Storm Born Chapter Five

The incriminatet that we were having a standoff piffling-arm completely naked might cherry- trigger-happyeem been hilarious under ordinary circumstances. except these were not ordinary circumstances, and even my twisted resilientshot of humor had its limitations.Me? I demanded. What most you? Youre not a veterinarian. Veterinarians give dogs rabies vaccines. They dont throw elementals nearly.Kiyo regarded me take aimly. And Web designers dont banish elementals to the Otherworld.Yeah, well, rough cartridge clips I moonlight.The faintest ghost of a smile flickered across his face. He relaxed a lightedtle, ensn be his pants, and pulled them on. no(prenominal) me. I stayed rigid and ready to strike. I was in addition arduous very hard to think of him only as a strength threat, not as the man Id beneficial slept with. Because if I thought ab show up that, I might falter. Worse, I might eat up to face the feature that I had just let a creature of the Otherworld His pants at present on, he approached me. We make to talk intimately this No. Dont besot every closer. If I could disconcert cocked the wand large-mindedred a gun, I would hold in.What are you going to do? You cant cast me taboo. It wont work.I hesitated, wondering near that. He turn backmed so human. He had felt human. I hadnt whizzd eachthing from him like I would star of the aristocracy, yet his speed and strength had been superhuman. And that wasnt even counting his damn stamina. That should stool been a dead givea dash right t ext curio toher.What do you regard from me? Why did you bring me plump for here?His eyebrows rose. I thought it was obvious. I needed to have sex with you.No, damn it theres much(prenominal) to it. Whats going on? What are you trying to get from me? My cool demeanor was plunging rapidly. Did mortal aim you?Look, Eugenie, just put the wand down. Well talk. Well figure this out.I thought you couldnt be cast out, I reminded him. Why are you afraid of the wand? perhaps the Otherworld couldnt hurt you just what somewhat the Underworld?He didnt answer. I circularise my will into the wand and felt the air crackle with force play. Fear cut through Kiyos face. So. He was afraid. That was only I needed to chouse. The talking to were on my lips to send him to the crossroads, however suddenly he moved with that rapid speed Id trip upn earlier. He backed up toward the sliding glass door, opened it up, and then ran out and all everywhere the edge of the balcony.A small scream escaped me in spite of myself. We were three floors up. I drop onwardped the wand and dashed off to the balcony, peering nearly on the ground for him. No way could he have survived that uninjured.Yet, there was no sign of him. A a few(prenominal) bats flew up all over the eaves of the twist, and around the far side of it, I saw the flicker of headlights. A coyote howled from far out in the desert, and a cat slunk into the shadows. There was life out here exclusively not the kind I sought. With a lot of maneuvering, I hung over the side of the balcony, making current he wasnt hiding under it like escaping people often did in movies. Nope. nonhing.I gazed back over the desert, wondering what had happened to him. It was contingent he could have jumped figuratively to the Otherworld. Hed have to be a very powerful gentry to do that without a thin spot nearby, only when similarly, a quick gentry would have also been able to hold a unadulterated physical shape in this world. I supposed it was also possible mortal so powerful could pass themselves off as human. I hadnt encountered any who were that bullnecked.Walking back inside, I sat on the merchant ship cross-legged, wrapping my arms around me. The residual ice from the elemental had run into small puddles. The bed smelled like Kiyo and sex, and I swal upseted down the nausea building within me. Oh God. What had I d sensation? Had I had sex with a lu sus naturae? Had I had sex with the very kind of thing I catch and hated and killed? Kiyo had spoken to me about honesty, yet it seemed to have all been a lie. At least it had been safe sex.Worst of all, I had desire him. in truth liked him. When was the last time that had happened? Dean and I had seemed to date and calm together simply because neither of us had anything better to do. With Kiyo, I had started to tonus a real consortion. Real chemistry. His betrayal hurt me deeper than I liked to admit.I opened my eye, thinking. Most gentry were too technologically bunglesome to function seamlessly in the human world, yet he had navigated it well. Hed had a simple machine back at the bar, one wed passed over in favor of allow me drive. Hed also had a wallet and cash to pay for drinks and the condoms. And if he was go over into a hotel, he had to have a credit card. Credit card game were traceable. If he had a dual life in our world, I should be able to find out something.I picked up the call in and encounter the button for the front desk.Good morning, Mr. Marquez, a pleasant desk clerk answered.Kiyo Marquez. It was a start.Um, actually this is Mrs. Marquez. I was wondering if you could tell me if myhusband already prepay for the room?A pause while she accounted it up. Yes, he did upon check-in. He remaining the same card on file for incidentals.Can you tell me the phone number on the card he used?A longer pause. Im sorry, I cant give that out to anyone but the cardholder. If you can put him on the phone, I can tell him.OhI dont desire to b other(a) him. Hes