Deceiver's Bond: Book Two of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life (13 page)

At my apartment building, I waited for Michael to park his forest-green Subaru in a guest slot.

As he approached, he walked with a limp that I didn’t recall noticing before. Despite the hitch in his gait, he appeared physically fit. He had that broad-shouldered build I associated with avid swimmers.

I held out my hand for the grocery bag, which he handed to me. “Is Daniel already here? Should we head to the lobby?”

“Yes. And, no. He’s waiting for us upstairs.”

“Upstairs? How did—?” I sighed loudly. “Lord. He gave the guards the mind mojo, didn’t he? I’m surprised my building’s djinn allowed it. And what’s he going to do but stand around at my front door? It’s not like I have a waiting room up there.” I led the way to the elevator. “I think you guys use your powers just because you can. Not necessarily because you should.” I jabbed the up button for the elevator harder than usual.

When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, I expected to see Daniel waiting. I stepped into the foyer, looking around. “Where is he? I thought you said—”

The door across from my apartment opened and Daniel stepped out, nodding at us in greeting. “Hear you had a little trouble down at your office. Glad to see you came out of it unscathed,” he said, acting casual in spite of the fact that he’d just walked out of someone else’s apartment. There was definitely a mischievous glean in his eyes.

“What the—?” I slapped a palm to my forehead. “No. You didn’t.” I rubbed my face before letting my arm fall to my side. “Dan Johnson, I presume?” I berated myself for not figuring it out sooner. “Can you guys just not help yourselves?”

“I haven’t done anything your neighbors weren’t already contemplating. I just gave them a little encouragement. Plus arranged for a nice addition to their bank account to cover expenses while they’re having fun in Europe.” He shrugged like it was no big deal, adding, “I’d say they’re more than pleased with their good fortune.”

“That’s not the point, and you know it. You’re changing people’s lives.”

“I’d never hurt someone or make them do something against their principles. You know that.” He walked close enough to touch me but refrained. He gentled his voice. “I’m trying to protect you. If that weren’t the case, your djinn wouldn’t have allowed me to live here.”

I backed up a step. “Maybe so, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

He sighed. “The alternative is worse. Much worse.”

“I just—” I grunted. “I can’t deal with you right now.” I stalked to my door.

“Lire, we have to talk.”

I shoved the key into my lock and twisted it. “I’m too angry.” I barged into my apartment and slammed the door behind me.

“God. I’m just so tired of this!”

I slid my purse from my shoulder and opened it so Red could climb out. He jumped up to perch on my shoulder and gave me a pat.

“Take a moment to relax and think,” he replied.

“I know slamming the door on his face was childish, but I couldn’t help it.” I stomped to the couch and sat down hard. The weapons in the Trader Joe’s bag jostled together, issuing a menacing clatter that made me cringe. I eased the bag to the floor and slid it under the coffee table. Red jumped from my shoulder to the back cushion.

After taking slow even breaths and counting to ten, I turned sideways to peer at him. “Be honest, Red. Am I getting worked up over nothing? It’s not like Jerome and Peter have been injured. I’m sure they’re having fun. But it still chaps my hide.”

“Your reaction is understandable. Using telepathy to alter someone’s behavior is no laughing matter and should never be taken lightly.”

“Now I know how Daniel got past the lobby. The guards let him pass. They believe he’s a resident, house-sitting for Jerome and Peter.”

“It seems he is not so cavalier as to use his power for such trivial matters as gaining access to your entryway.”

“Although he’d use it to gain access to the apartment next door.” I folded my arms. “I can’t decide which is worse.”

He tilted his head, gazing at me. “It is a pickle, to be sure.”

I cracked up at hearing him utter such an incongruous phrase. “You used that word just to make me laugh, didn’t you?”

“Perhaps.”

Groaning, I slumped down into the soft chenille cushion. “Why does my life have to be such a freaking mess?”

“If there is no hardship, how does one ever know and appreciate when things are good?”

