“Forty-six minutes, to be exact,” Evelyn said. She pulled out a black, gauzy scarf, which she wrapped around my bruised throat. “There, that’s better.”
I went to check my watch, halfway through the motions before I remembered it was gone. Swallowing back a sigh, I shrugged. “Most ladies do not need as much work to be presentable. And anyway, how would you know how long it takes me to get ready, Elliot?”
My brother smiled. When he didn’t speak, I narrowed my eyes at him. “You only think you’re funny.”
At Richard’s chuckle, I turned my attention away from my twin to the others in the room. While I knew Zachary and Richard, the others were strangers. At least one of them I could guess from appearances alone; he had Richard’s eyes. “You must be Alex. I’ve heard a lot about you,” I said, holding my hand out to the Fenerec.
Alex’s grip was strong without being painful. Our gazes met, and when I didn’t lower my eyes, he arched a brow. “You’re asking for one of us to kick your ass, Emmett. It’s good to finally meet you.”
I grinned. If I had listened to my brother’s advice, I would have looked down, but I didn’t feel threatened by the Murphy brothers. If anything, I felt as comfortable with them as I did with Zachary. “You wouldn’t even try it. My brother would skin you for a rug if yours didn’t beat him to the chase.”
After giving my hand another squeeze, Alex relaxed, let me go, and grinned. “If you ever decide to become a Fenerec, you’re going to be pretty dominant.”
I was fairly certain it was a warning disguised as a compliment. “Don’t worry; I have no intentions of becoming a Fenerec. I have enough problems from being a witch. I don’t need to borrow even more trouble.”
Alex frowned. “I was under the impression you aren’t exactly powerful, so far as witches go.” With a flare of his nostrils, he leaned closer to me. I stood firm, wondering what his nose was telling him. “Still, you do smell of witch. Earth?”
“Earth,” I confirmed, shoving my hands into my jacket’s pockets. “As you say, I’m not very strong—just enough of a witch to cause me problems.”
It wasn’t a lie; I couldn’t manipulate the ground as the truly powerful earth witches could. “I’m a low-grade sensor. If you’ve lost a gemstone, however, I’m your man.”
No one beyond my brother—and maybe Evelyn—needed to know what else I could sense.
“Dowsing isn’t exactly low-grade,” Alex countered.
I snorted at the thought of me looking for water on purpose. “No. Dowsing involves water, and the only thing I do in water is sink.”
My brother laughed. “He’s very talented at sinking, it’s true. Sometimes I worry he wants to drown, the way he flails in anything deeper than six inches.”
Glaring at my twin, I replied, “Be nice.”
Rising from where he sat, Zachary took hold of my elbow and pulled me towards the door. “You look gray, Boss. Let’s get you to dinner so I can get back to work. Max is up top waiting. There’s a table in a quiet spot reserved for you, and if you need anything, he’ll take care of you. The rest of these gentlemen are your security detail until you’re safely in Canada with Richard’s pack. Get used to seeing them around. I picked them myself. Mr. Anderson was generous enough to have them flown in. We’ll do proper introductions after dinner.”
Sighing at the thought of a security detail, I surrendered to the inevitable with a nod. “A pleasure to meet you, gentlemen.”
My greeting was answered by solemn nods. A dark-haired young man squeezed through the crowd, holding out his hand. When we shook, he said, “I’m Derek. I’ll be the head of your detail, sir. With at least two Fenerec with you, I’ll be the only one on watch during dinner. I trust you know better than to try to ditch security.”
I wanted to sigh, but I forced a smile instead. “It would be a slow, painful escape, I assure you. If I tried, I’m certain Zachary would dress up as a pirate and force me to walk the plank.”
My friend laughed. “Too much work. I’ll let you off the hook this time, Boss. I’ll leave him to you, Derek. Page me if you need anything.”
“The only thing I need or want right now is dinner,” I announced, gesturing to the door, which I doubted I could muscle my way to even if I wanted. “We’ll talk later, Zachary.” If the deepening of my tone didn’t warn Zachary we’d be talking about my new security detail, I hoped my narrow-eyed glare would. My annoyance at the detail was made worse by the realization that I couldn’t blame him for the precaution.
Zachary grimaced. “Understood, Boss.”
My twin got to his feet and said, “Don’t worry. He’s grumpy when hungry.”
