Shepherd stubbed out his cigarette, and it disappeared. “You look like a Christmas nightmare.”
“Will these hotels have enough rooms?” Viktor asked.
I gave him an apologetic smile. “They mostly rent out rooms by the hour. So it depends.”
Wyatt’s arm slid onto my shoulder. “And how is it that a nice girl like you knows all about seedy places like those?”
“I followed you last Thursday.”
Gem’s infectious laughter filled the diner. “She got you on that one.”
Wyatt withdrew his arm and gave her an indignant look. “You’re nothing but an accessory to a bad joke.”
Gem touched her chest.“Moi?”
Viktor rubbed his brow, and I could tell we were embarrassing him in front of Lenore.
“Humans have too many rules,” I continued. “Reservations require credit cards, which we don’t have. Most of them want ID, and I don’t think we have time to go around town trying to find a nice one that doesn’t. The only hotels I know about that will take us under the circumstances are ones where the only amenity is that they have a roof. I stayed in them a few times when I hustled a little for cash. They’re dirty, they’re loud, and all kinds of stuff goes on there. But it’s our only option unless you want to sleep in the subway station. I also know a few clean dumpsters that don’t smell.”
Lenore’s dramatic sigh spoke volumes.
And I was being serious. This woman had obviously never learned street survival skills. Empty buildings weren’t always empty, and right now we didn’t have a lot of options. Viktor had associates he worked with, but none of them likely wanted a higher authority member spending the night in their home. Aside from that, we were vulnerable, and that could make any friend a foe.
“Look, it’s not the best option,” I admitted. “But if you want the truth, it’s the last place they’d expect to find Miss Parrish. If someone at her party decides to hunt her down tonight, they’ll be looking at her house or all the five-star hotels, not—”
“The red-light district?” Wyatt winked at me.
Niko finally returned and took his seat. “It’s done. We won’t have to worry about Switch.”
I sat up taller. “Niko, have you ever heard of a Mage who could build a wall?”
He sat back, eyes slanting upward. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Uniques. They’re rare, especially now that the Mageri oversees the creation of most Learners. But in ancient times, I heard rumors about some who could wield lightning. Others could move metal objects that people had recently touched. People feared their power and slaughtered them. There’s one I know about who works for the Council under the Mageri.”
“You mean Novis?” Gem asked. “I remember hearing about that incident in front of the higher authority during a trial or something. People still talk about it.”
I nodded at Betty to thank her when she handed us a stack of empty containers. Once she left, I turned my attention to Gem. “What happened?”
Her eyes widened. “They say he made an energy dome while battling another Mage. Obviously the Mageri knew about his gifts since they have to measure everyone’s power, but nobody had seen anything like it before. Uniques are urban legends. Even now there’s little information in historical books. From what I know, they’re more powerful or have the potential to be. Some never fully realize their gifts, kind of like us. But when they do, oh boy! They can manipulate energy from outside their bodies, not just the light within. They can harness it in ways we don’t understand. That’s why most of them are dead. There was an account of a human tribe in South America who used to eat them. They thought they could absorb their power.”
Wyatt scratched his cheek. “I love her bedtime stories.”
I met eyes with Lenore. “Did you know he could do this?” I immediately modified my tone when I realized it sounded like an accusation. “What I mean to say is that you might know something about Sparrow that’ll help us understand how to stop him. He might have a weakness that will make more sense to a Mage than a Vampire. Do you know him well?”
She laced her fingers together on the table. “I invite all types of people to my gatherings, but that doesn’t mean I know everything about their abilities. Do I know all yours?”
Hell no.But the way she was looking at me made me feel a little funny.
“I knew Sparrow long ago, and being a Unique is not a secret he would have kept from me. Perhaps he didn’t know how to use his gifts until recently.” Lenore touched Viktor’s hand. “How long must we stay in this wretched place?”
Wretched?Ruby’s Diner was five-star dining compared to our next destination.
Viktor abruptly rose to his feet. “Raven, I trust you will make the best choice of hotel.”
“Eeny,meeny,miny,ho,” I mumbled.
“What is that you say?”
“Nothing.”
