jinn 03 - vestige (19 page)

“You don’t consider the jinni your friend?”

“I guess he is, but it’s different. Holden’s not warm and friendly. He’s not someone you tell about your day. He’s the guy who kills the person who is pissing you off and doesn’t expect a thank you. That’s just who he is. It’s great to know people like that, but it’s not the same as having a friend.”

Corbin stood still as a corpse for several moments. Did he fall asleep? I was seconds from snapping my fingers in front of his face, when he spoke again. “I was sorry to hear about Baker. I didn’t know him well, but he was always decent to me and other vampires.”

I nodded and bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, as I forced my panic away from the surface. It wouldn’t do me any good. I just had to find another way. I was an expert at that. “I can’t lose Olivia too. There has to be a way to save her. Sy told me to get the nanteos cup, that it could help. But now—” I ran my hand down my ponytail. It wasn’t too late. It couldn’t be. It wasn’t fair. “I just have to get the cup. Everything will be okay.”

He suddenly looked very interested. “And do you know where it is?”

So Corbin not only knew what the cup was, but was suddenly willing to help. Though moments ago I would have said it was impossible, my trust of him decreased even further. “I’m not sure exactly.”

The corner of his mouth curled up. “I think you have a very good idea. The traveler said he had it.”

“If you already knew the answer, why’d you ask?”

This time I got a full smile. “How about we make a deal? I’ll help find and retrieve the cup from the traveler and drop the Thomas issue, if you let me have the hand of glory.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He laughed. “Is that right? Because I heard some pretty reliable information that you stole it from Baba Yaga.”

“No, a selkie stole it from her.”

“And you caught the selkie, but didn’t cough up the hand.”

“It wasn’t there.” How did he know all of this?

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I am an excellent liar.” I scowled at him.

“Look. I have all the time in the world and nothing better to do. I can make myself a terrible nuisance. Take my deal or I’ll ruin every bounty you go after until I get the hand
and
Thomas. Right now you have the chance to give me only one of the items and end this. I’m even letting you choose which.”

I had no clue where Thomas was, and I beyond sick of Corbin following me around. Eventually he’d probably give up and move on, but how long would that take? At least this would get him off my back. I didn’t even want the hand. “Why do you want it?”

“Not your concern.”

“It is my concern if you are going to use it to kidnap people.”

“No, no, love. That’s more your boyfriend’s territory. I have no interest in exotic dining.”

There wasn’t a single guarantee that he could give me that I would believe or accept, so there was no point arguing about it.

“How much would you like to save your friend?”

I rolled my eyes. “You know why I didn’t ask for your help, Corbin? Because I don’t need it. I have the hand and I can find the cup on my own.” Or with Holden’s help. Either way, no deal with a vampire necessary. “And the moment you get between me and a bounty, is the moment I find a way to kill you. Got it?”

“Is that your final answer?” he asked, completely unoffended.

“Yes.”

“Then I look forward to spending a lot more time with you.”

I went into the empty living room, Corbin sticking like glue. My eyes scanned the area the traveler had been in, but he hadn’t left anything behind. How was I supposed to track someone who could hop across space, time, and dimensions as easily as he could cross the street? Baker would probably know. . . . My eyes trailed to the shelf with his urn on it, but it was gone. I blinked a few times. Yes, it was completely gone. Olivia or Holden wouldn’t have moved it, and it had been there earlier. . . . The only person we didn’t know who had been inside with us was Rhys, but why would he want Baker’s ashes?

I called Holden who was less than helpful, then I tried Olivia.

“Femi,” she answered. “I’m so glad you called.”

“I’m not calling about that. I’m still mad. Holden told me to ask you to tell Death that I need to talk to the dragon.” I was betting he didn’t mean a real dragon. They were extinct and that would be entirely too awesome.

“The dragon?”

“I don’t know. That’s just what he said.”

“I’ll tell him.” She paused. “We need to talk, Femi.”

“Nothing to talk about. Not yet.” I hung up. I’d talk to her when I had a solution. She wasn’t going to die because I stabbed her. She wasn’t going to justify making a bad deal. I would have kept the angel around had I known that was an option—and then Baker wouldn’t have had to die either.

“Now what?” Corbin asked.

“We wait,” I said, sitting down on the couch.

Moments later Quintus came in with Charlie who was slowly getting used to him, though she mostly watched him out of the corner of her eye.

“That’s not the one you need to watch out for, kid. It’s that one.” I nodded toward Corbin and Quintus smiled.

“What are you two up to?”

“Baker’s ashes are missing. Any ideas why?”

“Baker was a chol,” Quintus said as if that answered everything.

“And?” I motioned with my hand.

He blinked then shook his head slightly. “Oh. Sorry. People believed for a great many years that if you consumed part of an immortal being you would also become immortal.”

“Is it true?” Corbin asked.

Quintus shrugged. “I have no idea. Up until Baker I had never met a born immortal, but then again I didn’t know he was one. So maybe I had and didn’t know it. If they’re out there, they certainly don’t advertise.”

“Let me get this straight. You’re saying someone may have taken his ashes to eat them? That’s disgusting.”

“Disgusting or not, when you’re talking immortality without strings, who wouldn’t do it?” Corbin said. “If that had been option for me, I would have done it.”

“A lot of people would,” Quintus said.

