Darkest Fire (10 page)
He lifted his hands in the universal sign of surrender. “I know. I’m trying to make it easier. Tell me what you want me to do.”
“Open up just a little. Let your guard down a tiny bit. Am I asking for too much?”
He didn’t respond right away; he made her wait five excruciating seconds before finally saying, “No, you’re not.” As he visibly tracked her returning to her seat, he asked, “The book. How are you liking it?”
“Very much.” Breathing a little easier, she lifted the novel in question, pointing the top toward him. “I had a lot of time to read today. I’m almost a quarter of the way through it.”
“I see that.”
“Are you reading anything right now?”
“No.”
An idea popped into her head, but she shoved it aside. It was silly. Or was it?
It seemed books, worlds of fiction, were going to be the thin strand that would link them, at least until they had a child.
“Can I read to you?” she asked.
His brows rose to the top of his forehead, now lined with surprise. Quickly, though, they settled back in place, and with that change came an even more welcome one. His smile, granted, not a beaming grin, returned. “Yes. Please.”
She leaned back, getting comfortable and began, “ ‘Perfect happiness, even in memory, is not common; and there were two points on which she was not quite easy. . . .�� ”
The next morning, Rin discovered a set of car keys, a credit card, and some cash had been left for her on the marble-topped table next to the front door. Correction—Lei had discovered them, and she’d let Rin know about them with a bouncy enthusiasm Rin had rarely seen in her sister.
Their days of living confined to a house were over.
“What’re you going to do first?” Lei dropped the key ring into Rin’s hands.
Rin took one up-and-down look at her sister and knew immediately where they needed to go. “The nearest clothing store. To buy you something decent to wear.”
Lei’s smile was wider than Rin had seen it in ages, and Rin’s heart swelled at the sight. Her eyes burned. Blinking, she laughed. “Don’t look so depressed, Lei.”
“I know I’m being totally self-centered, but I can’t remember the last time I got new clothes. Growing up . . . well, you know.”
“Yes, I do.” When they were young, her mother gave Rin hand-me-downs—one of the neighbors in their shabby apartment building had had a daughter one year younger but one size bigger than Rin. Lei got the garments after Rin couldn’t wear them anymore. Most of the clothes were in rough shape when Rin got them; they were in even worse shape by the time Lei did. “Now, do you understand why I made this decision? At least we’ll always have what we need. And the children I have someday won’t grow up hungry like we did, scared and alone and always wondering where our next meal would come from.”
“Yes, Rin. I do. The truth is, I did from the very first moment you told me. But I was scared. I want to make sure you’re okay with your decision, and not because you want me to be happy for you. So, I let you see how upset I was. I know you.” She shook an index finger at Rin. “You would have tried to convince yourself you were happy if you thought I was glad.”
“That’s some very convoluted logic.” Rin chuckled. “But you’re probably right.”
“No, I know I am.”
Rin fingered the car keys. “So you don’t think I made a huge mistake?”
“Not if you walked into this with your eyes wide open and with realistic expectations. And not if you know for a fact that you aren’t going to wish you could change the agreement you made with him later. Then, I’d say you didn’t make a mistake.”
“Got it.” There were a lot of ifs in there. Rin couldn’t be sure, though she wanted to be, that she could agree 100 percent with all of them. Not yet, at least. Like in all things, time would tell.
She had to admit, though, she was feeling fairly good about her marriage at the moment, and it had nothing to do with the credit card or the brief note from Drako sitting beside it:
Buy whatever you need, anything you want. No limit. Drako.
No, she was hopeful because of last night, the simple pleasure they’d found together as she’d read to him.
Buy whatever you need, anything you want. No limit. Drako.
No, she was hopeful because of last night, the simple pleasure they’d found together as she’d read to him.
They hadn’t confessed any dark secrets or made any promises of enduring love. Those were never going to happen. Yet, their bond had strengthened. She’d felt it, like translucent silk threads being wound between them.
The air hadn’t crackled with sensual electricity.
They hadn’t touched, or kissed.
