Sin's Dark Caress (22 page)

44

Behind Enemy Lines

M
cManus slid his hands into his pockets and paced the confined quarters in the back of the SWAT van. “I still think it should be me going in there with you.”

Bianca turned from the mirror where she fixed her makeup. “We've been over this a thousand times—you have get Astrid away once we get her out. Cody can help more in there by sensing out the emotions. Besides, he will be less conspicuous,” she added, replacing the top on her lipstick.

“I don't know about that,” Tones said with a laugh from the communications console. “Check out those shoes,”

“What's wrong with them?” Cody lifted his pants a little to reveal the surf sandals he wore underneath. “There's no way I'm putting a pair of those patent leather death skins on these feet.”

“Amen.” Tones gave Cody a high five.

“There's no way anyone will be looking at his feet,” Bianca said as she straightened the bow tie on his tuxedo. He looked like one of those male model types, with his blond hair swept back neatly from his forehead.

McManus felt a stab of annoyance at how she smoothed the jacket over his shoulders. “I thought he had to wear long velvet jackets or stuff like that.”

“If he was a witch, yes, but since he's not, any formal wear is acceptable.” She smiled and ran her palm over her own red velvet corset trimmed in gold over a black velvet skirt with a bustle. “How do I look?”

“Bloody hot,” Cody said.

“Hell yeah,” Tones agreed.

With white ringlets dropping from the intricate hairstyle piled on top of her head and a band of black lace, diamonds, and onyx surrounding her throat, she never looked more lovely.

While she smiled at the other compliments, she looked expectantly at him, waiting for his answer.

A knot caught in his throat. “You look
breathtaking.
”

Her smile blossomed, a self-conscious flush blooming on her pale cheeks, and she looked away. “Thank you.”

“Too beautiful for a kidnapping,” he added.

“A rescue, not a kidnapping.” She tilted her head to the side and searched his eyes. “You really think I look good?”

He drew closer and twisted one of the pale ringlets around his finger. “Devastatingly good.”

Tones cleared his throat. “I think it's time.”

McManus scowled and stepped away. “I still don't have to like it, and to top it all off, I have to babysit the pets.”

“Hey,” Kedrax objected from the top of a cabinet where he sat with Vincent. “I'm the one who's doing the babysitting, flatfoot.”

“Watch it, rat-breath, or I'll make a wallet out of you.” McManus couldn't hide the smile. Since their trip into Sagen's lair a few days ago, the two of them had fallen into mutual lighthearted insult slinging, which seemed to work for them both.

The little dragon's voice had deepened and he now had the same sort of inner glow as Lord Sagen. He'd matured at an amazing rate, and now matched the cat for size. Bianca and Kedrax's bond also seemed to increase. But even more amazing was when the two of them were deep in one of their silent conversations, McManus could sometimes catch a snippet, half a word here, an emotion there, but never anything solid.

Vincent watched everything with his usual strange, almost human stare, from where he sat beside Kedrax. The little dragon alighted from the table with a graceful flap of his wings and flew to Bianca. McManus winced as the creature landed on her pale bare shoulder, afraid his talons would rip her flesh, but somehow he hung on by wrapping his tail around her upper arm and the claws never even marked her skin.

Bianca reached up and stroked the side of Kedrax's head. “You behave yourself.”

Vincent jumped down and followed, his tail sticking straight up in the air to get his share of her love.

“So . . .” Bianca said. “Are we ready?”

“Okay.” Tones rose from his terminal. “Put one of these in first.” He held out a box of earpieces. “Cody, your lapel pin has a small audio visual device, as does one of the beads on your choker,” he said to Bianca. “We'll see and hear everything you do and you can hear us.”

“Here, let me,” McManus said, taking the flesh-colored device from Tones.

She turned her head to give him access. Before he inserted the device, he leaned in close to her ear. “You be careful in there.”

She looked him in the eye and smiled. “You're not going soft on me, are you, McManus?”

“Maybe,” he replied, and gently tilted her head so he could slide in the earpiece. “Just don't do anything stupid. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said softly, and placed her hand over his.

