Trace of Magic (17 page)

He nodded and pulled two out of his pocket. These were smaller than the paperweights.

“I get hazard pay, like we agreed, right?”

“Already transferred into your account.”

“Then let’s get started. Riley, is it? Sit down.” She patted the coffee table in front of her.

I hesitated.

“What are you waiting for? Look, we don’t have a lot of time. Do you want to do this or not?”

I realized she had almost no eyebrows and her eyelashes were so pale I couldn’t see them. With the sharp angles of her face, she looked almost like a Sparkle Dust wraith.

“Riley?”

I wasn’t going to look at Price. I forced myself to let go of his hand and went to sit down. My muscles were clenched so tight I could barely move. I slid my hands under my thighs to keep them from shaking.

“Here’s how this works,” Cass said, leaning toward me, her elbows braced on her knees. “I slide my consciousness into you, then you two go to the building and you pick up trace on someone. I need you to put skin over it. Doesn’t matter how weak you are, I’ll be able to work with that. I’ll make sure they don’t see you. I can hold maybe four or five minds at one time, but not for very long, so try to get in and get out fast. All clear?”

Her cloudy blue eyes bored into me. There was a weird intensity to her, like she straddled the line between life and death. I suppose being able to travel through dreams and invade other people’s heads on an astral level was kind of like being a ghost.

“Hey. Are you there?” She snapped her fingers in front of my face.

I knocked her hand away. “I’m fine,” I snapped. “I get it. Let’s get it over with. But you’d damned well better get out of my head when we’re done or I’ll make you regret it for the rest of your life.”

She snorted. “What, would you cry all over me? I’m terrified.”

“Cass,” Price growled warningly.

“Oh, come
on
. You can’t really be into her, can you? She’s a scaredy rabbit. Criminy, you could do so much better. Besides, I thought you were into the slick types with platinum hair, designer dresses, and cheekbones that could cut diamonds? This one’s a fucking mutt.”

“Shut up, Cass. Mind your own business,” Price said.

Wow. That’s a hell of a defense. Be still my beating heart. I might just faint with all the outpourings of adoration. I hope he didn’t break a nail with all that fury and blustering.

“You’re quite the bitch,” I observed. “Been awhile since you got laid?” I frowned, pasting a concerned look on my face. “Oh, I’m sorry. Maybe you’re the world’s oldest virgin. Though as hot as you are, what with the whole just-about-to-be-a-corpse look, I can’t believe you don’t have men hammering down the doors to get in your pants.”

Her eyes narrowed. “For your information, I don’t go for men.”

“Then it’s no wonder you’re so hard up. Women have higher standards. We won’t just go screwing any old piece of white trash that wanders in.”

Price whistled and gave a dusty chuckle.

I glared at him. “What’s so funny? I mean, you screwed a mutt. You ought to be mortified. What’s next? Sheep?”

Cass burst out laughing. Price went brick red, but I turned around so I didn’t have to look at him.

“Now that we’ve established that neither of us are any sort of prize, can we get on with it?” My anger had helped tamp down my fear. I wanted to get on with this possession before I panicked again.

“I’m beginning to see why Price likes you,” Cass said, her eyes crinkling as she smiled.

It was infectious. I grinned back. “He doesn’t like me,” I said. “He’s just stuck with me for a while.”

She held out her hand, and I took it before I could bolt for the hills.

“He looks like he’s enjoying the ride,” she said with a waggle of her brows, then got down to business “Don’t pull back. I’ll let go when the connection is good and strong.” Her fingers squeezed hard around mine. She was stronger than she looked.

I knew what to expect, or at least I thought I did. Dreamers approached their victims like something at the edges of your vision. They sneak up while you aren’t looking and nose around until they find a crack in your mind and slip in. Everyone has cracks. Most people have big gaping holes. They’ll be so focused on something, maybe the sick baby or a difficult boss or the trip they’re planning to the Bahamas, that they don’t notice that someone is sneaking into their heads. I’ve heard it’s easier to go in when a person is awake than when they’re asleep because that tight focus an awake mind has will open up unprotected windows all over the place. When you’re asleep, apparently you’re more guarded, more aware.

