OmegaMine (29 page)

“What can I do for you?” he asked in a cool, neutral tone.

“I want you to tell me everything you know about Aldon
Frost,” she answered in a soft timbre, her mouth so close to his ear he could
feel her breath caressing his skin. Her grip on his shoulder was light but
firm, the weight substantial even though he could see from the corner of his
eye that her fingers were slim and delicate.

“I refuse to discuss anything unless it’s face-to-face. If
you want information you’re going to have to garner respect with respect.”

Her hand vanished, and in the next instant she stood across
from his desk, confirming what he suspected. She was a vampire—a very old one.
Her blonde hair was collected in a bun at her nape, a few wispy strands falling
around her chin and shoulders, a stark contrast to the black leather shrouding
her body. Bright, arctic blue eyes were on alert, homed in on him but seeing
everything.

“What is it you want to know?” He reclined, interlocking his
fingers and placing them in his lap.

“I’m not here to play games, Mr. Newlander.” She stared him
in the eye. “Please don’t waste my time.”

Feigning a stretch, he moved his foot to the alarm on the
floor. “Are you one of the fallen?”

The question seemed to amuse her. “Do I look like one?”

“You’re asking about one, which begs the question. Not to
mention we both know that once you fall it becomes very easy to manipulate
perception.”

“I wouldn’t bother manipulating your perception. If I wanted
basic information I would have taken what I needed from your mind, erased the
event from your memory and left. What I need requires something far more
substantial than that. Which I’m sure, by now, you’re aware.” She took a step
to the side and slid into the chair across from him. “You’re not a stupid man,
Mr. Newlander. Anyone who does what you do and manages to remain alive for an
extended period of time has to be given credit for remaining vigilant. That’s
why I’m going to trust that you’ll understand that I’m not here to shoot the
shit or ride the breeze.”

“It hardly seems fair that you know me but I haven’t been
offered the same courtesy.”

She smiled then, enhancing her very delicate and distinct
features, displaying slightly pointed canines. “You do know that even if I tell
you who I am I can wipe the memory clear before I go.”

He nodded. “So what’s the harm in an introduction?”

“None at all.” Her smile remained intact. “Although I think
it’s only fair to mention that all of your electronic devices are disabled,
including the cameras at your back and the alarm at your feet. So if you’re
hoping to do a playback after I go, you won’t find anything.”

Alarm prickled the back of his neck but he didn’t allow it
to show. “How did you manage that?”

“In the same way I managed to walk into your building,
stroll into your office and wait until you arrived. Honesty, I can’t believe
you haven’t figured it out by now.” She nailed him with a look of sheer
amusement. “Where a fallen dares to tread, a templar is certainly sure to
follow.”

Fuck almighty.

It was almost impossible to keep a straight face when what
he wanted to do was wrap his fingers around the stock of his gun, whip it out
and level it at her head. Laughably, it wouldn’t matter if he did, which was
the only reason he remained as he was, unmoving and passive. She could kill him
before he saw it coming and if she thought for a second that he was in league
with the vampire she was tracking she wouldn’t hesitate.

“What is it that you want to know?” He didn’t shoot the shit
or ride the breeze either, not when his throat was at stake.

“I’m aware he stole information from your archives. I need
to know what he learned and why he’s in New York.”

“I can’t tell you why he’s in New York.” Her irises changed
color, going white as her eyes narrowed and he quickly added, “I can tell you
what information he gained.”

“Then do it.”

“He found out about an artifact crafted during the Holy Wars
that was used to convince nonbelievers that heaven did, in fact, exist. Over
the years it changed hands and forms, so that most assumed it was lost in the
passage of time. We weren’t even aware it existed until we were propositioned
for the piece. Fortunately, at the time it was in a safe place that Aldon
couldn’t locate. Otherwise you’d be in shit up to your neck, pardon my
expression.”

“Would this artifact, by chance, have a name?”

He met her unwavering gaze. “It’s a zephyr.”

She didn’t even blink. “That’s impossible. They were all
destroyed.”

