“Thank you, Sunshine,” I said, exaggerating my smile. I sat down and lifted my glass, but Logan caught my wrist. A few drops of red wine blotted the white napkin.
“It’s bad luck to drink without a toast.”
Logan stood up and commanded everyone’s attention.
“To a bountiful meal—may we always have friends to share our spoils. To our quests in life—may we always learn from failure and be humbled by success. To those who have found love,” he said pointedly to Sunny and Knox, “and to those who seek it—may we deserve what fate puts in our hand. Finally, to our enchanting hostess...”
Logan spun on his heel staring down at me, and I turned five shades of red.
“Your efforts will be rewarded with my appetite. Should the beef be tough and undercooked—then I will lick my plate clean.”
Everyone tapped glasses and began conversation.
Logan flipped out the napkin across his lap and whispered in my direction, “You should wear red more often.”
I put the back of my hand on my cheek to test if it was still hot. When I heard Justus’s stomach growl, I forgot my embarrassment and passed him the guacamole.
Adam lifted his fork. “What line of work are you in, Logan Cross?”
A bell pepper flew down the wrong pipe and I coughed.
Logan lightly patted my back and replied, “I’m between jobs at the moment, but I see an opportunity in my horizon. I’m offering my services to Justus at a reasonable fee.”
His answer avoided the dreaded question of how
we
met. If Adam knew the truth, he would have pointed out that my forgiving Logan was a character flaw.
Justus leaned over his plate and bit into a fajita, grunting his praise as his eyes floated across the table.
“Novis, we have made progress with our case and hope to bring the truth to light with this Mage.” He lifted his crystal glass and removed a quarter of the wine in a swallow. “I have a request to ask of the Council: permission to access the Mageri records on behalf of HALO. What you provide us will remain confidential.” Justus cleared his throat nervously.
Novis smoothed a finger across his thin lips. Age seeped through his youthful eyes; you couldn’t let the spiky bedhead fool you. He reached for the sour cream with his long slender fingers and spooned it over his beans. I had only met him a couple of times, but I liked him. There was wisdom in every groove of his aura.
“Explore your alternatives, Justus. As the keeper of the records, I’m reluctant to hand over information that will not produce results. While HALO is a separate entity, you continue to involve us in your efforts and that is a conflict of interest. A breach would bring
severe
consequences.”
Novis bit into a tortilla chip. “Explore your alternatives first, and be sure you don’t neglect your other cases. Last month was a stellar success with the capture of a conspirator, and the Relics are grateful.”
Justus offered a respectful nod. “You have our gratitude. The records will be a last resort.”
It was evident he respected Novis and sought to gain his trust. The conversation also brought to light the importance of Justus’s role with HALO. He spent hours in his room, and I was beginning to see how valued he was.
Knox broke the silence. “Pass me some of that red sh—stuff. My girl needs more for her chips.”
Adam’s wine went down the wrong way as he laughed into his glass.
We paid attention to every exchange between Sunny and Knox, passing amused glances across the table. Neither of us could have predicted this unexpected pairing.
“You’ve outdone yourself, love,” Simon applauded—literally—at the end of the meal. After I announced I made the enchiladas myself, a competition began between him and Logan to polish off the dish. Simon never backed down from a challenge, even a silent one.
Amid conversation, I flattened my fingers on the table, pulling the energy from Adam’s knife. It slid towards me clumsily, and Justus dropped his hand over it.
“Don’t use your gifts at the table, Learner.”
“Novis, I can’t thank you enough for taking in Sunny. I know she’s anxious to find a place of her own and get out of your hair. Are there any safe areas of the city you would recommend? I’m concerned about Marco.”
Knox threw his shoulders back, pressing a finger on the table. “That fucker isn’t coming within a ten mile radius of her. She’ll have the tightest security in place; that’s my specialty.”
Well, that settled that.
“Don’t worry about me, Silver. I have a feeling I’m going to be inside Fort Knox.”
Simon tucked the last of the enchilada in his cheek. “No doubt Fort Knox will be inside of—”
Adam punched his arm, cutting off the thought before it left his mouth. Simon didn’t always think before speaking, and I had a feeling Knox wouldn’t have seen the humor.
“I want to help find this guy,” I announced. “This all began with me, and nothing would make me happier than spoiling his plans.”
“No, Learner, you have done
enough
,” Justus said.
The tone was accusatory, and my face heated. Novis was an important guest, and confronting my Ghuardian in his presence would have been inappropriate.
When the conversations resumed, I looked at Logan. Something made me turn, and I caught him staring at his empty plate with vacant eyes. He was growling. Maybe I was more attuned to it after spending time alone with him, because no one else noticed.
“Stop that,” I whispered, getting out of my chair and leaving the room.
I paced back and forth in the kitchen, blowing out a breath. I couldn’t get used to someone dictating my life, making decisions in my interest, and reprimanding me.
I returned with churros, which I had no part in making. It was a cinnamon stick with a rich dipping sauce, and Logan made them.
“You underestimate the female, it’s a pity that you can’t see how invaluable her abilities are,” Logan said, wiping the corner of his mouth with the cloth napkin and tossing it on his plate. “You must always know your enemy. Stupidity is walking into a trap; the advantage comes in setting one. He thinks he’s pulling the strings. Well, I for one never cared for puppeteers.”
