7
It had been fifteen years since he’d had to be familiar with the nuances of Deuce magick, but Cyn knew someone who could corroborate his suspicions.As he drove, he initiated a call on his Bluetooth system, one of the many things not original in his car.“Kade, it’s Cyntag Valeron.I need some info on a rather nasty orb.I’ve never seen one like this one.”
“Did you piss off a Deuce?”Kade laughed, because it wouldn’t be the first time.
“Not me, a… friend.”Presumptuous, but how else to categorize her?He described the orb, remembering how Ruby had tried to hide her terror when she’d told him about it.
“Star orb,” Kade said after a long whistle.“Powerful.They’re hard to shake.But you obviously have a witness who got away.He must be clever.And damned fast.”
“Sure is.”He felt an odd surge of pride.“Can you tell me who might have the ability to make one?”
“Only an early generation Deuce.”First Gens, the original offspring, were the most powerful.Every subsequent generation lost some of the strength of their powers.“You’re probably looking at someone in the first three or four generations.The problem is, as you know, they’ve taken on layers of identities by now.There’s no way to know.”
As Crescents got too old to be alive, as far as the Mundane databases were concerned, they had to arrange for their deaths and take on a new identity.
“Yeah, and they don’t exactly go around advertising it either.What can you tell me about star orbs?”
“They take a lot of work and fry your palms, from what I understand.The good news for you is that whoever sent it won’t be able to conjure up another one for a day or so.”
A small relief there.Cyn didn’t have to tell Kade that anything he said would remain confidential, and that worked both ways.They’d shared a few secrets over the years when they worked together at the Guard, done things that would forever remain between them and the men they’d taken orders from.
“Can whoever sent it see through the orb?”
“Yes, and they can direct its actions.If someone sent a star orb after your friend, he means business.Your guy better watch his ass.”
More likehewas going to have to watchherass.“That’s what I was worried about.Thanks for the information.I’d love to catch up, but as you can tell, I’ve got a situation here.I’ll be in touch soon.”He disconnected.
Now that Ruby was on the move, she should be safe until another demon picked her up.How much did the murderer know about Ruby?
At a red light, Cyn pulled on the extra shirt he kept in the trunk, a necessity for Dragons.In the rearview mirror, he saw Ruby brushing her hair from her face every few seconds, eyes wide as she glanced at the passenger seat.Her skin looked as pale as alabaster.She was holding on by a thread.He needed to get her into the Obsidian Room, where she could release the tension and fear inside her.She had to get up to speed pronto and Awakened soon after.There was no time to be gentle about it.
The light turned green and he went straight.He glanced back.“Hell.”
She had taken a sharp right and sped out of view.
* * *
Ruby hightailedit to the Yard where things were normal and safe, where she could forget that she’d been attacked by a demon she couldn’t see andhadseen a guy turn into a dragon.
Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t totally freak out.Hell, even the ordinary sound of a plane flying overhead had her shrinking in fear.If only her rash would stop flaring.Nervous perspiration dampened her collarbone and neck as she drove through the gate and got out of her truck.She came to a standstill in the central corridor of the Yard, feeling lost.
“Hey, Miz Ruby, sorry to hear about your uncle.”
She started as Jack came up and gave her a hug.Thankfully his lanky arms went around her shoulders and nowhere near the bulge of metal at her waist.She cleared her throat and moved back.“Thanks.”His expression of sympathy vanished, morphing into bewilderment.Assuming it was about the injury on her forehead, or perhaps some new one, she waved it away.“I’m fine, just a small burn.”
“Your… eyes.”
Bloodshot?No doubt.Or maybe her pupils were dilated.Did that happen when you went crazy?Jack was the coolest, calmest guy she knew—well, until she’d met Cyntag.Which meant there was something really wrong with her eyes.“What about them?”
His voice lowered, and he glanced around as though to make sure no one was nearby.“Miz Ruby, you’re a Crescent.But you weren’t a Crescent when you hired me, and you weren’t even one yesterday.How…”
The memory of the embers in her reflection shot to mind.Not a hallucination if Jack could see it, too.Wait a minute.He was talking about Crescents.Jack, who did not know Mon well, could not possibly know of his tales.She gripped his arm and stared into his eyes.There, just for a second, a spark like she’d seen in Cyntag’s eyes.
“Tell me what you see, Jack.”
“Embers.But… I don’t understand.”
“Believe me, you’re not the only one.”