“That would be fine if my hardships weren’t so terrifying,” I replied and then sighed. “I dreamed about the demon again last night. On the positive side, its presence doesn’t scare me anymore. It puzzles me more than anything. I think it’s trying to manipulate me, spinning some grim fairytale about the world’s impending doom, but it hasn’t tried to bargain with me or threaten me. I’m not sure what it’s up to.” I played with the end of my belt before tucking it into the circle of leather that was supposed to keep it from flapping around. “I wonder. Is there a way I can compel the demon to tell me the truth?”

“Yes. However, such a thing requires a summoning, which is fraught with danger even for someone with skill.”

I bit my lip in consideration before suggesting, “I know its true name.”

Red uttered a dignified snort. “A double-edged sword if ever there was one. Without proper training, you risk Brian’s fate.”

“But Brian was set up. He only had a partial name.”

“True, but if you are not able to keep control, the result would be the same.”

“You think so? Paimon doesn’t repulse me like it did before. It told me that it was Brian’s corruption that I felt, not necessarily Paimon itself. Do you think that’s true? Is it possible demons are simply evil by virtue of whoever summons them?”

“I believe demons are every bit as individual in their natures as human beings. Is their earthly behavior influenced by their summoner? Undoubtedly.” He jabbed a paw in my direction. “But do not allow Paimon’s benign countenance to lull you into a false sense of security. Human souls are their currency, their source of power. It is what they seek above all else.”

I curled my legs onto the cushion, turning to face him. “Even if I summoned Paimon and kept control, it would only be forced to tell the truth while bound by my summoning. Right? Whatever it might tell me later could still be a lie.”

“Correct. And, even while summoned, it may withhold information. A summoner must choose their questions carefully.”

“Is there a way to force it to tell me the truth for all future encounters, no matter where we might be?”

Red went still. “No. Not without a blood covenant.”

“That’s what I thought. I guess that’s one thing it didn’t lie about.”

“Did it suggest such an undertaking?” Although Red maintained a calm composure, I knew from the tone of his voice I had unsettled him.

I cocked my eyes to the side, trying to recall our conversation. “I think I’m the one who brought it up. I asked how I could know whether it told me the truth. It said the only way was through a blood exchange. It implied there would be no debt, since we would be equally connected to each other. Is that true?”

“If it is truly an exchange, with no other reckoning, then, yes. But do not take this to mean such a connection is without risk.” Red stood and stepped closer to touch my shoulder. “I do not like these questions. I want to know all the demon has told you. Leave nothing out, however trivial it might seem.”

He paced along the back of the couch while I told him everything I could remember. When I was done, I asked, “Do you think Paimon is telling me the truth? Do you think demons will be able to cross over like the fae once did?”

“I am reluctant to speculate. Although, I will admit, it is not outside the realm of possibility. Certainly, Paimon confirms my knowledge of the fae. At one time, they populated our world freely. The mounds marking their past gateways illustrate their range. Now, only the most powerful have the magic to cross over at will, if at all. The others must wait for midsummer or midwinter when the attunement between the Otherworld and ours is strongest.”

“Then Daniel’s sidhe contacts are either very powerful, or they’ve chosen to live on Earth permanently.”

“More likely the former.” Red pressed his paws together over his pudgy tummy. “I do not believe a full-blooded sidhe would willingly choose Earth for their home. Over time, our copious magic diminishes them, just as a plant withers with too much water.”

“Now that you mention it, Paimon made some comment about Earth’s magic being plentiful, like it was some vast treasure. Sure doesn’t seem like we’re overflowing with the stuff. Normals outnumber us by a ridiculous margin.”

“Precisely why our world overflows with it. Magic users cannot deplete the supply. In the Otherworld, most creatures consume magic. There, it is a cherished commodity. Again, the comparison to fresh water is apt.”

I thought about it. “That’s why they’re breeding with humans,” I said, adding hastily, “if Paimon is to be believed, that is.”

“The demon is crafty. Much of what it has revealed is true, and the rest is at least plausible. But you must be cautious. Do not for a moment believe Paimon is not manipulating the truth.”

“What about its warning? It implied that I’m marked somehow, even though our covenant was broken. Is that possible?” I hoped this was one of the areas where Paimon had stretched the truth.

He stepped closer to rub my arm. “Yes. Although your soul is free from its grasp, Paimon has had your blood, and there are those who can perceive such a taking. As to its warning about the sidhe, I do not know. For now, I think it wise to proceed with caution. In any case, there are other more dire reasons to avoid a fae’s touch.”

