Morrigan's Cross
Page 16
He felt something. And apparently so did she, for her eyes narrowed, and the smile faded.
“You’re not him. You only look like him.” Her hand tightened on his arm, and he sensed power seeking. “But that’s not completely true either. Damn it.” She dropped her hand, shook back her hair. “I should’ve known it wouldn’t be so easy.”
This time he took her arm. “Let’s get you a table.” In a dark, quiet corner, Cian thought. Until he knew who or what she was.
“I need information. I need to find someone.”
“You need a drink,” Cian said pleasantly, and steered her quickly through the crowd.
“Look, I can get my own drink if I want one.” Glenna considered causing a scene, but decided it would probably get her tossed out. She considered a push of power, but knew from experience that depending on magic for every irritation led to trouble.
She glanced around, gauging the situation. The place was stacked with people on every level. The music was a throb, heavy on the bass with the female singer purring out the lyrics in a sensual and feline voice.
Very public, very active, Glenna decided with a lot of chrome and blue lighting slicking class over sex. What could he possibly do to her under the circumstances?
“I’m looking for someone.” Conversation, she told herself. Keep it conversational and friendly. “I thought you were him. The light in here isn’t the best, but you look enough alike to be brothers. It’s very important I find him.”
“What’s his name? Maybe I can help you.”
“I don’t know his name.” And the fact that she didn’t made her feel foolish. “And okay, I know how that sounds. But I was told he was here. I think he’s in trouble. If you’d just—” She started to shove at his hand, found it hard as stone.
What could he do to her in these circumstances? she thought again. Almost any damn thing. With the first fresh flicker of panic tickling her throat, she closed her eyes and reached for power.
His hand flinched on her arm, then his grip tightened. “So, you’re a real one,” he murmured, and turned those eyes—as steely as his grip—on her. “I think we’ll take this upstairs.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Something akin to the fear she’d felt on the subway worked its way into her. “That was low wattage. Believe me, you don’t want me to up the amps.”
“Believe me.” And his voice was silky. “You don’t want to piss me off.”
He pulled her behind the curve of open, spiral stairs. She planted her feet, prepared to defend herself by any and all means at her disposal. She brought the four-inch spike of her heel down on his instep, slammed a back-fist into his jaw. Rather than wasting her breath on a scream, she began an incantation.
Her breath whooshed out when he lifted her off her feet as if she weighed nothing. Her only satisfaction came from the fact that in thirty seconds, when she finished the spell, he’d be flat on his ass.
That didn’t stop her from fighting. She reared back, elbows and feet, and sucked in a breath to add a scream after all.
And the doors on what she saw was a private elevator whisked open.
There he was, flesh and blood. And so like the man currently heaving her over his shoulder she decided she could hate him, too.
“Put me down, you son of a bitch, or I’ll turn this place into a moon crater.”
When the doors of the transportation box opened, Hoyt was assaulted with noise and smells and lights. They all slammed into his system, stunning his senses. He saw through dazzled eyes, his brother with his arms full of struggling woman.
His woman, he realized with yet another jolt. The witch from his dream was half-naked and using language he’d rarely heard even in the seediest public house.
“Is this how you pay someone back for helping you?” She shoved at the curtain of her hair and aimed those sharp green eyes at him. She shifted them, scanned them up and down King, snarled.
“Come on then,” she demanded. “I can take all three of you.”
As she was currently over Cian’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes, Hoyt wasn’t certain how she intended to see the threat through. But witches were tricky.
“You’re real then,” he stated softly. “Did you follow me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, ass**le.”
Cian shifted her, effortlessly. “Yours?” he said to Hoyt.
“I couldn’t say.”
“Deal with it.” Cian dropped Glenna back on her feet, caught the fist aimed at his face just before it connected. “Do your business,” he told her. “Quietly. Then take off. Keep a lid on the magic. Both of you. King.”
He walked off. After a grin and a shrug, King trailed after him.
Glenna smoothed down her dress, shook back her hair. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
“My ribs still pain me a little, but I’m largely healed. Thank you for your help.”
She stared at him, then huffed out a breath. “Here’s how this is going to work. We’re going to sit down, you’re going to buy me a drink. I need one.”
“I... I have no coin in these pants.”
“Typical. I’ll buy.” She hooked an arm through his to make sure she didn’t lose him again, then began to wind through the crowd.
“Did my brother hurt you?”
“What?”
He had to shout. How could anyone have a conversation in such noise? There were too many people in this place. Was it some sort of festival?
There were women writhing in what must have been some sort of ritual dance, and wearing even less than the witch. Others sat at silver tables and watched or ignored, drank from clear tankards and cups.
The music, he thought, came from everywhere at once.
“I asked if my brother hurt you.”
“Brother? That fits. Bruised my pride for the most part.”
She chose the stairs, moving up where the noise wasn’t quite so horrific. Still clinging to his arm, she looked right, left, then moved toward a low seat with a candle flickering on the table. Five people were jammed around it, and all seemed to be talking at once.
She smiled at them, and he felt her power hum. “Hi. You really need to get home now, don’t you?”
