Spellcasters (98 page)

“They are. Paige has agreed to join my investigations on a permanent basis.”

Benicio’s smile faltered, but only for a second. “Well, that’s a start, then. You’ve made an excellent team so far, and working together will certainly give you more time together, which I know was one of your concerns.”

Lucas snuck a look at me. “It was,” he murmured.

“And the house?” Benicio said.

“We’re buying
a
house,” I said. “Maybe the one in Portland, maybe not, but we’re definitely buying a house.”

“Good, good.”

We braced ourselves, waiting for Benicio to start offering advice, but instead he turned to me.

“May I have a dance?”

“Uh, sure.”

We walked onto the dance floor.

“Have you considered Seattle?” Benicio asked as we launched into our dance. “If you like Portland, I’m sure you’d like Seattle.”

“Portland seems fine, but we’ll probably look elsewhere, too, just to be sure.”

“As you should. Buying a house is a major commitment. You also have Savannah’s security to consider. Has Lucas mentioned that we have a satellite office in Seattle?”

“Really. How … surprising.”

I caught Lucas’s gaze across the floor. He put his fingers into his ears and mouthed “Ignore him.” I grinned back.

Benicio plowed ahead, explaining all the benefits of living in a city with a Cortez corporate office. How much safer it would be. How we could share resources. How we could keep an eye on local corporate operations to ensure no serious crimes against supernaturals were “accidentally” being committed. As I listened, I realized Lucas had the right idea. There was only one way to deal with Benicio. Let him talk. Let him “suggest.” Don’t argue. Don’t even answer. Just listen … and let it all flow out the other ear.

While we danced, and Benicio talked, I tried to keep an eye on Lucas, but it proved increasingly difficult. Benicio seemed determined to steer me away from Lucas, probably so his son wouldn’t notice he was using the opportunity to “advise” me. Soon we were so deep in the mass of other dancers that I lost sight of him.

When we finished our dance, Benicio accompanied me back to where Lucas had been standing. He wasn’t there. Benicio lifted one hand, just slightly, and Troy appeared.

“Where’s Lucas?” Benicio asked.

“Morris was watching him; I was watching you.”

Troy glanced around, then waved Morris over. As Morris approached, Troy slipped away.

Morris admitted he’d seen Lucas head away from the buffet table, but when he tried to follow, couldn’t find him.

“I figured he just went to the bathroom. You said not to crowd him, and he was heading in that direction.”

Troy returned. “Tim saw Lucas leave, sir. He tried to follow, but Lucas said he needed to use the washroom, so Tim backed off. He’s waiting at the end of the hallway. Lucas hasn’t come out yet.”

“That’s right,” I said, turning to scan the room so Benicio wouldn’t see the lie in my face. “Just before our dance he asked whether I’d seen where the bathrooms were. He probably decided to slip away while we were busy. Now that you mention it, I could use a quick trip myself. If Lucas comes back before I do …”

“I’ll tell him where you are,” Benicio said.

“Thanks.”

I hurried off.

I did hope Lucas had gone to the bathroom, but I doubted it. Knowing I was already worried about his safety, he wouldn’t take off for something
so trivial without telling me. The only thing that would make him leave his post would be spotting Edward or, rather, catching so fleeting a glimpse of the vampire that he knew if he didn’t follow immediately, he’d lose him. When he’d seen the Cortez security guard following, he would have used the bathroom excuse to get rid of him.

Edward had already lured Lucas to his death once. Could the same ruse work twice? I told myself it couldn’t, that Lucas was too savvy for that. Yet, if the situation were reversed, and I’d seen Edward while Lucas was otherwise engaged, would I say, “Humph, not falling for that one again,” and stand my ground? No. I’d realize it could be another trick but, given the choice between protecting myself and catching Edward before he killed again, I’d prep a good spell and proceed with caution. But I
would
proceed. And so would Lucas.

As I surveyed the partygoers, I tried to evaluate the situation logically. The last thing we needed was for me to panic and rush headlong into a back corridor, and straight into Edward’s grasp, while Lucas returned from an emergency bathroom visit. First, I should try his cell phone. I reached for my purse … and remembered I didn’t have one. Nor did I have a cell phone.