But they had shared something precious: seconds. Minutes. Hours. During those moments, they had set out on a journey together with Emma as their guide and no expectation of where it would lead them.
She knew the power, the magic, of the written word. Stories had been one of her favorite escapes during her darkest days.
“I’m going to grab something to eat. Have you eaten yet?” she asked her sister.
“Not yet. I’m going to run up and do something with my hair first. Oh, and I need some makeup. . . .” Lei gave her a pleading look.
“Of course, you can use mine.” Rin set the car keys back on the table. “What do you want for breakfast?”
“I’m good with just a banana and some coffee.”
“I’ll get a pot going.”
Lei extended her arms. “Rin, I owe you so much.”
“Don’t even think about it.” Rin closed her eyes and returned her sister’s hug. It felt so good to have her back. Better than good.
“You’re the best sister in the world. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You forget. I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
10
“D
on’t class us together, Harriet. My playing is no more like hers than a lamp is like sunshine.”
on’t class us together, Harriet. My playing is no more like hers than a lamp is like sunshine.”
A lamp is like sunshine . . .
Jane Austen’s words, spoken in Rin’s sweet voice, played through Drako’s mind all day as he worked on a ring that he hoped would make his client’s soon-to-be fiancée happier than she had probably ever been. It was an engagement ring, platinum, almost but not quite as special as the one he’d made for his wife. Whereas Rin’s ring had one of the most unusual diamonds set in the center, vivid blue, cushion cut, this one had a flawless three-carat green-blue diamond. Around the center stone he was setting a frame of tiny perfect diamonds, the brilliance a gorgeous contrast to the center stone’s deep hue.
As he looked at that stone, he couldn’t help thinking about his wife. Just like the stone, Rin was a rarity, something pure and glorious and organic. He couldn’t wait to see her tonight. Listen to that soft voice as she read to him.
Only one stone remained when Malek entered his workshop, taking a seat on the bench next to him.
Drako set down his tools and looked at his brother.
Malek cleared his throat. “I found the report about the ‘Mystery Illness.’ The original report didn’t give much in the way of details, but thanks to the fact that Wilkerson was brought into the same emergency room, with similar symptoms, we were able to find out what the nature of the illness was.”
“Which was?” Drako checked his work through the loupe.
“Poisoning. There were a few substances found in the patients’ bloodstreams, including LSD and a drug commonly prescribed for insomnia, midazolam. Wilkerson’s blood tested positive for the same substances.”
“He was dosed?”
“Yep.” Malek picked up one of Drako’s pliers, weighed it in his hand.
“Do we know when or where the other patients were exposed to the drugs?” At this point, Drako didn’t know what to think about Wilkerson’s poisoning. Because there had been other victims, he wanted to believe Wilkerson’s sickness was a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“No, that hasn’t been determined yet. But I was told the FBI is investigating. One victim died.”
“That’s unfortunate.” As much as Drako hated to hear someone had died, he was semirelieved to know that Wilkerson’s condition was probably not caused by the work he’d done for them. “Any word on Wilkerson’s recovery?”
Malek set down the pliers and picked up a pendant Drako had just finished. Inspecting the piece, Malek said, “The doctor told me Wilkerson will be fine. I talked to Dobbs after I talked to the doctor. There’s a huge hole in Wilkerson’s memory of that day, but it sounds like he’s feeling better.”
“Good.”
Malek set down the pendant and stood, his hip resting against Drako’s work table. “I guess Wilkerson has some Good Samaritan out there to thank, for taking him to the hospital. If he was hallucinating, there’s no saying what might’ve happened to him if he’d continued to wander the streets. Especially in that neighborhood.”
At least that was one less problem to worry about. Drako was tired of chasing shadows. He wanted to find Oram, and he wanted to know what the Chimera were up to next. Whether it was intentional or not, the day that Oram vanished, Drako had interpreted it as a message.
The Chimera were ready to make their move.
But damn if Drako knew what move they were about to make. It was like trying to play a game of chess without being able to see the board or the pieces.
“We’ve gotta find the Chimera, instead of waiting for them to find us,” he said, more to himself than to his brother.
