Unbinding (5 page)

“Not,” Dell said.

Cullen twisted to look at her. “They’re not normal? Or they’re not carnivorous?”

“Like Dell.”

“Blood drinkers,” Nathan said. “They drank Kai’s blood?”

“Go fast,” she said.

Maybe a hundred would be better.

*   *   *

“N
O
one is being admitted to the scene. Move away now to keep our access clear.”

Nathan had nothing against cops. He’d been one himself for a time. But the officer stationed at the police cordon near the coffee shop was beginning to annoy him. “If you lack the authority to admit us, you need to contact your superior.”

“No, sir, I do not. Orders are clear. The three of you need to move away.”

“Look,” Cullen said, “you’ve seen my ID. If the FBI is here—”

“I can’t give you that information, but if they were here and if they wanted you to join them, they’d have let me know, wouldn’t they?” There was a definite touch of smirk to his mouth.

Cullen’s scowl should have melted the officious young officer into a puddle of cooperation. Instead the man stood even stiffer. “I’ve told you twice now to move on.”

“It’s a public goddamn sidewalk, asshole.”

A sidewalk currently crowded with curiosity seekers and a couple reporters, one of whom was eyeing Cullen. He was certainly photogenic, but it was also possible the woman recognized him. Nathan touched Cullen’s arm to get his attention and jerked his head to the left, where Benedict waited. For a moment he thought Cullen was going to stay and argue himself into getting arrested, but Benedict said his name. Cullen huffed out an impatient breath and obeyed.

Benedict and his men had arrived a bare five minutes ahead of Nathan. They’d been told to move along, too, and Benedict had chosen to seem to obey. Though he’d deployed his squad, only two of them were visible, and Benedict himself was waiting about twenty feet away. It was a good decision. This young cop was the type to react to intimidation by doubling down, and all Benedict had to do to look intimidating was breathe.

“I’m going to call Kai,” Nathan said as they headed for Benedict. “Cullen, maybe you should call Ruben.”

“Damn straight I will. I’m betting the FBI hasn’t been called in at all. Whatever idiot is in charge decided to shut them out for some stupid reason, though this is clearly a Unit 12 matter. If—”

Dell spoke suddenly. “Kai pissed. Wants us come in.”

Nathan glanced at her. “I imagine so. But she doesn’t want you to do anything, does she?” Such as break the young officer’s neck so she could get inside.

Dell growled softly. Nathan took that for an affirmative.

They’d reached Benedict. Cullen pulled his phone out. “Dell, you going to be okay waiting a little longer? Ruben can get us in, but it may take—”

“No need,” Benedict said. “Arjenie already called him.” He nodded at the barricade, where a dirty white Ford was pulling up. “Guess he sent us this guy, since Lily’s in France.”

Cullen stopped and shook his head. “Huh. Who’d have thought I’d ever be glad to see the Big A?”

“He’ll admit us?” Nathan asked.

“Yeah. He’s an asshole, but he’s not stupid.”

The four of them headed back toward the barricade, where three people were getting out of the car—two men and a woman. It was obvious which one was in charge, but not because he looked the part. Derwin Ackleford, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s local office, was a middle-aged Anglo, neither short nor tall, fat nor thin. He wore a suit the color of bland and a grade-A scowl.

Nathan had met Ackleford during the legal sort-out of the events that brought him and Kai back to Earth. The man was regular FBI, not part of their Magical Crimes Division, much less the special unit that investigated the most serious magical problems. While he had a smidgeon of a Gift, he preferred to think of himself as a null. He didn’t like magic, didn’t trust it, and knew damn little about it. Still, if he was reasonable about using the resources at hand—i.e., Nathan and Cullen—his ignorance didn’t have to be a major problem.

“Ackleford,” Cullen called as they drew near. “We need to get in there, and Dickhead over there isn’t listening.”

Ackleford, as usual, stank of cigarette smoke. He aimed his scowl at Cullen. “I know why you’re here. But you two—” He pointed at Benedict, then at Nathan. “You two can go away. Believe it or not, I’m not here to reunite everyone with their girlfriends.”

