Red-Headed Stepchild

“Well, you’ve got your audience,” Clovis said. He leaned back in his chair. “Speak your piece.”



Adam seemed confused by the ease at which he was given the stage, but he recovered quickly. “I was sent by the Hekate Council to investigate the disappearance of several mages. I have reason to believe you have information regarding this matter.” He paused for Clovis’s reaction, but received none except a slight nod.



“Sabina admitted she knew where the mages were being held, but wouldn’t give me any more information.” His eyes cut to me then, unapologetic. “So I followed her here, since she’s obviously working for you.”



“And?” Clovis asked, sounding bored. I was so tense, my nails dug into the armrests of the chair. Part of me wanted to punch Adam for his stunt, and the other was scared for him.



“And I want in,” Adam said.



“What use do I have for another mage when I have Sabina sitting right here?” Clovis said, nodding to me. I started to protest but his look shut me up.



“With all due respect to Sabina, she is untrained in magic. While I’m convinced she has latent skills, she is unable to use them.”



Clovis rubbed his bottom lip, as if weighing this information. “And how do I know I can trust you?”



“A simple phone call to the Hekate Council will verify my identity.”



“Therein lies the rub,” Clovis said. “I’m afraid the Hekate Council must remain in the dark about certain aspects of this situation.”



Adam’s jaw tensed. “If you don’t let me in on this, I will tell them that you are withholding information that affects the well-being of their followers.”



“However do you think you’ll pull that off? After all, what’s to stop me from killing you right now?”



“I called my contacts at Council headquarters in New York before I came here. If they do not hear from me in half an hour, they will send a force to retaliate for my murder.”



“You’re bluffing,” Frank said.



Clovis waved a hand at his assistant. “I see,” he said. “I have to admit I admire your bravado. However, I cannot let you in on this unless I have assurances you will not reveal information to the Council.”



“If it will save lives, I promise I will not reveal anything you tell me to the Council—until after the situation has been resolved.”



Clovis looked at me. “What do you say? Should I spare his life and trust him? Or should I have Frank take him out back?”



Adam looked at me, his eyes daring me to condemn him. I was still pissed that his stunt screwed up my plan. However, while I didn’t agree with his tactics, his obvious eagerness to help his people was touching. I couldn’t really think of anyone I’d risk my life to save. Perhaps I wanted to understand how he was capable of such loyalty. Perhaps I felt bad for him. Or perhaps I knew I could trust him the moment I realized he was telling the truth about himself in the hotel. Regardless, after making Adam hold his breath and suffer while I made up my mind, I turned to Clovis.



“I trust him.”



21



Vinca’s eyes widened when she saw Adam follow me through the door. “Well, hello there.” She came forward with a little extra swing in her hips. “I’m Vinca.”



Adam looked amused by her blatant interest. “Adam.”



“So you’re the sexy hexy I’ve been hearing all about,” she said. Adam looked to me for confirmation. I hated that she made it sound like I’d been giggling about him during a slumber party. I frowned at both of them and went to my room.



Vinca’s flirtatious voice followed me down the hall. I found Giguhl napping on my bed.



“Wake up,” I said. “We’ve got to talk.”



He opened one eye and regarded me with a look I can only describe as disdain. “You’re disturbing my beauty sleep,” he said over a yawn.



“You’d have to be Rip van Winkle for that shit to work, my friend.”



He ignored my jibe and took his time stretching. “Is Clovis dead?”



“There’s been a change of plans.” I quickly filled him in on everything.



“How do we know he won’t go to the Hekate Council?” He was fully awake now. If he’d been in demon form, he’d probably have stroked his chin. Instead, he rhythmically swished his hairless tail like a metronome.



“We don’t.”



Giguhl’s ears perked up just as I heard footsteps in the hallway. I turned in time to see Adam raise his hand to knock on the doorjamb.



“Were you just talking to your cat?” he asked, looking at Giguhl.



“Yeah, so? Lots of people talk to their pets.” I walked toward him to push him out of the room before Giguhl could spill the beans about his true identity. I wasn’t ready to go there.



Giguhl stood and stretched. “So you’re the one who summoned me?”



