The wrongness congealed. She could feel it better now. It had a definite direction, stretching across the room. She sank even deeper into that calm place where human emotions fell away,and the world was reduced to simple needs.Hunger. Thirst. Safety. Augustine.
Her attention snagged on him, on his body, on the way he sat. His scent slipped past her, waiting to be sampled. Mmmm.
“You know how I feel about discretion,” Sutton said.
“I also know how you feel about adequate compensation.”
“For a man of your resources, adequate won’t do.”
He was shaking Augustine down, the human part of her noted. She didn’t like that. A hint of danger pricked her, driving her instincts into combat sharpness.
“I’d say, for you, the compensation would have to be at least generous,” Sutton said.
The wrongness snapped all the way into focus, and she saw it, thin filaments of magic stretching across the room, with Sutton at their center like a spider. Animals instinctually sensed magic, and right now she was more animal than not. More than that, she was a Prime. She felt the magic, saw it, heard it… On its own, none of those senses would’ve been enough, but combined with her power, they formed a complete picture.
One of Sutton’s tendrils spiraled up her chair. Another had made its way to Augustine, hovering just short of touching. And the third had wrapped around Lila’s throat. The dog felt it, but her training kept her still.
She leaped, landing on the table in a crouch and pressed her knife against Sutton’s throat. The filamentor held still. Lila snapped to her feet.
“Release my dog.” Her voice was low and devoid of emotion, a growl of a predator defending her domain.
The filaments recoiled.
Augustine rose and offered his hand to her. She took it. He put his other hand on her waist, and she let him lift her off the table to her feet. The brief contact with his body sent a shiver through her.
Like touching a live wire. Being close to Augustine was its own kind of ache, exquisite in a way, a promise broken before it was ever made.
She squashed the urge to stretch herself against him. Sinking that deep into her inner self was a mistake. It lowered inhibitions. Reasserting control would require a lot of effort.
“In heels,” Sutton said. “Impressive.”
Augustine let her go, and her entire body mourned.
Diana forced herself to sit and stroked Lila’s velvet head. The Doberman sat back on her haunches.
“You’re an assassin.”
“I was, at one time,” Sutton confirmed.
Filamentors wove webs of arcane energy. Unlike the mages who worked with metal wires, they didn’t kill directly. Their filaments syphoned off energy, draining their target until they fell into a stupor and killing them became child’s play.
It made sense. A retired killer-for-hire would have the contacts required to become a broker.
“As I told you last time, curiosity is a vice for someone in your profession,” Augustine said to him.
He’d moved behind her and remained standing. She was acutely aware of his fingers resting on the chair’s back, close to her neck on either side. Another little thrill. She had to stop reacting.
“Sadly, I can’t help myself. You said you were looking for a contractor?”
“An illusion mage. Scent-sensitive.”
“And not a Hester,” Sutton guessed.
“No,” Augustine said.
He wasn’t even asking about the other broker. Like her, Augustine must’ve decided that the thief was their best option.
“I want a favor,” Sutton said.