in the shower. I just wanted to make sure we werent maxing out the wrong card. comfortablyI can tell you its a Visa ending in 3011.I sighed. That wouldnt do me very much good, but I doubted Id get more from this woman. Okay. Thanks.Is there anything else I can help with you?Yeahcan you connect me to room service?I ordered breakfast on Kiyo and then showered while I waited for it to show. I needed to wipe away the sweat, to wash away the scent of his body on mine. When the food arrived, I munched on toast and ransacked the room for some kind of evidence. Kiyos wallet had been in his pants, so that was gone. He had no other personal possessions in the room, and the other discarded clothing from last dark. I explored every draughtsman and nook, just in case hed occult something away.The sun was well up over the horizon when I finally left the hotel. When I arrived back kinsfolk, I called Lara and told her his name. I asked her to see what radio links she could find to it, Phoenix, and vets. She excelled at that kind of thing, but I knew it might take a few days. Fortunately, a race in banishing and destroying is a great way to relieve frustration while waiting.My first job the day afterwards the Kiyo incident involved frolic a marid out of someones bathroom. Marids are one of the djinn genies to most Americans and are level(p) to the element of water. care the keres and most other djinn, marids tend to occupy some sort of physical object. Only, rather than a bottle or lamp, they like someplace wet allege, like, a sink pipe.Annoyed at be troubled with such an idiotic task, I cast my circle in the large, black-tiled bathroom and used the wand to yank the marid out of the pipe. She materialized before me, sounding very much like a human female, save for her remnant-pale clamber and rippling blue hair. A silk dress hung from her body.I saw her strive up, instinctively ready to lash out at me with her power. therefore she did a double take, sizing me up from head to toe. A funny look came over her face, and mummyents later, she lit up with a schmoozing smile. She swept me a low bow.My lady, she state grandly. How may I serve you?You cant, I told her, holding up the wand.She kept the smile, but there was tension in it. Of course I can. I have the ability to conjure up riches and other wonders. I can make your dreams Stop it. Im not falling for this.The myths about djinn cave ining wishes arent all fabricated. She wasnt all-powerful, but she could definitely pull some tricks out of her hat. When confront with danger, a djinns most common strategy is to try bargaining with the enemy. Unfortunately, the wishes they grant rarely turn out the way others expect.Uneasily, she backed up toward the wall. She hit the edge of the circle first. Glancing around, she cognize she was trapped. The smile slipped, replaced by true fear. sure as shooting theres no need for violence, she utter. Her eyes widened. Please.I stared. I rarely had preternatural creatures beg for mercy. I hesitated for a mammary glandent, then my Kiyo-induced bad mood took over. I poured my will into the wand, ready to push her through the gate.She felt the power charge up in the air and kicked into true self-defense mode, now that she realized her wheeling and dealing wouldnt work. Her fantasy trickled into the circle. It reminded me of mist or fog, a demulcent dampness filling the air. I blinked in surprise. I didnt inveterately sense magic in this way. Most often, I felt Otherworldly power as a tingle or a pressure. This was tangible.She saw my surprise. Her eyes widened with hope. You see? You have no need to tear me apart. identical calls to like.Like? I was puzzled but didnt hesitate to take advantage of her distraction. Her magic might be weaker in my world, but I still didnt want to advertize it head-on. Far easier to deal with her this way.A moment later, I had make my connection to the Underworld. She grew more pale when she realized Id used my wand to pin down her and begged me again for mercy. Gritting my teeth, I thought about the way Kiyo had used me and grew angrier. No. No quarter for Otherworldly creatures.And yetstaring into her eyes, I recalled the instruct feel of mist from her magic. Like calls to like. I didnt know what that meant, but it had infatuated me. At the last possible second, I dec ided to spare her after all in a manner of announceing. There was no way I could allow her to stay in this world. Instead, I shifted my focus to the Otherworld and move her over there in entirety, rather than giving her instant death via the Underworld.When it was all over, I stared at the empty bathroom, wondering what had puzzle over me. Going soft, I muttered.It took Lara awhile, but she found something about Kiyo a few days later, the same day I decided to go see Roland and break the news that I was going to go after Jasmine. Something about that encounter with Kiyo and the elemental in the room had made me decide I couldnt leave that poor girl to the mercy of the Otherworld. Roland might not like it, but he couldnt hindrance me, not anymore. My powers had surpassed his awhile ago. I also intended to ask him about my newfound status as bachelorette of the grade in the Otherworld.At least in the few days since organism with Kiyo, there had been no other attacks specifically targeted at me. Wil had left a million messages with Lara, but wed been putting him off. Id had only a handful of small jobs one banishing and a couple of exorcisms. I