Devon Monk - Magic on the Storm

• Название: Magic on the Storm
• Автор: Devon Monk
• Жанр: Фэнтези
• Год: 2010

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Anthony had that chance. I hoped he made good use of it.

I strolled over to the table where Kevin and a noticeably pregnant Violet waited for me. Zayvion, surprisingly, stayed seated for a few more seconds. He said something to Anthony, but even with my good ears, I couldn’t catch it over the noise of the crowd.

Rats.

“It’s good to see you,” Violet said once I was close enough.

I smiled, even though Anthony still had my hackles up. “Good to see you too.” I took the extra seat. “Is it okay if Zayvion joins us?”

Violet nodded, the low lights of the room flashing across her tasteful wire-rimmed glasses. She had pulled her red hair back in a plain ponytail. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, but had that beautiful glow pregnant women were supposed to always get. I used to think the whole glow thing was a bunch of baloney before watching Violet go through the last few months of carrying my dad’s child.

Yes, it was weird to see someone younger than me pregnant with my dad’s baby. Family issues. I have them.

“Why didn’t you just call?” I asked.

Violet pushed her glasses back on her nose and shifted to sit up straighter. Kevin pulled a Mute spell out of his sleeve. I mean literally. He tugged his rucked-up shirtsleeve back down on his wrist, and somehow in the middle of that put up a very subtle Mute that even a good Hound would have a hard time tracking.

Like I said, he was very, very good at that sort of thing.

“I didn’t want the call traced,” Violet said.

Wow. The woman knew how to set a mood.

“Someone’s tracing your calls?”

“There are members on the board of Beckstrom Enterprises. They represent a faction of shareholders. They are displeased with the amount of resources going into the lab and technology development, and the lack of results. They insist I show them classified documents of my progress.”

“Okay,” I said, trying to get my head around the problem. “What classified documents?”

“The disks. They want to know about the disks.”

The same disks that were stolen. The same disks that were implanted in Greyson’s neck and used to turn him into a beast. The disks that would make magic portable and nearly without price. Disks that would change how everyone accessed magic and be used for as much bad as good.

That was a problem.

Zayvion strolled over, made eye contact with Kevin, and then sat in a chair next to me without ruffling the Mute spell. Very nice.

“Are they members of the Authority?” I asked. I knew some of the people in my father’s company were in the Authority, like his accountant, Mr. Katz, but it wasn’t like anyone had ever done a roll call for me.

Note to self: get a roll call.

“No,” she said. “The disks are proving to be too dangerous when not in the right hands, which is such a shame considering how much good they can do in the right hands. I’m working on ways to limit how much magic a disk can hold, and how many times it can be recharged. There are pros and cons as to creating fail-safes for compatibility between disks. We designed them to be compatible. But ever since the robbery at the lab, and then Daniel’s death. .” She paused.

In my head, my dad stirred and pressed outward, like he was leaning against a wall of glass. He scratched at the backs of my eyes, and a melancholy need that was not my own filled me.

“Since his death,” she continued, “I haven’t been pushing forward on that project as hard.”

Which made sense. James Hoskil, one of the people involved in my dad’s murder, had admitted using disks with Blood magic. Violet didn’t know it, but Greyson had a disk implanted in his neck, holding him permanently between life and death, neither man nor beast.

As far as I could tell, the disks had only ever been used to harm.

“What happens if you don’t release the documents to the shareholders?” I asked.

“There are legal actions they could take.” She picked up her cup, the steam giving up the sweet perfume of licorice. “They’ve threatened locking me out of the lab, seizing my files, closing down the facility. . and. . other actions. We’ve had some interesting mail. Threats.” She gave me a small smile and I saw a flash of anger in her eyes before she took a sip of her tea. Violet was no fainting flower. I’d come to believe she had matched my moody father’s intellect and stubbornness point for point.

“The attorneys are involved, but these kinds of people don’t always go through legal channels. Which is why I wanted to talk to you. I’m going to move in with Kevin for a little while. Just while the condo is being remodeled for the baby, and retrofitted for security measures.”

I couldn’t help it. I stared at Kevin.

Kevin didn’t show a scrap of concern. Didn’t give off a single vibe that he was happy or sad about the arrangement. I’d seen the two of them together enough to know he was in love with Violet, even though she had no clue, and as far as I could tell, he was not willing to admit it to her.