“The weapon wielding the magic was lost but not the jewel
imbued with the power. It was that stone that was used one hundred and sixty
years or so ago to create a locket—an heirloom that has been passed along from
generation to generation. Aldon managed to track down the family who procured
the trinket but it turned out getting close to the owner wasn’t as easy as he
thought.”

“And why is that?” she finally asked in an exasperated tone
when he didn’t continue.

“She’s mated to a shifter.”

Sadie tried to keep her face blank, her expression
unreadable. Erasing the man’s memory was easy enough but she’d be damned if she
allowed him to know, even for a moment, that she’d been caught with her panties
down.

So Aldon had finally found a way to gain an advantage, using
a goddamn zephyr. She didn’t know what it was that he wanted specifically but
she would wager several guesses. Mental manipulation of supernatural races
wasn’t possible for him as a fallen but if he had a magically enhanced charm to
guide the way there was no limit to what he could accomplish in a city like New
York, where the population contained a wide variety of supernatural beings.
Beings that, with a zephyr, he would have more of an influence over.

Including—ironically enough—shifters.

She stifled a wince as she shifted in the chair and the
wretched agony in her chest returned, burning deep in the flesh and along
portions of bone. The wound was a stark reminder of why she couldn’t become
involved with the bestial creatures, a warning of the thanks she could expect
to receive for her assistance.

To think she’d actually been tempted to reveal herself to
Trey Veznor. To daydream about what might have been. To consider something
other than a fixation from afar…

A warm trickle beaded down her stomach, slick and gooey
against her leather top and shredded flesh. The claw marks were extremely deep
and would mend slowly without the healing pools of her coven but she couldn’t
return to them until she had some notion of what was going on. They would
expect some kind of information from her, no matter how small or, in this
circumstance, mediocre.

“Where is the zephyr now?”

“I believe I’ve already answered that question.”

Craig bestowed a smug smirk, which made her want reward him
an ear-ringing slap across the face. She’d been warned he was a consummate
asshole and prick, protected due to the secrets he kept and the downfall that
would occur upon his demise. It was impossible to kill someone who could
inevitably unveil all the dirty skeletons preternatural races were determined
to keep buried inside the proverbial closet.

He didn’t say anything more, studying her quietly with an
arrogant fucking expression on his face.

“Let me rephrase.” She tried not to sneer. “
Who
has
the Zephyr?”

It wasn’t difficult to sense his unease, accompanied by a
notable span of silence. She could smell his fear, a bitter repugnance that
wafted through the air. She sat forward in the chair, bracing her elbows on her
knees, and tried not to squirm as the wetness trapped between her skin and
leather made a disgusting, squeaky sound.

“Have you heard about the tragedy in Rainbow City, Mr.
Newlander?”

She’d anticipated the curt nod he produced. Of course he’d
heard of it. One of the largest factions of Villati worked out of New Orleans,
which wasn’t all that far away from the devastation left behind in the
aftermath of the storm. Besides, the panic over the unrecognizable and
unexplainable plague was almost impossible to ignore, especially when it was
broadcast all over the world and the CDC was forced to quarantine the entire
area until the outbreak was contained. An entire city of twelve thousand had
been wiped out within a matter of hours—not days or weeks.

“That was a result of a pestilence demon,” she said, tickled
pink when the asshole smirk was wiped from his face.

Good, he was finally starting to get the big picture.

He started to speak and stopped, obviously disturbed by the
revelation. Then he said, “A pestilence demon hasn’t been conjured into the
mortal plane since—”

“The Third Pandemic?” she finished, liking him more and more
when he was humbled, off balance and too shaken to speak. “Look around you. The
world isn’t the place it used to be. Crime is on the rise, humanity is on the
brink of a meltdown and morality has gone down the shitter. There is a reason
for that.”

He cleared his throat. “Are you trying to tell me the fallen
are rising to power?”

“You’re pretty perceptive when you want to be.” Her smile
was genuine, fueled by a desire to drill the message home. “I’d like you to
imagine how dangerous a zephyr would be in the hands of one of them. Do you
have any idea of the destruction and devastation it could cause?”

