Once his taillights were on the road toward the gate, I turned to John, who looked amazing in a sport coat and open-necked cream silk shirt. He was wearing the cologne that made my knees weak and made me want to nuzzle his ear. He smiled at me. “Ready?”
“Where are we headed?”
“Dinner. Then maybe dancing if you’re up to it.”
I hadn’t been dancing in … wow. I still hurt, but not too bad. Maybe I could manage one song. “Actually, dinner sounds good, but I need to ask you something first.” Something that could completely ruin the date. And where better than right on my doorstep?
He frowned just a bit when he saw that in my mind, and backed up until he was in the shadow, where I couldn’t see his face well. “What’s up?”
“Why haven’t you told me anything about you?” I started the list. “I didn’t know you had a sister, or that you met her every Saturday. I didn’t know about your food poisoning or the casinos in Monte Carlo or how many places you’ve traveled for jobs. Hell, I don’t even know what you do to keep your calves looking that good.”
His face was calm and unreadable. “You’ve never asked.”
That was no answer. “I’ve told you a ton of stuff about me.”
He nodded once. “Because I asked.” When I opened my mouth, he raised a hand. “Celia, I’m a mage and I’m in security. I don’t tell just anyone my life history. Knowledge is power and in magic it’s deadly. But you feel the same, whether or not you realize it. It’s taken verbal crowbars to get you to reveal anything about your past. There are a dozen questions I’ve asked that you still won’t answer. So why in the world would I volunteer information when you’ve obviously had no interest?”
I stood there openmouthed for a long moment, “But I do want to know.”
He shrugged. “Then ask. I can’t promise I’m an open book. Not yet. But eventually, when we both trust each other a little more, we’ll see. But the simple stuff—likes, dislikes, family, beliefs—sure. I’d love to tell you.”
I decided to use a line from one of my favorite novels to open the conversation. “So, tell me of your homeworld, Usal.” John smiled and stepped forward into the light. Apparently he’d read the book, too. He held out his hand and I took it. When he started to turn to walk down the stairs with me, I noticed something. Not a new thing, but a missing thing. “John? Where’s your siren charm?”
He let out a small sound that I couldn’t decipher. “I don’t know. I think they stripped me of all my magical items when I got jumped. But I didn’t see that in the bowl reading. I’ll make another one, though. It’ll only take a few days.”
“You said knowledge was power. What does a missing piece of … me mean?”
He put an arm around me and pulled me close to him. “I don’t know. I’m hoping it’s in Glinda’s effects. I’m trying to get a court order to let me look at the other items in George’s safe, too. It’ll turn up.”
“What if it doesn’t? What if it wound up in the demon dimension? Things were flying thick and fast in there.”
He tried not to let me see the shudder that overtook him. “We won’t think that way. Because that would be bad, Celia. That would be very, very bad.”
Tor Paranormal Romance Books by C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp
THE SAZI
Hunter’s Moon
Moon’s Web
Captive Moon
Howling Moon
Moon’s Fury
Timeless Moon
Cold Moon Rising
Serpent Moon
THE THRALL
Touch of Evil
Touch of Madness
Touch of Darkness
WRITING AS CAT ADAMS
Magic’s Design
Blood Song
Siren Song
Demon Song
The Isis Collar
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CAT ADAMS is the author of three previous Blood Singer urban fantasy novels: Blood Song, Siren Song, and Demon Song.
Adams is the joint pen name of C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp, who live in a small town deep in the heart of Texas. They are USA Today bestselling authors with their Thrall series, which begins with Touch of Evil, and their critically acclaimed Sazi series, which begins with Hunter’s Moon.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE ISIS COLLAR
Copyright © 2012 by C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp
All rights reserved.
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
First Edition: March 2012