Cody held out his arm. “Let's get this show on the road.”

Bianca took it with a smile. McManus felt another pang of anger and realized he was a little jealous. He wanted to be the one on her arm, and it had very little to do with the case. He closed the door after them and dropped into the chair next to Tones. The screens turned on one by one as Tones typed and McManus leaned back, putting his feet up on the desk. “So, you got the coffee and doughnuts?”

“In the cupboard and fridge behind you,” Tones said without looking up from the computer. “Along with some vegan blood for me.”

45

Into the Viper's Nest

C
ody patted her hand on the crook of his arm as they stood in line for the ballroom and leaned in close. “We're almost there.”

She smiled. Security was ridiculous. They'd had to pass through three checkpoints on the way in. There was also a dampening spell on the entire estate so no one could use any magic within the grounds. A very expensive precaution.

Just how the hell were they supposed to get Astrid past all of that? The entire Hilden family were lined up to greet the guests as they entered. Bianca sighed with relief when she saw Astrid standing next to her husband.

Finally, she stepped up, her grip tightening on Cody's arm.

“Thank you for com—” The Domina's eyes met hers and widened, her hand stopping for half a second as she extended it toward Bianca. Then the mask of politeness dropped again and she almost crushed Bianca's fingers in her grip. “I didn't expect to see you here tonight, Miss Sin.”

“Dr. Sin, actually,” Bianca corrected. “I thought it was about time I relented to my mother's numerous requests for me to come to a society function.”

The Domina frowned and squeezed her hand, pulling her a little closer, suspicion written all over her face. “Why now?”

“A very close friend of mine was murdered in the same way as your granddaughter which has left Artemesia quite upset,” Bianca said. “Something like that tends to change one's priorities.”

The Domina blinked slowly, and Bianca almost regretted her words, then Gayla turned to Cody. “Thank you for coming,” she said flatly.

Bianca moved down the line to Astrid Hilden. The woman was like an automaton, her face slack, her eyes blank, and her movements sluggish. They'd drugged her just like the girl had said. Her husband supported her by the elbow as he greeted guests with his own forced smile.

“Good to see you, Astrid,” Bianca said, taking the woman's limp hand.

Astrid's blank eyes stared over her shoulder. She was about to move on when Astrid's grip tightened on hers and her gaze focused.

Marcus removed Bianca's hand out of his wife's grip and shook it. “Thank you for coming.” And somehow he managed to make it sound more like a threat than a welcome.

This wasn't the time to rouse suspicion. “Thank you,” she said, and moved on.

“Well, that was awkward,” McManus said through her earpiece.

“Yes, very interesting,” she replied softly as Cody grabbed two flutes of champagne from a waiter who glided past.

She accepted the glass, but didn't drink, and neither did he. The object was to blend in, and that's what they would do. The party mood in the ballroom seemed more normal as people drank and caught up with friends and family. Yet every now and then a forced laugh, a nervous titter, or guarded glance unsettled the mood a little.

“Hello, sweetheart.”

“Hello, Daddy.” Bianca spun to hug her father and then kissed her mother on the cheek as Cody shook hands with Theron.

Her mother smiled. “At least Gayla can't criticize your dress sense tonight, darling, you look beautiful.”

“Tell your mother she looks hot too,” McManus said in her ear.

“Shut up,” she said.

“What?” her mother said, a little taken aback.

“Sorry, not you, Artemisia,” she said. “McManus is having a little word in my ear. He said to say how nice you look.” She lifted her hair a fraction, as if showing her mother her new earrings.

Artemisia leaned in with a smile and touched the onyx jewels hanging from her lobe. “Hey there, hot stuff, I was looking forward to seeing you in a tux.”

McManus chuckled. “Next time.”

“Stop it you two,” Bianca warned.

Cody and her father had their heads bent together, oblivious to what was going on. Bianca slipped her arm through her father's. “What are you two talking about?”

“Dr. Hunter was telling me about a tribe of cubii he found in the jungle of New Guinea,” Cody said.

When they married thirty years ago, her parents had bucked tradition, with her father keeping his own name. It had caused quite a stir back then, but today it was a little more commonplace.