That’s what I thought was coming, but Cass came at me like a bullet. I felt her drive through my defenses like they weren’t there. I instantly shoved back and fought her grip on my hand. Her fingers clamped tighter, and Price grabbed my shoulders from behind, holding me in place.

I shook my head back and forth and pulled at her fingers with my other hand. The pressure continued, shoving in deeper and deeper, down into the heart of everything that made me
me
. I tried to fling up barriers. Doors slammed in my mind. She brushed past them.

Panic shrilled inside me, and I began to twist and kick.

“Fuck! Hold her! I’m almost there,” Cass yelled.

Another surge, and suddenly she was there, at my center.

“Easy now,” she said. “You’re okay. All I’m going to do is go with you. I’m inside, but I’m separate.”

I heard the words in my ears and inside my head, both. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I started to shiver as my body reacted to the invasion. The tremors turned to shudders, and it felt like I was having a seizure.

Price sat down on the couch and pulled me onto his lap, holding me tight to his chest as he stroked my back.

“It’s okay, Riley. You’re okay. You’ve got to relax. Let it be. I’ve got you. No one is going to hurt you.”

“Give her this.”

The hard edge of a glass pressed against my lips. I took a drink and promptly spit it back out. The stuff was disgusting, like licorice-flavored syrup. Price put it to my lips again, but I shoved it away.

“Are you trying to poison me? Get that foul crap away from me.”

“It’s all I can find,” Cass said. “You should drink it.” She tsked. “The owners are going to hate the stains you’ve left on the couch and carpet.”

The shudders were starting to subside. “I’m okay,” I said, pushing my hair out of my face.

“Sorry about that. I guess I should have used more finesse. Most people don’t react that strongly,” Cass said, sitting back down on the couch. She took the glass from Price, sipped, and then stuck out her tongue and made a face. “That is truly horrible. People pay money for this stuff? I’d rather drink rubbing alcohol.”

“Me, too,” I said, my voice raspy. “I’d take some water, though.”

“Sure. Be right back.”

She set the glass on the end table and left. Price pushed me back, holding my upper arms. He was scowling.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m conscious and I don’t seem to be bleeding. What more could a girl ask for?”

I was still sitting in his lap. I wanted to bury my face in his chest and let him hold me. Instead, I swung my legs down to the floor and stood up. I felt Cass in my head. My vision had gone slightly double and my head ached.

She returned and offered me a glass of water. I guzzled it.

“You two had better get on with this. Riley’s fighting me and sooner or later she’ll either have a stroke or pass out.”

“You didn’t mention that could happen,” Price accused.

“It doesn’t usually, but she’s got some odd stuff in her mind. It’s like a dreamer set up protections. Complicated ones.”

“What?” Someone had been in my mind? “I’ve never had anybody in my head before.”

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you have. A long time ago. Everything they did is integrated.” She winced. “It hurts to be in your head. I’m not sure how long I can last. Like I said, you two ought to hurry.”

I felt like I’d been hit by a train. I didn’t know how to react.
Someone had been fucking around in my mind
. How? Why? When? My brain seemed to go nova. Suddenly I couldn’t see or feel my arms or legs. The shakes came back, only it felt more like seizures.

“Riley. Look at me. Riley!”

Price grabbed my shoulders and gave me a little shake. I blinked and stared up at him. He slid his hands up to cup my face, bending so that his nose nearly touched mine. He locked his eyes on mine, not letting me look away.

“Listen to me, baby. I know this is a lot to take in and seriously scary. You’ll have to deal with it, but right now, you need to pull it together and focus. Can you do that?”

I gave a jerky nod as the dizziness and tremors receded. What other choice did I have?

“Good.” He pressed his lips hard against mine. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Like he could keep that promise. Besides, I had thought I was okay, but apparently I’ve been fooling myself. I really have been brain damaged, apparently for a long time.

I felt like someone had just told me I had incurable cancer. Only someone had deliberately given me this cancer. I didn’t even know if I was really me or some dreamer construct. Like one of those movies about a robot who doesn’t even know she’s a robot until she cuts herself open and finds gears and wires.