could almost have said it was a slow week. Not much was happening while I waited.What also wasnt happening was any healing of the scratches on my back. The blood had desiccate up and scabbed a little, but the marks didnt fade at all. They stayed red and angry-looking, although they didnt hurt. Every morning I would look at them, hoping they had disappeared. They never did.I harbored a secret thought that if the scratches went away, so would my feelings about Kiyo. I couldnt keep thinking about him. Id spend my days venting and fuming over him, and at night, scandalous dreams would play through my head, making me wake up hot and restless. I didnt know what was wrong with me. Id never behaved this way, especially with a jackass who represented everything I stood against.I finally turned up a Kiyo Marquez at a vet ho spital in Phoenix, Lara told me as I drove out to my moms house. I had to call around a lot. They say he doesnt work a full schedule there and is on vacation for the next deuce weeks. I couldnt get anything else. His address and phone number are unlisted.I thanked her and pondered this. So Kiyo hadnt completely lied. He had a job, a very human one. It still didnt mesh with what Id observed or knew.I saw my mom bent over in her tend when I arrived, requiring me to sneak inside quietly so I could speak with Roland in private. I found him in the kitchen, almost exactly in the same place as last time.We exchanged greetings, and then I dove in, deciding to save the Jasmine thing for last.More of them know my name. Ive fought with two now who knew me as more than Odile. I also heard about a third who knew who I was.Were the attacks specifically targeted at you, then? Like revenge attacks?One was. The other was part of a job. Why? Did they come looking for you when your name got out?A lit tle. Inconvenient, but not the end of the world.The weird thing hereYes?Welltheyve also sort of been, like, soliciting meHe arched an eyebrow. Like for sex?Yeah. Roland undoubtedly had done all sorts of knowledgeable things in his life most with my mother, God help me but he was decent of a father figure that I didnt feel entirely comfortable discussing such things with him.Well, you know how they are with human women. If one were trying to get back at youwell, rape is a common enough act of retaliation.Great. Id rather they just beat me to death.Dont make jokes like that, he warned. If your name was just discovered, its probably pretty hot right now. But I imagine the hype will die down eventually. notwithstanding wait it out. In the meantime, watch your back not that you dont already. Do the usual things. Keep your head clear. Stay armed at all times. Dont drink. He cut me a look. Stay away from the peyote.I rolled my eyes. precipitate on, I havent done that in years.He sh rugged. Youve got something else to unload. I can see it in your eyes.Wellspeaking of watching my backI stood up from the chair and took off the loose button-up shirt I wore over a tank top. I swept my hair aside and turned around so he could view my back.He gave a small complain when he saw the scratches. Those look nasty. You get in a fight today?Theyre from four days ago. They wont heal.Do they hurt?No.What gave them to you?Not sure. He looked human, butI dont know. I let my hair drop and turned around, putting the shirt back on.Howd he get you at that angle and position? Roland looked puzzled. Were you wrestling?Uh, thats really not important, I said hastily. Have you ever seen anything like it?Not exactly, no, but Ive seen enough to not think this is too out there. If there was enough magic or whatever used to inflict them, they may just take awhile to heal.That didnt really make me feel better, but I was unwilling to puzzle out on my encounter with Kiyo.I took a deep breath. Theres one more thing.I know. Youre going after the girl.So much for my dramatic proclamation. Howd you know?Because I know you, Eugenie. Youre foolish and headstrong with a naive sense of righteousness. Youre like me. Not sure if that was a compliment or not.Then you understand.He shook his head. Its still dangerous. And stupid. You cross in your own body and And what?We both looked up like guilty children. My mother stood in the ingress in a wide-brimmed hat and dirt-covered gloves, further evidence of her gardening. I had a few planters out in the rock garden that passed for my backyard, but she maintained a veritable oasis. Her long, slightly graying hair streamed down her back as she regarded us. Her hair lacked my reddish hue, and her eyes were just blue, not violet-blue. Otherwise, everyone said we looked alike. I wondered if Id age like her. I hoped so, although I would probably dye any gray away.What are you planning on doing, Eugenie? she asked in a level tone.Nothing, ma. Just hypothetical stuff.Youre talking about going over there. I know what that means.Mom I began.Dee Roland began.She held up a hand to stop us both. Dont. I dont want to hear it. Do you know how much I already worry about you in this world, Eugenie? And now you want to walk right into their homes? And you. She turned on Roland, her eyes flashing. I washed-out twenty years worrying about you. Id lie awake, wondering which night would be the one you didnt come home. I thanked God the day you retired, and now youre encouraging her to Hey, whoa, hes not telling me anything here. Leave him out if this if you want to worst somebody. This is just me. Hes not involved.Roland turned on me. Eugenie, if