asked me out and I haven’t asked him out. Not on anything official, at least. So, I don’t…”
Her stomach twisted, and a sinking feeling entered her chest. It was true that they hadn’t done anything besides him touching her, but that was still sharing her body with him. It was still having that connection between them. What if it meant more to her than it did to him? What if she had given up part of what she had been saving to someone who didn’t love her?
Do I love him?
She leaned back in her chair, uncertain what she was thinking or feeling. Part of her kept saying that, of course, he cared, he showed her he cared, and of course, it was nothing to be ashamed of or regret, not when there was that emotion between them. He had ensured that things didn’t go too far. He had promised her that he’d get her magic back.
Surely it was strong enough between them, even if it might not be love between them?
“Well, if you’re not dating, you should be,” Dominique told her bluntly. A smile played about her lips as she winked. “If someone looked at me the way Antonio looks at you, I wouldn’t be wasting any time.”
Of course. If her only doubts were because they hadn’t been talking, then what the hell was she waiting for? She jumped to her feet and took several steps away before she glanced back. Dominique stared at her, jaw hanging slack. Audiv’s ears warmed, but she still grinned at her friend. Maybe Dominique needed more friends, but then again Audiv did, too.
“Thank you,” she breathed, meaning every word. “I’ll be back when I can.”
Dominique smiled and nodded.
Audiv turned again. She was already out of the library when she thought that maybe she should have brought a book so they could be pretending to go over some sort of plan to get Angstrom. She shoved that thought away quickly. Why should she pretend to be after anything other than what she was really after? If Indulf didn’t like it, she’d just remind him how often she had come to his office to talk to him, only to find Anna on his desk pretending her underwear weren’t around her ankles.
Her heart was pattering and hands were shaking by the time she made it to the door of Antonio’s temporary office. He was given a desk in the same space as the four hunters, Jord, Watn, Hyrr, and Vindr. When she entered, she was grateful to see that it was empty save for her dragon. A scowl was on his face, but she didn’t let that slow her down as she marched forward and put her hands on his desk.
“What are we?” she demanded.
Antonio looked up, startled, then frowned. “What do you mean?”
“What are we? Are we dating?”
He blinked, then laughed. “I thought we were.”
Audiv relaxed. She grinned at him and nodded in satisfaction. “Good. We hadn’t talked about it and I decided I needed some proper answers. So we’re dating. Good. That’s good. I’d hate to have gone to third base with someone I wasn’t dating.”
Antonio stood and walked around his desk, to gently put his hands on her shoulders and kiss her. Heat burned in her lips at the contact, and she relaxed into his embrace.
“We are dating,” he assured her. “Quite frankly, I’m a little hurt that you would think I’d permit myself to get so sexual with a casual acquaintance. Do you think I’m some sort of slut, Audiv? That I go around putting my fingers into any old girl?”
Her face went red and her breath was taken away, so she couldn’t even protest his choice of words—she wasn’t old—and he kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him, the solid strength of him. Was it possible that he was even more muscular now than he had been when they last kissed? Maybe that meant he was going to shift voluntarily, soon…
When she pulled back, she smiled at him, but it slipped off her face as quickly as it had come.
Antonio touched her cheek. “What’s the matter?”
“I have to know, Antonio. This mission that you’re taking on, to find Angstrom and undo what he’s done… it’s not just about me, is it? My magic? Because if it is, then I want you to stop.” His eyes widened in shock and she grabbed his hands, staring at him intently. “I don’t want you to get hurt for me. I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me.”
Understanding lit his face. He gently stroked her cheek and shook his head. “You are a motivator. But this isn’t just about you, no. It was never just about you. I protect people, Audiv. It’s who I am. It’s the reason I joined the military, the reason I joined the FBI. I have to do this, to protect other people from him.”
Audiv nodded. She opened her mouth again, but before she could say anything the door opened. Jord entered, pausing slightly when he saw her, but he shrugged. “The king wants to see you, Tony. Guessing you’d be welcome, too,” he nodded at Audiv. “It’s about Angstrom.”
Her stomach dropped out. Audiv’s hand tightened on Antonio’s arm, but she steeled herself and nodded. She wanted to know what was going on and how this was going to end, too. She hardened herself and stepped toward the door.
“We’re on our way.”