I’m a robot. What was I programmed for? I remembered that old movie where Cold War sleeper agents got a phone call and suddenly the soccer mom turned into an assassin, totally controlled by someone else. What if I was a walking time bomb like that?

My mouth went dry. I’d suddenly become a danger to my family and everyone else I cared about. I almost laughed. Like I hadn’t become that the moment the Tyet became interested in me.

Anger finally woke up in my belly. Steel ran down my spine. My jaw jutted as I straightened. Fuck that. I wasn’t going to be someone’s tool.

When this was over, if I was still alive, I was going find out what had been done to me. When I did, I was going to rip it out of my head and I was going to find who’d done it and make them pay.

Chapter 16

CASS FOLLOWED us to the door. The ache in my head wasn’t getting any better. She eyed me sympathetically. “I could get rid of the double vision for you, but I’d have to go deeper. I’m not entirely sure you could live with it.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said.

She looked at Price. “Don’t forget, no more than four or five bad guys at a time. Better to keep it to fewer if you can. Hurry up. Sooner I’m out of Riley’s head the better. Oh, and one more thing, no more romantic crap. Remember when you kiss her, you’re kissing me, too. I don’t need more reasons to go to therapy.”

“No promises,” he said, grabbing my hand again.

We went back up the block. I held onto him tightly. The dizziness was getting worse by the minute, and if I didn’t have him to lean on, I’d probably fall on my face. I scuffed my feet so I didn’t have to pay as much attention to what they were doing.

“Tell me how you’re doing,” Price ordered as we crossed a street. “If this is going to be too much for you, we need to stop now.”

That made me laugh. “Define ‘too much.’” I shook my head and instantly regretted it. “Anyhow, it doesn’t matter. If I don’t do this, where would that leave Josh?” I winced. Even I could hear that my voice was fraying as my mind rebelled against Cass’s invasion. I was winning Price’s case for him. Not that he could stop me. I doubted Cass would give him a refund, and I wasn’t turning back, not now that I’d come this far.

He stopped short and swung me around to face him. “Screw Josh. He got himself into this mess without any help, and he’s a selfish bastard for dragging you into it. He’s not worth your life, Riley. No one is.”

I blinked at him, trying to figure out which of his eyes were real and which were the double-vision pair. “Isn’t that your job? To put your life on the line for people? I mean the cop one, not the one where you do dirty work for the Tyet.”

Saaahmackdown!
Cass said in my head. The word vibrated through my skull, sending aching ripples down my spine.
Oops
,
sorry. But there’s more to you than I thought.

He jerked his head back like I’d hit him. His expression went flat. “My job is to hunt down bad guys. Not to die.”

“What do you do when you’re the bad guy?” I waved the question away. “Never mind. It’s none of my business. You do what you have to do. But I get the picture. You aren’t planning on dying for me. Message received.”

He swore and looked up as if hoping a patience fairy might show up and dump a load on him. She won’t. She never does.

“That’s not what I meant. You already got yourself shot for Josh. This isn’t your fight. You know Taylor would tell you to back off and leave it alone before you get yourself killed.”

“Probably,” I conceded.

You got shot? Holy crap! Sorry I called you rabbity. You got guts, girl.

I winced. “Can’t you just be quiet?”

Oh, right. My bad. Zipping my lips.

Price’s fingers dug into my arms. He looked like he was going to strangle me. I swear his hair was starting to smoke.

“You want me to be quiet?” he demanded roughly, giving me a little shake.

Damn, but that hurt. My head felt like it was about to pop.

“I won’t be quiet. Not so you can commit suicide by Tyet. Promise me that you aren’t going to take unnecessary risks. If you see signs of trouble, I want you to run. Do you understand? Run.”

I put my hands flat on his chest to push myself free. He didn’t let go.

“First of all, I was telling Cass to be quiet, though you can feel free to do the same. Second, you don’t get to tell me what to do, and third, I’m already up to my armpits in trouble.
You
are trouble.
You
are the Tyet.”

A thought occurred to me. I cocked my head curiously and leaned away. “Or is that it? You’re worried about what happens to you when they figure out you’ve been helping me?”