Scowling at my brother resulted in an unrepentant grin.
Evelyn smiled at me, linking her arm with mine. “I think we’re all a little hungry.”
After everyone filed out, leaving Evelyn and me to follow in their wake, I was faced with a three-way dispute over who would walk beside me. Torn between amusement and dismay, I watched as Richard won without saying a single word, leaving Elliot and Derek to trail behind me. My twin muttered curses, earning a glower from me at his language, which he ignored.
Richard nudged me with his elbow. “We’re keeping it on the down-low that you’re still among the living. The Inquisitors on board have sworn to keep their mouths shut long enough for me to fly you to Yellowknife. My wife and her witch have probably set up something for you at the lodge as a temporary residence, but who knows? They’re always managing to surprise me. I hope you’re not used to anything fancy; we didn’t have enough time to plan,” he warned. He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. “I should call her and just tell her to give you some rooms at the house.”
My brother’s laughter spurred me into turning around to face him. Grinning at me, he said, “Don’t worry about something fancy for him. He lives in a two bedroom place that barely classifies as a house.”
Seething from irritation at my twin’s discounting of my home, I snapped, “I like my house, thank you very much.” He was right on the size; it was more of a cottage. Suzanne had liked it far more than I did, but moving somewhere larger and more to my tastes seemed pointless when I didn’t have any need for extra space.
It was a perfectly good place for a man who lived alone.
I engaged my brother in a staring contest, which was broken when Richard cleared his throat. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, then. Is there anything you’ll need until you’ve been given the all clear?”
“The internet and access to your secure line,” I replied.
“Easily done.”
My brother patted my shoulder. “To throw any unwanted attention off your trail, you’re swapping with me. I’ve asked someone to tag along to make it look real, and I’ve already recruited Zachary’s help in making duplicates of my wallet for your use until you’re in Yellowknife.”
I felt like a trap was closing in around me, caging me into the schemes of others. Making plans and tricking people was my job, and I clenched my teeth at the realization that Richard, Zachary, and my twin were cornering me. “Who?”
“My boss,” Elliot replied.
I pinched at the bridge of my nose, wondering if I’d be expected to take orders from my twin’s boss—and what sort of things I’d have to do to pretend I was the Shadow Pope of the Inquisition. The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea. The number of things that could go wrong increased exponentially. “This is a terrible idea.”
To make matters worse, I had a difficult time imagining Elliot taking orders from anyone. Sometimes I managed to twist his arm to get him to do things my way, but it wasn’t often. Usually, I danced to his tune.
“You’ll like her,” he reassured me.
Evelyn’s grip on my arm tightened. I patted her hand with mine, uncertain of what was causing her reaction. I wasn’t certain what was going on, but I decided I’d find out eventually, which would have to suffice until after dinner. “I’m pretty sure the Inquisition is going to be upset when they find out I’m running around as you,” I warned my brother.
“That’s my problem, not yours. Until I find out who was behind what happened here and at Oconee, you’re going along with it. You’ll be staying with Richard, and you’ll be going as me to get there safely.”
Judging from my brother’s firm tone, he wasn’t going to accept no for an answer, so I sighed my surrender. “Fine, but I’m going to be digging for information, too.”
“I was counting on it.”
~~*~~
The table reserved for us was tucked in a quiet corner away from the main crowd, far enough from the buffet I sighed in resignation. The walk across the ship established my knee was stiff, sore, and not likely to improve over the course of the evening. Derek took up residence nearby, leaning against a wall, watching the passengers.
The brown-haired woman from my brother’s photograph waited for us, dressed in a blue blazer jacket and matching slacks. She rose at our approach, her eyes widening as she looked between my twin and me.
“Anderson?” she asked, her tone uncertain as she inspected us both. For a moment, I wasn’t certain if she’d be able to tell us apart. She focused on my brother. “You didn’t tell me your brother was so much like you.” There was a faint touch of a British accent in her voice.
“Traditionally, we’re called twins,” my brother conceded with a smug grin. “Victoria, this is Emmett Jackson, the black sheep of the family, and my older brother.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Jackson,” she said, holding out her hand. We shook, our grips firm, and I could feel her testing my strength, although I kept my touch light.
“I hear you’re Elliot’s boss. My condolences, ma’am,” I replied, freeing my hand.