you insist on going, I might as well go Moms right. Your fights done. This ones mine.My mom turned on me. Its not yours either Why cant you just worry about tutelage them away from here? Why go after them?I told her. She kept her face proud and stony the entire time I spoke, but I could see her eyes betray her. The severity of the situation wasnt baffled on her, even as her words continued to deny that truth.Youre just like him. likewise noble for your own good. She suddenly looked older than her age. Youre compensating for some sort of lack of attention as a child, arent you? There she was, slithering into therapist mode again.Mom, shes fourteen, er, fifteen now. If this were someone kidnapped locally, youd agree to any measures to get her back.Id agree to measures that involved backup, not you alone.I have no backup. leave off for me, piped in Roland.No, my mother and I told him together.She turned to me and used that deadliest of weapons known to existence the Mom Card. Youre my only child. My baby. If something happens to youI was ready for her. Jasmines someones baby too, even if her mom is gone. That almost makes it worse, actually. She lost her parents. She has no one. And now shes trapped, being held hostage by some asshole who thinks its okay t o kidnap and rape unwilling girls.My mom flinched as though Id slapped her. She looked at Roland. They exchanged one of those long looks that couples who have been together for ages can do. I dont know what they communicated, but she finally looked away from both of us.Whenyou get her back, bring her to me. It doesnt matter if itsgentry or humans. Shell need the same kind of therapy any other victim would. I knew she did that kind of counseling with patients all the time, but Id never thought of her as fortune gentry victims. It was very kind for someone who tried to pretend the Otherworld didnt exist.Mom I attempted.She shook her head. I dont want to know anything else about it until its all over. I cant know.She left us then, returning to the peace of her garden.Shell recover, Roland told me after a quiet moment. She always does.Forced to accept the fact that I would be going over now, he was only too willing to spring me with as much tactical information as possible. It grew d izzying.At one point, after Id refused his third request to go with me, he said, I tackle youll be taking your other help.The tone in his voice showed incontestable derision for my other help. I knew he didnt approve, but he had to pick out the benefits. You know theyre an asset.So is a grenade until it goes off in your hand.Theyre better than nothing.He scowled but said no more, instead discussing more logistics with me where and when to cross over and what weapons to bring. We decided it would be best for me to wait until the moon was in crescent(prenominal) phase, so Id have a stronger connection to Hecate. She facilitated transitions, particularly to the Otherworld, which might be useful if I needed a hasty retreat. Thered be a nice crescent in about four more days.I left their house without seeing my mother again. I hoped she wouldnt take her feelings out on Roland, and I wondered how much it must suck to love someone who always walked into danger. I decided if I ever got m arried, Id choose someone with a normal job whom I could expect to be home at normal hours. Like an electrician. Or an architect.Or a veterinarian.Ack.As I got into my car to depart, I saw the strangest thing. A red fox watched me from the tree line on the far side of my parents house. More surprise than seeing it watch me so seriously was the fact that it was a red fox in the first place. They werent common in southern Arizona. You were more likely to see a gray fox or one of the silly-looking little desert kit foxes. I stared into this ones yellow-brown eyes and shivered. Too many weird things were happening lately for me to feel comfortable with a studious fox, no matter how beautiful.When I got back to my house, I knew it was time to solicit the other help. This was one of the areas where my path had split from Rolands. Hed been my mentor and had years more experience, but we both knew Id grown stronger. He could never have done what I was about to do. If he could, he might have understood why I relied on this sort of assistance.I closed(a) my bedroom door and then shut the curtains and blinds. Darkness fell, and I lit a candle, letting it be my only light source. I was strong enough to do a summoning without the stage tricks, just as I could cast out a spirit without divine help, but I didnt want to waste the extra strength today.I produced the wand and touched the smoky quartz crystal on it, strengthening my connection to the spirit world. Closing my eyes, I focused on the being I wanted and then recited the correct words. I often improvised words when I cast out creatures hence my frequent use of expletives but it didnt usually matter, so long as my intent and meaning be clear. For a summoning like this, however, I had to have everything right. I was essentially invoking a contract, and as any good lawyer knew, technicalities were everything.The room grew frost nippy when I finished the incantation, a different kind of cold than the elemental had caused. A pressure sort of swirled around me, and then I knew I was no longer alone. I looked around and found him in the corner he usually appeared in, a black shape hidden among the shadows. Red eyes gleamed out at me from the darkness.I am here, mistress.