Benedict said, “You might find my nose helpful.”

Ackleford considered that. The idea didn’t make him any happier, but he said, “All right. But it’s my turf, so my rules. As for you.” He turned the scowl on Nathan. “Your girlfriend doesn’t need you to hold her hand while someone sticks on a bandage or two. If she even needs bandages. Didn’t sound like it. You can wait out here with—”

“Now, that’s short-sighted,” Nathan said. “I know a lot about magic.”

“I’ve got Seabourne for the woo-woo stuff.”

“I have knowledge that Cullen doesn’t.”

Ackleford knew that Nathan was sidhe and that he served the Queen of Winter. Not that he understood who and what Winter was, no more than he knew what exactly Nathan was. But he had at least been told about her. “This have something to do with your elf queen?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You get your visa problem straightened out?”

“I’m all official now.” Nathan had a passport issued by the Queen of Winter, but getting an entry stamp had been a bit of a problem. He hadn’t come into the U.S. in the usual way, for one thing. For another, other realms had been myth to the people here for a long time. That had changed, but while the U.S. had recently altered the legal definition of “country” to include nation-states not part of Earth, the rest of the legal apparatus hadn’t caught up yet. In the end, the secretary of state had had to issue a special allowance.

“That helps, but—” Ackleford looked at Cullen. “Seabourne? You want him underfoot?”

“Hell, yes. Were you really considering not using him?”

“Hell, yes. But if you want him, I can live with it. You.” He jabbed a finger at Dell. “Who are you, and why are you here?”

She didn’t answer, though she studied Ackleford intently. Nathan spoke for her. “She’s called Dell. She needs to see Kai, too. It’s important.”

“Dell. That your first name or last?”

“Just Dell,” Nathan said.

“She can answer for herself, Hunter.”

“Actually, she can’t,” Cullen said. “Not easily. She doesn’t use language well. And no, I won’t explain here—see the reporter headed our way?—but you need to let her see Kai.”

Dell must have figured out that this man was the key to getting to Kai. She spoke to him. “Kai pissed. Needs me.”

“So you do talk. What does she need you for?”

“Bug bites. Needs me fast.” She looked at Nathan.
“Fast, fast, fast!”

“Special Agent,” Nathan said, “I need to get Dell to Kai. Dell hasn’t been able to tell me why, but if she says ‘fast,’ I believe her.”

Behind Ackleford’s abrasive manner lay a sharp mind. The man looked sour enough to curdle milk, but he said, “All right. Don’t make me regret this. I probably will, but you can at least try not to turn this into a complete clusterfuck. Come on.”

At the barricade he treated the young cop to his scowl. “Where the hell’s your sign-in sheet? You letting people on-scene without them signing in? Burns, stay here and show the dickhead how to set up a sign-in sheet. See if he’s got any clue who has already entered. Probably not, but—”

“Sir,” the cop interrupted desperately, “a sign-in sheet isn’t needed because no one is allowed to enter the scene at this time. We’re treating it as a biohazard zone, so—”

“Yeah?” Ackleford pulled out his ID case. “Well, I’m Special Agent Derwin Ackleford. This is now my fucking scene, and I want a fucking sign-in sheet.”

A
police lieutenant with coarse gray hair, sixty extra pounds, and breasts lay in wait for Ackleford just inside Fagioli. Battle was joined immediately. Nathan didn’t wait to watch Ackleford dispose of his opponent. His ability to go unnoticed was minor, but it worked a treat in situations like this. People would see him just fine as he edged past the combatants. They just wouldn’t pay any attention.

Once inside, he stopped and looked for Kai.

The long, narrow room was mobbed with dazed, excited, angry, and frightened people talking at each other. Add in EMTs, paramedics, and a handful of cops and you had a standing-room-only crowd. He glimpsed a bright red head moving their way through the crowd—Arjenie Fox, no doubt heading for Benedict. No Kai.