But living together. Seriously?

“Seriously?” I said, because I am clever like that.

Violet nodded. “I could have rented a second condominium for a while, but the security may have been a problem. Kevin suggested I stay at his house, which is well guarded, magically and technologically, and since he has a guest room, I agreed.”

Kevin picked up his nearly empty coffee cup, took a drink, his gaze meeting mine over the top of his cup.

The man was hard to read, even for me, and I make a living off reading people. The only page I could read in the book of Kevin was that this was none of my damn business.

Maybe he was right. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

“You don’t care what the tabloids will say when they catch wind of this?” I asked.

“I’ve put some people in place to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Well, well. Look at who knew whom to bribe and how. Violet was good at playing this game. “All right, then. So don’t try to reach you at home, is what you’re saying?”

Violet twisted, as much as she was able, and dug into the purse hanging on the chair beside her. “Yes. Here’s the address, and the number at Kevin’s. My cell phone remains unchanged. If you need me, just call. And if they do tap my phone, I’ll find a way to let you know.”

She produced a piece of paper and handed it to me.

I tucked it into the back pocket of my jeans.

“Thanks,” I said. “How are you feeling?”

“Other than being as big as a house?” She laughed.

“You are not,” I said. “You look beautiful. Doesn’t she, Kevin?”

The man could set a stone on fire with that look. I just smiled innocently. Yes, I am cruel like that.

But as soon as Violet looked over at him, Kevin turned down the inferno and went back to Mr. Plain and Mild. I had no idea how he kept all those emotions he felt for Violet behind the proper, impersonal attentiveness of a bodyguard.

“You do,” Kevin said. “You look beautiful.”

Violet rolled her eyes, but she blushed. “You’re both crazy. Or blind. But thank you.” She patted Kevin’s hand. She didn’t see what that simple touch did to him, because she was looking at me instead.

I kept my gaze off Kevin. No need to torture the man. “So when’s the big move?”

“Last week,” she said.

Correction. She was very good at playing this game. I hadn’t even heard a hint of a rumor.

“I would have contacted you earlier, but on top of all this, I’ve been trying to get everything ready for the baby. I know I still have three months to go, but I don’t want to put it off to the last minute, just in case.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t the maternal type. I had very little idea of what a baby needed. Blanket, bottle, diapers. Was there more to it? Nola, my best friend, never had kids. And my lack of social life hadn’t afforded me many baby showers.

“Do you. . uh. . need me to do anything for you, for that?” I asked.

“No, no, I’ve got it. There’s still a lot of time; I’m just putting my nervous energy to good use. Making lists. A lot of lists. I like lists.”

“Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?”

“Nope. And I won’t until he or she takes their first breath of air.” She picked up her cup again, took one last drink. That reminded me. I hadn’t finished my coffee, or even opened the bag with the scone yet.

“I do need to be going, though,” she said. “I have an appointment with the lawyers. If you need anything, or have any problems, I’d like you to let me know.” She stood, and I marveled at how her petite frame could be so rounded in front and otherwise look exactly the same.

Kevin was already on his feet, holding her coat out for her. All the sounds from the room came rushing in like someone had pulled plugs out of my ears. Kevin’s Mute spell was gone.

“I’ll call you when I move back into the condo, or if I hear anything about the legal actions.” Violet put on her coat. “And you call me if you are contacted by anyone, stockholders, members of the board, anyone. I want to know if they are offering you anything. . interesting in return for favors.”

“Like I’d have anything to do with this political business maneuvering crap,” I said.

“We all have our price,” she said pleasantly.

“Did you just tell me I’m going to sell you out?”

“I don’t think you would, no. You’re. .” She paused and gave me a critical look. Her eyebrows dipped. “What have you been doing lately, Allie? You look good.”

“Remodeling. Next door for the Hounds. Oh, and the whole three-meals-a-day thing is catching on.” Not lies. But not the whole truth. I’d been training my butt off. Physically and magically. And it showed. In all the right ways.

“Still seeing a self-defense teacher?”

“Yes.”

She nodded, but I had a feeling she didn’t think I was telling her the whole truth.

Note to self: tell my sibling never to lie to her.

“You were saying?” I prompted.