The scraping of a key in my door’s deadbolt startled me until I remembered I’d given Vince my spare key.

“He’s not going to be happy when he finds out Daniel is living across the hall,” I mumbled, getting to my feet.

Vince smiled as soon as he spotted me. He closed the door with his foot while pocketing his keys and then sauntered toward us. “Hey. I figured you’d still be at your office.”

“Yeah … well, I guess I might have been if I hadn’t run into a few interesting friends while I was down there. They were real sweet though. Left me with a bag full of weapons that I’m hoping you can take care of for me.”

His eyebrows practically reached his hairline. “You have what?”

“Three handguns and two knives, plus ammunition.” I tipped my head at the coffee table. “Under there.”

“Welcome back, Detective,” Red said. He’d jumped down to sit in his diminutive recliner and was reaching for a book.

“Thanks,” Vince replied, but his eyes were on me. By the time we parked on the couch, his expression had turned flinty. “All right. What happened?”

I told him everything, keeping to the facts and playing down the danger level. Of course, the mention of guns and knives didn’t exactly allow for a lighthearted accounting.

After peering into the bag, he scolded me, “You should have called the police instead of letting them go.”

“I probably should have,” I said, sulking. “But they’d been manipulated by the rival telepaths. They wouldn’t have targeted me otherwise. And I’d rather not go to war with some criminal syndicate if I can help it. I thought it would be better to let Daniel and his people handle them.”

In for a penny, I added, “And, uh, that’s not all. You remember Jerome talked to me about his house sitter?”

Vince nodded, looking suspicious.

“He introduced himself today. It’s Daniel.”

The muscles of his jaw twitched and he ran his fingers through his hair. “You’ve had a busy morning.”

“Yeah. You could say that.” I gave him a tired smile. “Oh. And you’ll be happy to know the trip to Vegas is off. Daniel and Michael worked their
mojo
,” I said, waggling my fingers in the air, “and now the producer wants to shoot the episode up here. I have to meet the crew down at SAM, Thursday morning.”

“SAM? The Seattle Art Museum?”

I nodded. “The production assistant mentioned Veronica too, so I think we’ll be shooting at Sotheby’s at some point. Probably on Friday.”

The ring of the doorbell interrupted our conversation.

I blew out an annoyed breath. “I bet you a million dollars it’s Daniel,” I said and then amended, “Or Michael.”

“Pass. Don’t much care for the odds.”

I chuckled and pushed myself up from the couch. I was right, of course. When I opened the door, Daniel stood with his hands in his pockets looking as though he expected another tongue-lashing.

“I know it seems like I’m going out of my way to make your life difficult,” he told me, “but I’m not. The situation is what it is. I’m only doing what’s necessary to protect you.”

I leaned against the door jam and crossed my arms. “Maybe that’s true, but you also have an agenda. You’re trying to direct my life to fit this prophecy and you’re messing with other people’s lives in order to do it. That’s not okay and I want you to stop.”

“But
they
won’t.” His hazel eyes flashed, the artificial light of the outer vestibule highlighting their amber centers. “Don’t you understand? If we stop, as you say, the next visitor at your door will be the police to arrest you. The next time you set foot outside this building, a gangbanger will shoot you in a drive-by. You have no idea what my people and I are doing to prevent these things from happening. It’s a full time job just keeping up with each new threat.”

“According to you,” Vince growled from behind me. He placed his hand on my shoulder.

“If you’re suggesting that I’m lying, there would be little point,” Daniel retorted, eyes steady. “Lire and I both know there’s an easy way for her to verify the truth.”

I snorted. “I’d hardly call it easy. Straightforward, maybe, but not easy. Reading a person is never that. But it
is
a way to get the truth,” I said, narrowing my eyes, “about everything.”

Daniel’s brows shot up before settling down to form a determined line. “Is that what you want? To know everything?”

I noticed Michael, who stood just inside the doorway of Jerome and Peter’s apartment, quietly observing us. I shifted my gaze back to Daniel and nodded. “Yes. But not from you.” I tipped my chin and glanced over his shoulder. “From him.”