A Final Touch: The Complete Series, page 8
I craned my neck. Then Jace cleared his throat. “The mysterious one awaits.”
His voice hitched every time he said mysterious. It wasn’t with nerves – something slightly stiffer. What, did the hard-nosed Alpha hate it when people hid their secrets from him?
Considering his recent muttered comment about the truth, that was probably his worst nightmare.
We walked up to a door, and it opened before we arrived. Then we strode into an expensive modern apartment built around the view. While there were white polished marble floors, gleaming countertops, and stiff modern white couches, the city took center stage. You could see all the way through each sector, from the industrial area over to the east, to the central district, and over to the magical compound.
No part of Mythos could hide from those windows, not from the sharp Engelos eyes that constantly watched them.
Walking right over, ignoring several inquisitive Engelos in the room, I placed a hand on the glass and gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
The door opened.
And in walked Velos. He was bare-chested, his wings out. From the ruffled look of the feathers, he must’ve been the one who’d flown toward the building.
I could see him reflected in the glass, and it made it far easier to gawk.
But Velos was right. Engelos were mysterious. His eyes darted toward me as if he knew I was staring at him.
Gathering my gumption, I turned and pushed backward against the glass.
I said nothing, but Velos watched me out of the corner of his eye as he strode from the room. He returned with a long cream linen shirt that hid everything. It had a plunging back to account for his wings. They sat nestled against it, mostly tucked out of the way as he walked over to the sink, drew a glass of water, and downed it in a gulp. “You’re here for me to bolster her magical braces, I take it. How did your experiment go?” Velos asked Jace. “I imagine it confirmed she can take the magic from almost anyone.”
“She stripped the force from an ancestral vampire over 200 years old with a single touch.”
Blinking, it took a second to take that in. That vamp was over 200 years old?
Velos didn’t even bother to look at me, as if he’d always known this would happen.
Though Jace held himself together in the police station, he now sat on the edge of the couch, and from his stiff body, it was obvious he was taking this in.
My stomach kicked slightly. I’d known about my powers my whole life. It was a different, more confronting experience to see them reflected back in other people’s reactions.
Suddenly aware of my hands, I tucked them behind my back. Then Velos strode right over to me. Nodding low and respectfully, he gestured. “Please allow me to bolster your brace.”
Everything caught up to me. Twitching but with nowhere to go, a dull thud echoed through the room as I struck the window nervously. “It requires protracted touch. My sister got away with it because she’s my flesh and blood.”
“Indeed. But I have a theory. And I think it’s the appropriate time to test it.”
Not following, I shook my head. “Theory?”
“I believe while you can indeed strip magic from most practitioners, it does not work on everybody.”
“And how are you going to test this theory?” Incredulity crept into my voice.
He reached out, and without invitation, grabbed my hand, placing his palm flat against mine. A tingle of attraction shot through me. Any red-blooded girl would react when the perfect, beautiful Engelos grabbed them by the hand, especially as he stared right into my eyes.
Common sense soon kicked me in the guts. I tried to flinch back. “What are you doing? I can touch people in the short-term, but—”
“I would not risk anyone else with this experiment.”
“Wait. You haven’t thought this through,” I tried, my voice snapping up.
Other Engelos stood in the room. While they nominally looked alarmed, nobody rushed over to save their leader. They clearly all trusted him. They mostly stared at me, more curious about my reaction.
One last time I tried to pull back from Velos, but he wouldn’t let me.
The brace on my back sparked slightly. It was my first warning.
I quickly pushed through my second warning as I struggled, but Velos wouldn’t release me.
Jace rose to his feet, eyes narrowing slightly. He didn’t rush over. It looked like more of a knee-jerk move, as if his instincts were getting the better of him. His nostrils constricted, and I wondered if he was smelling my stress. It sure coursed through me.
“Velos, don’t do this,” I snapped.
The Engelos stood there, looking right into my eyes, a sense of control and confidence wafting off him. It felt like he was trying to soothe me again, like back at the hospital.
It did not freaking work. For I knew he had seconds. He sailed right through them.
With one last crackle, the brace failed.
My magic rushed out…. And nothing happened.
The wings didn’t fall from Velos’s back. The powerful Engelos didn’t lurch over to the couch and black out. He just stood there.
My magic wasn’t visible like other people’s. Karen’s force crackled with a brilliant electric blue. When she used it on me, it lit up her entire office. Mine was like a quick, sharp, invisible punch.
The head Engelos took it. And nothing happened to him.
Jace lurched forward a proper step this time, cheeks paling. “What do you feel, Velos?”
“Not much. I’m aware her magic’s trying to work on me. But nothing is occurring. My theory, it seems,” he bent his head down low in a nod, “is confirmed. Her force only works on lower-level practitioners.”
He let me go without further ado. Blinking, kind of strangely cold, I stood there.
Jace narrowed his eyes, staring from Velos over to me.
I knew what he’d do a second before he stepped close. Jace was different from Velos. The Alpha’s presence wasn’t more menacing, but…. I don’t know. Words failed me as my heartbeat quickened.