There was something predatory about Victoria’s smile. “Call me Vicky, please. You must have some interesting stories to tell, if you’re his brother.”
I bristled at the ‘if’ in her statement, but forced myself to smile back at her. “Not as many as you might think, I’m afraid.” Gesturing to Evelyn, I said, “This is Evelyn.”
“Charmed,” Evelyn murmured, and with a smile that was the match of Vicky’s, she held out her hand.
I took advantage of the distraction to free my arm from the Fenerec’s so I could pull out a chair for her. When I caught a glimpse of the wolf-yellow tint in Evelyn’s eyes, I froze. I held my breath when I realized that Vicky’s brown likewise shone with gold.
“Oh, dear,” Richard said, clearing his throat to catch Vicky and Evelyn’s attention. “Ladies, please. Could this wait until later?”
It was Alex who snorted, circling the table to stand between Evelyn and me. I took a step back, baffled at the Fenerec’s behavior. When I glanced at Elliot, he held his hands up, his expression a mix of worry and confusion.
“As if you’d wait if a male came into your territory,” Alex said when the silence dragged. “You wouldn’t, and you know it.”
I frowned, turning to the two women, wondering what they were disputing and why. I considered Alex’s words and decided to deal with the men first. “I’ll have you know that this is
my
territory, thank you,” I said in my firmest tone, allowing some of my irritation to surface. “Zachary belongs to me. If you want to snarl at each other, by all means do so—overboard, if you please.”
Evelyn and Vicky stepped away from each other. While Evelyn’s cheeks flushed as red as her hair, Vicky looked away and down at the floor. I watched them both, tensing as I waited for one of them to speak. They both remained silent.
Richard touched my elbow, drawing my attention away from the women. “Let’s get something to eat, Jackson,” he suggested, tilting his head to the side in a gesture I didn’t recognize, one that exposed the Fenerec’s throat. Alex sucked in a breath, paling several shades.
My brother crowded Alex aside, linking his arm with mine to pull me in the direction of the buffet. “That sounds like a fantastic idea, Richard. Come on, Jackson. You need to eat something before you do something we will all regret but won’t be able to blame you for.”
My stomach gurgled its agreement, which irritated me even more. Jerking my arm free of his, I stalked towards the buffet, muttering curses under my breath. Elliot trailed after me. “Relax, Dante. Vicky’s just tired and doesn’t like surprises—which is why I enjoy surprising her so much.”
“Your girlfriend is a Fenerec, Elliot. Are you insane?” I hissed back at him.
My brother sucked in a breath, and his eyes widened. “How did you know she’s a Fenerec?”
“Her eyes.”
“Her eyes? What about them? They’re hazel.”
I stopped to regard my brother with an arched brow. “There’s a difference between hazel and wolf-yellow, Elliot.”
“They’re hazel,” he repeated, the muscles of his jaw twitching.
“I’ve seen Evelyn’s eyes, Elliot—I know what it looks like,” I replied, forcing myself to look away from my brother to grab a plate. An intimidating assortment of food waited for me. After a moment of thought, I headed for the salad bar.
Richard intercepted me, taking my empty plate and handing me one burdened with a mountainous pile of roast beef. “What you need is a lot of protein. Trust me on this one.”
With a shake of his head and a disgusted snort, my brother claimed the meat from me. “He’ll die if that’s all he eats.”
“I think I’m capable of picking out my own dinner,” I muttered, grabbing a new plate and heading to the salad bar, leaving my twin with two plates. Grumbling complaints at their efforts to dictate my dinner and offer advice, I retreated back to the table.
I was a little relieved to be alone for a few minutes, claiming a seat and leaving the others to sort out where to sit around me. Richard claimed a chair beside me while Evelyn snagged the other one. My twin ended up seated between Alex and Vicky. For better or worse, the two women sat next to each other.
“Rabbit food?” Evelyn stared at my plate, wrinkling her nose at my dinner.
“An entire plate of fried chicken?” I countered, both amazed and disgusted at the vast quantity of meat at our table. Even Elliot was indulging, his plate devoid of greens or vegetables.
“It’s good.” As though proving some point I didn’t understand, she grabbed one of her drumsticks and chomped on it.
Smothering my desire to laugh, I skewered a piece of cucumber. “So is this,” I replied, taking a bite to mimic her.