up. I should always go with my gut.
Sy squeezed my shoulder, and his eyes were soft and emoting sympathy, which made my insides harden. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I shrugged off his hand. Why didn’t I tell him? Because it was none of his damn business. He didn’t know Baker and I didn’t want his sympathy. Or maybe I just didn’t want to be vulnerable with him or anyone right now. I needed space to lick my wounds. “That sounds likely, all right. Who had the pole?”
“A hoodoo priestess that Baker introduced me to, but Charon took her back with him and the pole.”
This sucked. I pulled out my phone and texted Olivia and Holden. They both needed to be back here now.
“Femi,” Sy said in a too caring voice.
“Give it a rest,” I snapped. “I’m fine. This is why I didn’t tell you. Now you’re hovering and it’s pissing me off. I’m not fragile and we don’t need you here. Go back to the Office. Selene will be fine.”
Something very close to hurt flashed in his eyes and he frowned at me. His mouth opened, but Selene spoke up first.
“Femi’s right. Everyone handles this sort of thing in their own way and you really don’t need to be here right now.” She stood up, took him by the arm, and lead him to the door, talking quietly enough I couldn’t hear what she was saying.
Maggie gave me a sympathetic smile. “At least he cares.”
I rubbed my temples. I just really wanted to do something mindless, like capture a bounty. All the stakes in this mess were too high and it was sucking the fun out of the job. There was too much death. “Well, he can care out of my sight.” I crossed my legs, then uncrossed them and crossed them again in the other direction.
Holden and Olivia arrived a few minutes later. Holden’s eyes burned and flames licked at his neck as he stalked off without saying anything to anyone, slamming a door behind him. Olivia’s eyes trailed after him and she chewed on her lower lip. Finally she blinked a few times and greeted Selene with a hug.
“You both look well,” she said, stepping back and glancing from Selene’s face to her stomach and back. “How is everything?”
Selene hestitated, but shook it off. “I’m great—and I think for once, it is me who can help you. Come sit down. Show me where you were stabbed.”
Olivia started to shake her head. “I really don’t think you can do anything, but—”
“Let her try,” I said. “Or I’ll hold you down and make you.”
Olivia sat in the chair and unbuttoned her top. Her pale, nearly translucent skin was marred by a deep gash about two inches long. Jagged black lines webbed across her chest from the opening, and a trickling light seeped out, her soul. My heart all but stopped. I’d done this to her. Selene lowered herself to the coffee table and put a hand over her mouth as she stared.
“Well, is there anything you can do?” I blurted, when I couldn’t take the suspense any longer.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Selene said. Her hand hovered over Olivia. “May I?” she asked.
“Sure,” Olivia said, her face completely neutral as Selene gently touched the wound.
Selene drew in a sharp breath, her hand snapping back. She shuddered and shook out her arm. “That was intense.” She let out a slow breath and reached toward Olivia with trembling fingers, and once again barely grazed the stream of light. She closed her eyes and something shimmered like diamonds between the palm of her hand and Olivia, but nothing changed. Selene frowned, dropping her hand back to her lap. “Can I see the knife you used?”
Holden handed it to her. I hadn’t even noticed him coming back out of the war room, but he looked normal again, no flames.
Selene held the weapon flat in her hands and studied it closely. “I’ve never felt magic like this before. It’s raw and ancient and reminds me of what I felt when I had the Pole of Charon.” She looked up at us, debate evident in her eyes. Finally she
Sy squeezed my shoulder, and his eyes were soft and emoting sympathy, which made my insides harden. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I shrugged off his hand. Why didn’t I tell him? Because it was none of his damn business. He didn’t know Baker and I didn’t want his sympathy. Or maybe I just didn’t want to be vulnerable with him or anyone right now. I needed space to lick my wounds. “That sounds likely, all right. Who had the pole?”
“A hoodoo priestess that Baker introduced me to, but Charon took her back with him and the pole.”
This sucked. I pulled out my phone and texted Olivia and Holden. They both needed to be back here now.
“Femi,” Sy said in a too caring voice.
“Give it a rest,” I snapped. “I’m fine. This is why I didn’t tell you. Now you’re hovering and it’s pissing me off. I’m not fragile and we don’t need you here. Go back to the Office. Selene will be fine.”
Something very close to hurt flashed in his eyes and he frowned at me. His mouth opened, but Selene spoke up first.
“Femi’s right. Everyone handles this sort of thing in their own way and you really don’t need to be here right now.” She stood up, took him by the arm, and lead him to the door, talking quietly enough I couldn’t hear what she was saying.
Maggie gave me a sympathetic smile. “At least he cares.”
I rubbed my temples. I just really wanted to do something mindless, like capture a bounty. All the stakes in this mess were too high and it was sucking the fun out of the job. There was too much death. “Well, he can care out of my sight.” I crossed my legs, then uncrossed them and crossed them again in the other direction.
Holden and Olivia arrived a few minutes later. Holden’s eyes burned and flames licked at his neck as he stalked off without saying anything to anyone, slamming a door behind him. Olivia’s eyes trailed after him and she chewed on her lower lip. Finally she blinked a few times and greeted Selene with a hug.
“You both look well,” she said, stepping back and glancing from Selene’s face to her stomach and back. “How is everything?”
Selene hestitated, but shook it off. “I’m great—and I think for once, it is me who can help you. Come sit down. Show me where you were stabbed.”
Olivia started to shake her head. “I really don’t think you can do anything, but—”
“Let her try,” I said. “Or I’ll hold you down and make you.”
Olivia sat in the chair and unbuttoned her top. Her pale, nearly translucent skin was marred by a deep gash about two inches long. Jagged black lines webbed across her chest from the opening, and a trickling light seeped out, her soul. My heart all but stopped. I’d done this to her. Selene lowered herself to the coffee table and put a hand over her mouth as she stared.
“Well, is there anything you can do?” I blurted, when I couldn’t take the suspense any longer.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Selene said. Her hand hovered over Olivia. “May I?” she asked.
“Sure,” Olivia said, her face completely neutral as Selene gently touched the wound.
Selene drew in a sharp breath, her hand snapping back. She shuddered and shook out her arm. “That was intense.” She let out a slow breath and reached toward Olivia with trembling fingers, and once again barely grazed the stream of light. She closed her eyes and something shimmered like diamonds between the palm of her hand and Olivia, but nothing changed. Selene frowned, dropping her hand back to her lap. “Can I see the knife you used?”
Holden handed it to her. I hadn’t even noticed him coming back out of the war room, but he looked normal again, no flames.
Selene held the weapon flat in her hands and studied it closely. “I’ve never felt magic like this before. It’s raw and ancient and reminds me of what I felt when I had the Pole of Charon.” She looked up at us, debate evident in her eyes. Finally she
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