I hurried to the bathroom. Standing outside the men’s room, I cast a sensing spell within. It picked up one person. Good. Then the door opened and an elderly man walked out. Once he was gone, I cast the spell again, but the bathroom was empty.

“Damn, damn, damn,” I muttered.

I had to find Lucas—no, I had to find the others, who would help me find Lucas. As much as I bristled at losing a few precious minutes tracking down the others, I knew the extra effort would be worth it. They could track Lucas in a fraction of the time it would take me.

I shot one last look around the ballroom, then headed into the warren of back halls, where the others were supposed to be prowling. As the noise of the gala settled to a distant murmur, I realized I was entering uncharted—and unoccupied—territory. Time to ready a self-defense spell. I started my suffocation spell, then stopped. Would that work on a vampire? Of course not. They didn’t breathe. Fireball spell? Nonlethal, but it could startle him enough for me to make a getaway. Or would it? Fire didn’t hurt a vampire. Goddamn it! Why didn’t I think of this—

“Hello, Paige.”

I jumped and spun around. There behind me was, not a green-eyed, sandy-haired vampire, but a dark-eyed, dark-haired sorcerer. Hector Cortez.

“W
e need to talk,” Hector said, bearing down on me.

Of all the moments Hector Cortez could choose to reenter my life, this was quite possibly the worst. A voice in my head told me to run, forget how bad it would look, forget how embarrassing it would be, get away from him and continue looking for Lucas. But my feet wouldn’t obey me. After a lifetime of refusing to run from confrontations, they were damned if they were going to start now.

“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced,” I said. “Well, we have, but at the time I was bound and gagged, and I don’t think you ever expected to see me alive again, so you skipped the formalities. I’m Paige Winterbourne. You’re Hector Cortez. I’d say I’m pleased to meet you, but we both know I’d be lying. So your meeting didn’t run as late as Benicio expected? Sorry to hear it. Now, if you’ll excuse me …”

I turned to go. Hector swung in front of me.

“A late meeting? Is that the excuse he used? I didn’t have a meeting. I’ve been exiled in New York for the past two weeks, on my father’s orders. Any idea why he’d do that?”

“Besides to keep you from killing Lucas? No, I can’t imagine why.” I stopped, seeing the hard glint in his eye, the glare of a hawk confronting the sparrow who’d chased him off his turf. “You think
I
got you banished? That I told Benicio that you tried to have me killed in Boston? Well, gee, I’d hope if I did tattle, you’d get something a little worse than an extended New York vacation. No, I didn’t tell your father. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

Hector stepped into my path. “I never said you told my
father
.”

“What? Oh, so you think I told Lucas and he asked your father to keep you away?” I met Hector’s glare with one of my own. “No, I didn’t. And I won’t. What happened at that house is between you and me, and it stays there. Now get out of my way.”

“Is that your plan, then, witch? Hold it over my head?” He stepped
closer, looming over me. “I may make a mistake once, but never twice. I’m not getting out of your way, you’re getting out of mine. Stay with Lucas, and the only question is when I’ll decide to move you aside … permanently.”

“How about now?” said a slow drawl behind him. “First, though, you gotta move me aside.”

Hector turned to see Clayton behind him. His gaze skimmed over the other man with a dismissive twist of his lips. He lifted his fingers to flick Clay aside with a knock-back spell, but Clay grabbed his hand before the first words left his mouth.

“You think you’re going to kill Paige to hurt Lucas?” he said, leaning in, putting his face to Hector’s. “That sound like a clever plan to you? Sounds like a coward’s plan to me.”

Hector tried to wrench his hand free, but couldn’t so much as twist it in Clay’s grasp.

“Who are you?” Hector demanded.

“The question isn’t really who, but what,” Clay said. “You want to find out? Lay a hand on Paige or Lucas and you will.”

Clay clapped his free hand over Hector’s mouth, then squeezed his other hand around Hector’s fingers. There was a sickening crunch of bone and Hector’s eyes bulged, his scream muffled by Clay’s hand.

“You think that hurt?” Clay said. “Imagine what I’d do if I was really pissed off.”

He shoved Hector away and turned to me. “Come on.”

I followed Clay around two corners before he slowed enough to let me catch up.

“He tried to kill you in Boston?” Clay asked.

“You overheard?”