On his left, the wall was punctuated by two arches that gave access to the patio. Or would have, had the cast iron doors been open. Looked like the patio had been evacuated, save for a couple cops who seemed to be sweeping the flagstones. That’s why the place was so crowded.

“Gods!” Seabourne groaned. “Those idiots! Sweeping up the—you!” He grabbed one of the silent agents. The man, as it turned out. The woman had been left behind to explain about sign-in sheets. “Come with me and get rid of those clowns!”

“Uh—I don’t know if—”

“Do it,” Ackleford snapped.

“Don’t you be telling my people—” the lieutenant began. “Hey, you! Stop!”

Dell had waited as long as she was going to. The chameleon darted past the lieutenant, who tried to grab her. Fortunately for everyone, he missed.

Nathan followed Dell. That was the easiest way to find Kai.

One thing about this particular hiding-form. It might not be as powerful as Dell’s original body, but it was not really weak. Dell shoved, elbowed, and—once—lifted people out of her way. Nathan had to pause when Dell knocked one young man to the floor right in front of him, so he heard Kai before he saw her. “I told you I was fine. And you cannot just yank the EMT out of—sorry, sorry, she’s a trifle anxious. You’re done, though, right? There’s nothing more to check . . . all right, Dell, you’re here, so see for yourself that I’m fine.”

Nathan helped the young man to his feet, apologized quickly, and at last saw Kai.

She sat at a tiny round table against the west wall. Dell sat across from her, holding Kai’s hands with both of hers, her eyes closed and her face blank. An irritated young woman—the EMT who’d been evicted from the chair Dell now occupied—crouched nearby, packing a blood pressure cuff back into her kit.

Kai’s jeans and tank shirt were still tidy, aside from some pink smears. So was the hair she’d pulled into its usual braid. Her glasses were intact. But her beautiful, coppery skin was covered in some shiny ointment . . . and in tiny red welts. Hundreds of them, looked like. Arms, cheeks, throat, hands. They were everywhere.

She looked up. “Hi, there. Do I look that bad?”

“Like you have a bad case of measles.” He moved close and squatted down beside her, wishing he could hold her hands instead of Dell, which was silly of him. He couldn’t do what Dell could. He smiled at his own nonsense, and Kai smiled back. He loved her smile. The corners of her wide mouth curled up at the ends like quotation marks, giving her the look of a satisfied cat. It was adorable, an adjective he’d learned she did not care for, so he didn’t mention it now. “A really bad case of measles. Do they hurt?”

“No, and they haven’t raised my temperature or my blood pressure, but they itch. Clara—she’s the EMT—gave me some ointment that’s supposed to help. So far it hasn’t.”

“Itching can drive you mad,” he agreed, and frowned. “You smell funny.”

“You do know you aren’t supposed to tell a woman that?”

“Could be I’m smelling the butterflies on you.”

“Could be. A lot of them got smushed against my skin. Clara washed off the pink dust and butterfly guts, but the smell probably lingers enough for your nose. Um, Dell thinks that since you’re here, I should pay attention. She expects this to be tricky, so would you watch over us both?”

Tricky? Nathan frowned, but there didn’t seem much point in questioning Dell. He stood and laid one hand on Kai’s shoulder. “Of course.”

Her breathing slowed. So did her heartbeat, which he could hear when he stood this close. His Kai. She felt
safe
with him. Safe on a level thought couldn’t reach. Even in a room this crowded with noise and strangers, she could trance deeply when he was touching her.

Nathan called up power and settled himself to guard. He took a slow breath, carefully noting the scents, then scanned the room so he’d have a baseline image—out, around, up, down. It amazed him how often people forgot to look up or down. He did the same with the sounds, then with the tactile messages the room offered—temperature, airflow. The part of him that watched would note all changes, although only a few would be brought to his conscious attention.