“The Black Gryffons have been guarding The Secret for two thousand years. But, Drako, we’ve never been the aggressor. We keep quiet, hide in plain sight, and live like we have nothing to hide. It’s worked all this time. Why change it now?”
Drako leaned back, away from his work, and crossed his arms. “Because if we don’t stop the Chimera once and for all, our children, and our children’s children, and their children are going to spend all their days looking over their shoulders, just like we are, fearing the Chimera’s next attack. This is no way to live.”
Malek didn’t look convinced as he shook his head. “But do you think they can be stopped forever? As long as someone knows about The Secret, there’s going to be somebody else who wants it.”
Malek had a point. There’d always be someone looking for The Secret, because traces of its power lingered in mankind’s history—how the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge were constructed to name a couple. The Chimera were their primary concern, but there had been others who’d come close to discovering the truth. There was the occasional UFO enthusiast who put two and two together, the archeologist who’d find something in a dig, and the scientist researching new power sources. Every now and then, Drako would find an article in a scientific journal or on the Internet describing The Secret, using one of its many aliases, but nobody ever got too close. The Chimera silenced anyone who was almost there, either by making them a member of their organization or by bullet.
Drako shoved his fingers through his hair. “If there was a way to destroy it, I’d do it.”
“But would that be fair to future generations? To the people who will someday use it the way it was meant to be used, and benefit from its power?”
Drako stood, putting himself eye-to-eye with his brother. “We all know history has a tendency to repeat itself. So, what’s worse, risking the destruction of everything mankind has managed to accomplish up to this point or taking away what he might have someday?”
Malek looked defeated and confused as he studied Drako for a cold, silent moment. “Okay.”
“We can’t wait for them to come to us, like our father and his brothers did. Because of Father’s one mistake, the Chimera found them, and they were almost successful in stealing The Secret.”
“But you’re not going to make the same mistake Father did.” Malek gave him a squinty look.
“Of course I’m not,” Drako said. “I loved that man more than anyone, but when he fell in love with Mother. . . he wasn’t the same. He lost his focus. His commitment to his duty.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I won’t repeat our father’s mistake. But we’ve got to be proactive anyway.”
“What’s your plan?”
Drako stared past his brother. “I don’t have one yet. We’ve got to put our heads together, the three of us. Oram’s too fucking smart. And crazy enough to not care about risks. Exactly the kind of enemy we don’t need.”
Malek nodded. “You know what they say, you’ve got to think like a criminal to catch one.”
“Excellent point.” Drako paced back and forth in the tight space of his workshop. “So, if I were Oram, trying to track down an enemy I’d never seen or met, what would I do?”
Malek stepped back, giving Drako more space to move. “I’d make him come to me.”
“Yes.” Drako smiled and clapped his brother on the back. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he wouldn’t be running from an invisible enemy for the rest of his life. “That’s exactly what we need to do. Make him come to us. Call Talen. Have him meet us here. We have work to do.”
That evening when Drako came home, Rin had plenty to talk about. While he sat in the den and listened, looking moderately interested—bless him—she chattered on and on—about the great deals she’d found while shopping; the horrible car accident she’d witnessed; the lunch she’d shared with her sister at the mall; the work she did at the local Salvation Army, helping organize the food pantry and hang items in the store; and the trip she’d made to the local community college campus, where she’d enrolled Lei in a few classes for the summer semester, starting in a few days.
It had been a busy day, and she was genuinely happy. In fact, she told him that as she wrapped up the Tale of Two Sisters. “If you were worried,” she said, “about me being unhappy, worry no more. You’ve given me everything I need to live a full, productive life, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Good.” He stretched his arms over his head, and she watched, ever aware of the latent strength of his limbs. He was a powerful man, his body beautifully formed. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him as she did their first night together as husband and wife, nude, standing next to the bed, his skin gleaming in the soft lamp light.
When would they be together again?
After a long yawn, he said, “My brothers will be returning home at the end of the month.”