“I was waiting around the corner. Didn’t figure you’d appreciate me interfering too soon. So Lucas doesn’t know?”

“No, he doesn’t, and please don’t tell him. Maybe it seems he has a right to know, but—”

“He shouldn’t. He worries enough about putting you in danger. If you want to accept the risk, then that’s your decision to make, not his. Just take precautions, and if what’s-his-name—”

“Hector. He’s Lucas’s oldest brother.”

“Fucked-up family,” Clay said, shaking his head. “If this Hector comes after you again, you let me know. Yeah, I know, that’s not how you like to handle things, but with something like this, you’re not going to get
anywhere jabbing each other back and forth. Give one big shove and be done with it.”

He looked each way down an intersecting corridor, tilted his head in a quick sniff, then jerked his chin to the left and set out. “I take it we’re following Lucas?” I said.

“Yeah. Well, no. Elena’s following Lucas. I’m following Elena. We figure Lucas is following Edward.”

“Uh-huh.”

“We saw Lucas take off, so Elena sent me to get you while she tracks him.”

He rounded another corner, walked a dozen feet, then wheeled and backtracked to an exit door. He opened the door and stuck his head out, then waved for me to follow.

“Wait,” I said. “Benicio. Is anyone watching—”

“Aaron.”

I was about to step outside when Cassandra hailed us from down the hall.

“Come out and shut the door,” Clay said. “Maybe she’ll take the hint.”

“Hold on. It might be important.”

“What’s going on, Paige?” Cassandra said when she caught up. “Why aren’t you in the ballroom?” She peered out the door. “Clayton? Who are you looking for out here?”

“Elena.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “What a surprise. The poor woman gets ten feet from you and you’re off like a shot—”

“She’s following Lucas, who’s following Edward,” I said.

“Oh.”

Clay was already heading into the shadows.

I glanced at Cassandra. “Aaron’s watching Benicio. Would you mind helping him? In case Edward circles back?”

I expected her to argue, but she nodded. “Have Elena phone Aaron if you need us.”

I jogged to catch up with Clayton. Well, I tried anyway—one does not “jog” in two-inch heels. Instead I stumbled along until I drew close enough to see him standing by the wall, arms crossed, shaking his head. Once he was in sight, I stopped, yanked off my shoes, and broke into as near a jog as I could approximate in my dress.

“Good idea,” he said, waving at the shoes in my hand. “But watch your step. Ground’s rough.”

“Think it’s safe enough for a light spell?”

He nodded. After I’d cast the spell, we started off again. We’d gone about twenty yards when Lucas and Elena appeared, walking along a path leading to the parking lot.

“Lost him?” I called.

“Wasn’t him,” Elena called back. She drew nearer before continuing. “When I caught up with Lucas, he already had his doubts, so I conducted a sniff test. Guy failed, but we decided to trail him a bit farther, just to be sure. Followed him into the parking lot, where he climbed into the back of an SUV and met a woman I really doubt was his wife. We left before the show started.”

As she spoke, Lucas kept sneaking concerned looks in the direction of the main building.

“Aaron and Cassandra are watching your dad,” I said. “But we should get back inside.”

We found Benicio showing an associate’s wife around the dance floor. After an uneventful forty-five minutes, we joined the others in a side room, from which we could still see Benicio.

With less than an hour of the event left, the chances of Edward showing up were growing slim. He might try to nab Benicio in the confusion at the end, when everyone poured out to their cars. Yet he had no way of knowing whether Benicio intended to stay until the final moments, so he should still be here somewhere, watching in case Benicio left early. He could try to kidnap Benicio between here and his home, but that would mean taking on an armored car filled with bodyguards. And obviously Benicio’s home would be at least as well guarded as his car. Grabbing him here made the most sense. So where was Edward?

Before we returned to the party, I decided to check in with Jaime. The most probable explanation for Edward’s failure to appear was that he’d found an easier way to open the portal. If Jaime had uncovered a second ritual, I’m sure she would have called, but it never hurt to check.

Jaime’s cell phone rang four times, then her answering service clicked on. That probably meant she was on the line, calling her necromancer contacts. So I phoned Jeremy’s hotel room. He answered on the second ring.

“It’s Paige,” I said. “Nothing to report, I’m afraid. We were hoping Jaime might have something. May I speak to her?”