Then he took a slower survey to gather information. To his right, three young women sat at a small table—two blondes and a redhead. The two blondes were spotted like Kai, though not as extensively. The redhead had her back to him, so he couldn’t tell about her for sure, but she was scratching one hand with the other one. A uniformed officer was questioning them, but they insisted they hadn’t seen anything except butterflies, and for God’s sake, couldn’t they go home?

There were three reasons for their demand, all under the age of three. The redhead held a squirming toddler who kept trying to scratch her arm. One of the blondes was nursing a baby, and the other jiggled a stroller. Nathan couldn’t see the stroller’s occupant, but he could hear him or her. Very soon those whimpers would become a wail.

No visible threats. He kept scanning.

The EMT had finished repacking her kit and moved to a pair of young men standing against the back wall. She asked if either of them needed treatment. Neither had visible bite marks, and both shook their heads. On the other side of Kai’s table were the restrooms and a door that probably led to storage. He focused carefully, tuning out the other sounds . . . two people in Ladies’, no one in Men’s.

A pair of uniformed officers came into the room from the patio, closing the iron gate behind them. The cops with the brooms, he thought. Cullen must have succeeded in evicting them. Ackleford was still at the front of the room. Not that Nathan could see him, but a moment’s concentration let him sort Ackleford’s voice from the rest. The shifting of people between him and the door marked someone moving toward the back of the room. He glimpsed a dark head . . . Benedict.

Nathan took a moment to check on Kai. Still deeply tranced. The red spots from the bites hadn’t faded. He frowned and bent so he could sniff the skin of her bare shoulder. That faint trace of not-Kai scent on her skin bothered him, tickled at his memory. He’d smelled something similar once. Not the same, but similar . . .

“Why didn’t I see you head back this way?” Benedict demanded as he reached Nathan. Arjenie was with him.

Nathan straightened. “You saw. You just didn’t notice.”

“I’m in the habit of noticing. What did you do?” Benedict didn’t raise his voice, but he put some demand into it.

Did Benedict realize how often he tried to place Nathan under his authority, or was it so instinctive he hadn’t noticed? “I’ll ask you to keep your voice calm so you don’t disturb Kai.”

“She’s in a healing trance?” Arjenie asked, tilting her head. “In this noisy place?”

“Kai’s good at trance.”

Benedict gave Kai and Dell a quick glance, but repeated, “I’m in the habit of noticing, but the moment I took my eyes off you, you were gone.”

Nathan sighed. Clearly Benedict wasn’t going to let it drop. “It’s a trick of mine, similar to what Arjenie does, but less powerful. Had you been paying attention to me, it wouldn’t have worked.”

“You’re like me?” Arjenie said, delighted. “I’ve never met anyone who had even a teensy trace of my Gift.”

One of the women exited the Ladies’—tall, dark-skinned, about forty. “I don’t know that it’s the same Gift, but the effect is similar. Although, like I said, mine isn’t as effective as yours.”

Benedict wasn’t done yet. “You didn’t use this trick of yours to get past the cop at the barrier.”

“Wouldn’t have worked. He was paying attention.”

“Any more tricks I should know about?”

Arjenie elbowed him in the ribs.

He frowned at her. “What?”

“That’s rude. It’s rude here because it’s pushy, and it’s even more rude where Nathan comes from. You don’t go around asking people how powerful they are.”

“Be good to know, though.” He looked at Nathan. “Seabourne says you’ve got a whole tangle of Gifts.”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

“You’ve got a dagger that disappears when you aren’t using it.”

“True. Have your people already healed their bites?”

Benedict’s eyebrows twitched down in dissatisfaction, but he answered. “I assume so. I haven’t seen them yet. They made the lieutenant nervous, so she stuck them out back with a couple officers.”

“I’d like to know.”

Benedict frowned and looked at Kai again, this time carefully. “How fast does she usually heal when Dell does this?”

Nathan forbore to explain again that it wasn’t healing, it was body magic. “Faster than you.”

“You think something’s wrong.” Benedict didn’t wait for an answer, already turning away as he said, “We need Seabourne.”

The redhead at the next table screamed.