Unlike Velos, the Alpha didn’t grab me. He opened his fingers close to his chest, making it clear I’d have to make the first move.
“What are you doing?” I hissed. “What if Velos’s wrong? What if… I don’t know, my power takes more time against powerful practitioners?”
“I’ll risk it.”
“You will? Why?” I got tongue-tied as I spat that out. He might be a gung-ho, chest-thumping werewolf, but it was stupid to take such a pointless risk.
He stood there, his hand open, waiting for me.
My cheeks burned from a combination of embarrassment and plain anger. “Jace—”
“I’ll need to know if I can touch you in the future.”
Why did his voice dip so low?
Ah, god. I couldn’t get out of this. But it’d be his stupid fault if it backfired.
Screw it. I slammed my hand down in his. It was a far too rough move, but Jace’s grip didn’t falter. His broad fingers squeezed around mine, his thumb brushing lightly over the backs of my knuckles.
It might’ve taken a little while for my magic to fail with Velos. It happened almost immediately with Jace. And it wasn’t retribution. The light brush of his thumb did it. Unraveling my emotional shield, it left me uncontrolled.
My magic gushed out. Gasping, I tried to lurch back. But Jace carefully closed his fingers around mine.
My force certainly slammed into him.
Nothing happened.
Unlike Reggie, Jace wasn’t plastered against the floor, his body shriveling out from underneath him.
Breathless, chest practically punching a hole in my torso, I hissed, “So it doesn’t work on you?”
There was almost an accusatory note to my voice. But that didn’t quite capture the emotion. It shook with a hell of a lot more fear instead. The vulnerable, squishy, toe-curling kind.
Velos being able to touch me was one thing. Jace….
Unlike Velos, Jace kept hold of my hand for a full minute. It meant there was way too much time to note every detail. The most important was the hard, direct stare.
I could wriggle and try to hide all I wanted. Jace would never let me. When he was satisfied he was immune, he let my fingers drop. He turned, jaw twisting left and right. “Interesting.”
Feeling the need to do something with my hand, I hooked my hair behind my ear compulsively. “Don’t you mean useless? Now I can’t strip magic from Mythos’ powerful magical criminals.”
“I doubt that. I imagine your power simply doesn’t work on the ultra-strong. The vampire you stripped today was easily one of the most powerful in the entire city.”
Not knowing what to say to that, I turned and sat on the edge of the couch. Though it was undignified, I totally wanted to flop. Instead, squeezing my knees together, I tried to make a smaller target of myself.
But all the Engelos in the room stared at me.
Though Velos had gone to fix something from the fridge, I knew his eyes were always on me.
Jace pulled his phone from his pocket and started texting. If I didn’t know better, I’d accuse him of constantly playing games.
“This makes things simpler,” Jace continued, finishing off his message. Then he gestured at me with his phone. “Velos, redo her brace. Make it stronger. Ensure she can push past it if she needs to. Strong enough so that people can make casual physical contact. But nothing violent.”
Velos nodded. He walked over to me.
I sucked in a breath, and my back practically tied itself into a knot. “Um… we can’t… it’s on my back.”
“Yes,” Velos said. His eyes didn’t move from me, and a blush crept up my cheeks. Then it fluttered right down my throat until I was perfectly pink.
He didn’t reach me, pull my top up, and slam those perfect palms down on my spine.
The Engelos simply gestured at me to turn around.
“I don’t want to do this here,” I muttered.
But Jace, unlike my sister, clearly didn’t need to make physical contact. He didn’t even ask me to remove my jacket.
He placed one hand on my back, then pushed the other a little higher toward my left shoulder.
Fortunately, I’d spun around to face the window. Though the reflection from this angle wasn’t perfect, I caught the general stance of the Alpha’s body, but not the look in his eyes.
Unlike my sister, Velos was quicker. It didn’t hurt any less.
Halfway through, it felt like someone made me swallow sharp ice. My shoulders hooked up, and a powerful wince squeezed my forehead in half.
“I would tell you to breathe. I imagine the pain is almost unbearable. It won’t last much longer,” Velos promised.
“Is there something you can do for it?” Jace demanded.
That tone… was almost caring.
I might’ve winced my eyes closed. Now I winked one open. Jace moved, making it easy to see in the imperfect reflection. Catching his expression, I saw the protective edge to his jaw, the glare in his eyes, the general feeling of a self-appointed guard.
It distracted me until Velos finished. Nodding, he stepped away without another word.
Feeling itchy all over and still pretty embarrassed, I turned around, smoothing my jacket down with a quick pat. “You sure it’s done? It feels… lighter. I can barely attune to it.” Reaching over my shoulder, I tried to pat my back.
Maybe I shouldn’t question an Engelos. Velos took it with a polite smile. “It is indeed complete. As the Alpha requested, you’ll be able to casually bump shoulders with people, even have more extensive physical contact. If things turn violent or your emotions are strong, you will immediately be able to call on your powers.”
“Good,” Jace said.
Turning to him, I scrunched my lips in. “Now I should head back and sign the contract?”