That was going to be interesting. She’d never lived with a house full of men. “Okay,” she said, hoping she sounded cheery.
“They won’t bother you.” There was an edge to his voice she hadn’t heard before.
Was he the jealous sort or was she reading his tone all wrong?
“How many brothers do you have?” She pulled the soft throw off the back of the couch and wrapped it around herself. She had no clue what the house’s thermostat was set at, but it seemed to be perpetually cold. In every room. Here it was, June, and she was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a hoodie, and she was still freezing.
“I have two brothers.”
This was a conversation Rin had anticipated. After all, she’d been told about the brothers the moment she’d stepped foot in the place. It was the perfect lead-in to a question she’d been waiting to ask. “The house is going to get more crowded then. We’ll have less privacy. Would you prefer Lei found her own place to live? I’d be willing to pay—”
“No. She can stay here as long as she wants.”
If her husband truly didn’t want her sister to stay, and was just saying what he thought she wanted to hear, he was one of the most convincing liars she’d ever met.
She decided she’d rather believe he wasn’t a liar. The smile she gave him was genuine and heartfelt, as were the words she said, “Thank you.”
“Don’t. This is your home now, and your family is as welcome here as mine.”
She nodded. Picked up the book lying on the coffee table and showed it to him. “I haven’t read any more since last night. I thought . . . we’d read it together. The whole thing. A little each evening?”
“Sure. That’s fine.”
She opened to the next chapter and began, “ ‘Emma continued to entertain no doubt of her being in love. . . .’ ”
An hour later, after she’d read three chapters to him, Drako stopped her with a soft touch on her arm. “I have to go now.”
“Go?”
“Please, don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to.” Sweetly, he cupped her cheeks and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good night.” Before her next inhalation, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there alone, whispering good night to his retreating back.
Struggling to tamp down an emotion she didn’t dare explore, she listened as Drako left the house. A soft thump echoed when he closed the door behind him.
Her sister’s arms wrapped around her from behind.
Doing her damnedest to hide her true feelings, Rin turned to give her sister an empty smile. “He had work to do.”
“Sure.” Hair still dripping from the shower she had just taken, Lei flopped onto the couch and picked up
Emma.
Emma.
Rin sat beside Lei, swiveling to face her. She rested one arm on the couch back, and with the other, she pulled a throw pillow onto her lap and hugged it to her chest. The pillow was tall enough for her to rest her chin on it without bending over. “We had a nice time together, reading, talking.”
“I’m glad.” Her sister gave her a faux look of pity.
“Don’t give me that fake pity pout.”
“What’s there to pity, right?” Lei thumbed through the pages of the book, then set it aside. “You have the world’s perfect marriage.”
“Exactly.” Rin lifted the book and set it in her lap. She ran her flattened hands over the cover. “I’m happy, Lei.”
“Good. So am I. I want to forget everything that happened, but I can’t. But in a way, that’s okay. It makes me appreciate this more. Being here with you. Living a simple life. Going back to school.” Lei yawned, stretched. The brand-new tank top she was wearing lifted, showing a slice of stomach. “All that shopping today wore me out. I think I’m going to go to bed. What about you?”
“I’ll be up in a bit,” she told her sister, already having made the decision to stay up awhile and wait for Drako.
“Okay. See you in the morning.” Lei blew her an air kiss, which Rin returned.
“G-night.” Rin watched Lei pad barefooted into the kitchen, grab an apple, and after taking a bite, head toward the back of the house. After Lei was out of her line of sight, Rin jumped into action. First thing, she started some coffee. While the coffeemaker was doing its thing, she headed to her room to put on the hot little baby doll nightgown she’d bought today. After fussing with her hair and makeup, she headed downstairs again, to the den, and settled down with a steaming mug of crème brûlée–flavored indulgence and a book, hoping the caffeine would help her stay awake.
An hour later—early by Drako’s standards—she heard a key slide into the back door’s lock. It disengaged with a metallic snick, and the door swung open with a creak. Rin fluffed her hair, took a pose that she hoped was more sex kitten than street whore, and quickly slicked on some lip gloss.
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