“A fascinating tribe living way up in the mountains,” he father said. “Very isolated and totally untouched by modern living. They basically still live in the Stone Age.”

As always, his face lit up as he talked about his work as a parahuman anthropologist. She'd gotten her love of science from him.

Artemisia put her arm around him and smiled warmly as he planted a kiss on her forehead. His passion for his work was only matched by his love for her mother.

Cody closed his eyes for a second. She didn't begrudge him the little snack he was having from her parent's emotions.

“So, what's your plan?” Artemisia whispered conspiratorially.

“Better you don't know,” Cody said.

“Cody's right,” Bianca said. “But when it's polite to do so, I'd get her out of here, Daddy.”

Her father nodded.

The Hilden family finished greeting the guests and moved into the ballroom to join the festivities. Astrid glanced in her direction and their eyes connected. Marcus noticed where his wife was looking and said something to the Domina. This time Bianca could feel the full force of their disapproval. Marcus led his wife in the opposite direction, and Gayla turned to the building group of witches vying for her attention.

A pianist accompanied by a string quartet began to play.

“I think I'm going to dance with the most beautiful woman in the room,” her father said, looking around. “Now if I can just find her.”

“Theron.” Artemisia playfully slapped him on the arm.

“Ah, there she is.” He held out his elbow and led his wife onto the dance floor to join the rest of the couples swaying to the music.

“There's so many emotions flying around here,” Cody whispered. “Most are just the normal happy ones you'd expect at an event such as this. But—” He stopped to take a canapé from a passing waiter.

“But?” she said when the waiter was gone.

Cody finished chewing and tucked in his chin as he glanced over at the Domina. “There's a hell of a lot of fear too. And I don't think you have to be an incubus to sense it.”

Several people had worried expressions beneath their polite social masks. Even members of the Domina's own coven tossed cagey, surreptitious glances in her direction. Marcus hovered close to his wife, heading off anyone who tried to get close to her. Bianca caught several guarded looks between the Domina and her son-in-law.

Something is definitely going on
.

A prickle of tension skittered up her spine and tightened across her shoulders. If only she could just get to Astrid.

“Relax,” Cody said. “Come on, let's dance.”

A surfer boy from Bondi Beach, Australia, he might be, but Cody Shields was one of the most socially aware men she knew. That came with being an incubus, she supposed; being the son of a diplomat also helped.

He took her out and spun her onto the floor with a sweep of her skirts. She giggled.

“Hey, you're not supposed to be having a good time,” McManus growled in her ear.

“Piss off and let us enjoy this dance,” Cody said, and swept her up against him. “I think your detective is a little jealous,” he whispered softly into her other ear, so their listeners wouldn't hear.

She pulled back and laughed aloud. “Don't be ridiculous.” However, she felt a tingle of pleasure at the thought.

“Shhh.”
Cody pulled her tight against him again.

The music stopped.

“Excuse me,” the Domina said from the small stage where the band played. “I would like to thank you all for attending this year's Isis Institute Ball. As you know, I've held this ball in honor of the institute for the last thirty years. And tonight was intended to be a special occasion with my . . .” She cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders. “ . . . with my granddaughter attending the institute this year.”

The Domina stopped and looked down at her daughter, who was silently sobbing into a handkerchief. “That was before the horrible tragedy that took her from us. I had considered canceling the ball this year, but since this event raises a lot of money that is used to fund scholarships for less fortunate young witches, I decided against it. With that in mind, I wish to announce the creation of the Tiffany Hilden Memorial Scholarship, which will be funded solely by the Hilden Group to allow yet another underprivileged witch to attend the Isis Institute. Please help me in honoring this great school by giving generously to the Isis Institute Scholarship Fund.”

Applause filled the room.

“Again, thank you so much for your support, and please enjoy the rest of the evening.” The Domina picked up her skirts with one hand, and her son-in-law helped her descend from the small stage. She said something to Marcus and Astrid, who started shaking her head at the words. Marcus nodded and led Astrid from the room.

“
Shit
, they're making her leave the party,” McManus said in her ear. “Now what're we going to do?”