Apparently not.
The world stopped being a liquid streak of light and settled into the hard lines of tall buildings, car headlights and taillights passing them by on an unfamiliar downtown street. He planted his feet once Takoma finally skidded to a stop. Spencer reeled forward all of a few inches before Takoma’s fingers dug into his hip, keeping him upright.
“Did you have to be so fucking dramatic?” Spencer asked.
“I don’t speak with the police. My vampires and human servants know not to either, which meant you were coming with me,” Takoma said.
Spencer stepped away from Takoma, reluctantly putting some distance between them. “She’s probably going to check the security cameras for tonight, see what we were both doing during the gala.”
“The cameras don’t pick up audio, and you did no magic within view of them.”
Spencer scratched at the back of his head. “Yeah, that won’t matter once the SOA eventually tries to interview her. Although I could probably get one of the agents on the field team to handle that.”
“Then you don’t need to worry unless your psychopomp was seen.”
As if summoned, Fatima pounced out of thin air, landing on the sidewalk between them.Cameras never see me.
“I know that,” Spencer muttered. At Takoma’s expectant stare, he sighed. “Fatima never shows up on camera unless she wants to, even when she’s corporeal for me.”
Takoma glanced down at her. “Convenient, spirit sister.”
Fatima’s nose twitched as she yowled softly.Yes.
The breeze picked up, blowing fierce and cold down the street. Spencer crossed his arms over his chest and sneaked a heat charm into his shirt. He’d taken a taxi to the museum earlier and hadn’t bothered with a jacket. He was sort of regretting that decision now.
“Adler thinks you belong to me. Perhaps you could use that to your advantage,” Takoma said.
Spencer glanced at him, not trusting that offer one bit. “And what would you get out of that if I played along?”
He told himself he wasn’t going to. He doubted his superiors would look kindly on him bringing on board a master vampire as his confidential informant for his first case with the SOA. But the idea of getting to see Takoma again was very tempting.
Takoma gave Spencer a once-over so aggressively thorough he felt as if he’d been sucker punched. “Entertainment.”
Spencer was pretty sure the flush that came to his face right about then wasn’t caused by the heat charm. “Right. Entertainment.”
“You still owe me answers.”
“Yeah, about that. How about a rain check?”
“No.” A black Mercedes Benz with tinted windows pulled up to the corner they stood at, hazard lights turning on, much to the annoyance of the drivers behind them in the lane. Takoma ignored the honking horns in favor of approaching the vehicle and opening the rear passenger door. “Get in.”
Spencer rocked back on his heels. “Pretty sure it’s in the agency’s employee handbook that I shouldn’t put myself in danger on purpose.”
“I have it on good authority you are bored without a little danger in your life.”
“Yeah? Who said that?”
A faintly irritated look flashed across Takoma’s eyes. “Lucien.”
Spencer winced, knowing he really couldn’t argue against that. Lucien was a master vampire he’d interacted with a handful of times over the years, always in the wake of being brought on board a mission or case that Patrick was involved in. Lucien had, admittedly, starred in many late-night fantasies involving Spencer and his right hand because he wasn’tblind. Yes, Lucien was a sociopathic, mass-murdering asshole who found wealth in all manner of illegal avenues, but he was also really, reallyhot. So was Carmen, Lucien’s succubus partner, if Spencer was being honest.
“Lucien has no room to talk,” Spencer muttered as he crawled into the back seat of the car.
Fatima hopped in after him, clearly unimpressed with yet another life decision he was making.If you die, I will be highly displeased.
“You and me both.”
Takoma shut the door and opened the front passenger seat, climbing in. The vampire sitting behind the wheel wasn’t the one who had been at the gala with them. She was dark-haired and brown-skinned, all long limbs and pouty lips in the rearview mirror. She shared similar features with Takoma, though she looked younger than him, but that didn’t mean anything. Vampires never aged from the day they were made, and someone who looked fifteen could be fifteen hundred. Either way, Spencer was sure she was more than capable of tearing out his throat.