Adam’s eyes grew large as he looked to me for explanation. I threw my hand in the air. “We can talk about that later. We have some things to discuss, you and I.”



“Looks like that’s my cue to leave,” Giguhl said, hopping off the bed. As he passed Adam he said, “Good luck, dude. You’re going to need it.”



Adam watched Giguhl’s bare rear end sashay out the door and down the hall. “I summoned a demon. How did you change him into a cat?”



“Don’t change the subject,” I said. “You want to tell me what you were thinking with that stunt?”



He hooked his thumbs in the front pocket of his jeans. “Don’t act so shocked, Sabina. You forced my hand.”



“Don’t pin this on me. You seriously screwed things up by barging in there like that.”



“How did I do that? Clovis seems fine with me helping.”



“Not that.” I gritted my teeth together.



“What then?”



I couldn’t very well tell him he’d botched my assassination of the male I was supposed to be working for. “You just fucked things up for me, okay? There’s more going on here than meets the eye.”



“Look, I apologize if my actions complicated your life,” he said. “However, that’s not really my problem, is it? You have your goals and I have mine.”



“And screw anyone who gets in your way, right?”



“Spare me the self-righteous indignation. I highly doubt your motives are selfless.”



He had me there. “I’m only going to say this once. Are you listening?” He nodded curtly and crossed his arms. “If you screw me over like that again, I’ll go vampire on your ass. And trust me, your little magic spells won’t be able to begin to repair the damage I’ll do.”



He stepped toward me. The stubborn tilt of his chin told me my words hadn’t had quite the effect I’d been going for. “I tell you what. Any time you want to go, as you so eloquently put it, ‘vampire on my ass—’ ” he did those little finger quote things, “you just bring it right on. Because, frankly, it’d be freaking hilarious.”



“You think I can’t take you?” I got in his face, showing a little fang for effect.



“Don’t make me laugh.” Confidence radiated from every plane of his face. Like gunslingers in the Wild West, we squared off, each daring the other to break eye contact. He might have a bag of spells up his sleeve, but I had him beat in the speed department. I hooked my leg behind his knee, knocking his legs out from under him. His ass hit the ground before he knew what was happening. He blinked once, twice. “Ow!”



“Who’s laughing now, magic boy?” A laugh bubbled up in my throat as he rose slowly, rubbing his ass. The sound barely escaped my lips before he waved a hand through the air. A weird tingling sensation started in my feet and snaked its way up my legs. I looked down and gasped. My feet hovered six inches off the ground. “Hey!” I tried to move my arms, but they lay useless at my sides. “Put me down.”



Adam smiled and did another gesture in the air. My world tilted on its axis. The tips of my hair brushed the rug as Adam’s inverted face came into view.



“This isn’t funny!” I said.



“On the contrary, it’s quite amusing from this perspective. Did you know your face turns a lovely shade of pink when you’re pissed?”



“I’ve veered right past pissed and straight into apocalyptic.” Blood rushed to my head, making me dizzy. “Put me down!”



“Not so fast. Since I have you at my mercy, I think it’s time we get a few things straight.”



“Screw you.”



“Might be interesting given the position, but no thanks,” he said. “Now, I’ve been thinking about this, and it’s time you agreed to begin your magical training.”



“Right. Like I want to spend even more time with you than I’ll already be forced to endure.”



“Seriously, Sabina. It’s long past time you learned,” he said. When I refused to answer, he sighed. “I’m not letting you down until you agree.”



I shook my head, refusing to dignify his threat with a response.



“You’re turning purple.”



Blood pounded behind my eyeballs. I gritted my teeth against a wave of nausea. Inside, I was yelling at myself for being so stubborn. Maybe if I agreed to the training, he’d help me send Giguhl home and forget about making me meet my mancy family. So why was I being so pigheaded?



I knew the truth. It was just hard to admit it to myself. I was embarrassed. It was bad enough Adam had bested me at my own game. It was even worse I needed his help. Admitting that really chapped my ass.



“Sabina?”



I rolled my eyes up to look at him. “Fine! One session.”



“Five.”



“One and you help me send Giguhl home.”



“You don’t have much experience with negotiation do you?”



My head hurt and I was starting to see little stars superimposed on his face. “That’s my final offer.”