“Don’t tell Viktor we did that. He’ll fire us on the spot.”
“I can keep a secret if you can.”
Christian was good at secrets. Too good.
He put distance between us and tucked away a rogue lock of hair that had fallen in front of my nose. “Better get the kids to bed. We don’t have long before our next stop.”
“Thanks for the date, Poe.”
“You’re the only woman I know who would call something that dangerous a date and do it with a smile.”
Once inside our car, I headed to the main room and looked around at the kids. “Everyone, go to bed. If you’re not sleepy, shut your eyes and rest.”
To my surprise, all three got up and dragged their feet to the bedroom. They must have been used to taking orders, because I didn’t have to herd them in there with threats.
“What are you looking for?” I asked Blue.
She closed a lower cabinet beneath the bar and stood up. “Shifter craving. It’s nothing.”
I drew back my hood. “What’s your craving?”
Blue gripped the lapels of her cloak and sighed. “Green olives. I thought they might have some in here with all the alcohol. No such luck.”
“We’re in the luxury car. That means we can order anything we want.”
“Is that so? Maybe I’ll have Viktor call and see if they have any in the dining car.”
“How was your flight?”
“Not bad. The view is amazing.” She traced her finger along the smooth surface of the bar with a grim look on her face. Blue looked naked without her trademark feather earrings, but given the circumstances, she probably didn’t want to fool with that kind of thing. “I really hope we’re heading to another big city. I don’t like the idea of hiking around in the wilderness. It’s too treacherous out there for these kids.”
“I feel the same. I’m not a nature person.”
She pursed her lips and looked at me for a spell. “What happened to your hair? It looks like you went through a wind tunnel.”
I tried to straighten it again. “Christian opened the door and threatened to toss me out.”
She raised a brow and looked away. “Typical Vampire humor.”
Viktor entered the room, the phone pressed to his ear and his face as white as a ghost. We both watched him make a quick trip to the back of the train near Shepherd, who was finally waking up from his nap. Moments later, Christian walked in. He didn’t look like himself. His spine was arrow-straight, his eyes intense.
“Something’s wrong,” Blue said, staring at Viktor’s reflection in the rear window.
“That is not acceptable!” Viktor snarled.
Claude sat up in his seat, his nostrils flaring.
Viktor lowered his head. “I cannot.”
Niko rose from the couch and found me. “This doesn’t look good. His light is going dark. Does anyone know who he’s talking to?”
Only Christian could hear the full conversation on both ends. My heart was in my throat as I waited anxiously to find out the news. Was there an ambush waiting? Had someone canceled our assignment? Did our final destination change at the last minute?
Viktor lowered his arm, the phone clutched tightly in his hand. When he turned around, you could have heard a pin drop. The next words he spoke were succinct and yet powerful enough to split a soul wide open. “Gem’s gone.”
Chapter 9
Gem waited a couple of hours after dinner before putting on her swim gear. Her aversion to bathing suits had to do with the way they amplified her petite body. She’d become a Mage at twenty-three because there was no point in waiting for her body to grow any larger. She was as tall as she’d ever be, and her fast metabolism kept her from gaining additional weight. Anyhow, a bikini for a night swim seemed gratuitous. People wore those to tan their skin, and Gem didn’t exactly need a moonburn. She had a few simple gowns, and tonight she chose the red. Something about the way it lit up in the water like a blossoming flower appealed to her romantic side.