“I couldn’t give you the zephyr if I wanted to.” He glanced
at her before focusing on the top of his desk. “I made the necessary
arrangements to have the locket delivered to Diskant Black’s home this morning
when I learned Ava survived the explosion.”

The image of the dying blonde woman flashed through her
head. “The Omega?”

He nodded, looking uncomfortable. “I purchased the zephyr
from Ava’s brother only to learn after the fact he’d stolen it. It wasn’t until
Aldon came sniffing around that I did some research into the Brisbane family
and put the pieces together.”

“Does she know what the locket can do?”

He shook his head. “When I tried share what I’d learned she
refused to meet with me. After what occurred last night I decided it was best
to return the necklace before danger came knocking at my door.”

An unexpected wave of lightheadedness made her sway and she
reclined into the seat to disguise the weakness. The motion of her shoulders
pressing against the soft, cushiony backing caused the leather covering her
torso to stick firmly in place before sliding in a sickening manner that told
her that there was blood coating her chest and stomach.

Shit.

If Aldon found her like this he’d kill her off without a
backward glance. It was time to up the ante, get the information she came for
and take the necessary time to heal.

She looked into Craig’s concerned face from across the desk
and caught his gaze. His lips went slack, his pupils dilated and his face
relaxed. She concentrated, focused on his mind and easily slid inside. It was
like working through a file cabinet of knowledge, easily done if you had the
right key or knew the right destination. His thoughts of Ava Brisbane and
Diskant Black were already opened and waiting on the desk, lined up in a neat
stack for her to digest.

She took what she needed, stored the information for future
use and, when she finished, wrapped the job up with a neat, tidy bow.

“You won’t remember any of this. Not our conversation. Not
my face. Or anything we’ve discussed. As far as you’re concerned you came
upstairs after receiving confirmation that your package was delivered to Ava
Brisbane and you’ve been sitting behind your pretty little desk thinking about
what a smart decision you made.”

His glazed eyes didn’t even flicker but she knew the message
was so deep in his subconscious that he’d never remove it unless she returned
to him, lifted the impression and gave him access to the memories.

Grimacing, she closed her eyes, envisioned the lush healing
cavern crafted by her coven and said a small prayer that she had enough
strength for a safe journey before she phased from the room.

Chapter Twenty-One

Ava groaned as a hot, wet tongue slid along the inside of
her knee and slowly started inching upward. A rough, bristly prickle followed,
tickling the skin, awakening sensations she’d never thought possible. Each
piece of skin that was touched felt electrified, so sensitive it was almost
agony.

Fuzzy from sleep, she gasped when a hard nip against her
inner thigh forced her to part her legs. She opened her eyes. Diskant was
looking at her, his irises shimmering liquid amber. The roughness against her
skin was from the thick shadow on his chin, the heavy stubble lining his jaw.

He dipped his head, maintaining eye contact and pressed
kisses along her thigh until his mouth was hovering over her pussy. His heated
breath caressed the skin, teasing the folds, creating a flush that multiplied
and spread. She trembled as she watched him, anticipating the moment his tongue
would dart out, travel along her labia and flitter against her clit.

“I’ve been waiting for you to open those beautiful baby
blues all day,” he whispered against her pulsating flesh. “I’ve got so much to
tell you, so much to say. But first…”

She cried out when his tongue shot out and he did exactly as
she’d envisioned, licking a firm line from bottom to top, parting her lips
along the way. Arching her back, she clutched the sheets and pressed against
his mouth. His growl was one of approval and hunger, and his quick lapping was
that of a starving man and beast. There was no warning, no build-up—she came
apart under the ministrations of his clever tongue and lips, quaking as a
climax unlike any other sent her body into uncontrollable tremors.

Diskant continued sucking and licking, extending the pleasure.
Unlike before, she didn’t go limp and relax as the climax ended. Rather, she
wanted more, ached to experience the same ecstasy as he was buried inside her,
his cock spilling his seed as they came together.