“Oh, right. Don’t get pregnant. It ruins your short-term memory.”

I was the last person she needed to explain memory loss to.

“Keep a journal,” I suggested, with as little sarcasm as possible.

She actually laughed at that. “I can’t believe I said that to you.” She pressed her fingertips against her lips. “Pregnant makes me a little stupid. I’m sorry.”

“At least you won’t be pregnant forever.” I gave her a crooked smile to take the sting out of my words.

“True. True. And I was saying you do have a price. We all do. It’s human nature. But you’re not easily bought.” She nodded. “You’re like your father in that. Unbreakable morals.”

I swear she and I had not known the same man.

My father, in my head, exhaled a moan, and the need, the loneliness, swelled in me.

“Take care, okay?” I said. “And let me know if you need anything. Anything I can do for you.” It came out soft, concerned. I didn’t know how much of it was me, and how much was my father.

Probably mostly me. When he tried to take control of my mouth, I got shoved into the back of my head and had to fight to regain control.

“I’ll be fine.” She looked around like she was missing something. Kevin handed her purse to her.

“Thank you,” she said. “I would have completely forgotten it. What would I do without you?”

He smiled back. Polite. Friendly. But I watched how he held his breath, how his shoulders tensed, how his fingers spread open as if trying to catch or hold something fleeting.

Something inside me hurt. That something was my father.

And yes, it worried me. My father was not a nice man when he was in pain.

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Beckstrom,” Kevin murmured.

“Good night, Allie,” she said. “I’ll see you soon. And I’ll call if I hear anything has changed with the. . project.”

“Night, Kevin,” Zayvion said. Zayvion had been so quiet, I’d almost forgotten he was sitting there. This, I decided, was what it would be like to date the invisible man.

“Night,” he replied. “Coffee on me next time.”

“Let’s make it a beer,” Zay agreed. “Shoot some pool.”

“Pool sounds good. Give me a call, okay?”

I was pretty sure they weren’t really talking about coffee and pool. It wasn’t just Zay and Shamus who had a secret code.

Before Violet could open the door to let herself out, Kevin was there, bending over her, smooth, unhurried, holding the door for her.

They both stepped out into the night.

“What was that all about?” I asked.

Zay shrugged.

“Pool?” I asked. “You play pool?”

“Why do the most mundane things about me surprise you?” he asked.

“Because you never tell me any of this stuff.”

A corner of his mouth quirked up. “I play pool. Shoot hoops sometimes too. Any other sport you’re curious about?”

“Hockey? Polo?”

“Simultaneously. Trick is to keep the horses on their skates.”

I rolled my eyes. “Forget I asked.”

“No, I’ll show you sometime.”

“Deal. Horses on ice skates, Jones. Now, what were you and Kevin really talking about?”

“Business. Someone doesn’t like the idea of your father’s latest wife running the company.”

“I know that. She told me that. I mean the other thing.”

“What other thing?”

“Beer and pool.”

He lifted one eyebrow. “It’s beer and pool. One’s a drink. The other’s a game. That’s all. Ready to go?”

I let it slide since I didn’t want to cast a Mute spell when we could just talk about it at my house in a couple minutes. The coffee shop had quieted some. Enough I could hear the music, something that had a country beat, and a sitar. I took a quick look at the people still in the shop.

And noted Anthony was gone.

“When did Anthony leave?”

“After you sat down with Violet.”

“Did he say where he was going?”

“The warehouse. To see if Davy was there. He wants to apologize.”

“Are you serious?”

“Always.”

Great. If Davy was there-and I thought he’d mentioned he was going to check on the place this evening-there’d be blood on the floor before I could dial 911. I rubbed at my eyes, thinking maybe I shouldn’t have promised Pike anything. Hounds were nothing but trouble.

“Listen,” I said, “if you want to head out, you can. I’ll go up there and mop up the blood and call the cops on someone.”

“When are you going to stop that?”

“Stop what?” I asked.

“Telling me to go away.”

“I don’t do that.”

“You do.” He caught one of my hands. His fingers were warm. His touch radiated a sense of peacefulness, of calm.

I, on the other hand, radiated nerves. Too many things were going wrong: Dad, Greyson, Chase. And now Violet was in trouble over the disks. The whole Anthony-Davy-Pike’s-death thing was one more hassle I didn’t need.