His teeth bared in a snarl. “I know what happens. I’ll be gutted and put through a meat grinder and buried in a coffee can. That isn’t the issue. It isn’t about them,” he said, dropping his hands and striding away. He stood with his back to me, his hands on his hips.

“So what is it about?” I was pretty sure that there was something important happening here. I was also thinking I’d like to sit down on a snowbank if this was going to go on much longer. I glanced around, looking for a good spot. I was too distracted to noticed he’d spun back around, but suddenly I found myself hauled flat up against his chest.

“It’s about you,” he rasped. “It’s about us.”

“Us?” I echoed. “There’s an
us
?”

“God, I hope so,” he growled and kissed me.

My mouth opened under his. It wasn’t a gentle kiss. It wasn’t even friendly. It was primitive and demanding. His teeth ground against my lips. He devoured me, his lips and tongue melding with mine, like he was dying and I was the only thing that could save him. Sparks spiraled through me. My blood fizzed and my bones went liquid. I caught his head in my hands and stood on tiptoe, slanting my head to give him more access. He groaned deep in his belly and tightened his arms around me, his hands sliding over my head, back, and butt like he couldn’t get enough of me.

Ew
.

Cass. I ignored her.

Far too soon, Price pulled away. I made a sound of protest, my fingers curling into his hair to keep him from going too far. He was panting. So was I. My lips felt swollen and hot. His eyes glittered. He rubbed his knuckles gently over my cheek, then cupped my face. I leaned into his touch. His palm felt cool. He bent and kissed me again, more gently this time. His tongue was warm silk against mine. My head spun. I swear he made me drunk. My heart pounded. When he pulled away again, the world tilted. I felt like I was in a plane that was about to crash. Just at the moment, I was ready to ride it all the way to the ground.

Inside my head, I could feel Cass chortling. It was like running electricity through Jell-O.

Whew! I could use a cigarette. Damn! If I’d known the boy could kiss like that, I might have switched teams and bought a ticket to ride on his merry-go-round.

Despite the pain her words caused, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Cass?”

Price rested his forehead against mine, holding my head between his hands. I leaned against him, unable to stand on my own.

“She’s impressed.”

“Fuck her.”

Yeah, sweetheart. Anytime you want, I’ll make you feel better than you ever have in your life.

“She’s willing.”

His fingers tightened on my head. “I’m taken.”

“Oh?” I didn’t know what else to say to that. I didn’t know if I could believe it. It wasn’t possible.

That kiss said I was wrong.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he murmured.

I snorted softly. “Me either.”

Oh how sweet. Pardon me while I fall into a diabetic coma.

“I wish you would. My head is going to crack apart in a minute if you don’t stop talking.”

Then get yourself straightened out with Clay and get on with it.

Clay. I’d forgotten Price had a first name.

He’d pulled away. He frowned, examining me like I was evidence. All two of him. “What do you mean your head is going to crack apart?”

“Having Cass in my head is not terribly comfortable.” I didn’t want to talk about her. I wanted to know about this
us
business.

He scraped his teeth over his lower lip. I watched. I must have looked as hungry as he felt because he groaned.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Or what?” I really had no idea. I mean, was he going to toss me down in the snow and yank my clothes off? Or drag me back to his place for a week? Neither sounded bad. Both were better options than walking into a Tyet building looking for a woman who might be in trouble or might be in on Josh’s kidnapping.

“I never—” He began and then stopped.

This sounded interesting. My stomach tightened, and bees buzzed in my chest. I lifted a brow. “Never what?”

“I don’t—” He broke off again, grimacing and looking down at the ground, all the while holding me like he thought I was going to float away.

“Okay. You don’t and you never. I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He is very eloquent, don’t you think? I’ve never seen him like this. Weird. Usually he’s smooth as glass. He never loses his cool like this. I like it.

I gave an inward roll of my eyes. “Shut up, Cass.”

“Definitely zip it, Cass,” Price said, lifting his heated gaze to meet mine. “I haven’t ever felt this way about anyone.” The words came out fast, like if he didn’t say it now, he never would.

“Like what?” I wasn’t going to jump to any conclusions, even though the bees in my chest had started swirling into a violent swarm. I felt like throwing up. Hope is a painful thing.