They got up, still chattering, and left the table littered with those clear drinking vessels, some nearly full.
“You’re not him. You only look like him.” Her hand tightened on his arm, and he sensed power seeking. “But that’s not completely true either. Damn it.” She dropped her hand, shook back her hair. “I should’ve known it wouldn’t be so easy.”
This time he took her arm. “Let’s get you a table.” In a dark, quiet corner, Cian thought. Until he knew who or what she was.
“I need information. I need to find someone.”
“You need a drink,” Cian said pleasantly, and steered her quickly through the crowd.
“Look, I can get my own drink if I want one.” Glenna considered causing a scene, but decided it would probably get her tossed out. She considered a push of power, but knew from experience that depending on magic for every irritation led to trouble.
She glanced around, gauging the situation. The place was stacked with people on every level. The music was a throb, heavy on the bass with the female singer purring out the lyrics in a sensual and feline voice.
Very public, very active, Glenna decided with a lot of chrome and blue lighting slicking class over sex. What could he possibly do to her under the circumstances?
“I’m looking for someone.” Conversation, she told herself. Keep it conversational and friendly. “I thought you were him. The light in here isn’t the best, but you look enough alike to be brothers. It’s very important I find him.”
“What’s his name? Maybe I can help you.”
“I don’t know his name.” And the fact that she didn’t made her feel foolish. “And okay, I know how that sounds. But I was told he was here. I think he’s in trouble. If you’d just—” She started to shove at his hand, found it hard as stone.
What could he do to her in these circumstances? she thought again. Almost any damn thing. With the first fresh flicker of panic tickling her throat, she closed her eyes and reached for power.
His hand flinched on her arm, then his grip tightened. “So, you’re a real one,” he murmured, and turned those eyes—as steely as his grip—on her. “I think we’ll take this upstairs.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Something akin to the fear she’d felt on the subway worked its way into her. “That was low wattage. Believe me, you don’t want me to up the amps.”
“Believe me.” And his voice was silky. “You don’t want to piss me off.”
He pulled her behind the curve of open, spiral stairs. She planted her feet, prepared to defend herself by any and all means at her disposal. She brought the four-inch spike of her heel down on his instep, slammed a back-fist into his jaw. Rather than wasting her breath on a scream, she began an incantation.
Her breath whooshed out when he lifted her off her feet as if she weighed nothing. Her only satisfaction came from the fact that in thirty seconds, when she finished the spell, he’d be flat on his ass.
That didn’t stop her from fighting. She reared back, elbows and feet, and sucked in a breath to add a scream after all.
And the doors on what she saw was a private elevator whisked open.
There he was, flesh and blood. And so like the man currently heaving her over his shoulder she decided she could hate him, too.
“Put me down, you son of a bitch, or I’ll turn this place into a moon crater.”
When the doors of the transportation box opened, Hoyt was assaulted with noise and smells and lights. They all slammed into his system, stunning his senses. He saw through dazzled eyes, his brother with his arms full of struggling woman.
His woman, he realized with yet another jolt. The witch from his dream was half-naked and using language he’d rarely heard even in the seediest public house.
“Is this how you pay someone back for helping you?” She shoved at the curtain of her hair and aimed those sharp green eyes at him. She shifted them, scanned them up and down King, snarled.
“Come on then,” she demanded. “I can take all three of you.”
As she was currently over Cian’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes, Hoyt wasn’t certain how she intended to see the threat through. But witches were tricky.
“You’re real then,” he stated softly. “Did you follow me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, ass**le.”
Cian shifted her, effortlessly. “Yours?” he said to Hoyt.
“I couldn’t say.”
“Deal with it.” Cian dropped Glenna back on her feet, caught the fist aimed at his face just before it connected. “Do your business,” he told her. “Quietly. Then take off. Keep a lid on the magic. Both of you. King.”
He walked off. After a grin and a shrug, King trailed after him.
Glenna smoothed down her dress, shook back her hair. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
“My ribs still pain me a little, but I’m largely healed. Thank you for your help.”
She stared at him, then huffed out a breath. “Here’s how this is going to work. We’re going to sit down, you’re going to buy me a drink. I need one.”
“I... I have no coin in these pants.”
“Typical. I’ll buy.” She hooked an arm through his to make sure she didn’t lose him again, then began to wind through the crowd.
“Did my brother hurt you?”
“What?”
He had to shout. How could anyone have a conversation in such noise? There were too many people in this place. Was it some sort of festival?
There were women writhing in what must have been some sort of ritual dance, and wearing even less than the witch. Others sat at silver tables and watched or ignored, drank from clear tankards and cups.
The music, he thought, came from everywhere at once.
“I asked if my brother hurt you.”
“Brother? That fits. Bruised my pride for the most part.”
She chose the stairs, moving up where the noise wasn’t quite so horrific. Still clinging to his arm, she looked right, left, then moved toward a low seat with a candle flickering on the table. Five people were jammed around it, and all seemed to be talking at once.
She smiled at them, and he felt her power hum. “Hi. You really need to get home now, don’t you?”
They got up, still chattering, and left the table littered with those clear drinking vessels, some nearly full.
