Raif was waiting for me in the foyer. I became corporeal before I entered the room, though what I’d really wanted was a stealthy escape, or a coward’s exit depending on your point of view. But avoiding him wouldn’t assuage my guilt at having caused him worry, so I straightened my spine and walked up to him, prepared to take whatever he planned to dish out.
“So, you won,” he said.
“You heard?”
“Everyone heard,” he laughed. “Really, Darian, you didn’t expect us all to close our ears and pretend not to listen. It sounded like an exciting match.”
I shrugged. “I think Xander got what he wanted out of it.” Some rough-and-tumble close contact, sweaty bodies and all. “Do you want to add to the torture I just had to endure?”
Raif attempted a smile, but it came off as more of a grimace. “I know you think you can take on the world, Darian. But have a care. It would be-unfortunate-if anything happened to you.”
Unfortunate, huh? Well, the words didn’t carry much emotion, but the expression on his face spoke volumes. Xander had told the truth. I’d managed to open some old wounds. I didn’t plan on letting Raif bleed for long, though. “Don’t worry, Raif.” I swung my arm and gave him a solid pat on the shoulder. “I’ll be careful.” Without giving him the opportunity to respond, I left.
My cell buzzed in my pocket as I closed the door behind me. I flipped it open to find a text message from an unknown number:
Midnight. @Seven. East Pike Street. Come alone.
– F
Well, at least he was kind enough to give an initial, though how the bastard got his hands on my number, I had no idea. How would I manage to shake Tyler long enough to meet Fallon? I practically had to apply for a furlough just to come to Xander’s this morning. I would be watched even more closely since my five-minute/two-day field trip. But I couldn’t waste any precious time. I’d find a way to meet him, even if it meant wishing Tyler and half of the Shaede Nation into a stupefied state. If Fallon was ready to help, I was ready to take the leap. He scared the shit out of me, I couldn’t deny that. But I valued Raif’s friendship more than that fear. I just hoped I could keep my unease at bay long enough to hear Fallon out.
Chapter 13
“You look like death warmed over.”
Tyler shrugged as he stuffed his foot into a tennis shoe. “I’ll be fine.”
“What’s wrong with you anyway?” In all the years I’d known Tyler, I’d never seen him sick-not once. Aside from the injuries from his recent attack, and his reaction to the Enphigmalé bites, he’d never had so much as a head cold. Now, he looked haggard, his usual glowing complexion was ashen, and a sheen of sweat was breaking out on his brow. Anxiety twisted my stomach into a pretzel.
Tyler slumped back in his seat, averting my gaze. “Something’s screwing with our bond, I think.”
“Something?”
He ran his hands through his hair. “Or someone.”
“I don’t feel anything. Are you sure?”
Tyler’s sad smile clawed at my heart. “You wouldn’t feel anything. The bond flows through you into me. You’re like a conduit. I just need to find out who, or what, is causing this. And why.”
Screw the whos and whys. All I cared about was Ty’s safety. “Can this hurt you?”
“Not really. It’s just thrown me off, messed with my emotions. I feel a little out of whack. But I need to get to the bottom of this. I’ve got a contact that might be able to help. The thing is…”
I held my breath.
“I can’t exactly let you come with me.”
And I exhaled.
“Will you be all right on your own tonight?”
Perfect.
“If not, I can wait-”
“No, Ty. I’ll be fine. Go take care of business, talk to whoever it is you need to talk to. I want to know what’s going on as much as you do. I don’t like to see you like this, whether it’s just making you feel a little off or not.” I couldn’t believe my luck. It was as if someone had handed the night to me on a silver platter. Tyler could work on fixing his problem while I went to meet Fallon.
Too perfect.
Seven wasn’t your run-of-the-mill club. More of a place to engage in unrepentant debauchery. With areas sectioned off and devoted to each of the deadly sins, you could eat, drink, gamble, and screw yourself straight to hell. Of course, that was just the tip of the iceberg. There wasn’t much you couldn’t get away with inside the walls of Seven, and I wondered at Fallon’s choice of meeting place until I walked through the doors.
An assortment of Seattle’s supernatural partied alongside unsuspecting humans. Curious stares followed me through the club while fingers pointed in my direction. My career as an assassin would be shot to hell if my notoriety didn’t die down soon. I even noticed a few humans tapping shoulders, asking over the music who I was and what all the fuss was about. I’d become pretty popular since I’d returned from the island. It wasn’t every day you came back from a kidnapping a completely different creature than the one you had left as.
The club was made up of a series of rooms more or less. High archways like wooden canopies marked off each area, and at the top of each canopy was a word written in red neon flames. An ambitious partyer could take a tour of hell’s temptations all in one night. Under the Wrath canopy, brawlers swung their fists without fear of being removed from the premises. Within the boundaries of the Greed room, gambling tables enticed many a player to build and lose their fortunes. The Sloth canopy protected the partyers coming down from their highs, strewn about the room like garbage littering the sidewalk. Pride showcased rows of large mirrors, and beautiful creatures showcased their bodily assets. Gluttony provided endless food and drink, and from the center of the club, a raised room ringed with glass provided occupants of Envy with a bird’s-eye view of all the things they coveted.
I spotted Fallon in the area of the club marked Lust. Over the haunting beats of Marilyn Manson’s rendition of “Sweet Dreams” and through the energy of the other inhuman creatures, I could feel him. That inexplicable burst of power stole my breath, and I considered running for the door and never turning back. But I thought of the rushed and fierce hug Raif had given me two nights ago, and I strengthened my resolve. I could grow a pair and deal with my discomfort-for a while.
Red velvet and black silk curtains lined the small room. Instead of booths or tables, I was welcomed by an assortment of beds piled with pillows and dressed in shiny satins. Keeping my gaze straight ahead, I tried not to look at the occupied spaces, but I could tell by the writhing bodies in my peripheral vision that these people weren’t too particular about who watched their nocturnal activities.
Fallon seemed to be enjoying himself. Surrounded by Fae-as far as I could tell-with a female at each side and a sweet-faced male behind him, he lounged while many sets of fingertips and mouths caressed his skin. I shivered in the dim light and gripped the handle of my dagger for comfort. Though I could tolerate a lot, public orgies were not on my list of things I cared to witness.
As if he’d only noticed me standing at the foot of his…bed, Fallon dismissed his groupies with a wave of his hand. He could have given Xander a run for his money with his regal behavior. His admirers glared my way before bestowing some over-the-top pouty and pleading faces. Fallon answered with a stern expression, and the trio hopped off the bed as if it were on fire.
“Have a seat,” he said.