“Like I want to kill you and kiss you and not let you out of my sight.”

If he didn’t look so intense, I might have smiled. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a romantic declaration. But clearly it was a tough one for him to make. I’m not much better telling people how I feel. I’m that girl in fifth grade who’d punch a boy if I liked him.

“Okay,” I said.

It wasn’t the response he was looking for. His hands clenched in my hair.

“That’s it?”

“You want to kill me, kiss me, and stalk me. I’m not sure what to say to that.”

He gave a harsh bark of laughter.

Oh God! You two suck at this! I totally need some popcorn.

I winced.

“Shut up, Cass,” he said, reading my expression correctly. “All right, I guess I wasn’t all that clear. I think, no, I
know
, there’s something between us. Something powerful. It scares the shit out of me. I’ve never felt anything like this before. It’s crazy. Impossible. It’s happening way too fast. I’ve been telling myself to back off, it isn’t real. But all I do is think about you and worry when you’re out of sight that you’re going to do something ridiculously brave and stupid. I know you’re not telling me everything, and I’m terrified whatever it is is going to get you killed. I won’t be able to do a damned thing to help you, and it’s going to gut me when that happens.”

The words tumbled out in a froth of heat and emotion. I could only stare mutely as the words sank in. Was he saying that he loved me? The idea was . . . staggering. I opened my mouth and then shut it, my mind blank.

Uh, this is where you declare your undying love and we move along to the risking your lives part
, Cass prodded.

“It’s okay,” Price said, tension digging grooves around his mouth as my silence got longer. “I’d think I was nuts too. Plus I’m Tyet, and that makes me your enemy, not your friend, as you’ve pointed out before. If I need to give you some space to process, I will.”

He loosened his hands and made to step back. I grabbed his forearms, holding him in place. Words clogged in my throat. I didn’t even know what to say.
Yes
was the word that kept trying to work itself out of the tangle, but yes to what? He hadn’t asked any questions.

He went still and waited. His gaze was fixed on me. I felt like a deer facing down a mountain lion.

“Don’t play with me, Riley,” he whispered.

That about tore me in half. This man, this iron-hard warrior, was pleading with me. It seemed like a surreal dream. I was in way over my head, and I didn’t care. I’d never experienced any feelings like this before. I’d fallen in love with him, but I’d never imagined he’d fall for me. I’d never imagined telling him how I felt. The words stuck sideways in my throat, but I couldn’t say nothing. The fear lining his face demanded that I do something to end it.

I stepped forward until I could feel his breath on my cheeks and smell the spicy tang of his cologne.

“You are important to me,” I said.

Oh my God, tell me you didn’t just go there! Talk about a sniveling cop-out. You take the cake, sister. I’m back to thinking you’re a coward rabbit again.

“Important?” Price’s brows winged down, his look withering.

Cass was right. It
was
a cop-out. Don’t judge. I don’t have a lot of practice baring my soul or giving romantic declarations of love.

I would have looked away like the coward Cass thought me, but I couldn’t break the lock of his gaze.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen in love with you,” I said baldly and then went hot with mortification. My face went tomato red, too, which meant my skin was clashing with my hair. I must’ve been gorgeous.

He clasped my face again, his thumbs rubbing over my lips. I melted. He swallowed, his throat jerking. “Do you mean it?” he asked, his voice full of gravel.

“It is beyond stupid, but yes,” I said, my brain short-circuiting.

It’s about time. Can we get on with the show already? Your head hurts, remember? I’m beginning to go a little cross-eyed, too. Besides, we get this done and you can go molest each other all you want.

I barely heard Cass. I was too busy watching Price. A slow smile curved his lips. He looked relieved, and then revoltingly smug. He pulled me in for another kiss. It took my breath away. His lips and tongue were slow and worshipful. I wanted to knock him down and pull off his clothes right then and there.

I pressed my hands against his chest and stepped back.

“I don’t know how long Cass can stay with me. We have to go.”

He took a long breath and let it go slowly. “Right.” He took my hand again as if he couldn’t stop himself, and started to walk, then looked down at me.

“This doesn’t change anything for you, does it? You’re not going to pull back on this at all.”