“The contract can wait. Now you can come and meet the Enforcement Squad.”
My lips dropped open. “Sorry, what? The enforcement squad? You want me to be beside you at all times.”
“I do.”
“Don’t you run around the city… I don’t know, pretending to rule it most of the day?” I wasn’t angling to insult him. It tumbled from my lips anyway.
Remarkably, the Alpha didn’t pull me up on the words pretending to rule. “You’ll find that during the evening I am often at functions. In the morning, I am often at the compound. During the day, I do my job.”
Looking sheepishly at my feet, I squeaked, “And what’s that?”
“Enforcing the law amongst the magical citizens of Mythos City. And from this point on, you’ll do it by my side.”
Chapter 8
Jace wasn’t kidding. We wasted no time. Now I had my fancy new magical brace in place, he plucked me from the Engelos and drove me downtown. We didn’t head that far from the compound. But I was surprised that his building wasn’t ensconced amongst it. Instead, it was further toward the industrial district, several blocks away from the police station.
He parked out front, and I stared through the windscreen at a modern, utilitarian building that could house anything, from offices to a factory floor. The outside façade gave nothing away. There were tall, long windows that ran the length of the three-story structure, but that was it.
There was only one indication that this was the home of a serious enterprise. Ensconced behind the building was a tall, barbed wire, solid fence. Different vehicles were lined up.
I frowned at it, trying to strain and get a better view. “Exactly what are we meant to do here?”
“Think of it a little like the police.”
“We run around town stopping magical crime?”
“When the police need assistance with certain cases and incidents, they call us. We mobilize the correct team, and we go out to assist.”
“And you, as the Alpha of Mythos City, join these random teams? Why have I never heard about this?”
I knew what he’d say a second before I blurted that.
“For someone who pays attention to the news, it seems like you do not pay attention to the right kind, Ms. Winters.”
It was my turn to swallow an insult. Ignoring it, I walked behind him as we strode through into the lobby. It didn’t look super secure. There was even a smiling receptionist. I wondered if it was to give the impression of normality. Behind her desk was a tiny frosted window and a thick door. Bulky people walked past it.
The lobby itself was pretty small, and the only way through it was an elevator to the receptionist’s left.
I noted all these details until my eyes locked on the receptionist herself, clearly the most important factor.
She stood to full height as Jace strode in, revealing she had to be part gargoyle. Maybe half witch, too. Not only did she have a strapping, hulking form, but a constant aura of magic surrounded her. The woman was a virtual army on her own.
Nodding at Jace, her eyes quickly slid to me.
“You should have been informed about Ms. Winters by now,” Jace said.
“I have. But I need her to fill out her paperwork.”
“Get her to sign it quickly,” Jace commanded.
The woman, who must be Cherry, according to her nameplate, reached into a drawer, pulled out a clipboard, and strode over to me.
I didn’t have time to read anything. But I quickly reminded myself reading it wouldn’t save my sister faster.
Scrawling my signature and quickly writing the date, I rushed up to Jace. “I know I haven’t signed that contract of yours, but—”
“The first case we’re going to go out on has a connection to your sister.”
That floored me. “What? It does? Did you find the wolves that took her?”
“That’s an assumption. They may not be wolves.”
“I don’t know if you’ve forgotten,” my voice dropped with spite, “but a wolf tried to smash my head against a wall at her office.”
“I have not forgotten. And the criminal unfortunately killed himself upon seeing me. Thereby taking his secrets to his grave. But we have a clue about a case your sister was working on.”
I opened my mouth to blurt that this didn’t have anything to do with the cases she’d been working on. Everything came back to what she’d muttered on the phone. Kings. The wolf at her office had said the same thing, too.
Jace didn’t give me time to argue.
We strode through into the elevator. Then we rode it down one single floor.
The door opened to bedlam. Not the chaotic kind, the busy kind. There was a wide corridor with multiple doors, and people flowed through continually. But unlike the police station, nobody looked particularly stressed. Everyone was competent, and from the sharp looks in their eyes, knew exactly what to do in almost any situation.
Most of them acknowledged their boss with a low nod then returned to their work.
Catching glimpses into the rooms, I saw some offices, open areas, two briefing rooms, filing areas, and even a few training gyms. We walked straight down to the room at the end.
My fingers grabbed my wrist, running up and down it. “Ah… what are you gonna do now? Are we going to train? Is this where I should point out that I’m pretty physically unfit?”
“You’ll get better in time.” Not a suggestion. An outright statement.
“Great. But if we’re about to go out on a mission, I’m not gonna keep up with a werewolf.”
“And I will not let you fall behind. This mission will not require any active engagement.”
“Oh.”
He strode right into a large room at the far end of the corridor. It should be his office. Instead, I was treated to the sight of a gargantuan concrete area filled with weapons.
There were racks to my left behind steel cages with every gun you could think of. Meticulously kept in order, you could stock an army from this room. Then there were tables with knives, blades, and magical swords.
All in all, there were probably over 3,000 deadly weapons in the room.
_preview.jpg)