A fork bounced across the table. “You want to use her as bait?” Adam was hot.
“Question my intent once and I will overlook it,” Logan bit out, “but question it twice, and the gloves are off.”
“Does anyone want to hear what I think?” I stood in my short black dress by the chair and raked them over with my eyes. “There has been too much planning around something that involved me—that is not
involving
me. You have nothing on him right now outside of juicing. He’s smart, and if he suspects that we’re after him, he’ll cover his tracks.”
“Learner,” Justus warned.
“Let her finish.”
I flicked my eyes suspiciously to Logan.
Simon threw back his head and laughed.
“Marco only met me once in my human form. There’s a good chance he has no idea that I’m physically different, so that puts me at an advantage. I can get close to him.”
I sat down hard, tempted to drink my glass of wine to the bottom, but I simply ran my finger around the rim. “I know enough about the benefactor to use that knowledge. Marco doesn’t know me.
I
am the Trojan horse. Put me in with Marco and I’ll get the information we need. If you continue to tiptoe on his turf, he’s going to catch on. I’m a female Mage, so that could get me close enough. I can help if you just give me a chance.”
I polished off my wine.
A chair slid back and all eyes went to Novis, who rose to his feet. At that point, it was safe to assume I had royally overstepped my bounds as a Learner, insulted a Council member, embarrassed my Ghuardian, made Knox feel like a dipshit, and…
“Fellow Mage,” he spoke, resting his fingertips against the table. “I’m honored to see the beginnings of this Learner. Silver is a worthy addition to the Mageri; wisdom does not always come with age.” His eyes locked on Justus. “The weight that holds us down is that of an obese ego. I can offer no advice, nor do I care to listen to these conversations any further this evening, as a member of the Council should have no part. Make your decisions wisely, and I hope that you will see that this Learner has more to offer us than delicious fajitas.” Novis flashed a smile at me and winked. “And they are delicious, by the way.”
I dreaded what Justus would say. My speaking out was a direct reflection on his ability to teach me properly. Instead, he looked on me with pride. Any compliment to me went indirectly to my Ghuardian.
When I looked back to Novis, I found myself staring at a churro. Logan waved it in a circular motion playfully as he turned it around and shoved it in his mouth.
Chapter 18
Early the next morning, I joined Justus in the training room downstairs
. Simon and Logan were borderline food coma, and I needed to get some practice in. Usually I just worked out, but I felt like buffing up some of my skills. The room had weights and an open mat where we sparred. Down here, we had electricity illuminating the weapons mounted on the wall—mostly knives. I focused on strength building and agility, and occasionally he taught me a new move. Justus had all the moves, and mastered how to concentrate energy to an explosive degree. Some of the older ones learned a trick of balling up energy and using it for a single burst. It looked like a vanishing act, and I saw him do it outside of a bar once.
Four hours in, Justus finally broke the silence.
“I agree to this.”
“Agree to what?” I sucked down half a bottle of water and bent over.
“I want to know why my maker is involved. He led Samil to you,” he said angrily. “This is not the man that taught me about morals and obligations.” Justus threw the towel to the floor. “He was a Mage of honor. Regardless of the path he has chosen, I do not believe he would physically harm you. However, you will not meet him unprepared. I will teach you his weaknesses.”
“You don’t think I can hold my own?”
His steel blue eyes met mine. “I never doubted your courage, only your obedience.”
I loved the big guy, despite everything, and a mischievous smile crept over my face. Through my peripheral, I memorized the location and distance of his wrist so I could pull him off balance. My Ghuardian was too clever for my whims of insanity and fell into a fighting stance.
We circled each other.
“I will fight as Marco does. Pay attention and learn from me.” His bare feet slid over the mat, and I concentrated on his intent through subtle movements.
Justus moved like a warrior on a battlefield. It was strange to think my Ghuardian had spent years of training under Marco as a Learner. I was so used to seeing him as the man in charge that I forgot he was once himself a student.
His incredible movements made my head spin.
I bent over as he was reaching for my arm, and he clipped me in the mouth by accident. There was no time to think as he pursued me until I was cornered. I couldn’t gain any distance between us. These were not Justus’s tactics; the style was aggressive.
I kicked off the wall with a flash of energy and threw myself over him, using his shoulder for balance. It took months to learn how to manipulate my flashing abilities, and most of the time I landed on my back. He pivoted around and charged, forcing me against the wall. I did the only thing that came to mind and dropped to one knee, eye level with his crotch.
Marco’s moves were not calculated, but like a firestorm. He didn’t give his opponent time to think— only react. If Marco taught these moves to Justus, I wondered why
he
never fought this way.
I chomped my teeth and Justus hesitated. I had never threatened his manhood before, but if it meant saving my ass, then I was willing to go the distance.
He swung a heavy arm when a gust of wind cooled my forehead. Bodies slid across the floor in a calamity of sound and tangled limbs.
“No!” I screamed.
Logan pinned Justus to the ground with anger splashed across his complexion. The only thing preventing those incisors from piercing my Ghuardian’s neck was a strong forearm with a tight fist. Justus grimaced and a vein throbbed in his forehead. Logan held his other arm so he couldn’t use his power, and neither man was holding back.