He moves quickly, finding the keypad and connecting a device to gain us entry into the building. The other two set up watch around us.
“He’s pretty adept at seeing through a ruse,” I tell her, as I watch for Mathias’ signal. Seconds later, he raises his thumb.
Phaedra reaches out and stops me from moving into the building. “It’s the right call. Either he knows about me, or he doesn’t, but he’ll be interested in getting this weapon. You forget, he’s on the run, and whoever he’s running from, he’s terrified of them. Look at all the trouble he’s gone through.”
My brows furrow. Is he hiding because he’s culpable or because he’s scared? It’s hard to imagine him fearful of anyone, but I can’t rule out the possibility.
I pull out my cloak and slip it over me and Hawthorne. We immediately become invisible. “One wrong move toward you, and there won’t be an interrogation. We’ll simply kill him.” I swallow at the thought, but I mean every word. Father or not, I refuse to let him step a toe in her direction.
She takes a deep breath. “Don’t worry so much. You’ll get grey hair.” She strides through the door Mathias is holding open, tossing a wink in his direction.
His dark eyes meet mine in a silent command, and I nod, then motion to Gatlin, who takes a flying leap and transitions mid-air into a gryphon. I look at the crowd strolling by and thank the magi who gave him invisibility in that form. Hawthorne shoves me forward, eager to follow Phaedra, and I glare at him, but my feet are moving quickly despite his urging. I don’t want her reaching my father’s door without us.
Tenth floor. I pause.
“All clear.” Mathias’ steady voice comes through the comms, and I open the door, stepping out of the stairwell first.
Hawthorne and I are still under the cloak, so any monitors my father may have set up separately won’t see us. They will, however, see her. I silently slip my hand out and give her a signal. Hawthorne tenses. She leaves the safety of the stairwell and moves with purpose toward his door.
It opens before she can even knock. “Dr. Galanis, what a surprise.” His eyes sweep the hall behind her, and he chuckles. “I doubt you’re here alone. So, where is he? Jamison? My spies tell me he’s been seen with you several times.”
She tilts her head. “Around.”
Phaedra pulls the knife from her back and points it at my father. He immediately steps back, his hands swirling with magic. With one flick of her wrist, she holds out the handle for him to take. “I’m searching for the mage who made this. The one responsible for killing Letz. You remember him, don’t you? Your friend. Mentor to Jamison. Remarkable mage. The one you mourned on TV for the world to see.”
He stares at the knife, and his magic dims. “Despite what you may think, he was my friend. A very good one too. What makes you think I know who made that despicable weapon?”
“A little birdie told us,” she reveals, leaning closer to him. Hawthorne moves forward, but I stop him. “I believe his name is Bennett?”
He stiffens when she asks him to confirm and moves his hand back to the doorknob. “I don’t know a Bennett. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m rather busy.”
She motions to the knife. “I see. Well, I believe you do. And I want to send him a message. Deliver this to him and tell him his days are numbered. We’re coming for him.”
“We?” he asks in a cutting tone. The one he always uses when he’s trying to come off as superior.
“We. Jamison, Hawthorne. Gatlin,” she replies in a cheerful tone.
He ignores the knife and reaches out and grabs her arm. “Jamison cannot kill Bennett. He…” His eyes widen and roll back in his head, then he folds to the ground.
I immediately throw off the cloak and rush forward. “What the hell happened?”
She shrugs and sheathes the knife. “He’s fine. Paralyzed but fine. Just the same little curse I put on Hera’s peacock to hit her unsuspecting enemies. I would watch what you say, though. He can still hear you.” She steps past his prone body and walks into the condo.
The stairwell door opens, and Hawthorne and I turn, magic ready, but it’s only Mathias. “Gatlin’s staying on the roof as lookout.” With one arm, he picks up my father with his vampire strength and dumps him in a nearby upholstered chair. “I’ve got to leave in thirty minutes. Let’s hurry this up.”
Hawthorne walks over to Phaedra. “I’d kiss you, but I’m quite terrified of you at this moment.”
When she laughs, his eyes light up, and he strolls over to my father and secures him with a pair of cuffs that immediately cut off his access to his magic. We use them in interrogations. He also ties him to the chair with ropes of magic.
“All yours,” he tells me, then positions himself at the window so he can keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.
Phaedra walks over and pats my father on his hand. “You should be able to move now.”
My father moves his jaw and flexes his hands. “Jamison. I don’t know whatauthorityyou think you have, but you’ll find out soon enough that I’m still pulling the strings. Take these cuffs off me.”
Phaedra tsks at him. “Jamison has been nothing but loyal to you. All he cares about is saving this world and protecting the supernaturals. I wish you were a tenth the man he is. Unfortunately, you’re not.”
She reaches out and grabs his hand in hers, and I frown, not liking the sight of it. He doesn’t deserve compassion. When she moves back, I see she’s replaced his signet ring with a thick gold wedding ring.