People were sick. It was no wonder immortals kept that shit to themselves—though it still pissed me off a little that Baker didn’t tell me. “Are travelers immortal?”

Quintus frowned. “I don’t think so.”

“That sick bastard!” Rhys was going to eat Baker’s remains? Not on my watch.

There was a knock on the door. Quintus took Charlie back to the kitchen and I answered it. A woman with long black hair and sunglasses tried to push past me. I shoved her back. “Nobody invited you in.”

Even though I couldn’t see them, I could feel her eyes move to me. Raw power radiated from her. “You have friends in high places, Sekhmet. That is the only reason I am here. If you insist on being rude, I’ll bite back.”

“You’re Dragon?” I asked.

She took off her sunglasses, revealing eyes that were a mix of pink, red, purple, and gold. “You may call me Leilah. Step aside.”

I stood back. Well holy crap. Dragons were real and wicked cool. “Why am I here?” she asked before I even shut the door.

“Did you know Baker?” I asked.

“I did,” she said evenly.

I nodded. “And I take it you’re like him?” She didn’t reply. “Why would someone steal his ashes?”

Her back straightened and her shoulders pulled back. “Show me.”

“There’s nothing to show. We had them in an urn on the shelf over there and now it’s gone.”

“The urn as well?” I gestured to the empty shelf. Her shoulders sagged as she took half a step forward. “And the ashes were still inside?”

“Yes.”

“Damn it,” she said under her breath. She smoothed her already flat hair. “We have to find him. Who has been here?”

“Well, besides the usual people—and none of them would take him—Death, a traveler, and about thirty wendigos,” Corbin chimed in.

Leilah slowly turned to him. “And you, vampire. Have you been here?” She seemed to grow as she approached him, and her shadow filled the room. Corbin did the corpse thing and stopped moving. There was a moment I thought she might eat him, but then she said, “Sit.”

He obeyed her, face still blank, and everything went back to normal.

“I gotta learn how to do that,” I said.

When she turned back to me, her glasses were back on. “He said Death and a traveler were here. Did the traveler give a name?”

I nodded. “Rhys. Is he going to eat Baker?”

She shook her head. “He’s already immortal.”

“Well, Death’s immortal too. Where does that leave us?”

She took a deep breath. “Rhys used to be demi-god but he ascended to the level of a traveler. In doing so, though, he is unable to create new immortal. The only born immortals left are me, one other member, and Baker. Some of his views, however, have become extreme. He could have taken Baker’s ashes for recruitment purposes.” She looked worried.

I nodded, though everything I knew about the council could fit in a thimble—and even from that little bit they sounded like assholes.

“We’re running out of ways to recruit and our numbers are dwindling. Rhys tried to get Baker to come back, but he refused. If he has his ashes, he could potentially prevent him from ever coming back. Rhys knows Baker opposes his plans. He’s of more use to Rhys as ashes than alive.”

“Are you saying there’s still a chance? He might be—”

“Reborn? Yes. But not if he loses too much of himself.”

“How much is too much?”

“It isn’t an exact science. He could probably afford to lose some, but once he’s too far gone, there’s no going back.”

“And what about Death. What does he have to gain?”

“That’s more complicated. He wouldn’t use Baker’s ashes, so much as hide them.”

“Why?”

“He wants your friend to join him. The only thing that could prevent that is if she became immortal.”

“Yeah, I can already tell you, she’d never do what it takes.”

The dragon stared at me. “You’d be surprised.”

I shook my head. “Olivia loves Baker. Not like she loves Holden, but she does. They’re friends and she’d do anything for her friends, including dying…” My throat tightened a little. “Or making a stupid deal to stay with the people she loves the most, but she definitely wouldn’t hurt him to save herself.”

“If Death took the ashes he doesn’t believe that.”

“Then Death is a dick and he is greatly underestimating
her
.” The corner of her mouth twitched. “But if he does have them and doesn’t want to use them, then maybe it would be best to leave them with him.”

“He exists between worlds. Baker can’t regenerate there. If you want to give him a chance, find his ashes and bring them back here.”

I rolled my shoulder. It was healing, but still ached. “I won’t let him out of my sight, if it means he’ll come back.”

“There are no guarantees. And it goes without saying if you lose, sell, or consume him, I’ll take whichever lives you have left.”

“I wish it had gone without saying.” I rolled my eyes. “I think I should go after Rhys. You should handle Death.”

She nodded and started for the door. “I agree.”

“Wait. How do I find him?”

Leilah turned around and handed me a card. “Get him something he wants, go to this location, and pick up the phone. He’ll show up.”

“And what? Knock him out? Steal his license? Tickle him until he tells me where he’s keeping the urn?”

“Figure it out.” She opened the door and snapped her fingers as she walked out.

“What happened?” Corbin asked.

“I have a plan,” I said.

There was only one thing I knew that Rhys wanted.
Holden
. Experience had taught me that family issues were nothing to toy around with, but if it meant getting Baker and Olivia back, Chuckles would just have to suck it up and put on his big boy pants.

Holden killed her. He actually killed her.

There was no love lost between me and the succubus, but he’d
killed
her. It wasn’t a battle; it wasn’t a fight; it was in cold blood. I transported back to the warehouse without saying anything to him. What could I even say that wouldn’t be judgmental because I was judging him? A lot.